This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

KANSAS CITY -- It’s the unofficial halfway point of the long baseball season, and the Texas-sized All-Star festivities were a ton of fun, with Bobby Witt Jr.’s showing in the Home Run Derby taking the spotlight. The MLB Draft had three days full of storylines, highlighted by the Royals taking two-way Florida star Jac Caglianone with the No. 6 overall pick.

Now, it’s time to get the focus back on the field. Kansas City opens a nine-game homestand on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium, with a chance to come out of the break strong.

Let’s look ahead to the second half:

Second-half goal: Keep the momentum
The Royals (52-45) are two games back of the final American League Wild Card spot after tying the 2015 club for the second-most wins before the All-Star break in franchise history. Only the 1973 team won more games before the break (55).

Imagine seeing that statement at the end of 2023, when the Royals had 106 losses. They are just four wins shy of last season’s entire win total -- with 66 games still to play.

The Royals have a chance to do something very special in 2024, but that means they have to keep this up for the next two and a half months. The good news? This next homestand comes against the White Sox (27-71), D-backs (49-48) and Cubs (47-51).

Fourteen of the Royals’ first 20 games out of the break are at Kauffman Stadium, where they are 31-18 -- the second-most home wins in the Majors behind the Phillies' 37. Starting strong will be key, and Kansas City could be running toward its ultimate goal of making the postseason this year.

Trade Deadline strategy: Buy … but with 2025 in mind
The Royals got started early with this strategy when they acquired reliever Hunter Harvey -- who isn’t a free agent until after the 2025 season -- on Sunday in exchange for infield prospect Cayden Wallace and the No. 39 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. That’s the going rate for a controllable reliever who can pitch at the back end of games.

Harvey fits exactly what Kansas City was looking for, with his power arm, 26.3% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. He gives the Royals depth at the end of games, which they desperately needed.

Kansas City believes its bullpen -- its biggest Deadline need -- is much improved after that trade, but that doesn’t mean the club will stop looking to upgrade. The Royals will still look for pitching. They also need some depth in their lineup, so a versatile position player would be helpful. With any potential deal, the organization will be looking to get better this year and for the next few years, because it believes its window of contention is just opening.

Key player: Kris Bubic
A lot will rest on the shoulders of the stars: Witt and Salvador Perez in the lineup, as well as starters Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo in the rotation. There’s a case to be made here for others in the Royals’ lineup, too -- Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez are all key to the core.

But how about Bubic? The lefty is coming off of Tommy John surgery last year, and his ticket back to the Majors was in the bullpen. He’s pitched four innings without allowing a run. While certainly a small sample size, the potential of what Bubic could bring to the bullpen could be big. He’s a reliable arm who can throw multiple innings, can run it up to 95 mph at the top of the zone and offers a tinkered arsenal that induces plenty of swing-and-miss. Bubic could also be a rotation candidate if the Royals need a spot start or two.

Already with Major League experience, Bubic also has the right temperament to handle high-leverage innings and the volatility that comes with being a big league reliever. The Royals have been seeking depth in their ‘pen and internal improvements can sometimes be just as helpful as a new face.

Prospect to watch: OF Gavin Cross
Cross, the Royals’ No. 6 prospect, has had quite the journey since being selected No. 9 overall in the 2022 Draft. His first full pro season was cut short by a rare disease and health concerns.

But Cross has been solid in 2024 for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, slashing .289/.362/.441. Since May 1, he’s slashing .309/.373/.488 with a 135 wRC+. There’s still some swing-and-miss concerns (24.1% strikeout rate this season), but there’s been progress. And he’s healthy, which is the most important thing for him and the Royals.

A move to Triple-A Omaha isn’t out of the question for Cross this year, and from there, he’d be only a phone call away from the Majors. A strong second half might have him knocking on the door come Spring Training next year.