4 KC Royals lineup mainstays struggling the most with runners in scoring position

Frustrating. Disappointing. Annoying. There are a bevy of words KC Royals fans can use to describe the lineup's performance this month. Kansas City's bats have overall gone stone cold at precisely the worst time of the season. They rebounded from a seven-game losing streak, righting the ship for 10 games and ticking their magic number down for the MLB playoffs.

Only to embark on another multi-game losing streak, one that took them out of the AL Central picture and nearly a Wild Card spot altogether. That fact, coupled with a winless final homestand of the season, has Royals fans everywhere wondering if this team is playing baseball come this time next week.

One former strength is hurting the KC Royals right now

There have been several struggles on the diamond, but inarguably the largest is cashing in on runners with scoring position. That was one of Kansas City's strengths earlier this year, believe it or not. Through July 31, Kansas City's .294 batting average led the MLB, with their 381 RBI ranking second. If you look after that though, especially in September, things get very messy very quickly.

Kansas City is unquestionably one of the league's worst batting teams, with runners ready to strike since the calendar turned to September. They both lack the opportunities in number and make the most of said opportunities. Since Sept. 1, Kansas City only has 166 plate appearances with a man past first base, good for 26th out of 30 teams. Then, their .199 batting average as a team also ranks 26th while trailing the historically bad Chicago White Sox.

Those struggles are one of the primary reasons behind their recent slide, an 8-16 stretch dating back to Aug. 28. Thanks to other teams struggling in the Wild Card race, this terrible run hasn't knocked Kansas City out of the picture. But it has irrevocably dampened the fanbase's outlook on any MLB playoff run. The Royals went a week where a team scoring more than three runs felt like an insurmountable hurdle, even if the team trusted the process more.

Surprisingly, there are some players still holding up their end of the bargain in this situation. MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr. has a 150 wRC+ since Sept. 1 with runners in scoring position, while third baseman Maikel Garcia and first baseman Yuli Gurriel both have batting averages over .300 in that situation.

But, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Manager Matt Quatraro loves to shuffle the lineup, trying to find matchup advantages. Yet, these four lineup mainstays are certainly part of the problem right now, rather than the solution.

How far have these KC Royals batters fallen ahead of the MLB playoffs?

All statistics are current through Sept. 23, 2024, provided by Fangraphs.

1. C Freddy Fermin

RISP before Sept. 1: 74 PA, .349/.397/.349, 8.1% walk rate, 14.9% strikeout rate, 110 wRC+

RISP since Sept. 1: 9 PA, .000/.000/.000, 0% walk rate, 33.3% strikeout rate, -100 wRC+

2. 3B Paul DeJong

RISP before Sept. 1: 108 PA, .180/.204/.310, 2.8% walk rate, 37% strikeout rate, 37 wRC+

RISP since Sept. 1: 7 PA, .000/.000/.000, 0% walk rate, 42.9% strikeout rate, -100 wRC+

3. OF MJ Melendez

RISP before Sept. 1: 87 PA, .190/.264/.519, 8% walk rate, 27.6% strikeout rate, 110 wRC+

RISP since Sept. 1: 11 PA, .100/.182/.100, 9.1% walk rate, 54.5% strikeout rate, -20 wRC+

4. 2B Michael Massey

RISP before Sept. 1: 56 PA, .261/.309/.413, 8.9% walk rate, 17.9% strikeout rate, 88 wRC+

RISP since Sept. 1: 117 PA, .125/.176/.125, 5.9% walk rate, 23.5% strikeout rate, -19 wRC+

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