KC Royals face uphill battle in race for MLB Playoffs

The KC Royals find themselves in an unexpected position: fighting for a spot in the MLB Playoffs. But with the toughest remaining schedule among American League Wild Card contenders, could they actually miss the postseason?

Entering Friday's action, and tonight's opening game of its three-contest home series with San Francisco, Kansas City holds the second Wild Card slot, clinging to a slim two-game lead over the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have surged back into contention, going 11-5 in September after a 17-11 August. And they just finished sweeping the Royals.

Meanwhile, the Twins have stumbled to a 7-11 September record, with the Royals not faring much better at 7-9.

The remaining schedule doesn't do Kansas City any favors. The Royals close the season on the road against the Atlanta Braves, who may then be battling for their own playoff lives.

In contrast, Detroit finishes against the Chicago White Sox, who could set the record for most losses in the modern major league era. Minnesota wraps up against a Baltimore team that's cooled off but may still have something to play for.

What's wrong with the KC Royals right now?

It's not Bobby Witt Jr., who's posted a 1.095 OPS over the last seven days and recently became the
the first player to have at least 10 triples, 30 stolen bases, 30 homers, and 40 doubles in a single season.

And pitching has recently improved since the Royals suffered a 10-run Sept. 10 shellacking by the Yankees — since then, the team ERA has dropped from 3.91 to 3.85.

One concern, however, is a recent power outage. The team's slugging percentage has dipped to .414, its lowest point since Aug. 9.

Overall, this current slide seems to be more a combination of bad luck and pressing too hard.

Remember, this is a team that lost over 100 games just last season and narrowly avoided setting a new franchise record for single-season losses. No one expected the Royals to be in this position. But they are, and they need to figure out ways to win quickly.

There's reason to be optimistic about KC making the MLB Playoffs

Despite their struggles, FanGraphs still gives the Royals the best odds to reach the postseason among the three teams (90.4% vs. 63% for the Twins and 42.3% for the Tigers). However, Kansas City probably prefers to control its own destiny rather than rely on mathematical projections.

The Royals have defied expectations all season. Now, they face their biggest test yet: overcoming a brutal schedule to secure their first playoff berth since 2015.

It won't be easy, but this young team has already proven it can compete with the best. The next 10 days will determine if the Royals truly belong in October baseball.

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