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While several MLB analysts tabbed the Kansas City Royals to improve their stock this season, few predicted they would be as good as they are in 2024. The Royals' busy offseason led many to believe they'd flirt with playoff contention in the American League. With 35 games remaining on its regular season schedule, Kansas City is in a position to seal the deal.
The Royals flew past their 56 wins from 2023 and are on pace to win 90 games for the first time since 2015. That was a pretty good year for Kansas City as the Royals captured a World Series title. It also marks the last time they made the playoffs and had a winning record.
At 71-56 entering Thursday's action, the Royals have a 3 1/2 game lead in the AL Wild Card standings and are 2 1/2 out of first place in the AL Central. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have a better run differential than Kansas City. It's been a remarkable season led by strong starting pitching and an MVP-caliber campaign from Bobby Witt Jr.
The vibes are high this summer in the City of Fountains and they'll only grow once football season begins. It's been a decade since the Royals played meaningful baseball as the Chiefs began their season, but that's the case in 2024.
There aren’t many holes for the Royals to fill during the final month of the season. With MLB rosters expanding, Kansas City can tap into its farm system and give several prospects their first look at the major league level. Despite a bottom-10 farm overall, the Royals have a few intriguing minor leaguers worthy of an MLB promotion.
Missouri native gets the call
Baseball is a sport filled with fantastic stories. There are plenty of feel-good tales to tell on and off the diamond. The Royals might have one involving their No. 12 ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) Noah Cameron.
A seventh-round pick by the Royals in 2021, Cameron is having his best season yet as a pro and at the very least could entice Kansas City to discuss promoting the southpaw to the big leagues. Cameron made his Triple-A debut on July 31 and has dazzled through four starts at the level.
The 25-year-old has yet to allow more than one run in a Triple-A start with all four outings lasting at least six innings. He struck out 10 through 6 2/3 innings in his debut with Omaha, then followed it with three more quality starts where he scattered 10 hits and struck out 20 batters.
Cameron's last start was arguably his best of 2024. He allowed one hit through six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, although he did walk three and hit a batter in a rather uncharacteristic way. He walked three total in his seven previous starts before that outing.
Fatigue hurt his velocity late last season, but Cameron doesn’t seem to be losing steam as September approaches. He tossed at least five innings in nine of his last 11 starts and is eight innings away from topping his 2023 total. Cameron's changeup has particularly been effective at the highest minor league level and could translate to instant success in the majors.
Kansas City's rotation is phenomenal, ranking third in ERA and second in fWAR and innings. The latter might play a factor in promoting another starter to give their current arms some rest before the playoffs. Noah Cameron is not on the Royals' 40-man roster but will be hard to ignore over the next five weeks if he resumes his stellar work on the mound.
Top 15 prospect makes Royals debut
Tyler Gentry's transition to the pros wasn’t smooth after the Royals selected him in the 2020 MLB Draft, but Kansas City's No. 15 prospect is striving to reach the majors before the 2024 season concludes. With the way he's been raking over the past two months, he might find himself in a Royals uniform sooner rather than later.
While his season numbers aren’t overly impressive, Gentry continues a trend of turning it up during the second half of the year. In 36 games since the start of July, Gentry carries a .336/.420/.557 slash line with eight homers, five doubles and 25 RBIs. He has five games with multiple hits and RBIs in that span.
Taking it further, Gentry is hitting .299 with an .897 OPS across his last 65 games. He had a similar second-half breakout in 2023 when he posted a .901 OPS with 14 extra-base hits and 30 RBIs in the final 63 games of the season. The Royals saw enough to add him to their 40-man roster in November.
Kansas City's outfield is not a strength. Royals outfielders combine for a .657 OPS and 80 wRC+, good enough for 27th and 28th in baseball, respectively. The three teams below them in OPS are the historically bad Chicago White Sox and a pair of last-place teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Tyler Gentry is the most MLB-ready outfielder Kansas City has in its prospect pool. If he carries his hot streak into September, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a taste of The Show. Regardless, Gentry should be in a prime position to carve out a role for the Royals in 2025.
KC adds utility man to bench
Having a solid utility player on the roster can go a long way for MLB clubs. While it's somewhat of a lost art, players learning to play all over the diamond to increase their opportunities hasn’t completely faded away in the new age of baseball.
The Royals hoped Nick Loftin would contribute as a utility man this season and gave him a spot on their Opening Day roster. Kansas City's No. 2 prospect to begin 2024 struggled during his first MLB stint of the year and was demoted in mid-April. He was promoted again at the end of May only to be sent down shortly after the All-Star break.
It's easy to justify every move the Royals have made so far with Loftin. He impressed upon his MLB debut at the end of 2023 and in spring training this year to earn a roster spot but Kansas City couldn’t find consistent playing time for him despite an 8-for-29 start at the plate. Loftin recorded a .930 OPS in the month he spent in Triple-A before his second MLB promotion, only to hit .179 with five extra-base hits in 112 at-bats with the Royals from May 26 to July 27.
Could a third call-up be the charm for Loftin? He is again back to demolishing Triple-A pitching with a .383 average and .950 OPS in August, adding 14 RBIs and 10 runs. While he's primarily spent his time defensively at second and third base, Loftin has two starts at first and four in left field with Omaha.
It will be hard for Royals fans to look past Loftin's previous MLB performances if he's promoted again this year. However, he's earned another shot to prove he's not a four-A player who dominates in the minors but can’t find success in the majors. Even if he doesn’t receive a ton of at-bats, being in the clubhouse during a playoff push will be good for Nick Loftin's future.
