Royals see big jump in 'way too early' 2026 power rankings despite 2025 struggles

Now that the World Series is over, it's officially time to start thinking about where things will shake out for next season.

For the Kansas City Royals, there's a decent level of excitement thanks to a starting rotation that could be among the best in the AL and some young offensive talent that should have even better campaigns next summer.

It's not just Royals fans who think KC could be pretty good in 2026. ESPN's first "way too early" power rankings show a Kansas City club that makes a rather significant jump from where they were at the end of 2025.

Kansas City Royals climb to No. 11 in ESPN’s early rankings

David Schoenfeld has the Royals sitting at No. 11 in the MLB Power Rankings as of Monday. While they're not super high, obviously, it's a nice jump from where they ended September, as ESPN's rankings had them sitting at No. 18 on the list.

"The success of the 2026 Royals probably will depend more on the health of starters Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic than anything the club does in the offseason," Schoenfeld wrote. "Although addressing the lack of offense from the outfield (29th in the majors in both home runs and OPS) will be the top priority."

"Maybe Jac Caglianone will be an answer after getting exposed following a quick promotion to the majors (.157/.237/.295 in 62 games)," he wrote. "Rookie catcher/DH Carter Jensen will share time with Salvador Perez and could be an impact bat -- and if Bobby Witt Jr. bounces back (he was still great but created about 36 fewer runs than in 2024), the offense should improve."

There are a lot of ifs and things that need to go very well for the Kansas City Royals. However, it's clear that analysts believe they've got the talent to make some noise next summer.

Now it's up to the Royals to see how they can further improve their standing among the rest of the baseball world by having a productive offseason - which critics aside, will be crucial for their chances at postseason contention in 2026.