Royals show gratitude to fans: Are they serious playoff contenders?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Following the MLB All-Star break, the Royals are back in the midst of the playoff hunt. As the back half of the season begins Friday night, the team sits just two games back from the last American League Wild Card spot.

The Royals have made some very clear improvements following a rough 2023 season (56-106). However, that didn’t stop the team from making even more adjustments leading up to and during the All-Star break that saw catcher Salvador Perez getting his eighth All-Star nod and SS Bobby Witt Jr. shattering expectations in the Home Run Derby.

During the MLB Draft, the Royals picked up a solid two-way player from the University of Florida, Jac Caglianone with their number six pick. The team also selected 17-year-old LHP David Shields in the second round.

While these selections won’t have an immediate impact on the team’s 2024 playoff dreams, they do lay the foundation for a winning future as the Royals attempt to build another championship roster.

One move that the Royals do hope will have an impact this season is the acquisition of RHP Hunter Harvey through a trade with the Washington Nationals. Harvey adds depth, consistency and late-game experience to the Royals bullpen, which has struggled at times during the 2024 season.

Whether the Royals make the 2024 MLB Playoffs or not, the team has undoubtedly improved, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by KC baseball fans. On Tuesday, July 16, Royals players sent a thank you message to fans via an airplane message.

However, the gratitude didn’t stop there. On July 19, the team launched a social media video showing both a closer look at the airplane message, as well as the players’ reaction to the support from Kansas City fans.

The Royals are at a crucial point in the season and begin the second-half with a nine-game homestand. The first three come against the Chicago White Sox starting on Friday night, a team that finished the first-half as the worst team in MLB.

As they look for a series win or sweep, it will be followed by a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team fighting for its playoff life, and concluded with three against the Chicago Cubs, who sit four games back of a National League Wild Card spot.

If you’d like to be a part of the 2024 Royals playoff hunt, or if you’d just like to try the new menu item at Kauffman, click here for tickets .

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