3 most disappointing Royals players in season defined by dashed October dreams

Coming off an ALDS appearance and runner-up finishes for Bobby Witt Jr. and Seth Lugo in the MVP and Cy Young races, respectively, the Royals came into 2025 with high hopes.

They went out and got Jonathan India and Cavan Biggio. Top prospects Jac Caglianone and Carter Jansen were knocking on the door. How could things go wrong?

Unfortunately, disappointment comes in many forms – from injury to slumps – and all of those kinds of disappointment visited themselves upon the Royals this year.

The Royals’ disappointing season felt even heavier for these 3 struggling players.

OF Jac Caglianone

While Jac Caglianone finally forced his way onto the Royals’ roster, he seemed like the big bat that Kansas City desperately needed. When the slugger got the call to the Majors in early June, the Royals ranked dead last in homers and tied for second-last in runs scored. A guy who can slug 450-foot homers would certainly be able to rectify that… right?

In his first stint in the big leagues, Caglianone seemed to cave under the pressure. He hit .147 with a .485 OPS as the Royals went 18–23. The right fielder was replaced by deadline acquisition Mike Yastrzemski, who fared much better at the plate.

Caglianone joined the team again in September and showed some signs of promise. If the Royals hope to contend in the near future, Caglianone will need to shake off his rookie struggles.

LHP Cole Ragans

When lefty Cole Ragans joined the Royals in the Aroldis Chapman deal in late June 2023, he seemed to have finally figured things out. The former first-rounder rolled in his first season and a half with the Royals, pitching 258 innings and logging a 3.00 ERA between 2023 and 2024. He and Seth Lugo seemed like the cornerstones of a budding contender.

Unfortunately, Ragans couldn’t shake the injury bug. He missed a few weeks with a groin strain in May and then immediately landed back on the IL with a rotator cuff strain. Losing their ace for the bulk of the season deflated the Royals’ clubhouse.

Fortunately, Ragans returned in September and seemed every bit the ace he was meant to be. He dominated over his final three starts, striking out 22 over 13 innings and allowing just four runs.

If he can have a successful and healthy offseason, Ragans may be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate in 2026.

OF Randal Grichuk

When the Royals added veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk at the trade deadline, some saw the news as a sign that Kansas City was making a push for the postseason. The Royals had been struggling against left-handed pitching (only Cleveland and Texas had a worse OPS in the AL), and Grichuk is a proven platoon bat.

Unfortunately, Grichuk never found his footing in Kansas City with whom he slugged a mere .299. The final stretch of the season was particularly brutal as he managed just 10 hits in his last 28 games with the club.

The Royals still finished with the third-worst OPS against southpaws in the AL. It’s safe to say that neither the Royals nor Grichuk will be opting into the final year on his contract as everyone would like to forget this disappointing season.