KC Royals grossly underestimated in recent MLB power rankings

It's been four days since the Kansas City Royals' pitchers and catchers reported to spring training in Arizona, and with position players due to arrive for the full squad first workout on February 17, excitement for the season ahead is only growing. After their historic comeback last year, the Royals are going into the 2025 season with big goals — but not everyone agrees they're ready for Opening Day.

On February 14, The Athletic's Jim Bowden released his first MLB power rankings of the year, and the Royals — who tied with the Detroit Tigers for the 12th-best record in MLB last year and have only improved their roster since — were disappointingly ranked at No. 15. This placed them behind two of their AL Central division rivals, with the Tigers and Cleveland Guardians being ranked at No. 12 and No. 14, respectively.

"I still think the Royals need one more bat and one more starting pitcher to win the AL Central this year," Bowden commented.

KC Royals ranked No. 15 on power rankings

The Royals have made multiple moves to bolster their roster for 2025. So far this offseason, the team has re-signed pitchers Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen, traded for second baseman Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Weimer, and signed free agent reliever Carlos Estévez. The Royals have also added depth to the roster with minor league deals for utility men Cavan Biggio and Harold Castro, and signaled their seriousness about the future with an early contract extension for starter Cole Ragans.

Interestingly, Bowden commented in his analysis that "India is expected to play third base." According to MLB.com's roster projection, India will take over second base while Maikel Garcia stays at third, and Michael Massey — the Royals' everyday second baseman last season — is expected to move between designated hitter, second base, and the outfield. If Garcia's offense doesn't improve this year, he may find himself being replaced at third, but since his defense is substantially stronger than India's, it's certainly hard to call that an "expectation" at this time.

Regardless, India is locked in to be the Royals' leadoff hitter, filling a hole in the lineup that the team struggled to maintain last season. That's obviously going to be a big help for Kansas City's offense, but is it enough? Despite it being a top priority since before the Winter Meetings in December, the Royals are yet to acquire the middle-of-the-order bat they need, leaving the backend of the lineup without any additional power from last season.

Still, even if the Royals decide to go into Opening Day with no further additions, the core team that got them to the playoffs last year is returning — and they have reinforcements. As such, ranking the Royals 15th in MLB is a massive underestimation of a team that just made history with their comeback.

Looking to their pitching staff, the Royals have one of the best 1-2-3 punches in MLB with Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Wacha in the their rotation, and Lorenzen, Kris Bubic, Alec Marsh, Kyle Wright, and Noah Cameron offer plenty of depth for the remaining two spots. In the bullpen, Kansas City now has Estévez, Hunter Harvey, and Lucas Erceg, which is a giant step up from last season's struggling relief corps.

Bowden is correct that the Royals would greatly benefit from adding at least one more power bat, and perhaps they will do exactly that before Opening Day. Still, Kansas City proved last season that they aren't a team to underestimate, and even with no further moves this winter, the Royals are in a good place to take on the AL Central in 2025.