The Royals had their moments this year; they were in first place in the AL Central most of April. Then, like the 2021 Cubs, they faded into the lower reaches of their division.
With more on the Royals, here’s Max Rieper, manager of our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review:
The Royals have simply been a confounding team this year, looking like a legit playoff contender in April, only for them to go into freefall in May and June. They have righted the ship lately, playing over .500 since the All-Star break, and their better play seems to stem from better starting pitching.