3 Royals bold predictions for ALDS vs Yankees

10/04/2024 10:09 PM

The Kansas City Royals were one of the big surprises in Major League Baseball during the regular season. Few expected this team to approach the .500 mark because the Royals were a disastrous 56-106 in 2022, and manager Matt Quatraro clearly had a lot of work to do with this team.

However, the Royals were able to take advantage of their solid pitching, overall athleticism and the growth of young superstar Bobby Witt Jr. to put the 2022 disaster in the past and play hard-nosed, fundamental baseball on an every-day basis.

The Royals finished the regular season with an 86-76 record and earned a spot in the Wild Card round of the playoffs as the second place team in the American League Central. As a result, they played the Baltimore Orioles in the opening round.

The Royals were forced to play that series on the road because the Orioles had a superior regular-season record. However, the Royals did not hesitate and won both games on the road. It was the pitching that made the difference as Kansas City picked up 1-0 and 2-1 victories in Charm City.

While the Kansas City bats were relatively silent, Quatraro’s team now advances to play the New York Yankees in the best-of-5 series. Unlike the Wild Card round, the Royals will get two home games. However, if they are going to win this series, the Royals will have to win at least one game in the Bronx.

Kansas City’s pitching will quiet the Yankee bats

One of the primary reasons the Royals had success this season was that Quatraro received excellent pitching from his starters. He has a group of four that he can depend on to get the job done. The best of the bunch is Seth Lugo.

He started 33 games this season and had a 16-9 record with a 3.00 earned run average. He struck out 181 batters in 206.2 innings.

Cole Ragans also had an excellent season with an 11-9 record and a 3.14 ERA. He is a power pitcher who struck out 223 batters in 186.1 innings.

Brady Singer and Michael Wacha follow the top two in the rotation. Wacha is scheduled to start Game 1 against Gerritt Cole of the Yankees. Wacha had a 14-13 record with a 3.35 ERA while Singer was 13-9 with a 3.71 ERA.

Expect the Royals to keep the Yankees from stringing hits together and prevent multiple big innings, but they will have to minimize the long ball from Aaron Judge and the other Yankees sluggers.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Sal Perez will deliver clutch hits

The Royals pitching will slow the Yankee offense, but the Kansas City offense needs to deliver in key situations.

Kansas City is not expected to dominate with the bats, but Witt and Perez are capable of coming through with big hits when the game is on the line.

Witt is clearly one of the brightest young stars in the American League. He had a brilliant season, slashing .332/.389/.588 with 32 home runs, 109 runs batted in and 31 stolen bases. He is one of the most exciting players in baseball and if Witt gets started early in the series with a clutch hit or two, he could dominate the series.

Perez will be able to set an example for his teammates. The veteran catcher has seen it all throughout his 13-year career, and he can take advantage of any mistake by the Yankees pitching staff. He had an outstanding offensive season with 27 home runs and 104 RBI.

Vinnie Pasquantino (19 home runs), M.J. Melendez (17 home runs) and Hunter Renfroe (15 home runs) are all capable of occasional power. If Quatraro can get any production from that trio, it could be a huge bonus for the Royals.

Royals will steal the series from their old rivals

When the Royals and Yankees were both elite American League teams in the late 1970s and early ’80s, they met frequently in the playoffs and they developed a serious rivalry that was fueled by contempt and bordered on hatred.

This will be a hard-fought series and while hatred is not likely in this series, the Royals will earn respect. They will not be intimidated at Yankee Stadium and they will find a way to win a game in New York and win both games in Kansas City and advance to the American League Championship Series.

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