The Kansas City Royals entered 2026 with a core that had produced two straight winning seasons. Led by Bobby Witt Jr., they expected to contend for the AL Central again. Instead, Kansas City finished 69-93 and landed in last place.
The Milwaukee Brewers are showing how much difference the rest of a roster can make. On Saturday, they erased a four-run deficit against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the World Series. Sal Frelick tied the game with a home run, and rookie Cooper Pratt delivered the go-ahead single in a 5-4 win. Milwaukee took a 2-0 series lead before Game 3 on Monday, which turned into a blowout in the middle innings.
Frelick and Pratt help illustrate Milwaukee's lineup depth. Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Brice Turang provide star-level production nearer the top, along with the career resurgence of Jake Bauers, but the Brewers have received important October contributions farther down the order, too. Then, their pitching took those leads and never looked back.
Milwaukee went 103-59, the best record in baseball, while scoring 832 runs and posting a 3.51 team ERA. Both marks ranked second in the Majors. Jacob Misiorowski led MLB with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, giving the Brewers a true ace.
MLB Pipeline recently detailed how Milwaukee drafted Turang, Frelick, Misiorowski and Aaron Ashby, signed Chourio internationally and acquired Contreras and Robert Gasser in trades. The Brewers reached the World Series with a lineup and staff assembled through several years of sound decisions.
Kansas City had the opposite experience in 2026. The Royals scored 690 runs, 22nd in baseball, despite finishing tied for second in the AL in batting average. Their rotation posted a 4.58 ERA, while the bullpen finished at 5.07, 29th in MLB. Injuries were a factor, especially with Cole Ragans limited to eight starts and closer Carlos Estévez missing almost the entire year. That said, the results still exposed how quickly the club ran out of answers beyond its established players.
The payroll comparison makes this a wakeup call for Kansas City. Spotrac lists the Brewers' 2026 payroll at $146.2 million, 19th in baseball, and the Royals at $150.4 million, 18th. Milwaukee built a 103-win team while spending slightly less by that measure. Detroit spent a division-high $202.1 million and finished 76-86.
The AL Central has its own examples of teams making lower payrolls work. MLB Pipeline found that Cleveland's postseason roster produced more homegrown value than Milwaukee's. Spotrac placed the Guardians last in payroll at $74.5 million, while Chicago won 84 games with a $103.3 million payroll. Kansas City spent more than either club and finished last.
The Royals can reasonably expect more from Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia in 2027, while young players Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone give them more to build around. They also need another middle-of-the-order outfield bat and more pitching depth. Milwaukee's World Series run shows what a complete roster can do when the contributions extend beyond its stars.