KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A critical Yankees offseason is officially underway.

An underwhelming season that began with championship aspirations ended on Sunday with a 5-2 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

While 12 other teams will now move on to the postseason, the Yankees (82-80) will watch from home as they undergo a deep dive into the organization in hopes of returning to the playoffs next year.

Michael King’s late-season audition to crack the rotation next year was largely a success but ended on a down note Sunday.

He gave up a season-high four runs and eight hits – including a career-high three home runs – across four innings against the Royals (56-106).

Still, in eight straight starts to finish the season, King posted a 1.88 ERA across 38 ⅓ innings, making a strong case to give himself a chance of being part of the Yankees’ rotation next season.

The Yankees got another strong game from rookie catcher Austin Wells, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.