The Royals would probably benefit from some attitude

They’re very even-keeled, but maybe too much

Everybody remembers the playing style of the World Series Royals teams from a decade ago. They terrorized the basepaths, played the best defense in the whole league, and their bullpen rendered the last third of the game a formality. They were relentless, and if the other team blinked, those Royals squads took advantage.

But there was another aspect to those Royals teams that I don’t know if people remember as much—they were feisty as hell! Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas were loud and brash. Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson exuded swagger. And Yordano Ventura was the dictionary definition of “fiery.” Others, like Billy Butler, Kelvin Herrera, Alcides Escobar, and Jonny Gomes (lol) had their pugnacious moments in the sun. And Ned Yost could be very ornery; let’s not forget him.

As a result, those teams got into it on more than one occasion. There was that whole Brett Lawrie incident in April 2015*. That same month, the Royals and White Sox had a little sparring match of sorts. And I rather fondly remember Moustakas’ reaction to Noah Syndergaard throwing the first pitch of his World Series start at Escobar’s head, which featured angry gum chewing, pointed head nodding, and crisp enunciation of some choice swear words.

*the Lawrie incident brings to mind one of my favorite satire pieces I’ve written, too, and is a weird time capsule for multiple reasons. Ah, 2015.

Now, there is certainly a fine line between a dangerous hothead and being a sort of baseball heel/instigator. Throwing baseballs at hitters’ heads is definitely the former, and a player is in the wrong every single time they do so. Furthermore, it’s easy to have some sort of swagger when, like the 2015 Royals, you are the reigning American League Champions and best team in the league; how good a team (or player) is significantly colors whether those sorts of actions are “spunky” or “unprofessional.”

Furthermore, the propensity for getting in bench clearing brawls or beefing with other players, teams, or fanbases doesn’t pay the bills, as it were. It is the humans on the team throwing, hitting, and fielding baseballs, and those actions are tied to athletic skill and talent—not the ability to talk shit to or about other players, or to fire off spicy Tweets.

But it is the human element that I wonder about nevertheless. Performance science and sports psychology incorporate a lot of elements that are notoriously difficult to measure. Environments are dynamic and can have huge impacts on our state of mind and well-being, even for people whose jobs do not depend on them defeating other players in a hugely competitive athletic contest with millions of dollars and lifelong fame on the line.

Contrary to the 2015 Royals, the 2025 Royals a decade later seem frankly much more mature. There are no true loose cannons on this team, and its best players and key organizational leaders are purposefully steady hands. Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Bobby Witt Jr. are consummate professionals, and Matt Quatraro keeps the team focused on maintaining a good routine and keeping in solid spirits during the marathon season.

At the same time, there are occasions when it is clear that the Royals really do lack anyone to carry on the “red ass” torch that the last great Royals team had in spades. Recently, Jazz Chisholm Jr. took issue with Maikel Garcia for tagging him in the head at third base. Considering how the Royals have been playing the Yankees over the last year, you would think that Jazz’s words would maybe prompt the team to do something about it. Garcia didn’t take the bait; his response has consistently been more or less a sort of “lol, whatever” that does deeply amuse me and probably even more infuriates Chisholm.

Now, again, I am not asking for Royals hitters to start beaning people. I do, however, simply think that the team could use some attitude. You can be a respectful and well-liked player and still exhibit a killer instinct on the field—just look at Patrick Mahomes across the street, a competitive psycho who takes any slight personally and uses it as fuel to destroy the opposition.

Attitude is not going to fix bad swings or magically conjure talent out of nowhere or heal pitchers’ arms, but it could help loosen up the team. The Royals are not a loose team right now on the field. They are pressing, and they are making uncharacteristic mistakes to make something out of every single opportunity.

So, like, the next time an opposing player gets in a Kansas City player’s grill for something, maybe escalate the interaction a little bit. Maybe the next time a Royals batter gets a big hit, rub it in the opponent’s face a little. Maybe Q should seek out an opportunity to get tossed and make a whole show of it in front of the players and the home crowd.

Simply put, it feels like the Royals are too nice on the field right now. An even-keeled nature is part of their identity; I get that. Still—there’s some psychological warfare that every sports team participates in willingly or not. It might benefit the Royals to go on the offensive.