Playoffs!?!

Did you read that title in Jim Mora's voice?

I’ll try to make this short and sweet, which isn’t my strong suit, but I think I might actually be too hyped to sit at the keyboard for very long. Why? Because the Royals are going to the playoffs!

I can’t believe I just typed that last sentence. Talk about an improbable turn of events. The Royals lost 106 games last season, and despite the fact that they featured Bobby Witt Jr. emerging as a superstar and the always lovable Salvador Perez, the 2023 Royals seemed intent on pummeling the souls of even their most diehard fans.

Then a weird thing happened. Instead of pinching pennies and selling the idea of a pipe-dream rebuild that may or may not pay off sometime in the distant future, the Royals actually spent money last offseason and added players to help them compete. Owner John Sherman, who was portrayed as a greedy villain who cared only about securing a new stadium before an April vote that ultimately proved unsuccessful, deserves a lot of credit for that. Even if you take the cynical approach that he only spent the money in an attempt to influence the vote, it worked out for us fans, regardless of how we feel about the stadium.

The last decade has been rough for KC fans (three 100-loss seasons, and not a hint of relevancy after the last championship core broke up following the 2017 season), so this season was badly needed. Much like the 2013 season, this year refilled my baseball tank and reminded me why I love this game so much, and why I stick with it through all those lean years.

The 2013 Royals ultimately fell short of the postseason, although they more than made up for that over the next two seasons. The 2024 Royals got there, and time will tell what they’ll do with the opportunity or what will come next. As Salvy said during last night’s celebration — I’m paraphrasing here — now that these guys have gotten a taste of it, they’re going to be playing for the playoffs every year. I really hope that is the case, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s enjoy the ride.

The Royals didn’t clinch in storybook fashion. This last month has been rough. Vinnie Pasquantino was lost for the season on a fluke play in Houston, robbing the team of one of its three big offensive guns, and costing them a chance of having three 100-RBI hitters this season. The offense cratered without him, and I don’t think it’s out of line to suggest Kansas City limped to the finish line. Most playoff teams don’t have two seven-game losing streaks in the last month of the season.

To use the word “disappointment” in relation to the 2024 Royals in any way feels ridiculous. This team is going to end up with around thirty more wins than a year ago, which is an almost unheard-of improvement. But to be so good and consistent all season, to have a shot at the division and a playoff spot seemingly sewn up with under twenty games to go, it would have definitely tarnished this magnificent season if they collapsed and failed to qualify for October.

Fortunately, that is no longer on the table. They certainly made it more interesting than it needed to be, and they’ve probably cost themselves the five-seed to the red-hot Tigers, meaning they’re likely going to Houston for the Wild Card round, but the Royals are in the field, which is all that matters.

Now comes the fun part. The playoffs are a crapshoot, especially with the current format. Two teams, the Rangers and Diamondbacks, who lost 100 games two years earlier, made the World Series last season. The Royals have a chance to do them one better. They are only the third team in MLB history to make the playoffs the year after losing 100 games (along with the 2017 Twins and 2020 Marlins, although Miami did it in the shortened Covid season), and I’d argue they’re better positioned to make some noise than either of their predecessors.

Who knows how it will play out? Kansas City will be an underdog, no matter who they play, but in a short series, with their exceptional starting pitching (thanks to clinching on Friday, they can set up Lugo-Ragans-Wacha for the WC series) and a suddenly resurgent bullpen, the Royals are capable of beating anyone.

Of course, it would be nice if the offense woke up. We saw some signs of life in Washington, but as confident as I am in the rotation, shutting out the Astros in at least two games is a lot to ask. Rumors are circulating that Vinnie might be back sooner than expected, though probably only in a pinch-hitting role, and while I’d love to see that, I don’t think you can bank on it.

My hope is that the bats have been pressing over the last few weeks, overswinging as they felt the pressure to lock up a playoff spot and avoid the choke-job. It certainly felt that way. Now that they’re in, they can play with house money. No one is expecting the Royals to do much, which makes them dangerous. I’m excited to see Bobby Witt Jr. show the rest of the country why he’s so special, and I would love to see Salvy solidify his HOF case with another big October. But mostly, I want to see the rest of the lineup relax and get back to the timely, situational hitting that has defined most of this season.

We’ll see how far it takes them. At this point, no matter what they do, we’re already in cherry on top of the sundae territory. I’ll get greedy next year. But if they wanted to win the Wild Card series and come home for the ALDS so I can figure out a way to get tickets and attend my first playoff game, I wouldn’t complain.

Go Royals.

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Thanks for reading Powder Blue Nostalgia. I’m still effectively on hiatus, but I couldn’t resist popping back in to celebrate the Royals’ achievement. I’m almost finished with the other project I’ve been working on, so I hope to be back writing about baseball history soon, though I may wait until the Royals’ postseason run is over before I even try. I want to sit back and enjoy it, and with that in mind, hopefully you won’t hear from me for at least another month. We’ll see. In the meantime, if you’re a Royals fan, drop your thoughts on this team in the comments. And whether you’re a Royals fan or not, feel free to share your postseason predictions.