What happened: Kansas City entered 2026 expecting contention and fell out early behind blown leads and cold lineups. Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen emerged, Michael Wacha held as a veteran stabilizer, Noah Cameron rebounded and Bobby Witt Jr. delivered another sensational season.
Why it matters: The collapse removed Kansas City from the playoff race and pushed the club toward selling at the deadline instead of buying. Thin upper-minors depth left no
By the numbers: Bullpen went from 4.1 fWAR to minus-3.2, a seven-win swing toward a 76-win pace. Club ranked bottom third in runs scored and runs allowed. Randy Dobnak posted 5.9 K/9 and ranked third among pitchers in bWAR. Salvador Perez hit four homers in seven games, with the record breaker tying the game late.
What to watch: Watch for bullpen additions, rotation depth behind Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic and Ryan Bergert, and an on-base bat to set the table.