Playoffs slipping away for Royals as bats continue quiet trend

PHILADELPHIA – Less than one week ago, the Royals were one game back of an American League Wild Card spot after their Sept. 6 win over the Twins. The momentum was high. The schedule ahead was tough but survivable. The club needed some things to go its way but saw a path to October if the wins kept coming.

Six games later, they are barely holding on.

The Royals lost their series-opener, 8-2, to the Phillies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, marking their fifth loss in the last six games while slipping further in the standings.

“We just got to keep finding ways to apply pressure, keep getting better and just bringing more energy,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “That’s all there is to it. You look at how many games are left. We’re running out of time. We’ve got to do something about it.”

Kansas City’s season is not over, and the club won’t stop trying to win over the final 14 games of the year. But that path to October has gotten a whole lot murkier in the past week.

The Royals (74-74) now sit six games out of the final American League Wild Card spot following the Mariners' (80-68) win over the Angels on Friday night. They are tied with the Astros (80-68) atop the AL West. Right on their heels are the Rangers (78-70), 1 1/2 games out of a Wild Card position, and the Guardians (76-71), who are three games out.

“We clearly have an uphill battle, no doubt about that,” general manager J.J. Picollo said pregame on Friday. “... You can’t really think about, ‘Over [14] games, we’ve got to win X amount.’ We don’t know how many games because we’re chasing teams. That’s just the reality we’re dealing with, and it starts with taking care of our own business. If we don’t do that, we have no chance.”

It started well enough on Friday with the Royals grabbing a first-inning lead off Phillies starter Walker Buehler. Witt singled, stole second base and scored on Maikel Garcia’s single.

The Royals did not score again until the seventh inning, when Witt grounded out with Jac Caglianone on third base.

They left seven on base Friday, going just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Since Aug. 29, the Royals have scored three runs or fewer in 11 of 14 games, a stretch in which they’ve scored 38 runs (2.71 per game) -- and 11 of those runs came on Sept. 6 against the Twins. They’re batting just .213 (17-for-80) with runners in scoring position; seven of those 17 hits came on Sept. 6.

While scoring position stats are volatile and hard to evaluate one way or the other, it’s no secret it’s been a problem for the Royals the entire season.

And it will have to be addressed in the offseason.

“It’s been something that we’re going to have to talk about, think about and figure out,” Picollo said. “How do we address it? The runners in scoring position number is what it is. But the results tend to lean more toward what you’re doing with those at-bats as far as what you’re swinging at and are you getting the pitches to hit? The numbers show we’re not taking as many quality at-bats in those situations.

“There’s a little bit of luck with runners in scoring position. But if the processes are right, there’s a better chance. And our process has been inconsistent.”

As the Royals’ offense evaporated Friday, the Phillies were just getting started. Starter Michael Lorenzen allowed six runs on 10 hits in just three-plus innings, with the Phillies jumping on him in the fourth for three consecutive doubles before manager Matt Quatraro turned to the bullpen.

The Phillies’ relentlessness is what Witt wants to see out of his own offense.

“That team over there, they’re not going to stop trying to score,” Witt said. “That’s what we’ve got to do. Keep on the gas pedal. One-run lead isn’t enough. Got to keep going and just build off the atmosphere out there, go out there and try to win the game.”

The Royals have been handed their fair share of adversity in 2025, along with underperformance and frustrating trends. The resiliency they’ve shown is why they’re not completely out of it this late in the season. Whether they’re able to find one more push remains to be seen.

They have 14 games left to try.

“Got to pay attention to details, do the little things and take things one pitch at a time,” Witt said. “That’s what we can do. That’s what we said this whole year. But the time’s now. We got to make it happen now.”