Kansas
Kansas City Royals Hitting, Pitching Like Legit AL Central Contenders
Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. hits a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball … [+]
The Kansas City Royals barely lost the race to the absolute bottom of major league baseball last season, finishing 56-106, better than only the 50-win Oakland Athletics. Truth be told, however, they weren’t nearly that bad.
My batted ball-based method saw them as a 68-win true talent club – still awful, but nowhere near the A’s area code. In fact, their offense rated just a little worse than league average, and that was with promising young 1B Vinnie Pasquantino missing most of the season with a significant shoulder injury. They were led by cornerstone SS Bobby Witt Jr., who finished 7th in the MVP voting with a 30 homer/49 steal line.
The pitching? Well, it stunk. Way down in Oakland’s neighborhood. Their staff ranked dead last in the AL in strikeouts, and all but one of their main starters posted ERAs over 5.00.
The one exception – lefty Cole Ragans – was notable, and gave them hope moving forward. After proving unable to draft and develop dominant homegrown starters, they hit big on Ragans, acquired from the Texas Rangers at last year’s trading deadline for reliever Aroldis Chapman. He went 5-2, 2.64, in 12 late-season starts, with a glittering 89/27 K/BB ratio in 71 2/3 innings. He combines raw stuff with polished command, and put it all together immediately upon his arrival in Kansas City.
Still, the Royals knew they didn’t have enough starting pitching on hand, and set out to add more in the middle tier of the free agent market. They brought aboard righties Seth Lugo (three years, $45 million) and Michael Wacha (two years, $32 million) to at least add stability to the rotation. Some prognosticators scratched their heads at these investments, citing them as frivolous expenditures for a club in the early stages of a rebuild. But if they can slot into the rotation and offer them 160-180 innings apiece of mere competence, that would shorten games on a specific basis and the season in general.
And Lugo has been much more than competent in the early going, posting a 1.05 ERA in his first three starts. Now he’s only struck out 13 batters in 25 2/3 innings, so he’s due for some regression on balls in play, but he’s clearly better than other in-house alternatives.
Another big development has been the return of Brady Singer – the rare homegrown starter who has shown flashes of excellence over the years – from a late-2023 back injury. He’s posted an 0.98 ERA and an 18/4 K/BB over his first 18 1/3 innings. Lefty Ragans and righty Singer are the two Royals’ starters with above MLB-average upside.
They need their starters to give them six-plus innings on most nights, as the bullpen is unproven and doesn’t miss a ton of bats. In fact, while the Royals have allowed the fewest runs (48) in the AL through Monday’s games, with the 2nd lowest ERA (2.86), they ranked dead last in the circuit in strikeouts. Their spacious ballpark and the early season cold weather has cut them some breaks so far – while their pitching does appear much improved, you simply cannot be an above average run prevention outfit while striking out so few batters.
But maybe the pitching doesn’t need to be elite for the Royals to contend. Despite the pitcher-friendly nature of Kauffman Stadium, they could ultimately have an above average offense. They’re 1st in the AL with 87 runs scored, and the bulk of the damage has been done by a cadre of youngsters, led by face of the franchise Witt, 24, whose signing of a long-term, huge-money deal was covered in this space not long ago.
Pasquantino, 26, has locked down first base, MJ Melendez, 25, appears to be coming into his own in left field, while Maikel Garcia, 24, and Nelson Velazquez, 25, are holding down third base and DH while showing impressive batted ball metrics that offer hope for the future.
Veteran catcher Salvador Perez, 34, remains a durable, powerful presence behind the plate, and is off to a .339-.369-.565 start that is bettered only by Witt’s (.314-.368-.657). The lineup has length, power and speed. They’re 2nd in the AL in homers and 1st in steals. Again, they might not be THAT good, but I feel pretty comfortable in saying their offense is at least…….good. And in comparison to their track record in recent years, that’s saying something.
So like yesterday’s topic, the Detroit Tigers, the Kansas City Royals just might have the goods to be heard from in an eminently winnable American League Central. The bullpen is going to need fortification for that to happen, but that’s what the trading deadline is for. This time around, the Royals might be on the other end of the type of trade that delivered them Ragans last year.
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – It may not seem like a lot of relief, but gas and diesel prices have declined over the past week.
Friday morning’s national average for a gallon of unleaded gas was $4.39, according to the Automobile Association of America.
That’s down three cents from $4.42 on Thursday; down 16 cents from a week ago; but was up 17 cents from $4.22 a month ago and up $.23 from $3.16 a year ago.
