What the KC Royals can learn from the road the Rangers, D-backs took to World Series
Two years ago at this time, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks were sitting at home. Each club had lost more than 100 games and neither was anywhere near playoff contention.
The Rangers had just moved into a brand new stadium, while the Diamondbacks were trying to figure out how to stay afloat in the National League West.
Sound familiar?
The Rangers finished 60-102 during the 2021 season. Their roster included an emerging superstar in Adolis Garcia, a talented catcher in Jonah Heim and an intriguing outfield prospect named Leody Taveras.
Their pitching staff included three starters with ERAs of 5.00 or higher. Current Royals pitcher Jordan Lyles made 30 starts for the Rangers that season. The rest of Texas’ roster was a mix of aging role players and minor-leaguers.
The Diamondbacks were 52-110 in 2021. They lost 17 straight games and fell 55 games behind the eventual NL West champions, the San Francisco Giants. Their roster included Ketel Marte, Pavin Smith and a young Zac Gallen.
Gallen went 4-10 with a 4.30 ERA in 23 starts. And teammate Merrill Kelly owned a 4.44 ERA in his third season with the organization.
Again, does this sound familiar?
In two short years, the Rangers and Diamondbacks changed the landscape of their respective organizations. Both developed young players and spent money through free agency and the trade market.
The Rangers added superstars Corey Seager and Marcus Semien in free agency. The Diamondbacks developed top prospect Corbin Carroll. Arizona also also acquired closer Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners.
As a result, the Rangers and Diamondbacks are playing in the World Series, four wins from Major League Baseball history.
Game 1 is set for Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:03 p.m. Central Time at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The Kansas City Royals will be watching closely.
The Royals are coming off a 56-106 season. They are in a similar spot as the Rangers and Diamondbacks were in 2021.
Injuries derailed the KC pitching staff this season as Daniel Lynch IV, Kris Bubic and Brady Singer all missed playing time. And Singer actually regressed this season. His ERA jumped from 3.23 to 5.52 and he struggled with the command of his sinker.
The Royals lost first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for much of the season due to an injury. The remainder of the lineup showed some progress in the season’s second half but just didn’t drive in enough runs.
Bobby Witt Jr. had a historic season and joined baseball’s elite 30-30 club. However, the Royals didn’t get the production they needed from MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto and Drew Waters.
KC could follow the Diamondbacks’ playbook. Royals general manager J.J. Picollo recently said the expectation is to get better this offseason.
“(Having) 106 losses is a difficult thing to take,” he said. “There were a lot of challenges along the way. That’s not what our expectations are. Our expectations are much greater and we accept responsibility for that.
The Royals can better their chances of being competitive in 2024 with improved development and savvy signings. That begins with adding both starting and relief pitching.
A durable starter would help stabilize the pitching staff. Getting a proven bat would lengthen the lineup and allow KC’s offense to score more runs.
This season, the Diamondbacks acquired Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from the Toronto Blue Jays. He turned in an All-Star performance, with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs.
The Rangers got Jordan Montgomery from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline. He recorded a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts after the trade. He is now Texas’ No. 2 starter behind teammate Nathan Eovaldi.
The Royals have already shown they can make a significant trade. They plucked Cole Ragans from the Rangers for veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman. Ragans starred in his new role and was the AL Pitcher of the Month in August.
Kansas City will need to make similar moves. The key is to acquire veterans who can complement a young core in Witt, Pasquantino and infielders Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey.
If it means trading away prospects or a high-priced veteran or two, that might be the cost of putting the Royals in position to succeed.
“You can never have enough good players,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said earlier this month. “We have to create a tremendous amount of depth.”
The Diamondbacks and Rangers chose a path and went full speed ahead. Texas built around experienced free agents. Arizona decided to roll with its young stars.
Both paths led to the World Series.
The Royals sit at the bottom of the AL Central, but they could have the talent necessary to compete in the division as soon as next season. The Minnesota Twins won the division with a 87-75 record. No other AL Central team had a winning record this season.
With the right moves, the Royals could find themselves playing meaningful baseball games at this time next year.
Any team can make a run. The Rangers and Diamondbacks are proof that it’s possible to go from cellar-dweller to contender in short order.
