What you need to know about the Royals in the playoffs

It’s Always October.

The Royals have clinched a playoff spot, becoming just the second team in MLB history to reach the post-season the year after losing 100+ games.

What seed will the Royals be in the playoffs?

Six teams from each league make the post-season. The Royals are currently the #6 seed in the American League, one game behind the Detroit Tigers. The Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Tigers, so they would get the #5 seed if they can catch them. But the Tigers are hosting the White Sox this weekend, who just set the modern day record for most losses in a season.

So who will the Royals play?

The #6 seed plays the #3 seed, which is the worst division winner, the Houston Astros. The Astros only have two more wins than the Royals thanks to a dreadful start to the year, but have performed much better in the second half. The Royals went 3-4 against the Astros this year, dropping three of four in Houston in late August.

If the Royals can catch the Tigers and earn the #5 seed, they will play the #4 seed Baltimore Orioles, the top Wild Card team that is currently four wins better than the Royals (seeded lower than the Astros, but with a better record). The Royals dropped four of six to the Orioles this year, including two walk-off losses in three games in Baltimore in April.

What is the playoff format?

The last time the Royals made the playoffs, there were just two Wild Card teams that played a one-game head-to-head matchup to determine which team would advance. Since MLB expanded to three Wild Card teams in 2022, the Wild Card round is now a best-of-three series with all three games taking place at the home stadium of the higher seed. So the Royals would get no home games in the first round. In the two years under this format, the road team has won five of the eight Wild Card series, including last year’s champion Texas Rangers.

The winners of the Wild Card advance to the League Divisional Series to play in a best-of-five series with a traditional 2-2-1 home-field format. The winner of the #4 vs. #5 game will play the #1 seed, the New York Yankees. The winner of the #3 vs. #6 game will play the #2 seed Cleveland Guardians.

The winners of the League Divisional Series will advance to the League Championship Series for a best-of-seven series with a 2-3-2 home-field format. Each league winner will then play in the World Series in a best-of-seven series. Home-field advantage for the World Series is determined by best record, with head-to-head record serving as a tiebreaker.

When are the playoffs?

The Wild Card round begins on Tuesday, October 1, with games for all four series played consecutively on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Game times for the series will be announced later. The League Divisional Series begins October 5. The League Championship Series starts October 13, and the World Series is scheduled to begin October 25, although it can move up if the previous series ends sooner than expected. You can find a complete playoff schedule here.

Where can I watch games on TV?

The Wild Card rounds air on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN 2 and are available on the ESPN app. The ALDS and ALCS air on TBS, truTV, and Max, while the NLDS and NLCS air on FOX or FS1. The World Series airs exclusively on FOX.

Who will be on the Royals’ post-season roster?

The Royals will have to announce their 26-man post-season roster before the Wild Card round, but they can change the roster before each series. They can replace a player on the roster due to injury, but that player will be ineligible for the next series. Anyone that was on the 40-man roster or 60-day Injured List as of August 31 is eligible to be on the post-season roster.

The big question for the Royals will be when Vinnie Pasquantino can return from his broken thumb his suffered on August 29. His original diagnosis predicted a 6-8 week absence, which would cause him to miss most of the post-season. But Pasquantino took batting practice this week and the team said he is “well ahead of schedule”, and has not ruled him out for next week’s series.

For his part, Vinnie posted this cryptic tweet.

As for pitchers, the Royals could sit Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans for the remaining two regular season games, and have them fresh to start for the Wild Card series. Michael Wacha is the most likely starter for the third game, although no announcement have been made for who will start and when.

Could the Royals win it all?

Hey, never count them out! Few thought they had a run in them in 2014, and they came within a few runs of winning it all. The Royals are currently +3100 to win it all, according to FanDuel, longer odds than most, but better odds than the Mets, Diamondbacks, or Tigers. The Royals have some weaknesses to be sure - a slumping offense and a shaky bullpen - but they have perhaps the best trio of starting pitchers in baseball, an MVP candidate in Bobby Witt Jr., plus a lineup that has had some timely hits and is one of the best in baseball with runners in scoring position, despite a September slump. Get into the dance and strange things can happen.