Shohei Ohtani: When will Dodgers superstar play against the KC Royals?

The waiting for Shohei Ohtani's next destination is finally over. He revealed he would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers via Instagram this past week. His reported 10-year, $700 million not only shatters records but keeps him in southern California for the rest of his prime playing days. The Dodgers were already an NL juggernaut, but this addition only separates them more from teams like the KC Royals.

While the deal is not yet official, the baseball world is not hanging up on the formality. This is the first big move following a relatively quiet Winter Meetings, for the Royals and MLB at large. Hopefully, the free-agency floodgates open ahead of Christmas and Royals fans see more movement from the boys in blue.

The Royals and Dodgers have had a competitive series in the past two years, with Kansas City winning two out of three games in Kauffman Stadium last season. The two teams have only played each other 18 times since 2003, with the Dodgers having a 10-8 record against the Royals. That win-record gap should increase with Ohtani on the roster, alongside other elite MLB players.

When do the KC Royals next play the Los Angeles Dodgers?

The two teams will have another three-game series in 2024, this time at Dodger Stadium. We will likely know the Royals' trajectory in 2024 by the time they play the Dodgers from June  14–16. Ohtani will just be one of many Dodgers Kansas City will have to worry about, but he is one of a rare breed.

Ohtani has a career 1.242 OPS and nine home runs in 25 games against the Royals. His June 21, 2022, eight RBI performance against the Royals is just one of his many dominant and historic performances. That was the most RBI in a game by a Japanese-born player in MLB history, according to Stathead Baseball.

Ohtani continues his manhandling of the Royals from the mound on rare occasions. He only has three starts, but he sports a .47 ERA and has allowed only eight hits with 28 strikeouts across 19 innings pitched. Royals fans are well aware of the superstar's two-way talents.

Ohtani may not be pitching against the Royals in 2024, but his bat remains one of the best in baseball. This series will be a great test for the young Royals against one of baseball's best teams.