The Kansas City Royals remain perched on a precarious edge: they’re either a flawed team easy to dismiss by outsiders, or a club one major move away from becoming a legitimate AL Central contender in 2026.
To take that difficult next step, they need more offensive production from their outfield. In 2025, the unit was among the league’s worst from a batting perspective, with cellar-dwelling marks set by MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe, only to be “surpassed” by still below-average bats like Kyle Isbel and John Rave.
Kansas City must be creative, not cute, when addressing this need.