The KC Royals cannot be a contender with multiple developing outfielders at MLB level

Losing has become all to familiar for the Kansas City Royals of late, as they've now lost eight of their last nine games.

In the process, they've plummeted in the American League Wild Card standings, going from just 1.5 games back from the final postseason position to now 5.5 games back after Monday's loss in Seattle.

At the center of it all has been their incredibly inefficient offense, where other than an apparent blip in the radar during their 9-5 win on Saturday has failed to produce more than four runs in their last nine games.

While everyone is to blame for some degree, it's no secret that the Royals outfield has been particularly bad, specifically in the corners, where they've relied upon a series of developing hitters after moving Jonathan India back to second base.

And for a team that hasn't made clear what their stance will be at the trade deadline, if they desire to be the contenders they were anticipated to be entering the season, then this group of corner outfielders undergoing growing pains are not going to get the job done.

The KC Royals cannot be a contender with multiple developing outfielders at MLB level

Looking deeper into the outfield numbers, they tell a grim story of inefficiency.

The Royals' unit sits dead last in MLB in wRC+ at 63, 13 points lower than 29th ranked Cleveland. They also sat dead last in OPS at .594, the only outfield below .600. They're last RBI as well at 58, 22 below 29th. Lastly, they sit 30th in HR at just a measly 11.

Now, while Kyle Isbel hasn't been great with a 72 wRC+, his ability to hit for a respectable AVG (.251), above average baserunning abilities and arguably elite defense in center field is an acceptable weak point to have in the lineup.

The corner outfield is where the real issues fall. In right field, Kansas City holds a slash line of .183/.242/.261 and in left field they hold a slash line of .218/.292/.303.

This has been in large part due to the amount of largely inexperienced and developing names that the Royals have been throwing out there on a nightly basis.

Jac Caglianone is struggling - he holds a .157/.202/.258 slash line , but it's an acceptable struggle as there's nowhere else he could really go. He hit at every level in the minor leagues and tackled every obstacle necessary to warrant his call-up. For the sake of his development, he needs the time to figure it out at the major league level.

That's just one spot in the lineup though, and Caglianone doesn't always find himself in the corner outfield, as he's spent time at both first base and DH this season.

The real problem lies in the trio of fellow call-ups in Drew Waters, John Rave and Nick Loftin and their overall lack of production since gracing the big leagues.

It wasn't all bad for Waters, as he came out guns blazing in April hitting .282 with a 116 wRC+ in April. While 2025 isn't Waters' first rodeo in the majors, his inexperience and potential need for further development began to show after April. In May, he maintained a high .281 AVG, but a notable drop in on-base and significant drop in power saw his wRC+ fall well below average to 72. Then, June has been an absolute disaster for Waters, as he's slashing just .167/.242/.167 with a putrid 16 wRC+.

Looking further, we have John Rave. Rave may have showed a lot in Triple-A and warranted a call-up, but he doesn't have nearly the prospect pedigree that someone like Caglianone has to warrant the leash that the Royals have given him to this point. Through his first 25 games, he's slashing just .182/.260/.250 with a 42 wRC+.

Then there's Loftin, who like Waters made a solid first impression, however he's struggled since, as through 22 games he's hitting just .180 with a .583 OPS and 55 wRC+.

No major league roster is perfect, but with even the best of the the Royals lineup experiencing issues on any given day, the fact that four names on their 26-man roster and two entire spots in a nine-man lineup are producing next to nothing, it doesn't spell a recipe for success for a team looking to repeat on their postseason success from a year ago.

How the Royals resolve this matter remains to be seen and will be determined on their trade deadline strategy. But if the Royals have any postseason aspirations in 2025, then something has to change in the outfield to have any shot making those aspirations a reality.