Jun 29, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin (34) high fives Kansas City Royals senior director of hitting performance, major league hitting coach Alec Zumwalt (31) after a walk off during the tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images William Purnell-Imagn Images

Royals Will Retain Hitting Coach Despite Down Offensive Year, Per Insider

Originally posted on Kansas City Royals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Kansas City Royals ultimately missed the postseason this year after earned a Wild Card berth in 2024. They still recorded a winning season, going 82-80, but they finished in third place in the American League Central, six games behind the division champion Cleveland Guardians. The offense ultimately is what failed them in 2025, and the pitching staff could only do so much to make up for the lack of offense.

Some changes are expected to be made this offseason to the coaching staff. General manager JJ Picollo will have some things to evaluate.

However, it appears that hitting coach Alec Zumwalt is safe, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

Royals To Retain Hitting Coach For 2026 Season

"Royals GM JJ Picollo says hitting coach Alec Zumwalt 'will return' as the hitting coach in 2026 and “most of the staff” will return as well. Might be tweaks to the staff to help get most out of players," Rogers reported on Tuesday.

This news might not be terribly popular with the fanbase after the Royals had such a down offensive season. The Royals were 26th in Major League Baseball with just 651 runs scored during the regular season. They were also 15th in batting average with a .247 team mark and 19th in OPS at .706.

However, perhaps the Royals are relying on making a few outside additions to help improve the offense. Jac Caglianone will be more seasoned next year, so that could help some, but perhaps the Royals are preparing to potentially step outside their comfort zone and dive into free agency or the trade market.

The Royals clearly need to upgrade their offense for 2026 if they want to improve and potentially even make it back to the postseason. As currently constructed, this is obviously not a postseason team.

But it may have more to do with who the Royals have on the roster than who the hitting coach is.

Zumwalt has received a vote of confidence from the front office, and that could mean that the Royals are looking to make some additions to bolster their squad for 2026.

It will certainly be interesting to see just how Picollo goes about constructing his roster for next season. A lot of work needs to be done in order to make this team a true contender in 2026.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Royals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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