2 players who need to step up to avoid KC Royals being trade deadline sellers

It’s no secret that the Royals offense has not lived up to expectations in 2025. They’re at the bottom or near the bottom of numerous offensive categories, most notably, runs scored and home runs.

They don’t struggle to get hits; it’s cashing in those hits that have been the Royals' problem. They rank 13th in the league in hits and eighth in doubles, yet are 28th in runs scored.

It hasn’t completely sunk their season because the pitching staff has been otherworldly. We can look no further than the “big three” when searching for reasons why the offensive performance has taken a step back from 2024.

The Royals are built around Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino. That was the case last season, and that’s again the case in 25’.

Pasquantino has figured it out in May, hitting .330 for the month with an OBP well over .800 (.839). Pasquantino is the heart of this lineup in the three-hole. When he struggles, it will trickle down the rest of the lineup.

After a putrid month of April, the ice has melted off Pasquatch, and he looks like the hitter we remember. There are still a couple of guys in the lineup that the Royals need to truly get hot to solidify themselves as trade deadline buyers, not sellers. The names may surprise you.

2 players who need to step up to avoid Royals trade deadline sellers

Bobby Witt Jr needs to find his power stroke

Before you guys start flooding my Twitter/X feed with hate, hear me out.

Bobby Witt Jr has been good this season. He’s playing like an All-Star, slashing .284/.342/.480. He’s leading the league in doubles with 21, but if you watch the games, you’ll notice a lot of his doubles are just ground balls up the middle that he can turn into a double because he runs like Sonic the Hedgehog.

The power hasn’t shown itself yet in 25’ for the 24-year-old. Last year, Witt had nine dingers by the end of May; this season, he only has six at that same point.

Something that I’ve noticed from teams playing the Royals this year is they’re not challenging him the way they did in 2024. And why would you?

Some analysts last year wanted to proclaim Bobby Witt Jr the best baseball player on the planet. It seemed as if there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Pitchers have adjusted to him; to Bobby’s credit, he isn’t selling out for power. He’s hitting the ball where it’s pitched. That’s allowed his average to be stellar, but he hasn’t flashed the extra-base power that the Royals desperately need from him.

This isn’t to say Bobby hasn’t lived up to expectations. He seems to have improved his defense, which is wild, considering that he collected a Gold Glove last season. His range at short is elite, and he has speed to burn.

But the Royals don’t need All-Star Bobby Witt Jr; they need MVP Bobby. The way this team was constructed, Bobby has to be the big dog. He has to be the straw that stirs the drink.

It’s a lot to ask for Bobby to go nuclear, but that is the state of this offense. This version of Witt would be acceptable if the Royals had other bats producing at a high level. That’s simply not the case.

Salvador Perez needs to pick it up

The captain has not had the season we’ve all come to know from him. He’s always had swing-and-miss in his game, but his power hasn’t shown up this season.

At this time last year, Perez had nine home runs. He’s only hit two home runs in his previous 30 games. His OPS is more than 100 points lower than the league average and his usual standard. He’s a career .756 OPS guy, and right now, he’s sitting at .606.

What’s more alarming is he’s only hitting .217 with runners in scoring position. His strikeouts are up from last season, and he’s walking less than he did at this time last season.

You can blame it on old age if you want (he turned 35 a few weeks ago), but the truth is he hasn’t got it done. I don’t have to be the one to tell you that the Royals need Perez to provide that thump in the middle of the order.

Opposing teams need to fear him. They have to have a level of respect for his power and his approach.

The advanced numbers paint a story that could have a happy ending. If you’re the type of person to look at life half-full rather than half-empty, then you could categorize Salvador Perez as one of the unluckiest hitters in all of baseball.

According to Baseball Savant, Perez has an xBA of .288, an xwOBA of .355, and an xSLG of .511. Perez is still barreling baseballs at a decent rate (13.3%), and his hard-hit rate has remained steady at 46.7%.

There’s reason to believe Perez can turn his season around and regress to the mean, but it’s about to be June 1st. It’s not early anymore. If the Royals want to be aggressive at the trade deadline, they need their best power hitter to start hitting for power.