Bobby Witt Jr. and other younger KC Royals benefited from this — especially in 2024

Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey was caught off-guard by teammate Will Smith’s lighthearted remark.

Last month, the Royals endured a seven-game losing streak that put their playoff hopes on the brink of collapse. As they sank in the standings, they fell into a three-team race with fellow AL Central teams Detroit and Minnesota for the American League’s final two Wild Card spots.

Swept by the Tigers and San Francisco Giants in their final regular-season homestand, the Royals were reeling a bit. Few inside the clubhouse were in the mood for jokes approaching a much-needed day off.

But Smith, 35, found a way to inject some levity into the moment, even with the Major League Baseball playoffs hanging in the balance.

“He said, ‘Hey, you guys are looking at this the wrong way,’” Massey recalled Smith saying. “’The bright side is we can’t lose tomorrow.’”

Massey paused after Smith spoke, considering the best way to respond to his teammates. But after a few moments, Massey realized the real intent of Smith’s message.

Everything’s going to be OK.

“It was kind of eye-opening to be like, ‘Wow, everyone is freaking out outside of our clubhouse,’” Massey said. “We’ve lost seven in a row and everybody thinks we aren’t going to make the playoffs and we are going to blow it.

“Then, you’ve got a guy like him who is making a joke about it. It just goes to show you (a veteran’s) experience and confidence.”

Smith’s longer view of things should come as no surprise. Originally drafted by the Angels, he made his Royals debut in 2012. He played for five other teams before re-signing in KC this past offseason, not long after winning a World Series ring with the Texas Rangers.

Smith is no newcomer to streaks, slumps, playoff implications and other matters of baseball importance.

The Royals added multiple major-league veterans to their roster over the past year, and then they relied on them to show the way. There’s Smith and fellow pitchers Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Chris Stratton, outfielder Hunter Renfroe ... the list goes on.

Each has brought valuable experience to the organization both on and off the field.

In tense moments, the veterans offer calm. During times of celebration, they help keep things in perspective.

Navigating a big-league season is a balancing act. The Royals found the right mix by blending a core of young talent and established veterans into a mutually beneficial relationship.

And now the Royals have advanced to the American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees.

“It’s just a little bit different than where we were last year,” Massey said before Game 2 against the Orioles. “We lost a game last year and it was a bunch of young guys in there thinking the end of the world happened.”

The veteran players have helped the 2024 Royals learn to appreciate every moment. That imprint on the clubhouse began to take shape during spring training.

Lugo and Wacha set the tone by being accessible to younger counterparts on the pitching staff. They began watching other starter’s bullpen sessions and continue to offer advice about what they see.

Smith has made a similar impact in the bullpen. He and the team’s other elder statesmen have opened their door for younger guys to come to them with questions, or a bit of extra support.

“I can relate to a lot of different players,” Wacha said. “I always try to be available to the younger guys, the rookies, you know, with just any questions that they have.

“It’s just being there ready to answer any questions, help them out in any situation and kind of give them their belief that they can succeed at this level.”

The Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 in Tuesday’s opening game of the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series. In the ninth inning, with the game on the line as the O’s threatened to score, Royals captain and longtime major-league veteran Salvador Perez delivered needed encouragement to closer Lucas Erceg via a brief chat at the mound.

Erceg had never pitched in a high-leverage postseason game. Admittedly, he felt the gravity of the moment. But his nerves calmed during that talk with Perez, after which he retired two straight Baltimore batters to earn the save.

He also earned the save during Wednesday’s Game 2 win.

Off the field, players on this year’s Royals view teammates as family. Many of them hang out together on off-days, and their families are close, as well.

With chemistry so important now that the Royals are back in the playoffs for the first time since they won the 2015 World Series, level-headed veteran leadership is even more critical.

The relationship is symbiotic.

“I feel like they can learn from me and I can learn much from them: you know, kind of that youth side of it and keeping us young,” Wacha said. “Keeping us in these games and pushing us.

“They are full of energy and they definitely motivate me coming into the field every day to get in that weight room, get in that training room and just stay on top of everything to keep us healthy.”

Lugo got the start Tuesday in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Around him were Maikel Garcia (third base), Bobby Witt Jr. (shortstop), Massey (second), MJ Melendez (left field), Kyle Isbel (center) and Vinnie Pasquantino (designated hitter).

For the Royals’ younger players, it was just their second postseason game. But you might not have known it: Even the team’s less-experienced players have shown themselves to be a resilient group that’s ready for big moments.

“That’s something these (veteran) guys have talked about all year: just stay in the game and stay in the fight,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Anything can happen.”

It’s a different perspective for the Royals in 2024. And a major change in mentality for a team that lost a franchise-record 106 games just on year ago.