What would a successful season look like for the KC Royals in 2025?

The AL Central was one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 MLB season. Long perceived as one of the weaker divisions in baseball, the narrative changed with four of its five teams finishing above .500 and three earning postseason berths. The Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians, and Kansas City Royals all saw dramatic win increases from 2023, but no team made a bigger leap than Kansas City. The Royals surged from a 56-win campaign in 2023 to an 86-win finish in 2024, finishing off their resurgence with an October run and coming short of the ALCS.

Now, as they head into the 2025 season, a looming question remains: What does success look like for this team moving forward?

The division’s outlook remains highly competitive. The White Sox, after their historically disastrous 2024 season, are expected to remain in the basement, but the other four teams — Minnesota, Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City — have retained their core groups and have made incremental roster improvements. Fangraphs’ ZiPS projections reflect just how tight the race could be, predicting a battle down to the wire:

• Guardians (85-77, division tiebreaker over Twins)
• Twins (85-77)
• Royals (82-80)
• Tigers (81-81)

Kansas City still has work to do, but the Royals enter 2025 with both momentum and several key roster advantages.

One of the biggest reasons for optimism is pitching. Carlos Estévez’s addition bolsters a bullpen that stumbled out of the gates but showed serious promise late in season and into the postseason. If that momentum carries over, the Royals should be able to close out tight games more efficiently.

On top of that, the starting rotation — consisting of Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Michael Lorenzen, and Kris Bubic — projects to be the most stable and well-rounded group Kansas City has had in years. Ragans, in particular, is primed to build on his breakout 2024 campaign and cement himself as the Royals’ ace.

Can the cast surrounding Bobby Witt Jr. step up?

If there’s one potential roadblock for Kansas City, it’s their overreliance on Bobby Witt Jr. The young superstar posted an MVP-caliber season in 2024, finishing with a .332/.389/.588 slash line, 32 home runs, and 31 stolen bases. He became the first shortstop in MLB history with back-to-back 30-30 seasons, but expecting him to repeat that production is a tough ask.

Rather than assuming Witt can carry the offense again, the focus needs to shift to the supporting cast around him.

• Jonathan India, acquired in the offseason, must adapt quickly to his new team and continue his role at the top of the order.
• Vinnie Pasquantino needs to stay healthy and build on his strong 2024 season.
• First-round pick Jac Caglianone already looks MLB-ready at the plate — the Royals finding a way to integrate his power into the lineup will be critical.

The Royals can’t afford to be a one-man show. The supporting cast must step up for Kansas City to remain competitive.

Unlike years past, the Royals aren't being dismissed before Opening Day, but are they ready to leap into true contention? That’s still up for debate.

While they’ve made smart veteran additions — OF/1B Mark Canha and RP Carlos Estévez among them — the rest of the division has also made marginal improvements. No team has made a move that clearly separates them from the pack, which means Kansas City will likely find itself in a simultaneous dogfight for both the AL Central title and a Wild Card spot.

Expecting them to outright win the division would be ambitious, but another 86-win season while continuing to develop their young core? That would still be a step in the right direction. Royals fans shouldn’t be discouraged if they fall just short in 2025 — their championship window is only beginning to crack open.