The Royals fell short of the postseason this season, even though they finished with an 82-80 record, their second winning season since the 2015 World Series. While a season over .500 is something to be proud of, especially considering the pitching injuries they dealt with, it seems like the Royals are aiming to return to the playoffs in 2026.
For most Royals fans, the attention shifts solely to the Chiefs and the NFL when the regular season concludes and the Royals aren’t in the postseason. However, for those who are passionate about baseball, the postseason is an excellent time for electrifying and competitive baseball, even if Kansas City isn’t involved.
In this post, I will write about six players —three hitters and three pitchers —who are former Royals and are participating in this year’s postseason, specifically the Wild Card round. Some of the names were just recently in the Royals organization a year ago. For some, it’s been a few years.
Nonetheless, here are six names that Royals fans should pay attention to during the Wild Card games this week, as they could have a significant impact on their current clubs. I will be using data and player profile cards from TJ Stats to illustrate the effect of these former Royals players on their teams this season.
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Nate Eaton, Red Sox
Eaton was in the Royals as recently as a year ago, as he helped the Omaha Storm Chasers win an International League title. The utility player had a solid debut season with the Royals in 2022, slashing .264/.331/.387 with a .717 OPS, a home run, and 11 stolen bases in 44 games and 122 plate appearances. He also posted a 100 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR, according to Fangraphs.
The former VMI product made the Royals’ Opening Day roster in 2023, but he struggled mightily in his sophomore season.
In 28 games and 56 plate appearances, he slashed .075/.125/.075 with a 37.5% strikeout rate and 0.10 K/BB ratio. His -52 wRC+ was comically bad, and his -0.9 fWAR wasn’t much better, either. Thus, Eaton was sent down to Omaha and didn’t return in 2023 or 2024 (he was removed from the 40-man roster last season but was able to stay with the Royals).
Eaton primarily played in Triple-A Worcester this year, but he was able to play in 41 games with the Red Sox due to various injuries. The former Royals utility player made the most of his opportunities with Boston, slashing .296/.348/.383 with a .731 OPS and 102 wRC+ in 90 plate appearances. Basically, he’s doing what he did in 2022 with the Royals, but this time on a playoff team.
With Jarren Duran and his recent struggles against left-handed pitchers, it will be interesting to see if Eaton will get an opportunity against Yankees Game 1 starter Max Fried and New York’s cadre of left-handed relievers (including former Royals reliever Tim Hill). At the very least, Eaton is a valuable weapon off the bench who can provide not only hitting and defense but also solid base-running ability (he has nine stolen bases on 11 attempts this year).
Freddy Fermin, Padres
Since being traded to San Diego for Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek, Fermin has become the Padres’ primary catcher since August. In 42 games and 139 plate appearances with the Padres, he is slashing .244/.278/.339 with a .617 OPS and 75 wRC+. He also has two home runs and 14 RBI with the Padres.
The numbers are slightly down from what he did previously in Kansas City (he had a .648 OPS and 79 wRC+ in 208 plate appearances with the Royals). However, Fermin has provided solid defense behind the plate for the San Diego Padres, much-needed considering their catching woes over the past couple of seasons.
He has had some clutch moments as well, including this game-winning single against the Brewers that clinched the Padres ‘ playoff spot on September 23rd.
Fermin didn’t get much run in the postseason last year with the Royals. Nonetheless, his experience winning in Baltimore in the Wild Card round last year will undoubtedly help this Padres group, which needs to win a series on the road at Wrigley Field against the Cubs to advance to the NLDS.
Ryan O’Hearn, Padres
After 2.5 seasons in Baltimore, O’Hearn made his way to San Diego at the Trade Deadline. So far, his numbers have been okay, but not as great as his first-half All-Star numbers with the Orioles.
In 50 games and 183 plate appearances with the Padres, the 32-year-old first baseman is slashing .276/.350/.387 with four home runs, 20 RBI, a .736 OPS, and a 112 wRC+. The power numbers have been down in San Diego, as his OPS is 101 points and ISO is 70 points lower than what he had in Baltimore this season. Furthermore, his 25.1% strikeout rate with the Padres is 7.6% higher than his mark with the Orioles earlier this season.
That said, O’Hearn still launches the ball well, as his 39.8% Sweet-Spot percentage ranks in the 84th percentile and his .354 xwOBA ranks in the 74th percentile as well, according to Statcast data. Therefore, the power potential is there for O’Hearn to have a big series in the Wild Card round.
