After a tough 4-0 loss on Wednesday night, the Royals returned to the K on Thursday afternoon and won 3-2 against Minnesota. The victory helped Kansas City clinch a 3-1 series over the Twins and a 5-2 homestand (which included a 2-1 series win over the Orioles).
The Royals’ record is 7-6, which puts them 0.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central race. They have a tough looming road trip, with games against the Guardians, Yankees, and Tigers all coming up over the next week. It could be a momentum-building road trip, as a winning record over the 10-game span could help them climb up to the top of the Central by Easter.
That said, while most Royals fans are looking toward this first significant road trip of the season, we shouldn’t overlook the “Three Star” award winners from this most recent series victory over the Twins, who have had their number over the Royals in recent years.
The “Three Star” awards are presented by the Crown Talk podcast, a weekly Royals-based podcast hosted by Jared Perkins and me. You can find, listen to, and subscribe to the Crown Talk podcast and the latest episode in the embedded YouTube video below.
Thus, let’s look at the three Royals players who stood out significantly in the four-game span against Minnesota.
First Star: Kyle Isbel (4 H, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K)
Isbel got off to a slow start to the season, but he seemed to look locked in against the Twins. He produced four hits in three starts and hit his first home run of the season, an absolute moonshot off Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson.
Isbel’s big game came in the Royals’ first game against Woods Richardson. He collected three of his four hits in that contest. The Royals’ centerfielder also seemed to be in the Twins pitcher’s head, as Woods Richardson seemed to be talking a bit of trash to Isbel after Isbel bunted for a hit earlier in the game.
Isbel responded to Woods-Richardson’s chatter by launching a missile on the first pitch. Jomboy broke it all down in this video below.
Isbel cooled off in his next two games against the Twins, only collecting one hit. Furthermore, he sat out in Thursday’s series finale, which allowed Drew Waters to make his 2025 debut in his place (Waters played centerfield).
However, Isbel is still hitting .267 with a .667 OPS in 30 at-bats this season. Furthermore, he showed his single-game potential with his bat when he’s locked in. That promise is encouraging to see from a No. 9 hitter in the batting order.
Second Star: Cole Ragans (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)
After a “good, but not great” Opening Day performance, Ragans has looked like a Cy Young candidate with each start. His latest start was his best yet of the season.
Ragans allowed only one run on four hits and zero walks in six innings. He also struck out 11 batters, including seven in the first three innings. The Kansas City ace made the Twins’ lineup look lost and silly all evening on Tuesday.
Ragans didn’t get the win as the Royals’ lineup couldn’t muster enough run support when he was still on the mound. That said, his quality start performance kept the Royals in the game, and they eventually won 2-1 despite being out-hit 7-3.
On a TJ Stats end, the lefty’s pitch movement profile was immaculate, with high tjStuff+ marks and intense chase and whiff rates.
Some baseball analysts have questioned Ragans’ outlook for 2025, especially after he struggled to generate strikeouts against the Guardians on Opening Day (he only had three). However, in 16 IP, he has a 2.81 ERA, 1.76 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts to only four walks.
Yeah, I think Ragans will be more than okay this season.
Third Star: Bobby Witt Jr. (4 H, 3 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB)
The Royals’ offense struggled in this series, especially in games two through four. They only mustered five runs in the last three games against Minnesota and got shut out on Wednesday (a game I was unfortunately in attendance for).
Thankfully, Witt was one Royals hitter who continued to produce and carry this lineup.
The 2024 AL MVP finalist collected four hits, including three doubles, scored two runs, had four RBI, and a stolen base. He only struck out once and walked twice, thus showing his mature plate discipline and approach. That was much-needed in this series, especially with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez overswinging in this homestand and being bit by bad batted-ball luck.
Thankfully, the Royals’ franchise player didn’t seem rattled in this four-game series.
He pressured the Twins with his baserunning and hustle even when he wasn’t producing base hits. That was evident in a routine groundball that Twins reliever Griffin Jax flubbed, resulting in Witt making it to third base (he ended up scoring the winning run).
Witt is a special player (which Royals fans know well), and he essentially carried the lineup against the Twins to help the Royals avoid a letdown series after beating the Orioles last weekend.
The Royals must hold their head above water against Cleveland, New York, and Detroit to keep pace in the Central. To do that, Witt will not only need to continue this strong start to the season (he’s hitting .280 with an .811 OPS), but the Royals will need Vinnie and Salvy to bounce back after a disappointing homestand.
Graphic Credit: Kevin O’Brien and Jared Perkins/Crown Talk Podcast
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