10 big KC Royals questions after first 10 games

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The 2024 season is young, but the revamped and reinvigorated KC Royals are putting on the type of show their fans have yearned so long for. After scoring a 5-3 come-from-behind win to complete a sweep of Chicago Sunday, the club is 6-4, a record good enough for third place in the American League Central. A successful 10-game beginning doesn't a complete turnaround make, but it suggests these Royals just might be back in business.

And they're generating a lot of key questions. Let's answer several while the Royals enjoy a well-deserved day off.

Just how good is the Kansas City starting rotation?

Very, very, very, good. Although Alec Marsh gave up three runs Sunday, the Royal rota's 1.60 ERA is the majors' second-best, and of the five starters — Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Brady Singer, Michael Wacha, and Marsh — only Marsh has an ERA over 3.00 (3.09). Singer's is 0.68, Lugo's is 0.71, Ragans' is 1.46, and Wacha's is 2.25.

Is MJ Melendez the club's biggest surprise?

The answer depends on your perspective. Some expected him to do what he's doing this season, others expected quite the opposite from the player who's averaged 17 homers in his first two big league seasons, but entered this season hitting only .227.

But this season is different. The homer he hit Sunday to put the Royals ahead for good was his third of the year and pushed his RBI total to eight in nine games. He's also slashing .323/.382/.742.

Surprising? Maybe. Exciting? Definitely.

Moving on...

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Can we trust what we're seeing from Salvador Perez?

Is there a definitive reason not to? Perez's offensive numbers have regressed some over the past couple of years, and he didn't look good at the plate in this season's first two games. But since then he's hitting .406 with a trio of three-hit games, two homers, nine RBI and, despite going 0-for-4 Sunday (KC only mustered six hits overall) is slashing .333/.366/.513.

Until he gives us solid cause to believe otherwise, then, let's not declare Perez washed up.

Is Will Smith already out as Kansas City's closer?

Possibly. Other than saving the series opener against Baltimore last week and pitching a scoreless eighth frame Sunday, he hasn't looked like the best replacement for Scott Barlow, who the club traded away last summer.

Minnesota bombed Smith for four ninth-inning runs March 30 to snap a 1-1 tie and secure a 5-1 win. Then, a day after Smith posted a save at Baltimore, manager Matt Quatraro called on him to protect a 3-2 ninth-inning lead but, after allowing the first two Orioles to reach base and issuing an intentional walk, Smith let James McCann walk the Royals off with a two-run single.

Smith squandered another save opportunity Friday when he began the ninth with a 2-1 lead over Chicago. But after he surrendered a one-out double to Luis Robert Jr. and walked Kevin Pillar, Quatraro replaced him with James McArthur who, on his second pitch of the night, secured a game-closing double play.

Quatraro didn't use Smith when another ninth-inning save situation arose Saturday night, opting instead for Chris Stratton, who retired the White Sox in order. He deployed Smith in the eighth Sunday, another save opportunity, but brought in McArthur to pitch the ninth.

Those decisions may or may not signal a change in the closer's role, but Smith probably doesn't have the hold on the job he did when the season began.

Does Michael Massey still own the second base job?

Absolutely. Massey started the season on the Injured List and is on a rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he's played once and gone 0-for-4. The Royals aren't about to take Massey's job away and give it to Adam Frazier or Nick Loftin this soon — Massey will be back at second when the club deems him ready, which could be as early as Tuesday when KC opens a three-game home series with the Astros.

Who will be first up from the minor leagues?

This is a tough one. Picking Michael Massey doesn't count — he's in the minors only to rehab the back injury he suffered in spring training. It won't be a starting pitcher unless injury befalls one of the current rotation members. And although Vinnie Pasquantino (.121) and Hunter Renfroe (.138) are struggling, it's a bit early to replace an everyday position player, and Nick Pratto, a minor leaguer who could step in for either, has cooled to .250 after a fast start at Triple-A Omaha.

That leaves the still-shaky bullpen. A leading candidate to lend it some help could be Walter Pennington who, after striking out 16 and surrendering only one run in 7.1 Cactus League innings, was the winning pitcher for Triple-A Omaha Sunday and boasts 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings.

Who's the Royals' biggest disappointment?

Will Smith is a strong candidate. Adam Frazier would have been a front-runner had he not started hitting a bit — he was batting just .200 when the Royals left Baltimore Wednesday but raised that average 50 points by going 2-for-5 in the just-completed four-game series with the White Sox.

So who is the most disappointing Royal so far? Hunter Renfroe, to be sure. After homering for the first time and collecting his first two Royal RBI Sunday, he's still slashing only .138/.167/.241 and has fanned 10 times in 29 at-bats.

And the final questions...

What should we think about Bobby Witt Jr. so far?

If 10 games are any indication, the huge contract Kansas City recently gave Witt will be money well-spent. He's played in and started every game this season and is slashing .350/.409/.675; eight of his 14 hits have been for extra bases. And he's been solid defensively.

What's the secret to Brady Singer's early success?

For the answer to this question, check out our Jacob Milham's Sunday story about Singer and his pitch assortment.

Will Cole Ragans win the Cy Young Award?

It's a bit early for this question; after all, the Royals have 152 games left and Ragans has pitched only twice and doesn't yet have a win.

Blame KC's offense and bullpen for one loss and one no-decision, though. Ragans gave the Twins just two runs over six Opening Day innings, but the Royals scored only once; five days later, the pen blew the 3-0 seventh-inning lead he gave it.

But if he comes even reasonably close the rest of the way to the 1.46 ERA, 11.68 K/9 and 0.89 WHIP he'll carry into his anticipated start against Houston Tuesday, Ragans will definitely be in the Cy Young conversation when the time comes.

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