KC Royals: Opening Day history, attendances, records and more

The winter wait is finally over. The KC Royals Opening Day is finally here!

Veteran Zack Greinke will get the Opening Day start against the Minnesota Twins in Kauffman Stadium. The team has plenty of promotions and specials to pack the ballpark for the season opener. Many fans are still pessimistic about the Royals outlook this season, but anything is still possible on Mar. 30. Hopefully, franchise faces like shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., catcher Salvador Perez, and Greinke will treat fans to a huge victory over their AL Central opponent.

KC Royals fans are ready for 2023's first game. Here is some Royals franchise history on Opening Day.

The Royals have seven-straight games at Kauffman to start the 2023 season, making the first week of April a baseball fan's treat. But, Opening Day itself should not be overlooked. Royals ownership is going to make the day memorable for fans, but there is plenty of history on Opening Day in Kansas City. Franchise greats lead Opening Day starts, fans pack the stadium, and an Opening Day victory could lead to more history. What and who are some milestones Royals fans should know?

Attendance

Highest attended game at Kauffman Stadium was in 2004, where 41,575 fans watched the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 9-7. Outside of the COVID-19 Opening Day, the least attended Royals Opening Day game was in 1972, with only 8,749 fans in attendance.

Scoring on Opening Day

The Royals highest-scoring Opening Day output is 14 runs, against the Texas Rangers in 2021. The Royals have been shutout twice on Opening Day, in 2013 and 2020. Their lone shutout win came in 2003, against the then-Cleveland Indians.

What is the Royals Opening Day record?

The Royals are 28-26 in their Opening Day matchups, winning the last two in a row. In their World Series championship years, 1985 and 2015, the Royals won their Opening Day matchups by a combined 12-3 final score.

How long do Opening Day games last?

MLB fans are still getting used to quicker games, after the pitch clock and other changes made for historically faster games this Spring Training. The Royals longest Opening Day game was in 2021, which lasted 266 minutes. The shortest game was back in 1984, when the Royals beat the New York Yankees in only 120 minutes.

Opening Day starts leaders, by position

Fans can tell a lot about a player's career from his overall Opening Day starts. It shows sustain availability, trust from the team, and longevity that is rare to see. Most of these Opening Day starts leaders, sourced from Baseball Reference, should not surprise fans but one or two certainly surprised myself.

1. Catcher

Salvador Perez - 8

2. First baseman

Something that is not allowed in baseball: a tie!
John Mayberry - 6
Mike Sweeney -6

3. Second baseman

Frank White - 15

4. Third baseman

George Brett - 12

5. Shortstop

Another tie!
Freddie Patek - 8
Alcides Escobar - 8

6. Left field

Alex Gordon - 9

7. Center field

Amos Otis - 11

8. Right field

Danny Tartabull - 5

9. Designated hitter

Hal McRae - 10

10. Pitcher

Kevin Appier - 7