Yankees vs. Royals ALDS start times announced
10/04/2024 06:40 PM
Kansas City dusted the Orioles to earn their shot at the AL's best. It'll be the first Yankees/Royals playoff series in 44 years.
Editor's note: This article has now been updated with official MLB first pitch times for Games 3-5 of the ALDS, which were not yet released.
The American League side of the Division Series play is now set. With a tense 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, the Kansas City Royals will turn north from Camden Yards and come to Yankee Stadium for the ALDS. A suffocating pitching performance is exactly what the Yankees will need to guard against in the five-game set, but they decidedly own an advantage at the plate.
The Royals come into the Division Series with the 20th-ranked offense in baseball, and indeed only scored three runs in their Wild Card victory. The Yankees finished a single point of wRC+ behind the Dodgers for the best lineup in the game, although Baltimore ended the year third and we saw what KC did to them.
The big question for the Royals is whether Game 1 will be started by Michael Wacha or Brady Singer. Wacha was designated as the man for a hypothetical Game 3 against Baltimore, but Singer's stronger ground-ball rates could be an edge against a more powerful Yankee lineup. Regardless, we know that Cole Ragans looms for Game 2 on Monday night, and Seth Lugo at Game 3 in Kansas City.
Of course, Gerrit Cole goes for the Yankees Saturday, and the Royals lineup really is a gruesome twosome. Bobby Witt Jr. has an excellent case for the best all-around player in the game today, and keeping him off base with his speed is a huge key to getting ahead early in the series. Team captain Salvador Perez meanwhile continues to completely sell out for HR power, and Cole's been known to give up a long ball or two.
Cleveland will duke it out with Detroit on the other half of the ALDS action, thanks to the Gritty Tigs' own upset win in Houston. As for the Yankees and Royals, here's their schedule.
*If necessary
**The Yankees vs. Royals ALDS Game 3 will be at 7:08pm ET unless the Padres vs. Dodgers NLDS ends the previous day. If there is no Padres vs. Dodgers Game 4, then Yankees vs. Royals will be at 8:08pm ET.
After a week of rest, the Yankees will get another day off next Sunday, before traveling to Kansas City for a pair of games at Kauffman Stadium. To Witt, indeed, the superstar has a 202 wRC+ at home compared to a 134 on the road, and the Royals as a squad hit about eight percentage points better at Kauffman. They're not a great offense, but they get better with those cavernous corners and alleys.
For insight on who is in the best shape to make the Yankees' playoff roster, check out Matt's article from earlier this week. Cribbing from what Andrew wrote the other day, here's a little more on what the Yankees will ponder as they finalize their roster and dream of the potential for No. 28:
Regarding the rotation, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Luis Gil appear to be on track to start the first three ALDS games. Unless there's rain, a fourth starter won't be necessary given how the offdays line up, though Clarke Schmidt will be on the roster in a hybrid role just in case.
If the Yankees are fortunate enough to advance past the ALDS, the best-of-seven American League Championship Series against the Guardians or Tigers will take place from Monday, October 14th through Tuesday, October 22nd if all games are required. ALCS offdays are planned for the 16th and 20th, so the No. 4 starter could enter play there. The World Series would begin on Friday, October 25th.
Yankees vs. Royals is one of the most colorful postseason rivalries in Yankee history, as New York battled Kansas City in four different ALCS showdowns from 1976-80, winning three of them. Chris Chambliss, George Brett, and more all provided lasting memories. Now in 2024, we get the latest chapter. We'll see the likely top three MVP finishers in this series, so there's plenty of potential for fireworks.
See you all Saturday night!
