KANSAS CITY -- The odds have been stacked against the Royals for a few weeks, but that didn’t make Kansas City’s 8-5 loss to Toronto in the home finale on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium any easier.
The math is simple: If the Astros win once more this season (the same goes for the Guardians), the Royals will be eliminated from the postseason conversation.
“It’s bad, you know? We play this game to play in the playoffs,” said Maikel Garcia, who had two hits and an RBI. “We don’t know what’s going [to happen] at night, but we just have to move on and compete.”
But that doesn’t mean Kansas City (78-78) is without something to play for. The final six regular-season games will be on the road, three against the Angels and Athletics, and the club isn’t giving up on 2025.
“... We know this is a baseball town, we know the fans love baseball,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We’re doing our best to put the best product out there and keep fighting, because that’s the spirit of this city. We don’t take that for granted. We want to win at home. We want to win everywhere to make our fans proud.”
Here’s how the Royals can still do that, whatever happens Sunday night or next week:
Finishing above .500
By winning four games on the West Coast, the Royals would secure the franchise’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 2014-15, when Kansas City won 89 and 95 games with consecutive World Series appearances.
Whether the Royals are eliminated by the time they land in Anaheim, the club is aware of that significance -- despite seeking larger goals.
“You fight tooth and nail for every inch in this game, and when you have a chance to be better than .500, that means something,” Quatraro said. “That’s not what we set our goals to be, to just be a .500 or better team, but it certainly means something to me. It means something to the organization.”
Kansas City has won 82 or more games just five times since 1993. The Royals returned to the postseason for the first time in nine years a season ago, and while a return trip is quickly fading, it isn’t stopping the drive from those in the dugout.
“Every game’s important,” said starter Michael Wacha, who gave up six runs over five innings. “Always playing for something out there. The guys in this clubhouse, we know what that is, and we’re going to keep showing up and keep going out there and compete our tails off.”
Ragans ramping up
Cole Ragans made his highly anticipated return from the injured list on Wednesday, striking out the side in the first inning of the Royals’ 7-5 win over the Mariners. Kansas City’s ace missed over three months with a left rotator cuff strain, but he wanted to return at the end of the season, despite the playoff odds.
It’s another indicator that the Royals are doing everything they can to win, and it gives Ragans another opportunity to build towards 2026 -- where he is expected to once again head the rotation.
Quatraro said Ragans should be able to log 70-75 pitches after getting up to 62 in his return, and if the club stays on schedule, the 27-year-old will be on turn to start the final game of the regular season in Sacramento.
Jensen’s big league impact
Carter Jensen has been everything the Royals could have envisioned in his first 14 big league games. The 22-year-old catcher is batting .300 with two homers and 11 RBIs, and he earned his spot in the lineup for all six games this final homestand.
“He looks like a good player, which we thought he was, right? But to come up and do it right away, that’s not usually the way it goes,” Quatraro said. “For most guys it takes a little time. So it’s encouraging, it’s really fun to watch.”
Jensen, ranked as the Royals’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, added to that on Sunday by driving a two-run single to right with the bases loaded in the fourth inning before nabbing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. attempting to steal second base in the seventh. His final six games could be another launching point for the Royals heading into 2026.
"It's hard not to be impressed. He's doing a fantastic job …,” Vinnie Pasquantino said on Friday.
“... This is a big week for Carter, just to keep going. We hope he's obviously a big part of the future, even though I don't like putting blanket statements on guys, because that's unfair to him. … But it's been super impressive, and I like watching him."