The Kansas City Royals were one of the biggest stories during the 2024 Major League Baseball season. Led by superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., all-star catcher Salvador Perez and one of the American League’s best starting pitching rotations, the Royals responded to a 56-106 2023 campaign with an 86-76 record and the franchise’s first playoff appearance since winning the 2015 World Series.
Witt, who finished second in the AL MVP balloting, led the league with a .332 batting average, hit 32 home runs and stole 31 bases. Perez hit 27 homers and drove in 104 runs last season, the most he hit since leading the AL in both during the 2021 season. Seth Lugo was a longtime reliever for the New York Mets, but in 2024 he won 16 games as a starter for Kansas City and finished second in the AL Cy Young voting, and Cole Ragans, whom the Royals acquired in 2023 from the Texas Rangers for Aroldis Chapman, struck out 223 batters and led the league averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
KC’s 2024 turnaround wasn’t just remarkable. The Royals became the seventh team in baseball’s Modern Era to win 30 or more games than they did in the previous season.
MLB’s Biggest Single-Season Turnarounds In Wins
Rank | Team | Year 1 | Year 2 | Win Differential |
1 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 1998 (65-97) | 1999 (100-62) | 35 wins |
2 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1961 (47-107) | 1962 (81-80) | 34 wins |
3 | Baltimore Orioles | 1988 (54-107) | 1989 (87-75) | 33 wins |
T-4 | Baltimore Orioles | 2021 (52-110) | 2022 (83-79) | 31 wins |
T-4 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2007 (66-96) | 2008 (97-65) | 31 wins |
T-4 | San Francisco Giants | 1992 (72-90) | 1993 (103-59) | 31 wins |
7 | Kansas City Royals | 2023 (56-106) | 2024 (86-76) | 30 wins |
T-8 | Oakland Athletics | 1979 (54-108) | 1980 (83-79) | 29 wins |
T-8 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2010 (65-97) | 2011 (94-68) | 29 wins |
T-8 | Detroit Tigers | 2003 (43-119) | 2004 (72-90) | 29 wins |
T-8 | Atlanta Braves | 1990 (65-97) | 1991 (94-68) | 29 wins |
T-8 | Oakland Athletics | 1979 (54-108) | 1980 (83-79 | 29 wins |
The good news for the Royals is there’s still room for improvement, and that could be good news for bettors, too. Oddsmakers are not entirely convinced Kansas City will do better in 2025 than its 86 wins from last year. DraftKings set the team’s season win total at 82.5. At -110 odds, if the Royals win 83 games or more, those who bet the over will get $21 on an $11 wager – that’s a $10 profit on top of the $11 stake.
FanDuel gives the Royals odds of +320 to win the AL Central. That means a $10 winning bet would return $42 ($32 profit). Those are the fourth-longest odds, but the top four teams are tightly packed. The Minnesota Twins are the favorites at +210, followed by the Detroit Tigers at +240 and the Cleveland Guardians at +270.
As far as the World Series goes, the Royals are in the middle of the pack at BetMGM with odds of +4000. For perspective, on Opening Day 2024, the Royals had odds of +15000 to win it. Of course, these are national odds as Missouri sportsbook apps are yet to be legalized.
MLB Turnaround Candidates For 2025
While the Royals probably aren’t staging another 30-win improvement in 2025 – if they did, they would tie the 2001 Seattle Mariners and 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most wins ever at 116 – there are a few teams that might be capable of pulling off a big turnaround this season.
Another 30-win one might be too daunting, but a 20-game isn’t out of the question. In 2023, the Texas Rangers used a 22-game turnaround to win the World Series. The Cincinnati Reds were 20 games better than their 62-100 campaign in 2022 and stayed in playoff contention until the final weekend of the season.
So, who could be the turnaround team in 2025? We have three candidates with their current season win total odds from ESPN Bet. (For perspective, Kansas City’s 2024 win total was set at 73.5 before the season.)
Toronto Blue Jays: After four straight years of above-.500 ball and three postseason berths in that time, the Blue Jays posted a disappointing 74-88 record in 2023, a drop of 15 wins from 2022. The team’s front office believes the core, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is still good enough to contend. 2025 Total wins projection: 76.5.
Athletics: They’re not in Oakland, but they’re not yet in Las Vegas. The team will play in Sacramento in 2025, although they will just go by their nickname for now. After a 69-93 season in 2024, the Athletics will have the relocation drama behind them. Could that translate into a better on-field product? 2025 Total wins projection: 70.5.
Chicago White Sox: Last season, Chicago’s South Side team set a Modern Era record with 121 losses. They’re still expected to be bad this year, but just not historically bad. A 20-win improvement would give them a 61-101 record and somehow be considered a success. 2025 Total wins projection: 50.5.
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Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
