A closer examination at what went wrong for the Kansas City Royals in June
When the Kansas City Royals took the field at Kauffman Stadium on June 5, they had a 29-26 record and were looking to extend their five-game winning streak.
The Royals were just five games out of first place in the American League Central Division and two games out of a wild-card spot.
Unfortunately, the rest of June was a disaster as the Royals have a 4-20 record since that day. They finished June with a 7-20 record (.259), and the team noted it was the franchise’s lowest winning percentage in a single month since June 2018, when they were 5-21 (.192).
The Royals had a 33-46 record and were in last place in the Central entering July 1.
So what went wrong? Here’s a closer examination at how the Royals performed in June.
Hitting
Only one team scored fewer runs in June than the Royals: the Texas Rangers, who played two fewer games. The Royals scored 108 runs (4.0 per game), while the Rangers scored 104 (4.2).
The Royals drew the third-fewest walks in the AL during June (70). Only the Twins (69) and Cleveland (51) had fewer.
One continuing problem was hitting with runners in scoring position. The Royals had a .199 average (34-171) in those situations and left 167 runners on base.
Two of the team’s sluggers struggled mightily.
Hunter Dozier, slowed by injuries earlier in the season, played in 26 games in the month but batted just .178 with 30 strikeouts. He hit just one home run with five RBIs in June.
Jorge Soler was slightly better, as he batted .205 with two home runs and four RBIs in the month.
Pitching
The Royals had the second-worst ERA in the American League in June (6.00), ahead of only the Orioles. Royals pitchers were dead last in the majors as opponents hit .286 in the month.
A WHIP of 1.58 was only slightly better than the Orioles, who were 39th with 1.59 walks and hits allowed per Innings pitched last month.
Oddly, the Royals pitching staff also tied for the most balks (3) in the major leagues. The Royals bullpen had three saves, the fewest in the AL, and had six blown saves.
One problem that wasn’t limited to June was the length of outings by starters. Royals starting pitchers have just 372 2/3 innings pitched this season, the second fewest in baseball to only the Orioles.
Other issues
The Royals were 2-8 in one-run games in June.
Injuries to a pair of starters also can be blamed for the team’s troubles. Left fielder Andrew Benintendi, who has the second-best batting average on the team, was placed on the injured list on June 14.
The next day, shortstop Adalberto Mondesi returned from an injury. He hit .364 with two home runs, two doubles and four RBIs ... in three games before landing back on the injured list.
For the year, the Royals are negative-13 in runs saved, among the worst in the AL, per the Fielding Bible. Only the Angels, Yankees and Tigers have been worse.
This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 11:42 AM.
