Kansas City Royals Dynasty Hopes Have a Setback

Coming off two consecutive World Series appearances, the Kansas City Royals had their highest payroll in franchise history as they looked to become a dynasty. Instead, due to injuries and ineffectiveness, the Royals took a step back in 2016.

After almost three decades of misery, the Kansas City Royals were back amongst baseball’s royalty. A woeful franchise with only a single winning record from 1994 through 2012, they became relevant once again in 2013. After missing out on the playoffs that year, the Royals won the Wild Card in 2014, then swept through the American League to the World Series, before falling to Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in seven games.

Expected to fall back to the middle of the pack in 2015, the Royals instead played with a chip on their shoulder. Literally fighting all comers, they had the best record in the American League, and took care of unfinished business, winning the 2015 World Series in five games. That success prompted the Royals to open the vaults in an unprecedented, for them, spending frenzy.

While the Royals sought to become the American League’s dynastic franchise of the 2010’s, injuries and ineffectiveness conspired to thwart their plans. Instead, they finished at exactly .500, ending their season with four consecutive losses to miss out on the postseason once again.

So what happened to end the Kansas City Royals string of success? Let us take a look back at the 2016 campaign.