As upstart Royals near the finish line, fans dream of another playoff run

By Cameron Montemayor

With the surprise 2024 Royals firmly in the playoff race with just four weeks left in the season, fans are holding out hope for another October filled with postseason baseball.

Coming off a 2023 campaign where the Kansas City Royals tied a franchise low for most losses in a single season, the 2024 Royals have shattered fan and media expectations and find themselves in a strong position to make the playoffs with 23 games remaining.

Proudly sporting a classic powder-blue jersey on Monday, diehard Royals fan Kalee Gilsdorf made a stop at the St. Joseph Rally House as part of a 10-hour round trip to see the team’s pivotal series against the Cleveland Guardians.

“It’s been a ton of fun this season and I’m confident we’re gonna make the postseason,” she said. “They’re a young team and they’re here to play and have fun.”

Similar to 2014, when the upstart Royals broke a 29-year playoff drought en-route to a stunning 8-0 postseason run and World Series appearance as a Wild Card team, longtime fans like Gilsdorf know anything can happen if the team makes it in.

“I honestly think they could make it all the way,” she said. “I think they definitely have the potential too.”

Bolstered by an MVP-caliber season from Bobby Witt Jr. and one of the game’s top pitching rotations, K.C. is currently on pace for 87 wins, which if realized would mark one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in MLB history following last year’s 56-106 record.

Gilsdorf has been in awe of what Witt Jr. has accomplished this year. The burgeoning superstar is batting .340 with 30 home runs, 97 RBI and 28 stolen bases to this point.

“I think he’s gonna end up being one of the best players of all time, he’s leading in runs, hits and average right now,” she said. “I think he’s gonna be a hall of famer for sure.”

A flurry of offseason additions by general manager J.J. Piccolo proved instrumental in the Royals’ sudden return to relevance in the AL Central this season. A starting pitching staff of Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha and Brady Singer have pitched to a combined 3.36 earned run average across 636 innings of work.

Rally House store leader Taylor Faucett said they recently boosted their supply of Royals items and apparel to meet rising demand that has only grown since the All-Star break, back when Witt Jr. finished runner up in the Home Run Derby in front of a national audience.

Jerseys for the young superstar have become the hot ticket item among fans seeking apparel this season.

“Now we’re kind of in a different hot-market season where we have a good Chiefs team but then we also have a good Royals team. So having the excitement around that has been really cool,” she said.

Excited young fans like Leo and his family were also out shopping Monday for a coveted Bobby Witt Jr. jersey, his favorite player.

“He’s pretty good and he’s super fast … hits the ball super hard,” Leo said with a smile.

Leo, who is also developing as a young player and loves playing first base, said he wants to grow up to be a Royal someday.

Despite a tough series loss against the Houston Astros over the weekend, the Royals as of Monday held a four game lead on the second of three Wild Card spots and remained 4.5 games back of the division-leading Guardians.

With the success of this year and a young core to support it for the future, many new and longtime fans are optimistic that meaningful baseball will stick around for fans and families to enjoy for years to come.

“I’m pretty hopeful, I love the potential for the next few years and they’re young,” Gilsdorf said.