KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals 2023 campaign certainly had highlights, including a breakout season from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
But the team’s 56-106 record left it in last place in the American League Central division, barely even scratching contention at any point in the season.
On Tuesday, general manager J.J. Picollo and manager Matt Quatraro met with reporters to wrap up 2023 and look toward a more hopeful 2024.
While the team hopes their record will be different, the make-up of the coaching staff will be largely the same.
“We had a lot of people that were in positions for the first time this year,” Picollo said. “There was a lot of learning that was going on amongst our staff. I think (Quatraro) did an outstanding job of steadying the ship the entire year.”
One area the team will need to improve upon is pitching. The Royals 2023 pitching staff allowed 859 runs, with only two teams — the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies — allowing more.
“I think our pitching processes have moved forward the way we expected them, but we do expect better results in time,” Picollo said.
Quatraro, who completed his first season as the club’s manager, said the year offered lots of learning opportunities.
“There’s a lot of things away from the X’s and O’s on the field — I think that’s what I will take away the most from this year,” Quatraro said.
Watch the entire press conference in the video player above.
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