Royals are counting on a change from young players, starting with Bobby Witt Jr.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals enter 2026 with clear expectation: Young core must supply leadership.
- Witt, Garcia and Ragans have long deals; Pasquantino signed a two-year deal.
- Team aims for playoff depth contingent on player growth and clubhouse accountability.
The Kansas City Royals enter the 2026 season with clarity.
After a long offseason, the Royals are motivated to return to the playoffs, with several players noting that last year’s 82-80 finish wasn’t good enough.
There needed to be more urgency. And, in retrospect, more consistency on the field. At a certain point, the Royals realized a need for more veteran leadership — in the form of Adam Frazier and Mike Yastrzemski — last season.
Now, the leadership role falls to the young core. The Royals have Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Cole Ragans on lengthy deals. And Vinnie Pasquantino signed a two-year contract that offers financial stability through 2027. (Pasquantino is under club control through 2028.)
KC has a strong group of young, established MLB players. And the Royals realize they will only go as far as their star power will take them.
“Going into last year, we felt like we didn’t need to go get that guy just because he was a veteran,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “And then, as we were struggling early, you know, it became evident that we still aren’t quite there. We go get Adam Frazier and he gives us a little bit of our confidence and swagger back. But now, when you are getting into Year 3, 4 and 5 in the major leagues, at some point it’s your time. Right now, Bobby, Vinnie, Maikel, it’s your time.”
There are expectations attached to the 2026 season. The Royals haven’t won the American League Central in over a decade. Individual players have had success, but it hasn’t always resulted in wins.
Picollo referenced the 2015 World Series team. He alluded to how it thrived as a player-led group that held itself to a certain standard.
The Royals will have similar elements this season. Witt is a superstar in the league while Garcia and Ragans are All-Stars. Pasquantino is a top slugger and Salvador Perez — who played on the 2015 team — is the franchise icon.
The talent is there to make a deep postseason run. However, it all depends on the growth and maturity of the players in the clubhouse. It’s why the Royals are looking to their young core to take the club to levels they haven’t achieved in a long time.
“You know, we can’t worry about going to acquire somebody because we need some leadership,” Picollo said. “You guys need to be the leaders. We have Salvy, which is great. On the pitching side, we have (Michael) Wacha and (Seth) Lugo, which is great. … But we like to think we’re past that point of trying to go acquire somebody because we need a leader in the clubhouse.”
Witt has ascended among MLB circles. Last season, he led the league in hits and finished with a .295 batting average with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs. Those numbers earned him a Gold Glove and AL Silver Slugger Award. He also ranked third among the top-100 players in a recent MLB Network list.
It’s clear that Witt is the franchise player. However, at times, the Royals needed him to provide more vocal leadership.
“It’s not his nature to be a vocal guy, but I think he’s starting to realize how much people look for him for leadership just because he is such a good player,” Picollo said. “I think it’s starting to settle in and we may see a little bit more out of that.”
The Royals have spoken with key players about taking on more accountability and leadership this offseason.
Last season, there were flashes of that leadership. The team held a players-only meeting after getting swept by the Athletics at home last June. KC had dropped five consecutive games and 21 of 31 at that point.
Witt spoke with Perez about having a group discussion. The Royals aired their concerns and found a way to come together as a unit. There was a new perspective established, which helped them down the stretch.
Now, the Royals hope to see similar leadership throughout the upcoming season. Royals manager Matt Quatraro is confident in the group and believes that a cohesive unit will set the foundation in spring training.
“We have good player leadership,” Quatraro said. “You know, I think it’s always evolving because no two teams are ever the same and no two days are ever the same. But yes, we definitely have positive momentum and guys that are player leaders.”
The Royals will gather in spring training beginning Feb. 10. The first full-squad workout will be on Feb. 16 before Cactus League play starts.
It will be interesting to see how the 2026 team foundation is built. The Royals have pitching talent, a strong defense and quality hitters. The majority of the players have postseason experience.
However, the Royals need someone to lead them. While the club has older veterans in the clubhouse, a postseason return will require the young group to take the leadership mantle and run with it.
“It’s Bobby and Maikel’s time to set the standard for this team and for all of us to fall in line,” Pasquantino said. “Where those guys take this organization and where they decide they want to take this organization could be sky-high. And I’m excited to see them work and do it.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 4:22 PM.
