Blistering bats, suffocating staff against Braves give Royals serious momentum

The Kansas City Royals will remain at home for one more evening—and one monumental trade deadline—before kicking off the final stretch of the season with a three-game series against the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays.

Even as pitching injuries throw the rotation into flux, there are signs of hope and real production from this Royals squad. This past six-game stretch could have buried their postseason hopes, but instead, the most recent series should have both the team and its fans believing that October baseball is still achievable.

The Royals' latest homestand should signal the start of a strong season-ending stretch

Wednesday's matinee series finale against the Atlanta Braves was hardly the offensive outburst that the previous two meetings were. Kansas City and Atlanta each scored 16 runs between the Monday and Tuesday games, but through nine innings in the series finale, neither team had a runner cross home plate.

Royals Hall of Fame broadcaster Denny Matthews described the game as feeling like the first team to score would be the last as well. And that’s exactly what happened. In the bottom of the 10th, captain Salvador Perez came through with a walk-off RBI single—his first such moment since April 9, 2024—igniting a raucous Kauffman Stadium celebration.

But it took a full bullpen effort to even get to that point. Nine different pitchers combined to hold Atlanta to five hits across 10 shutout innings, surpassing the Royals’ previous record for most pitchers used in a shutout—and tying the MLB record for the same. Bullpen games are rarely ideal due to their volatility, but on this day, every arm was sharp and kept Kansas City in it long enough for Perez to play hero.

Sure, it’s easy to gripe about another low-scoring performance. But wins count the same, no matter how they come. Kansas City closed out July with a 15–9 record—its fewest losses in the month of July since 1980—and this was exactly the winning month the 2025 squad needed. They’ve won five of their last seven series and three straight overall. Simply put: the Royals are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now.

More importantly, how they beat Atlanta should inspire optimism. Kansas City’s offense has been underwhelming all season, but July saw a sharp turnaround. The Royals scored 114 runs in the month—12th-most in MLB—and their 65 runs over the past 12 games rank fifth league-wide.

This is not a flash in the pan. The bats are clicking, and while it doesn’t erase the cold spells earlier this season, it could be the turning point this offense desperately needed.

The Royals have done just enough to hover around .500 and stay relevant in the Wild Card race. With the trade deadline looming, the front office faces a choice: inject fresh talent into this momentum or bet on the current roster to carry them across the finish line.

If Kansas City maintains its July winning percentage (.625) across the remaining 53 games, they would go 33–20 to finish the season with an 87–75 record—right in the heart of the playoff picture.

Can they keep it up? That remains to be seen. But a bold trade deadline certainly wouldn’t hurt.