Determining who’s most at fault for Royals’ catastrophic start to 2026 season

The Kansas City Royals being near the bottom of the AL Central at the end of May is not exactly the end of the world. While the start to the 2026 season can certainly be described as catastrophic, there is still time to turn things around. Although the team currently trails the Cleveland Guardians by double-digit games, the year can be quickly salvaged with a hot streak or two heading into the summer months. But the clock is ticking.

When a promising team appears to be stalling out once again, it may be time to look inwards and assess who is to blame for its underwhelming performance. Following their impressive 2024 campaign, the Royals looked like they were destined to become one of the league's hottest teams to watch moving forward. But over the last two seasons, the Royals may have hit a wall before taking that next step to greatness.

From struggling stars like Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez to a number of lackluster offseason moves made by the front office, you don't have to look hard to see why the Royals have been one of the worst teams in baseball. But who deserves the lion's share of the blame?

Matt Quatraro hasn't been pulling the right strings

When a baseball team is struggling, it is easy to look at the manager as the leading cause. After all, they are the one's filling in the lineup each game. But to what extent should Quatraro be blamed for potentially leading the Royals to yet another disappointing season? With a playoff-caliber team in the clubhouse, the roster is filled with guys that fans expect a lot from.

But what else can Quatraro to do? He has proven himself capable of taking a team with a low budget and giving them a higher ceiling than they might deserve. When he was hired in 2023, Quatraro led a team that won just 56 games and catapulted them into the playoffs in only one year.

Much like in 2025, the Royals offense has continued to struggle to score runs this season. While strong pitching has usually been able to provide cover for the offensive woes, this year's injury-riddled pitching staff has been hit hard and hit often.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia can't do it all by themselves

As expected Witt Jr. is having another world class season and will likely earn himself a healthy helping of MVP votes at the end of the year. To a lesser extent, Garcia is having a somewhat decent start to the 2026 season. Though his production hasn't quite lived up to last year's numbers, he is far from the team's most disappointing player. That title should be given to Pasquantino.

Currently, Pasquantino's OPS is about 150 points lower than his career average. He's also striking out at a higher pace than ever before in his career. The World Baseball Classic curse could make for an easy scapegoat for Pasquantino's struggles. After all, several players who appeared in this year's tournament have suffered through extended slumps of their own. But Pasquantino's exit velocity and barrel rate have taken noticeable dips this season, signalling more than just a few bad weeks.

Despite being one of the Royal's anchor players, Pasquantino has been an overwhelming disappointment in 2026. Although he has shown glimpses of being a capable power hitter to build a lineup around, Pasquantino may be better suited as a complementary player.

J.J. Picollo's roster construction is stuck in the past

While the players on the field are ultimately the only ones capable of directly impacting the game, you could look to the Royals' front office as the main reason for the team's sluggish start to the season. Since taking over for Dayton Moore as general manager in 2021, Picollo has done a solid job of staying the course originally plotted out by Moore.

For some fans, that might actually be one of the biggest reasons that the Royals continue to struggle to make it over the hump and transform into perennial favorites. The Royals' farm system has routinely ranked in the bottom third over the last several years. And for every Carter Jensen there have been 10 prospects who have simply fizzled out during their time in the minors.

Looking beyond the MLB Draft, the Royals' have also not been able to entice high-end free agents to sign with the club. While the team has not been shy extending players, the front office hasn't made an offseason splash that could provide the roster a much-needed boost. The signing of Lane Thomas and trade for Isaac Collins were never going to take the Royals from an anemic offense to a run-scoring juggernaut.

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