The Kansas City Royals find themselves in an unexpected yet thrilling position as they enter the final month of the 2024 MLB season, but they’ll have to navigate the home stretch without their skipper Matt Quatraro for the time being. The team announced on Monday that Quatraro is stepping away to deal with a personal matter, with no clear timeline for his return. In his absence, bench coach Paul Hoover will take the reins, tasked with guiding this surging Royals squad into the playoffs.
Quatraro, 50, took over as Royals manager in 2023 after the dismissal of Mike Matheny, inheriting a team that struggled through years of rebuilding. His first season as manager was tough—leading the Royals to a 56-106 finish in 2023, landing them dead last in the AL Central. While Bobby Witt Jr.’s midseason breakout last year provided a spark of hope, it wasn’t enough to change the club’s fortunes.
The Royals entered the 2024 season with tempered expectations, despite some notable offseason additions like Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Still, most analysts saw the Royals as destined to miss the playoffs for a ninth consecutive year.
But under Quatraro’s steady guidance, the Royals have defied those low expectations. Heading into September, they boast an impressive 75-63 record, putting them firmly in contention for a wild-card spot and just 3.5 games behind Cleveland in the race for the AL Central crown. Quatraro’s managerial efforts have not gone unnoticed, with many touting him as a top contender for the AL Manager of the Year award.
Now, as Kansas City’s improbable playoff push continues, the team will be without Quatraro for an unknown period of time. Hoover, 48, a former major league catcher with seven seasons of experience between 2001 and 2010, will be stepping up to lead the Royals. He joined Kansas City last season as Quatraro’s bench coach, after a long stint with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he served in several roles, including minor league catching coordinator and major league field coordinator under Kevin Cash.
Hoover’s deep knowledge of the game and experience with both player development and on-field strategy make him a strong candidate to carry the Royals forward during this pivotal stretch. His leadership will be tested as he looks to maintain the momentum Kansas City has built all season. The Royals are now eyeing their first playoff appearance since 2015, when they won the World Series, and Hoover will be at the helm during some of the season’s most critical moments.
The length of Quatraro’s absence remains uncertain, but for now, the Royals are focused on keeping their playoff dreams alive under Hoover’s watch. With the postseason within reach, all eyes will be on how this resilient team handles the pressure, and whether their journey leads them back to October baseball.