Interestingly enough, Wrigley Field profiles less friendly on the HR factor end (99) than Petco Field (102), according to Savant. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how O’Hearn fares at the plate in this big Wild Card series against the Cubs.
Brady Singer, Reds
Singer pitched in the Reds’ season finale, as he went 3.1 innings with three runs allowed on five hits and one walk while striking out five. Thus, he may not get the ball until Game 3 of the series against the Dodgers, if the Reds can push it that far.
Nonetheless, the former Royals first-round pick has been a solid performer in Cincinnati this season after coming over in the offseason in the Jonathan India trade.
In 169.2 IP, he has a 4.03 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.98 FIP, and 14.4% K-BB%. The TJ Stuff+ has been slightly below average this year, as evidenced by his 96 overall mark. However, he has done a good job of incorporating his four-seamer more this year (10.5%) and switching his changeup with a cutter that he throws 9.7% of the time. According to TJ Stats, he is generating a 25% whiff rate on the cutter.
Singer has had minor issues with the longball this season, a problem he had at times in Kansas City. He gave up an HR/9 of 1.01 and also allowed a HR/FB rate of 10%. Nonetheless, the former Royals starter did a good job of working quickly on the mound with the Reds, and flooding the strike zone, as evidenced by his 49.8% zone rate.
Singer may not be the starter who can go five or six in a key elimination game in a Wild Card series. However, he’s the kind of arm that can give Cincinnati 2-3 solid innings in a key spot in game two or three (whether as a starter or reliever), which may be enough to get them to the NLDS.
Luke Weaver, Yankees
Three years ago, Weaver was putting up mediocre numbers with the Royals as a hybrid starter/reliever. A year ago, Weaver was shutting down the Royals in the ALDS as a closer/fireman for the Yankees.
How things can change quickly in Major League Baseball.
This season hasn’t been as kind to Weaver. After posting a 2.89 ERA and four saves in 62 games and 84 innings of work in 2024, he posted a 3.62 ERA in 64 games and 64.2 IP. The strikeouts have still been there for Weaver, as he sports a 27.5% K rate and 19.8% K-BB%, according to TJ Stats. However, the long ball has hurt him much more, as illustrated by 1.39 HR/9, which is 32 points higher than a year ago.
The Yankees’ bullpen is a lot more flush with talent this season than a year ago.
Devin Williams and David Bednar should earn closing and high-leverage opportunities in the Wild Card series against Boston. That said, a solid performance by Weaver against the Red Sox should not only help New York against their hated rivals but also help boost his stock in free agency this winter (he appears to be open to starting again).
There will be less pressure on Weaver this postseason compared to a year ago. That could be a good thing for Weaver this postseason, as the lower-leverage situations could help his eye-popping stuff (105 TJ Stuff+ overall) play even better.
Brad Keller, Cubs
Keller may be the most surprising success story of this group.
After he left Kansas City in 2023 and flamed out with the White Sox and Red Sox in 2024 (5.44 ERA in 41.1 IP with those two teams), it seemed like Keller’s career was left for dead. I was surprised that he earned a Minor League deal with the Cubs, let alone any MLB team. I figured he was due to be a star in Korea or Japan, not in the States.
The Cubs’ pitching development team, however, has helped turn Keller into one of the better setup men in the league.
In 69.2 IP, Keller posted a 2.07 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, and 19.2% K-BB%. His arsenal pitch quality has been stellar, as demonstrated by his 102 overall TJ Stuff+ mark. Furthermore, he has generated a 30.4% chase rate, 26.9% whiff rate, and .307 xwOBACON with the Cubs, all excellent metrics.
The zone has been somewhat inconsistent, as indicated by a 48.3% mark, which is slightly below average. That said, the improvement on his stuff has helped him induce more chase, which has helped nullify the subar zone rate.
When his command is clicking, though, Keller can be flat-out dominant. That was the case back on September 12th, when he struck out Tampa Bay slugger Yandy Diaz looking on three straight fastballs on the edges of the strike zone.
The Cubs’ bullpen lacks an elite closer and may be the weak spot of this team as they enter a tough series against the Padres (who have an excellent bullpen). For the Cubs to win and move on to the NLDS, they will need a solid performance from Keller in the later innings, especially in high-leverage spots.
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