Kansas City Royals: Why the Royals have a real chance for the playoffs

Final Considerations

The Royals have 20 games split between the Cardinals, Pirates, Cubs, Brewers, and Reds. When looking at the NL Central as a whole, the Cardinals and Reds may be the hardest teams for the Royals. St. Louis is consistently at the top or contending in the NL Central, and Cincinnati has theoretically improved with the additions of Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos.

The Pirates, who have lost Chris Archer for the season, should be the easier of the teams for the Royals. Leaving the Brewers and Cubs in the middle of the pack, but both could easily be contending at the top of the division.

With 20 games total being played against the NL Central, if the Royals could at least split the games and get 10 wins total, that could be enough to make the Royals competitive for at least a Wild Card spot in the playoffs this year.

The Royals offense, defense, bullpen, and baserunning seem to be the strength of the team. With a new manager in the dugout, young, and energized players itching to make an impact, the Royals have all the makings of making this year fun and interesting for Kansas City. It’s just a matter of sprinting immediately out of the gate.