3 things Royals fans ought to be nervous about as 2025 winds down

Kansas City Royals general manager J.J. Picollo is at it again. Two winters after so successfully retooling his club's roster and one removed from some fine-tuning that didn't quite pay the dividends everyone had hoped for, he's hard at the task of making the Royals a serious contender again.

Already added to the fold for 2026 are promising outfielders Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins and All-Star reliever Matt Strahm. And the lucrative contract extension recently bestowed upon Maikel Garcia is a boost.

But issues remain. Trade and free agent rumors, the fruition of which could resolve problems posed by KC's frustrating offense and second base uncertainty, continue to bombard the club. There are, in other words, things for Royals fans to worry about.

Here are three.

The search for a big new Royals bat remains unfulfilled

Kansas City's desperate need for more power and punch was one problem Picollo couldn't answer last winter. That lingering lineup hole had much to do with the club's failure to nail down a second straight playoff appearance this season.

The Royals finished near the bottom of the big league barrel in too many offensive categories — 26 teams scored more runs, 26 hit for a better average, and 22 topped KC in OBP.

Unfortunately, and unless Collins somehow emerges as the solution (more on him in a moment), Picollo's increasingly long search for the "big bat" appears in need of continuing. Jac Caglianone wasn't the solution in 2025 (more on him, too, in a moment), Carter Jensen impressed late in the season but remains largely untested, and prospects of securing the services of offensive threats like Brendan Donovan and Jarren Duran are complicated.

How, or if, Picollo's quest ends successfully, only time will tell. But with less than two months to go until spring training begins, any anxiety Royals fans are feeling about the situation is justified.

Will the "sophomore jinx" strike Royals newcomer Isaac Collins?

It's hard not to be excited about Kansas City's acquisition of Collins. Sizing up as the better end of the trade that took KC reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee for Collins and reliever Nick Mears, who could prove to be a key get in his own right, Collins could help energize the Royals' shaky attack.

After playing only 11 times for the Brewers in 2024, Collins enjoyed a fine rookie campaign this year — in 130 games, he hit a respectable .263, homered nine times, and drove in 54 runs.

Most impressive, however, was his excellent .368 OBP. He also stole 16 bases, walked 12.9% of the time, and posted a 122 wRC+.

All that is promising, but doesn't guarantee another stellar season for Collins. Although his 441 plate appearance performance in his first full major league season should excite the Royals and their fans and fuel hope for the future, it inherently falls short of a sure bet for 2026.

Next season will be Collins' first in the American League, he'll be seeing many pitchers and pitches for the first time, and he's still inexperienced in the ways of the major leagues.

He's susceptible, then, to the dreaded "sophomore jinx", the affliction that strikes so many big leaguers in their second full big league campaigns, and which casts clouds over their breakout rookie seasons. Kansas City's Maikel Garcia, for one, hit .272 with 50 RBI, a 2.2 fWAR, and 23 steals in his official rookie debut in 2023, but slumped to a .231/.281/.332 line in 2024.

Hopefully, Collins' second year will be even better than his rookie season. But his inexperience leaves room for at least some concern.

Is Jac Caglianone ready to meet expectations with the Royals?

Caglianone's much-anticipated major league debut turned out to be a dud. One of the biggest individual disappointments of the 2025 season, Caglianone fizzled from beginning to end after the Royals called him up in June — he finished with a surprisingly (if not shockingly) poor .157/.237/.295 line and 46 wRC+, and posted too many subpar peripherals.

So concerning was his performance at the plate that the club now plans to platoon him in right field next season.

That Caglianone's debut was a bust is undeniable. Fortunately, his potential is still sky-high — remember how dramatically he's outclassed minor league pitching at every level he's tested it. He must, however, prove he can handle the majors. And after what happened in 2025, Royals fans have every right to be concerned.