Royals Ranked Low On MLB Franchises List Since 1995

The Royals are getting better, but have a lot of work to do.

Jul 2, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of of Kauffman Stadium before a game between the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals are getting better. In fact, they rose from 106 losses in 2023 to win 86 games in 2024 and secure the second American League Wild Card spot.

Kansas City also is looking good heading into the 2025 season, as they've made some key moves this offseason to bolster their chances of returning to the postseason for a second consecutive year.

Historically, however, the Royals have some work to do before they can be considered one of Major League Baseball's top franchises.

Stephen J. Nesbitt ranked the Royals 23rd out of 30 teams on his top franchise list.

Kansas City ranked 29th on last year’s list, but bumping the starting point from 1995 to 2000 didn’t hurt the Royals the way it did the teams now below them. The Royals hold the distinction of most consecutive 90-loss seasons in the past 25 years, with nine," Nesbitt wrote.

The Royals haven't had a lot of luck historically. They only have two World Series titles, which came in 1985 and 2015, respectively. And after winning the World Series in 2015, they didn't reach the postseason again or come terribly close to contending again until 2024.

However, Nesbitt does point out that the Royals have a bright future ahead of them.

"The Royals project to make further progress in the years ahead. Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best players in baseball. The rotation has Cole Ragan’s top-tier stuff and the experience of Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen. The bullpen has added Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez since July. The arrow is pointing up."

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