The Royals are well aware of where they stand at the halfway point of the MLB season, especially after a disappointing month of June. Winning just one of 13 games at Kauffman Stadium over the past month has caused alarm, both inside and outside the clubhouse.
Looking up at the Detroit Tigers and their 11.5-game lead in the AL Central, Royals fans have shifted their focus to the AL Wild Card race.
As June wraps up, the Royals find themselves 4.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners, who currently occupy the third and final AL Wild Card spot. With MLB’s recently expanded playoff format allowing three wild card teams to advance, Kansas City’s postseason hopes remain alive but the margin for error is shrinking.
With the Tigers showing no signs of slowing down, the Royals’ best chance to make the playoffs is to chase down the Mariners for the final spot. A crucial four-game series between the two clubs begins Monday night.
At a glance, the Mariners are one of just six American League team’s with a winning record. Those six teams currently occupy all six available playoff spots.
Seattle has long been known for good pitching staffs and average offensive production. Statistically, they find themselves in the middle of the pack on the mound and at the plate.
Offensively, the power has come from one bat: switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh. He’s on pace for a career year, leading all of baseball with 32 home runs. Raleigh is now in the midst of his third straight 30-homer season and appears well on his way to reaching 100 RBIs for the second year in a row.
You won’t see many hitters sporting averages of over .300 in this series, in fact Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will be the only one as he comes in hitting .314.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. did heat up over the weekend, going 6-14 with three extra base hits and three RBIs against the Dodgers.
The Royals offensive struggles have been well documented this season, but as is this case in most series, they will have the advantage on the mound.
Quality starts and early offense give the Royals their best chance to take three of four from Seattle.
Not long ago, the Royals looked like a completely different team when they visited the Rangers and powered their way to a three-game sweep. Sweeping a four-game series is even tougher, but with a chance to close the gap on a Mariners team they’ll be battling for a playoff spot, the opportunity just to win the series could pay dividends later this season.
