Why '89 club's approach could help the KC Royals succeed

Kurt Stillwell was vital to the 1989 Royals

The '89 Royals had five players post an OPS+ over 100 in significant playing time: first baseman George Brett (123), outfielders Danny Tartabull (128), Bo Jackson (124), and Jim Eisenreich (122), and third baseman Kevin Seitzer (106). In contrast, only two 2023 Royals, Witt and recently-traded Edward Olivares, exceeded the 100 OPS+ mark while playing more than 50 games. (Pasquantino, Freddy Fermin, Nelson Velázquez, Nick Loftin and Dairon Blanco all managed it in much smaller sample sizes).

Yet, these are exactly the kind of players the Royals need to take a big leap forward. They don't need to make an unlikely jump to star status (Pasquantino excluded), but there is room for many of them to realistically become far more valuable contributors. Maikel García at third base and one or both of Michael Massey and Nick Loftin at second are prime candidates.

Kurt Stillwell, an important part of the '89 team, is a perfect template for what the Royals should like to see from them.

Stillwell, acquired by the Royals with Ted Power in the post-1987 season trade that sent Danny Jackson and Ángel Salazar to Cincinnati, immediately improved the shortstop spot, which had previously been manned by light-hitting Salazer, Buddy Biancalana, and Onix Concepción. Stillwell was no slouch with the glove in his first two KC seasons, but his biggest impact was with the bat.

Stillwell was an All-Star in 1988 and his '89 season was nearly identical. He slashed .261/.325/.380 with seven home runs, 54 RBI, 20 doubles, seven triples, and a .705 OPS. Maikel García was not far off this pace in 2023, and it's not unrealistic to think he can match Stillwell's overall level of production, and perhaps surpass it. If Garcia and at least one of the second base frontrunners can put up Stillwell's numbers over the course of a full season, the Royals would be thrilled.

Much like Stillwell shored up a weak spot in an infield already manned by Seitzer, Brett, and Frank White, Garcia, Massey and Loftin have the opportunity to do the same for an infield already featuring Witt and Pasquantino. And they don't have to match their teammates' ceilings to drastically improve the club.

The outfield, however, is a different story...

Do the 2024 KC Royals have a Jim Eisenreich?

Unlike the current Royals, the outfield was a major strength of the 1989 team. Kansas City legend Willie Wilson manned centerfield, and although he was past his prime and nearing the end of his Royal run, he was still a good player. And three outfielders, Tartabull, Jackson, and Eisenreich, were among those five '89 Royals who posted an OPS+ over 100.

Two of the three, Tartabull and Bo Jackson, qualify as star players. And although he didn't have the star power they had, Eisenreich boasted a profile that might provide a more achievable template for current KC outfielders.

Eisenreich wasn't a typical fourth outfielder, and not just because of the unique obstacles he overcame to reach the majors. He played 134 games and all three outfield positions in 1989 and slashed .293/.341/.448, hit nine homers, 33 doubles and seven triples, drove in 59 runs, and stole 27 bases. He didn't have the pop of Tartabull or Jackson, or the speed of Wilson and Jackson, but he did everything well and played a pivotal role in the team's success. Not surprisingly, he did the same at later stops in Philadelphia and Florida.

Do the 2024 Royals have anyone who can perform like Eisenreich? Newcomer Hunter Renfroe seems like the best and most proven bet. Although he has yet to show any of Eisenreich's trademark consistency, MJ Melendez has the best tools. Drew Waters needs to take a massive step forward with plate discipline, and despite his skill with the glove, it's hard to imagine Kyle Isbel will ever be that impactful with the bat. But if someone can tap into their inner Eisenreich, and Velázquez can manage to be Tartabull-lite, Kansas City's expectations for 2024 and beyond will skyrocket.

Can someone provide a flash of Tom Gordon?

The front office has made a sincere effort to improve the pitching staff this offseason, but the biggest disparity between the 2024 and 1989 teams remains on the mound. The '89 club had a legitimate ace in Bret Saberhagen, who won his second Cy Young award that season and was backed up by Mark Gubicza, another front-of-the-rotation hurler who posted a 15-11 record and 3.04 ERA.

The 2024 Royals are still looking for an ace. Ragans during the second half of last season, and Singer throughout his short career, have both shown glimpses of greatness, but Singer has been so inconsistent and Ragans needs to prove himself over a longer stretch of time. But with the recent acquisitions of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, the Royals have significantly improved the middle of the rotation.

In this respect, the 2024 staff might be deeper than the 1989 version — after the top two pitchers, the '89 rotation was far less certain. But it did have Tom "Flash" Gordon, one of the elite swingmen of his day. He pitched 49 times, including 16 starts, and went 17-9, 3.64 and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Gordon played 21 seasons in the majors and regularly ranked among the league leaders in strikeouts. During his seven-plus Kansas City seasons, he bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen, although he worked exclusively as a starter in 1990. He became an All-Star closer after moving to Boston, recorded 46 saves in 1998, and was even featured in a Stephen King novel.

But Gordon was at his best in 1989, giving the Royals a much-needed third quality starter they could also use out of the bullpen. Lugo has that kind of versatility, although the club plans to use him as a starter; ultimately, Kansas City doesn't need a marquee swingman, but if Lugo or Wacha (or both) can match Gordon's impact, the Royals could take a big step forward this season.

Without someone else stepping up to be their Saberhagen and Gubicza, though, good seasons from Lugo and Wacha may not be enough for the Royals to contend or approach the '89 Royals' success. Nevertheless, these are the kinds of players successful franchises are built on.

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