Feb 25, 2026; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (left) and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Three Increasingly Bold Royals Predictions for 2026 Season

Originally posted on Kansas City Royals on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 11:02 AM ET

The Kansas City Royals' season is finally upon us, and only a day later than it should have arrived.

After all but six Major League Baseball teams have sprung into action, the Royals will open their season on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. It's the start of a marathon campaign that Kansas City hopes will lead to a postseason return, following a disappointing 82-win 2025 season.

We're generally high on this Royals team's chances this year, but with the season dawning, it's a good chance to share some bold predictions about the club's chances to compete in a relatively thin American League Central this year.

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Vinnie Pasquantino hits 40-plus home runs

The world got to know Pasquantino a bit better during the World Baseball Classic, and he showed what sort of power output he's capable of with a three-homer game against Team Mexico. The funny thing about that game, too, was that he didn't truly barrel any of those three balls.

With the right field fence moved in at Kauffman Stadium, Pasquantino should have a few more deep fly balls carry out of the park this season, and with a baseline of 32 homers last year, 40 seems within reach, even if it's somewhat rare air for power hitters nowadays.

The Royals win at least one major individual award

Rookie of the Year. Cy Young. Most Valuable Player. The Royals may not have the on-paper favorite for any of those postseason awards, but they have such a strong candidate for all three that we're betting they bring home at least one.

Either Bobby Witt Jr. finally takes down Aaron Judge for MVP, Cole Ragans stays healthy and puts together a worthy Cy Young campaign, or Carter Jensen rakes from day one and staves off the likes of division rivals Kevin McGonigle and Chase DeLauter for Rookie of the Year.

Royals win 95 games and the Central division

It would be awfully bold to predict an American League pennant and due to the Royals' lack of playoff chops, we narrowly held off there. But something about this revamped offense and the weakness of the division has us thinking this regular season could be a perfect storm.

If Jensen and Jac Caglianone take off, aided by the arrival of Isaac Collins in the outfield, this offense could be special, and we know they only needed to be league-average last year to be playoff-worthy.

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

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