Royals just made a creative move to increase power (but not in free agency)

The 2025 season was truly one of disappointment for the Kansas City Royals. While they can still take solace in the fact that they finished above .500 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since their most recent World Series era, missing out on the postseason after a strong-looking postseason run to the ALDS the year prior really put a damper on the mood.

The offense was they culprit of many of their woes last year, as collectively as a team they sported a 93 wRC+, that firmly placed them within the bottom third of the league.

At the center of all their offensive struggles was a sheer lack of power. While the Royals were able to at least save face in some areas, such as SLG and hard-hit rate (sitting 16th and 11th respectively), the one area that look particularly poor was the most notable power stat of them all...home runs.

In 2025, Kansas City was only able to best four teams in total homers, as their 159 big flies were only superior to the San Diego Padres as well as some recent regulars on the rebuilding scene in the Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

While many suspected power might be at the top of mind of the front office this winter when exploring solutions on the free agent and trade market, that one particular name fitting that profile has yet to come through the door as January enters it's middle stages and spring training inches closer and closer.

However, it appears the J.J. Picollo and the Royals' brass could have a different idea in mind to resolve their power issues that would take matters into their own hands and bypass the open market altogether.

As Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday, the Royals look set to move a majority of their outfield walls in by 10-feet ahead of the 2026 season.

Royals could uniquely solve power problems with latest stadium alteration plan

According to Passan, this idea wasn't one that spawned overnight, rather it was the product of months of seemingly pain-staking analytical research.

After seeing results from adjusting their fences in the past - moving them in the same distance from 1995 to 2003 - they "returned to the stadium's original dimensions in 2004".

Seeing how often flyballs would frequently die on the warning track, this reportedly prompted Picollo to ask ownership's permission to explore the idea "of a potential modification".

The result of said study, led by vice president of research and development and an assistant GM Dr. Daniel Mack - a majority of the stadium's walls will be moved in with a few exceptions.

"The Royals will keep center field at 410 feet, they plan to taper in the fences starting in the power alleys, which will be shortened from 389 feet to 379, sources said," Passan wrote.

"The fences will continue on that path, 9 to 10 feet shorter, nearly all the way to the corners, where the 330-foot foul poles will remain," he also wrote. "The height of the fence will also be shortened from 10 feet to 8½."

According to Passan's report, Picollo said he feels that such a decision could make a real difference for his hitters.

"It's not that we're trying to jump-start our offense," Picollo said to Passan. "The more neutral it is at home, the better success we think we'll have overall."

That's the key element here - a more neutral ballpark, as the proof was undeniably in the pudding last season when it came to where their homers came from.

Of their 159 homers in 2025, 89 of them came on the road. If you're doing the math at home that means 70 came at Kauffman Stadium, which amongst home teams at their home ballparks ranked 27th in all of baseball.

On the contrary, that aforementioned 89 home runs on the road sat more comfortably in the middle of the pack, ranking tied for 18th amongst road teams.

Like Picollo said, it's not about jump-starting the offense. However, we all know the financial cross the Royals have to bear as smaller market organization, meaning those impactful (and often expensive) game-changing sources of power in free agency or trade aren't always available to them.

Sometimes the best solution is in the finer details and Kansas City may've just found that solution with a seemingly simple adjustment that could impact this entire lineup.