Something has changed with the Kansas City Royals.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly when the switch flipped, but after a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City has now won four straight and eight of its last 10 to improve to 16-19.
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The record does not say that they are a contender again, but the way this group has played lately looks nothing like the team that stumbled through April.
Kansas City entered the 2026 season expecting to compete for a playoff spot, and the first few weeks were a reminder that those expectations do not win games.
The recent stretch has changed the conversation around this team though, and manager Matt Quatraro could feel it after Monday’s win.
“I think overall, we’ve talked about the energy is good, the guys feel confident,” Quatraro said. “And I think it’s starting to build. Obviously there’s going to be tough days at times, but these guys believe in themselves. And I think that’s (why) we’re seeing a better brand of baseball.”
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The Bats and Arms Showed Up
Monday night had a little bit of everything.
Michael Wacha needed just 79 pitches to work through seven innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs while striking out three.
David Fry tagged him for a two-run homer in the second, and it felt like another rough night could be on the way. Wacha had other plans.
He retired 16 of his next 17 batters and never gave Cleveland another chance.
The offense woke up in the fourth with a four-run frame that blew the game open.
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Bobby Witt Jr. got things started with his fourth homer of the year, and Nick Loftin came through with a two-run single with two outs to push the lead to 4-2. Jac Caglianone tacked on a solo shot in the sixth.
Five different Royals drove in a run.
Confidence Is Building
The early struggles are no secret.
Pitching inconsistency and a few painful losses buried Kansas City through much of April, and it was fair to wonder whether this roster had enough to turn things around.
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Over the past two weeks the Royals have answered that question, with Wacha and Seth Lugo settling in as steady arms at the top of the rotation while the lineup has grown more patient and dangerous.
Witt has been at the center of it, hitting .302 with three homers and eight RBIs across his last 15 games.
Vinnie Pasquantino has started to heat up too, going 7-for-18 in four games this month after a quiet April.
When those two are swinging well alongside Salvador Perez and Caglianone, the Royals have a lineup that nobody wants to face.
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Kansas City still sits fourth in the American League Central with ground to make up, but the recent play looks like a team that finally knows who it is.
If what Quatraro is seeing in that clubhouse keeps showing up between the lines, the rest of the division will need to pay attention.
