Getty
JJ Picollo is hoping for manager Matt Quatraro to continue his good tenure.
The Kansas City Royals have announced this afternoon that they’ve signed manager Matt Quatraro to a three-year extension, per the team’s social media page.
We have agreed to a three-year contract extension with Manager Matt Quatraro!
The extension will begin in 2027, with a club option for the 2030 season.
The extension will begin in 2027, as Quatraro was originally signed through 2026. The deal includes a club option for the 2030 season.Â
Quatraro, 52, has managed the Royals for the last three seasons. In those three seasons, the Royals have gone 224-262, good for a .461 winning percentage.
After Mike Matheny led the Royals to a 65-97 record in the 2022 season, finishing last in the AL Central, Quatraro took over the team.
In 2023, it was much of the same for the Royals in Quatraro’s first season. The Royals went 56-106 that year, once again finishing last in their division.
Quatraro Earning His Extension With the Kansas City Royals
After a 106-loss season, the Royals went 86-76 in 2024, finishing second in the division. In the postseason, the Royals would best the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card Series, ultimately losing to the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series.
That 2024 season saw Bobby Witt Jr. establish himself as an elite player in the sport, with his second 30-30 season and a 9.4 bWAR. During that year, Â a few breakouts of starting pitchers occurred, including Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and the comeback of Michael Wacha.
Quatraro was the runner-up that year in the American League Manager of the Year voting, ultimately losing to Cleveland Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt.
In 2025, the Royals went 82-80, finishing third in the division, ultimately missing the playoffs. While Witt Jr. took a minor step back, this year also saw the breakouts of third baseman Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino.
The pitching staff also took a minor step back, but enjoyed breakouts from Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic.
The last two seasons have been Kansas City’s first consecutive winning seasons since 2013-15. The Royals would go on to win the 2015 World Series.
The Royals under Quatraro are just the eighth team in the Wild Card Era to have back-to-back winning seasons following a 100-loss season, according to MLB Network.
What do the Royals Need to Compete in 2026?
After just missing the playoffs in 2025, the Royals need some key additions to help them win in 2026.
Hitting is the main concern for the Royals. The team batted .247 in 2025, tied for 15th in the majors. With only four players having above 50 runs batted in, run production is an obvious problem.
The Royals need another big-time hitter to compete in a loaded American League. Witt Jr., Pasquantino and Salvador Perez are not enough to produce runs at an elite level.
There are still many free agent sluggers available. It’s just a matter of what is amenable to Kansas City’s payroll. A Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker is likely out of the Royals’ price range. However, someone in the mid-tier would be beneficial to this Royals roster.
If the Royals can improve their offense, the improvement under Quatraro should continue.
Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
More Heavy on Royals
Loading more stories