The Detroit Tigers legitimately enter October as the most exciting team in the postseason field this year.
Detroit went from less than a one percent chance in the playoffs to clinching a wildcard spot in less than two months. The club also ended a nine-year postseason drought, tied with the Los Angeles Angels for longest in the majors.
Set to visit either the Baltimore Orioles or the Houston Astros in the best-of-three wild-card, the Tigers will be an easy team to root for when they prowl to their first American League pennant in 12 years and their first world championship. 40.
But Detroit’s incredible surge casts a darker shadow over the most underappreciated team in this year’s playoffs, the Kansas City Royals.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has fittingly garnered a lot of attention amid an MVP-caliber campaign, but he and his teammates have quietly authored one of the best turnarounds in baseball history.
A year after being a franchise-worst-tying 56-106, Kansas City has matched 85 wins entering the final week of the regular-season. The Royals will visit either Houston or Baltimore in the wild card round.
Kansas City’s 29-win increase (or 30, pending Sunday’s results) from last year to this season is the largest in the majors. It was also the largest in franchise history in a full season, surpassing the 20-win streak from 1970 to 1971.
Still not impressed?
MLB Research lists the Royals as only the second team to reach the playoffs in a full season after a campaign with at least 100 losses.
Of course, Witt has accelerated the team’s turnaround, but so many other contributors have produced solid seasons that it’s surprising to note.
Salvador Perez, one holdover from Kansas City’s World Series team in 2015, has clubbed 27 home runs with 104 RBIs while putting a pure mitt to use at catcher and first base.
Vinnie Pasquantino racked up 97 RBIs in 131 games before the broken toe he suffered on August 29 sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. The slugging first baseman could return if the Royals make a deep playoff run.
Meanwhile, a pair of veteran starting pitchers have looked youthful with Kansas City after signing with the club last December.
Long reliever Seth Lugo, 34, has posted the majors’ 10th-best starting ERA (3.00) while throwing a career-high 206 2/3 innings in just his third season as a starter. Fellow right-hander Michael Wacha, 33, has logged 166 2/3 frames—the second-most in his 12-year career—while pitching to a 3.35 ERA.
As for the younger arm, lefty Cole Ragans has cemented himself as a young star during his age-26 season, posting a 3.14 ERA in 186 1/3 innings.
And manager Matt Quatraro also deserves a shoutout.
The 50-year-old has guided the Royals to the top in just his second season as captain, keeping the club steadfast in its “Today” mantra that preaches focusing on the present rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
It’s OK if you haven’t locked in Kansas City’s turnaround this year. The Royals’ impressive campaign has largely been overshadowed by another slew of storylines in the AL Central, especially in recent weeks.
Detroit’s scintillating run has coincided with Minnesota’s stunning collapse. The Twins went from having a 95.8 percent shot in the postseason on September 2 to drop completely out of the race there.
Minnesota’s 12-26 record since August 17 is still 1 1/2 games more than the Chicago White Sox, who perhaps have the most attention among teams in baseball amid a record-setting 121-loss campaign.
And then there are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rebounded from last year’s third-place finish to capture the AL Central title and the No. 2 playoff seed in manager Stephen Vogt’s first year.
Well, that’s a lot for one division. I don’t blame you for ignoring Kansas City’s sudden success.
Look, I can’t judge the fandom this October, and I won’t push you to root for a certain team if you still want to. But at the very least, I beg you to appreciate how the Royals’ season went while it lasted.
