Royals Silver Slugger nominations are confirmation that J.J. Picollo has created the next championship core

Kansas City Royals fans were already optimistic for the future at the end of the 2026 season, despite the poor record. Even in a down season, Bobby Witt Jr. looked great. Jac Caglianone proved why he was the No. 6 overall pick, and Carter Jensen took the league by storm as a rookie. Even with deficits at other positions, the Royals' future core has emerged.

Royals fans got an extra vote of confidence with the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger award finalists. Witt, Caglianone, and Jensen are all finalists for the award at their positions in the AL. Obviously, Caglianone and Jensen are finalists for the first time in their careers; Witt is the back-to-back reigning winner at shortstop in the AL.

Jensen led all AL catchers in OPS and WRC+, while his 27 home runs were tied with his co-finalist Dillon Dingler. Cags was in the three-way tie for third-most home runs among AL outfielders, and his WRC+ was fifth. Witt's 119 WRC+ and .809 OPS were second among AL shortstops, and he led the position in doubles.

All of a sudden, the Royals have a strong core they can build off. Not only do they have their Silver Slugger finalists, but they have an infield full of Gold Glove finalists. That doesn't even include Maikel Garcia, who missed half the season due to injury.

It's starting to feel like déjà vu

In 2012, the Royals finished with a 72-90 record. That squad had Salvador Perez in his first full season in the majors, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas in their second, Alcides Escobar was in his second season with K.C., and Lorenzo Cain as a bench piece. The only established player on the roster was Alex Gordon. That was the setup for 2014 and 2015.

A small market team needs to draft and develop to become successful, like the early 2010s Royals. Now, look at the Rays, Brewers, and Guardians, who were all in their respective Championship Series. Their rosters were full of homegrown talent and players they developed. That's exactly what J.J. Picollo has done in Kansas City since he took over in 2022.

While Picollo didn't draft Bobby Witt, he was the man at the helm when Witt signed his long-term extension. He did draft Caglianone and Jensen. Picollo was also the man in charge when the Royals ended their playoff drought in 2024, setting up what K.C. has now.

Small market teams need to play the long game. They don't have the ability to fix their roster in one offseason like the major market teams. Picollo is doing it the right way, and silver slugger nominations are very much proof of concept, and Royals fans should be excited

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