2025 MLB First-Half Recap: Kansas City Royals

The Pitching

The Good

The Royals’ rotation was a significant strength last season. So much so that the team, armed with depth, parted with Brady Singer to get Jonathan India.

But even though the Royals saw Cole Ragans make just 10 starts in the first half, their rotation has been among the league’s best.

The ace of the staff has been Kris Bubic, a former first-round pick who excelled out of the bullpen last season. But Bubic, a traditional starter with a starter’s arsenal, thrived this season as he was one of two Royals pitchers to be an All-Star. The left-hander struck out 113 over 108.2 IP across the first half, getting hitters to chase and miss.

Bubic has been joined by Michael Wacha (113 ERA+) and 2024 AL Cy Young finalist Seth Lugo (139 ERA+) to form a strong trio atop that rotation. Rookie Noah Cameron, a funky left-hander, has also been highly productive.

As for the offense, a nice surprise this season has been Maikel Garcia. Garcia, an All-Star in 2025, set a career-high for home runs (8) before the end of July, all while playing at five different positions (2B, 3B, SS, CF, RF).

Salvador Perez, meanwhile, rebounded from a slow start and has been on a tear since the start of June. Perez has hit 14 home runs since July 1, nine of which came in the month of July.

Bobby Witt Jr. (128 OPS+) and Vinnie Pasquantino (113 OPS+) have also been productive, as expected.

The Bad

Last season, the Royals’ offense didn’t hit for a lot of power but still managed to finish in the top half of the league in runs scored. This year, it’s been a different story.

Kansas City ranked dead last among American League teams in runs scored and home runs. And like in 2024, the Royals’ lineup has been heavily reliant on three names to drive in runs: Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Bobby Witt Jr.

In particular, it’s been a down year for Michael Massey, who had the second-most SLG drop year-to-year between 2024 and 2025. Massey, on the IL since early June, slashed .202/.221/.258 (.479 OPS) in the first half.

Their outfield, much like last season, has also been a weak spot for their lineup.

Drew Waters and Kyle Isbel both don’t hit for much power, while Jac Caglianone hit just .140/.196/.264 (.460 OPS) across his first 138 plate appearances. The book on Caglianone was that he liked to expand the zone, and thus far, he’s swung at a lot of pitches out of the zone.

Across his first 40 Major League games, he sported a below-average Chase% of 37%.

What to Expect in the Second Half

Like the Guardians, the Royals will be a team under the microscope come the trade deadline.

Now, the Royals likely won’t deal any of their foundational pieces or youngsters. However, Seth Lugo, who has a $15MM player option that may very well be declined after his last two seasons, is a piece to watch.

First-half stats as of All-Star break. Cited stats, unless otherwise indicated, in paragraphs as of writing.