The Royals snapped a six-game losing streak on Easter Sunday, beating the Tigers 4-3 in extra innings in the series finale. The win improved their overall record to 9-14 for the season.
It was a “gutty” win in every sense, something Royals fans didn’t see much in the Yankees series or the three previous games against the Tigers.
In the series finale Sunday, the Royals scratched out two runs in the second inning off reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, thanks to big hits from Vinnie Pasquantino and Drew Waters. After losing the lead in the bottom of the seventh, Mark Canha, fresh off the IL, came up with a big hit in the top of the eighth to drive in Bobby from second base and tie the game.
In extra innings, not only did Witt come up with a huge sacrifice fly to score Waters from third base, but Carlos Estevez pitched two innings and closed things out effectively in the 10th, even with the tying and winning runs on base.
For a team that needed to gain some momentum with a winnable homestand looming this week (against Colorado and Houston), today’s victory certainly accomplished that.
I didn’t do an edition of the “Three Stars” after the Yankees series (for various reasons, primarily because they got swept). However, with the Royals winning the final contest of their four-game set against the Tigers, I decided to bring the series back after a short hiatus.
Thus, let’s take a look at the three Royals players who stood out over the long weekend series in Detroit.
(Also, our Crown Talk podcast will be delayed a day, as we will record on Monday rather than Sunday evening. Look for this week’s episode to drop on Tuesday morning!)
First Star: Bobby Witt Jr. (5 H, 2 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB)
Bobby continues to carry this Royals offense this season, and the Tigers series was no different.
Witt collected a hit in each game against Detroit, extending his hit streak to 13 games. Even though Witt didn’t get a hit in extra innings, his sacrifice fly was an example of clutch situational hitting that has evaded the Royals this road trip.
For the season, Witt is slashing .307/.370/.477 with an .847 OPS. He has only two home runs, but he has collected nine RBI, scored 15 runs, and swiped six bases in 23 games this year. Royals Muse on Twitter noted on Saturday how awful the offense would be without Witt’s presence in the lineup.
What’s been impressive about Witt this year, especially on this road trip, is that he’s been more disciplined at the plate. His K% is only 13.8% this year, and his rolling K% via TJ Stats has demonstrated that he’s been in the upper echelon of the league in this category as of late (he currently ranks in the 86th percentile).
The power hasn’t come just yet for Witt in 2025. However, he’s doing everything else well. When the power does come, he’ll be an unstoppable force at the plate. Hopefully, that can help other guys in the lineup, Salvador Perez and Vinnie, especially, catch fire.
Second Star: Michael Wacha (5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
Wacha was nearly the “stopper” in the Yankees series as he went 5.2 innings in game two in the Bronx on Tuesday evening. He struck out four but gave up four hits and two walks, leading to three runs allowed (the Royals ended up losing 4-2).
His stuff was solid in that outing (101 TJStuff+). However, he struggled to generate chase, and his whiff rates and contact allowed were inconsistent, which can’t happen to a team as good as the Yankees.
Against the Tigers on Sunday, Wacha was much more efficient, and he did this with the added pressure of the Royals riding a six-game losing streak. The 33-year-old veteran only went 5.1 IP, but he struck out five and didn’t walk a single batter, a significant difference from his April 15th start against the Yankees.
Furthermore, based on his TJ Stats summary card, he had much more success in terms of generating chases, whiffs, and minimizing productive contact (xwOBA CON).
His chase rate was 13.2% better, his whiff rate was 2.9% better, and his xwOBA CON was 59 points lower in this April 20th outing. His stuff profiled slightly more effectively on Sunday, as not only was his 102 TJStuff+ better, but his four-seamer, changeup, and cutter also were 1-3 points higher against Detroit.
That’s the sign of a “seasoned” veteran pitcher.
Wacha doesn’t have the strikeout or whiff-inducing upside of Cole Ragans or Kris Bubic. However, he can take the ball in a big moment, play up his stuff, and help a team stay competitive and earn a win. Today was a prime example of why the Royals inked him to a multi-year extension this offseason.
Third Star: Maikel Garcia (4 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 1 K, 1 SB)
Garcia may not be hitting leadoff anymore for the Royals, but he’s demonstrating skills at the plate this year that demonstrate why the Royals tried him out in the spot the previous two seasons.
Against the Tigers, the 25-year-old collected four hits and five walks. What makes his five walks even more impressive is the fact that he only struck out once in the four-game set against Detroit. According to his BB-K% rolling chart data via TJ Stats, he has a -7.1% mark, which ranks him in the 75th percentile.
After being a bit below average in this category in his first 30 plate appearances, he has spiked up and has been actually over the 90th percentile in his last 20 plate appearances. This demonstrates that Garcia is seeing the ball better than ever and not getting cheated in at-bats. That approach is much needed for a lineup that has desperately needed discipline and production in the middle and bottom of the batting order.
What’s interesting about Garcia, as noted by Matthew Pouliot of Rotoworld on Bluesky, is that Garcia has performed much better in odd-numbered spots in the batting order compared to even-numbered ones.
What does this mean? Probably nothing. Nonetheless, if I’m Matt Quatraro, I’m having Garcia avoid the sixth and eighth spots in the batting order for the remainder of the season for superstition’s sake.
The Royals’ lineup needs all the help (and luck) it can get.
Graphic Credit: Kevin O’Brien and Jared Perkins/Crown Talk Podcast