In Kansas, AAA says, unleaded gas on Friday was averaging $3.96 a gallon — down four cents from $4.00 on Thursday; down 13 cents from $3.96 a week ago; but up 26 cents from $3.70 a month ago; and up $1.07 over $2.89 a year ago.
Diesel fuel also was dropping in price. AAA says Friday’s national average for a gallon of diesel was $5.52 a gallon — down three cents from $5.55 on Thursday; down 12 cents from $5.64 a week a go; but up six cents from $5.46 a month ago and up $1.98 from $3.54 a year ago.
Kansas diesel fuel prices, according to AAA, checked in at an average of $4.98 on Friday. That’s five cents below $5.03 on Thursday; down 16 cents from $5.14 a week ago; but up 24 cents over $4.74 a month ago; and up $1.72 from $3.26 a year ago.
In Topeka, GasBuddy.com on Friday morning showed unleaded gas prices ranging between $3.77 and $4.09 in Topeka, with diesel fuel going for between $4.94 and $5.29 a gallon.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.
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NFL Trade Rumors: Kansas City Chiefs linked to $15M New York Giants pass rusher and $10M Chicago Bears tight end in bold ESPN proposals
The Kansas City Chiefs continue to be linked to potential trade targets despite entering the 2026 season with one of the NFL’s deepest rosters. Recent speculation from ESPN connected Kansas City to New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet. In the proposed scenarios, the Chiefs would send a 2027 fourth-round pick for Thibodeaux or a 2027 third-round pick while receiving Kmet and a fifth-round selection. While neither proposal gained traction with the opposing teams, the rumors have sparked debate about whether Kansas City should make a significant move before the season.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Player | Kayvon Thibodeaux / Cole Kmet |
| Current Team | New York Giants / Chicago Bears |
| Rumored Team | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Contract Status | Both under contract |
| Salary Cap Hit | Thibodeaux: manageable rookie extension window; Kmet carries a significant future cap number |
| Trade Likelihood | Low to moderate |
| Latest Insider Update | ESPN floated hypothetical trade proposals |
| Potential Return | 2027 fourth-round pick for Thibodeaux; 2027 third-round pick for Kmet |
Which teams are interested in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Cole Kmet?
Kansas City emerged as the most notable team connected to both players through the ESPN exercise. The fit is understandable. For Thibodeaux, the Chiefs could add another proven pass-rushing threat alongside their current edge group. Defensive line depth remains one of the most valuable assets in today’s NFL, especially for teams with championship aspirations. Adding a player of Thibodeaux’s caliber would strengthen the rotation and provide insurance against injuries. Kmet addresses a different need. While Travis Kelce remains a central piece of the offense, he is approaching the later stages of his career. Kmet offers a combination of blocking ability and receiving production that could help Kansas City maintain stability at tight end while preparing for the future.
What insiders are saying about the trade rumors
According to AtoZ Sports’ Charles Goldman, the concept behind pursuing Thibodeaux makes sense, but the compensation falls short. New York has little incentive to move a talented edge rusher for a mid-round draft pick when pass rushers are among the league’s most sought-after players. Goldman was similarly cautious regarding Kmet. Although he acknowledged the tight end would fill a practical role in Kansas City’s offense, he questioned whether investing draft capital and future money in Kmet is the best long-term strategy. Instead, he suggested the Chiefs may be better served developing a successor to Kelce through the draft.
Contract details and salary cap implications
Any trade discussion involving Kansas City begins with the salary cap. The Chiefs would likely need to create additional financial flexibility before taking on a notable contract. Thibodeaux presents the cleaner situation. He remains young, productive, and could be controlled through future contract negotiations. There are no reported no-trade restrictions complicating a potential move. Kmet’s situation is more challenging. His future cap numbers could require restructuring or a new agreement if Kansas City wanted to keep him long term. That added financial commitment makes the decision more complicated than the draft-pick cost alone.
How the trade could impact both teams
For Kansas City, acquiring Thibodeaux would strengthen a defense already built to compete for another Super Bowl. A deeper pass rush often becomes critical during playoff runs, where one extra pressure can change a game. Kmet’s arrival would have a different effect. He could ease the workload on Kelce while giving the offense a more balanced tight end room. At the same time, surrendering valuable draft assets could limit future roster-building options. From the Giants’ and Bears’ perspectives, keeping proven starters may provide more value than collecting future picks. That reality is why both proposed deals remain long shots, even if the Chiefs continue to surface in trade conversations.
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