Since the Royals won a World Series in 2015, they have struggled to find much success and have left fans wondering when, and if, they will return.
Early in the season, Kansas City showed sparks of having a solid team. The Royals started off the season with a spectacular 14-10 victory over the Rangers on Opening Day, setting a new club record for the most runs scored on Opening Day.
The strong showing even led some UMKC students to believe this was the year that the Royals head back to the Series.
Senior Emma Leonard was almost certain the Royals would make it to the postseason.
“At the beginning of the season, I really thought we had a chance to make it to the postseason as either American League Central champions or a wild-card team,” Leonard said. “The rest of the teams in our division got off to a slow start and did not look very good. This team also gave me reminiscent vibes of the 2015 team.”
However, things started to quickly go wrong as the season went on.
The first difficulties emerged when the Royals took on the Minnesota Twins in a 3-game series back in late April. The team managed to go 1-1 for the first two games of the series before losing the third.
That final loss began a devastating 11-game losing streak for the Royals.
The Royals eventually found light at the end of the tunnel when they headed to Chicago back in May. After defeating the White Sox 6-2, the Royals were finally back on their feet and the 11-game losing streak had officially ended.
As the season continued, fans were still hopeful, though the Royals never seemed to be able to reclaim that initial spark. With how things stand at this point in the season, the Royals’ 67-81 record does not inspire much hope for a chance to make a late run for a playoff appearance.
Despite the disappointing season, there has been one bright spot for Royals fans.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez has had an all-around great season. His personal success has been immense, setting the record for most home runs by a catcher with 45. He also sits in second place for most home runs in the league, just behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with 46.
