Here's Royals' 'Biggest September Priority,' According To Insider
September is a pressure-packed month for any team. But it carries even more weight than usual for the Kansas City Royals in 2024.
After a 106-loss season a year ago, hardly anyone thought the Royals would be where they are now--on the doorstep of the postseason. Kansas City has a 4 1/2 game cushion separating themselves and their closest competitors in the American League wild card race.
However, the Royals are also on a six-game losing streak. They haven't been scoring nearly enough to win, with exactly two runs in each of their last four games. And several key contributors have hit the injured list in the past week alone.
With all that said, this month is shaping up to be crucial not only for the Royals to secure their playoff berth, but to set themselves up to have a fighting chance in October.
Insider Stephen Nesbitt of The Athletic said on Tuesday that the "biggest September priority" for the Royals was simply "landing the plane," or in other words, making it to the finish line without allowing this past week to spiral into something worse.
"The vibes are not all immaculate at the moment. Losing streaks are terrifying this time of year," Nesbitt said. "The Royals have not made the playoffs since winning the 2015 World Series. They’ll hope for better health news in September. For now, they’re glad to get a few reinforcements on waivers."
After bringing in outfielders Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman and infielder Yuli Gurriel over the weekend, the Royals have a bit more depth than they had for most of the season. But first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, out six-to-eight weeks with a broken thumb, has left a huge hole in K.C.'s lineup.
The Royals know they can't count on superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to do everything for them. Somebody, whether it's one of the new acquisitions or a role player who has been around all year, is going to have to step up.
If they can just hold on, the Royals will end September with a huge sense of accomplishment and a ticket to the dance. But at some point this week, they've got to get back to their winning ways.
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JACKSON ROBERTS
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org