3 Royals most to blame for ALDS loss vs. Yankees

10/11/2024 09:43 AM

The Kansas City Royals lost the ALDS to the New York Yankees in four games. While the Royals were the comeback team of the season, improving by 30 wins, it was a disappointing finish. They got poor performances from Bobby Witt Jr., Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen throughout the series. Those players are the most to blame for Kansas City’s season ending.

Vinnie Pasquantino was also poor at the plate but did not end up on this list. He missed the final six weeks of the season with a broken hand and came back just in time for the ALDS. The usual first baseman was the designated hitter and had just one hit, an RBI double in the final game.

The Royals have a bright future but the 2024 season is over. Who needs to improve their performance before their next playoff run?

The Royals need Bobby Witt Jr to become a postseason star

The Royals have a superstar on their hands with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. He might snag a Gold Glove this year and will finish second in AL MVP voting. That all came crashing down in the postseason against the Yankees. While the Wild Card Series was okay for Witt, the Division Series was not. He went 2-17 with five strikeouts this season.

The silver lining is that Witt was coming alive at the end of Game 4. He stroked a single in the sixth inning and scored on a Pasquantino double to finally get the Royals on the board. He was also the only player to hit against the Orioles, with two of the team’s three RBIs in the two-game set.

There is very little reason to be concerned about Witt, as he was the best contact hitter in the American League this year. He has the opportunity to pile up batting titles and MVP awards throughout his career and he will remain in Kansas City for a long time. The Royals signed him to a $288 million contract that runs through at least 2030.

Michael Wacha had two poor starts

Because the Royals had to play in the Wild Card Series, their rotation was not set up perfectly in this series. The Yankees struggled against lefty starters all season but Cole Ragans only pitched once because of his start against the Orioles. That is not Michael Wacha’s fault, but it did mean he was the only guy who started twice. He needed to be better to get the ball to Ragans and he did not do it.

In two starts, the veteran threw 8.2 innings and allowed five runs and ten hits. The Royals have a great bullpen but he was not able to get them the ball with a lead in Game 4. He did do that in Game 1, but only because Gerrit Cole was not good either. He allowed a two-run homer to Gleyber Torres in Game 1 and let the Yankees get on the board before recording an out in Game 4.

Wacha is the perfect example to prove that the Royals were not ready to compete this season. They were one of the final four teams in the American League, which is an incredible accomplishment, but need a better rotation to succeed in the playoffs. If Wacha is on the Royals next season, it should be in a decreased role.

Michael Lorenzen blew Game 1 out of the bullpen

Overall, the Royals’ bullpen was solid in this series. Closer Kris Bubic was nearly flawless but let up the big homer to Giancarlo Stanton in Game 3. Angel Zerpa and Sam Long both struggled with control and Lucas Erceg allowed two runs in three appearances. But it was Michael Lorenzen who blew Game 1 and put this series in the Yankees’ hands.

Lorenzen came into the game after Long only got one out in the sixth inning. He allowed a hit to Austin Wells in that inning, which tied the game at five. He came back in the sixth inning, allowed Jazz Chisholm to get on base, and the game-winning single to Alex Verdugo. This was a winnable game for the Royals that Lorenzen blew in the final innings.

Bullpen pitching is one of the most important aspects of playoff baseball. While they were overall solid, the offense was not enough for anything but perfection from the bullpen. Lorenzen did not give them that in a very winnable Game 1.

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