Royals find solace after tough ALDS elimination: ‘This team is going to be special’

Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. sat idle inside the dugout as the New York Yankees celebrated a return trip to the American League Championship Series.

Witt was all alone in his thoughts.

It seemed surreal that the Royals made it this far. Last season, the club lost a franchise record 106 games and completely shuffled the roster. There was an influx of pitching, high-level veterans and a desire to exit the doldrums of the AL Central cellar.

The Royals won 86 games and exceeded expectations. They eliminated the Baltimore Orioles from the postseason and took the Yankees’ best shot.

And they emerged as a worthy contender.

“This team is going to be special,” Witt said. “Royals baseball now is competitive. We are going to be coming at teams, and teams aren’t going to be wanting to play us. That’s what we are going to be doing. It’s kind of our mantra for baseball and what we are going to be doing for a while.”

Inside the Royals clubhouse, there was disappointment among the players. It was a tough end to a resurgent 2024 campaign. Players pondered the offseason and expressed ways to improve before spring training.

Others reflected on an incredible run that brought Kansas City playoff baseball again. Manager Matt Quatraro made his way around, hugging players and thanking them for a successful season.

The Royals don’t view Thursday night as an endpoint. Instead, they say their future is just beginning.

“I think this is something that is going to motivate us moving forward,” outfielder MJ Melendez said. “It’s something that we can carry now onto next year and the years to come. I think we expect to be here now.”

Royals captain Salvador Perez has often referenced the insatiable feeling of playoff baseball. It’s addicting and consumes inner thoughts. As Perez puts it, “once you go to the playoffs, you don’t want to play the regular season again.”

The Royals have tasted the playoffs. Now, the club is driven by hunger to finish what it started this season.

“I think it’s going to be massive for a lot of these guys,” reliever Sam Long said. “I can speak for myself, it’s massive for me to get a taste of the postseason. And it’s only going to make everybody motivated to get back here and go further.”

So where do the Royals go from here?

The club heads into the offseason needing to add more offensive firepower. There were too many instances of the offense stalling in key moments. The Royals relied on Witt, Perez and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to fuel the lineup.

But the trio ran out of gas in the postseason. It will be important for the Royals to redistribute the offensive workload.

Melendez is hopeful to be better next season. He is someone the Royals may need to count on to reach his tantalizing potential.

“Obviously, I didn’t have the personal year I wanted, offensively,” Melendez said. “It helps when you are winning, definitely, and it can help day to day. I want to help contribute to the team. I think we have an incredible lineup and a very potent lineup. I think opposing pitchers are scared when they have to face us, and I want to be able to add to that.”

If the Royals are to reach the next level, the pitching staff must also replicate its consistency from this season. Several pitchers excelled in new roles, but there has to be a balance between each phase of the team.

The pitching and offense must have synergy. At times, the Royals relied on their stellar pitching to bail the offense out.

It was apparent down the stretch and in the ALDS against the Yankees. The Royals failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities, which put more pressure on the pitching staff.

“There were some good swings in there, some good swings throughout, but clearly not enough to string things together against (Gerrit) Cole,” Quatraro said. “This is a tough game. Hitting is a tough game, and you miss it by a fraction of an inch and you’re looking at a fly ball versus a homer or a lineout or a groundout instead of a line drive.”

Still, the Royals remain excited about what’s to come. The players are certainly eager to return to the postseason again.

Only this time, the Royals want teams to see them coming.

“The team is really close and this postseason experience is only going to help guys get better,” Pham said. “There is a lot to be encouraged about as a fan and as a teammate of these guys.”