Matt Quatraro's middling grade in FanSided's latest managerial evaluations seems too generous

While three straight losses is working to undo the success the Royals have had of late, they've undeniably looked like more like a competent unit of late. That being said, it's hard not to look back at how the first two months have made them a team that's hard to have a ton of hope in. As wide open as the AL Wild Card race may seem, the fact remains that at 28-42, the Royals are still 6.5 games back of that third wild card spot and hold the second worst record in the American League.

While Kansas City has had their fair share of underperforming players to blame to start the season, one of the top names that's also receiving criticism is their manager Matt Quatraro. His questionable decision making, primarily around sticking with the status quo for too long in many instances, has put him on the hot seat early on and not in the fans' good graces much of time.

That being said, for how bad things look in Kansas City, FanSided's latest managerial evaluations don't nearly grasp just how bad things have looked for Quatraro and the Royals to start the season. Writer Chris Landers gave each major league skipper a letter grade and for the Royals boss, he received a middling grade of C. Not great, but not awful either.

"Quatraro can't take at-bats for underperformers like Vinnie Pasquantino, but he's also been far, far too willing to stick to his guns and trust "his guys" despite his guys not playing very well," Landers wrote.

"The Royals would be bad no matter who was at the helm, but it's also hard to argue that he's helped matters much," he wrote.

While Landers is right in the sense that Quatraro isn't the one with the bat, his reliance on struggling names to fill key run producing spots atop the lineup like Vinnie Pasquantino (before he found his footing in recent weeks) and Salvador Perez has cost the Royals offense. And in the bullpen, his reliance Lucas Erceg as the primary closer until recently has resulted in six blown saves already and can be considered reason number one as to why the Royals are as far under .500 as they currently are.

It hasn't just been players underperforming, it's been struggling players who are being put in positions they're currently unqualified to play and that's on the manager.

Landers is right when he says that regardless of who's behind the helm, the Royals players haven't performed up to par and were bound to struggle. However, in an educational sense, a C-grade falls between 70-79% percent, and to say that Quatraro has gotten 70-79% of things right this season seems far-fetched. It may not all be him, but he hasn't been right more than he's been wrong.

Is Matt Quatraro finally turning a corner on his controversial decision-making?

It may've taken a few months for Quatraro's stubbornness for change to subside, but in recent weeks he's rolled out some key changes.

In the lineup, after rolling with Maikel Garcia in the leadoff spot for so long and not getting the best results, he's finally moved him back down towards the middle of the lineup where he's had so much success in the past and placed another key building block for the future in Carter Jensen in the one-hole in is place. And on Friday against the Astros, Quatraro finally made the decision to move surging young slugger Jac Caglianone ahead of the floundering veteran Salvador Perez in the order in hopes of creating more run-scoring opportunities.

Then in the bullpen, after rolling with Erceg for so long, the Royals have adopted a more closer by committee approach led primarily by Alex Lange and the results have paid off. Lange is looking like the former closer he was with the Detroit Tigers in his heyday.

Whether it's too little too late, at least the Royals skipper is finally acknowledging changes needed to be made. The hope will be that they result in more 2026 success, but at the very least it instills a bit more confidence in the fanbase for the future, considering his recent extension keeps him in Kansas City through 2029.

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