The Royals are one of the hottest teams in baseball, coming off a seven-game winning streak and multiple-run wins with the third-best run differential (+79) in all of MLB. Fans are beginning to embrace this team as a legitimate playoff contender, and historical trends suggest they’re right.
Kansas City’s sweep of the Detroit Tigers gave the Royals their second undefeated home streak of the season, becoming just the fifth team to achieve this feat in the past 20 years; all others before them had made the playoffs.
With the Royals leading the American League Wild Card race by five games, it’s shaping up to be a special summer in Kansas City.
Teams with multiple perfect home wins (minimum six games) in the same season over the past 20 years:
2024 @Royals (2)
2022 Yankees (4)*
2021 Dodgers (3)*
2013 Braves (2)*
2013 Indians (2)** Postseason Qualifiers
Than Elias Sports
— Nick Kappel (@NickKappel) May 22, 2024
It’s hard to overstate how dramatic the Royals have been this season. They’re on pace for the biggest season turnaround in MLB history and are currently priced at -170 to make the playoffs at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Bobby Witt Jr. is a top-three candidate for MVP, Cole Logans and Seth Lugo are in contention for the Cy Young Award, Matt Quatraro is the favorite to win Manager of the Year (+195), and with excellent pitching, defense and speed, this team is projected to be a championship contender for the rest of the season.
If the Royals can stay healthy, it would be surprising if they don’t make the playoffs. They’re 21-8 at home and in second place in the AL Central behind the Cleveland Guardians. There’s still plenty of games to play, but heading into their 60th game, the Royals have risen to every challenge.
Home advantage is an indicator of a great baseball team, and while it seems like an obvious one, there’s a reason why every team that has played multiple perfect games at home in the past 20 years has made it to the playoffs.
Whether you believe it or not, the roster says it does, and through the first two months of the season, Kansas City has been one of the best teams in sports, it’s been great to watch their growth and now I can confidently project a playoff berth.
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