An 82-80 record and sitting out October a year after making it as a Wild Card in a weak American League field might not qualify as exciting. As a whole, the season had its fair share of disappointments. Kansas City Royals fans were certainly hoping for more.
But sometimes the dark, dreary rain brings about a rainbow, and given the way the AL Central shook out by the end of 2025, the Royals aren't poorly positioned to make a run in the division in 2026. We'll have to see how the offseason shakes out, of course, but the Tigers' collapse makes them look much less formidable, and the Guardians aren't exactly invulnerable.