‘It’s been frustrating’: Three takeaways from Kansas City Royals first half of season

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro summed up the first half of the 2023 season with one key phrase.

“It’s been frustrating,” Quatraro said.

The Royals limped into the All-Star Break with a disappointing 26-65 record. They lost six of their last seven games to AL Central rivals — the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians — and were mired in an offensive drought.

The frustration has come in different waves. Fans have bemoaned the lack of consistency on the field (and debated the proposed stadium project). Meanwhile, the Royals have shuffled the roster (most recently trading pitcher Mike Mayers) with young players in what’s been called a “season of evaluation.”

There have been a few highlights.

The Royals welcomed back starter Ryan Yarbrough Sunday against the Guardians. Yarbrough missed nearly two months after being struck in the face with a line drive. He led the Royals to a 4-1 victory, snapping a six-game losing streak.

Royals infielder Maikel Garcia has also thrived in his rookie season. Garcia is batting .284 with 60 hits, three homers, 22 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Garcia is 12 for 34 (.353) with a .936 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in July.

“I think we’ve seen small gains in individuals and we’ve had some nice wins as a team,” Quatraro said. “Clearly not enough of them as it’s a performance industry. We need to play better and we know that. Individuals need to play better. We need to coach better.

“That’s something where our focus is. We can’t change any of that. It’s from here on.”

Here are three takeaways from the Royals’ first half of the season...

Bobby Witt Jr. settling in as franchise centerpiece

The Royals caught a glimpse of Bobby Witt Jr.’s potential last season. He put up impressive numbers with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and 30 stolen bases during his rookie campaign.

Witt is pacing to blow through most of those numbers this year. He sits at 14 home runs, 47 RBIs, 27 steals and 21 walks. Witt is the fourth player since 1901 to have at least 14 home runs and 27 stolen bases at the All-Star break in his age-23 season.

He joined former MLB standouts Hanley Ramirez, César Cedeño and Bobby Bonds on the impressive list.

Witt has nearly hit for the cycle multiple times. His last attempt came against the Guardians on July 8. Witt went 3 for 5 with a single, triple and home run — plus two RBIs and a stolen base.

The Royals have utilized him throughout the lineup. Witt has led off games and batted in either the No. 2 or No. 4 spot at times. After breaking out of an early season slump that had its frustrations, Witt’s numbers continue to trend up.

Witt has an outside chance at a 30-30 (home runs-stolen bases) season. The Royals have never had a player reach the milestone in a full season with the club. Former Royals star Carlos Beltran came close in 2002 with 29 home runs and 35 stolen bases.

Beltran eventually reached the milestone in 2004. However, he split time with both the Royals and Houston Astros during the campaign.

Witt continues to serve as a bright spot in a lost season for the Royals.

Trial Run: Several Royals learning with extended MLB opportunity

The Royals have shifted focus in their rebuild season. Gone are established veterans in Aroldis Chapman, Jackie Bradley Jr., Amir Garrett and Hunter Dozier. They were jettisoned off for a young group of talented players.

KC has utilized the roster spots to evaluate prospects. However, the jury is still out on some of those roster decisions.

The Royals are getting an extended look at rookie starter Alec Marsh, infielder Samad Taylor, outfielder Dairon Blanco and reliever Jonathan Heasley.

Marsh has shown poise in two starts. He allowed three hits, three runs (two earned) and struck out five batters in his recent outing against the Minnesota Twins.

Taylor has a walk-off hit to his credit. He helped the Royals defeat the Los Angeles Angels in his MLB debut. Blanco brought his elite speed to the big leagues and Heasley has shown promise with his fastball command.

The Royals are expected to bring up more prospects soon. Names like Austin Cox, Jackson Kowar, Angel Zerpa and Will Klein could be next in line.

“This is a real year of evaluation and that evaluation right now is painful,” Royals CEO and chairman John Sherman said. “We committed to a young group. We’ve got some pieces to the puzzle that needed to be added.

“I look forward to the second half of the year for further evaluation and for further development as a part of our team. We might see some new faces.”

Royals trending towards worst season in franchise history

The Royals sit at 26-65 and heading down a familiar road.

There haven’t been a lot of wins this season and now the Royals are in contention to become the worst team in franchise history. The current honor belongs to the 2005 Royals, who finished with a 56-106 record.

The 2005 Royals had a 30-57 record at the All-Star break. They scored 375 runs and allowed 485 runs to opponents.

By comparison, the 2023 Royals are behind in both categories. This season, the Royals have scored 337 runs and allowed 492. They went 6-20 in June and sit 19.5 games out of first place.

The Royals must also avoid becoming one of the worst teams — by record — in MLB history.

Since 1900, there have been five teams to lose 115 or more games. The list includes the 1962 New York Mets (40-120), 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119), 1916 Philadelphia A’s (36-117-1), 2018 Baltimore Orioles (47-115) and the 1935 Boston Braves (38-115).

The Royals have 71 games left in the regular season. They will need to win more games, like Sunday against the Guardians, to avoid MLB infamy this year.

Currently, the Royals are paced for a 46-116 season.

Two questions to consider

Will the Royals trade closer Scott Barlow at the trade deadline?

The Royals have a decision to make. After trading Chapman to the Texas Rangers, the clock could be ticking on Barlow. Several interested teams need bullpen help and the Royals could add another prospect to their minor-league system.

Barlow has 11 saves and owns a 4.09 ERA this season.

Other trade candidates that could draw interest include infielder Nicky Lopez and relievers Taylor Clarke and Jose Cuas, among others.

How close are Royals to securing a new stadium location?

The Royals announced there are two proposed locations for a new stadium development. The locations are in East Village downtown and in North Kansas City.

Sherman said the team hopes to nail down the location at the end of the summer.

“This is the most important thing that we’ll have the opportunity to do while we have the privilege of being stewards of this franchise,” Sherman said.