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The Kansas City Royals find themselves at 28-25 after being walked off on Saturday by the Minnesota Twins. After making the playoffs and winning in the American League Wild Card Series against the Baltimore Orioles, Royals fans had good reason to be excited heading into 2025. Bobby Witt Jr. had established himself as a superstar and formed a great duo with Salvador Perez.
More than 50 games into the season, Kansas City finds itself far away from where they want to be. The team is fourth in the AL Central behind the Detroit Tigers, Twins, and Cleveland Guardians. Even though less than seven games separates the Royals from the Tigers, the gap feels much wider because of how good Detroit has been this season. Kansas City has plenty of time to gain ground on the leaders, but the team needs to find some consistency soon.
One of the problems with having a breakout season is that fans expect teams to build on it. While most teams are able to at least mimic the success of the past year, some falter. The Baltimore Orioles are the best example this season, but the Royals aren't far away. Their fanbase is losing patience with players across the roster, whether it is because of injury or underwhelming starts.
Here are three players under the fanbase's spotlight as Kansas City tries to claw their way back into elite company.
Outfielder Hunter Renfroe
Hunter Renfroe had great seasons with the San Diego Padres early in his career. However, the 33-year-old has bounced around the league since 2020, but he maintained his offensive impact. Lower body injuries hurt his production over the past two seasons. It looks like he still hasn't fully overcome the struggles that come with recovering and is a shell of his former self at the plate.
Through his first 99 at-bats of 2025, Renfroe got off to one of the worst starts in his entire career. He hit just .182 with no home runs and just four RBIs. Kansas City designated him for assignment on Friday, clearing the way for Drew Waters to replace him in right field. Renfroe's performance was disappointing for a fanbase waiting for him to be the player that the Royals thought they were getting when he joined the team.
Renfroe joins Jarred Kelenic on the list of veteran outfielders sent to the minor leagues. While fans want him to overcome his struggles, they aren't holding their breaths anymore. At this point, it might be time to move on and give their younger players a chance to earn the spot across the rest of the season.
Third Baseman Jonathan India
Jonathan India's story is similar to Renfroe's. His first four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds were very encouraging. However, his play to start his time with the Royals falls way short of expectations. His batting average is a career-low and he isn't hitting with the power that made him so enticing as a trade target for Kansas City in 2024.
India's positional versatility might be what is saving him this year. He has played games at second base, third, and in the outfield in 2025 for Matt Quatraro. However, his production at the plate is not good enough to justify him staying in the order. For a player that was brought in to be a secondary star alongside Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, India now finds himself struggling at the leadoff spot.
While he is off to a tough start, the 28-year-old is not old enough for fans to lose faith in him. He has shown flashes of his former glory and could become a crucial piece of the Royals lineup if he can find his swing. Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Perez have more than enough power to make up for his lack thereof, but they need a contact hitter to set the table for them in big spots.
Starting Pitcher Cole Ragans
Cole Ragans had the first truly elite year of his career in 2024. He earned his first All-Star appearance and was the ace of a starting rotation that helped get the Royals into the postseason. However, Kansas City's top pitcher has missed starts and is now on the Royals' injured list with a groin strain.
Ragans is young and the trajectory of his career is heading in the right direction. However, the start of 2025 has been rough, and fans aren't happy. While the other pitchers in Quatraro's starting rotation have been serviceable, Ragans still has the highest ERA of all of them at 4.53.
While Witt Jr. is the face of the team, Ragans might be their most important player. If he can set the tone in his starts, the pitchers behind him could follow suit, helping the Royals string together victories, something they have struggled with so far this season. Fans await his return from the IL, but are unsure on whether or not he can repeat his level of play from last year.
After a playoff appearance and a series win in 2024, Kansas City is in a crucial spot in their timeline. Fans want the team to keep moving forward, and players that slip up will be under scrutiny until they recover. Renfroe's time with the team might be done, but India and Ragans still have time to turn things around before fans reach the end of their rope with them.
