Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Series Preview
The Yankees and the Kansas City Royals, their 2024 ALDS opponents, will begin a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Monday night.
In their last series, New York (8-7) lost two out of three to the San Francisco Giants at home.
The Royals won the middle game of their three-game weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians and are 8-8 in their first 16 games.
Taking the ball for the Royals in game one of the series is veteran Seth Lugo, who made his first All-Star team last season at 33. Lugo has made three starts for Kansas City in 2025 and goes into Monday night’s game with a 3.24 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) of 12/7.
Carlos Carrasco takes the mound for the Yankees after a rough outing against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings, including three home runs in one inning.
The hitter to watch in this series for the Royals is shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who finished second in the AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge last season. Witt Jr. is an exceptional talent that mixes gap-to-gap power with speed and a slick glove.
Players on the Yankees’ active roster who once played for the Royals include RHP Luke Weaver (2022) and LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2023).
Probable Pitchers (Where to Watch)
Note: The Yankees Starting Pitchers Are Always Listed Next to the Parentheses
Monday, April 14 - RHP Seth Lugo vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (7:05 p.m. EDT on YES Network)
Tuesday, April 15 - RHP Michael Wacha vs. LHP Max Fried (7:05 p.m. EDT on YES Network)
Wednesday, April 16 - LHP Kris Bubic vs. RHP Clarke Schmidt (7:05 p.m. EDT on Amazon Prime Video)
Conor’s Keys to the Series
Forget the long ball because the Royals don’t hit them. The Yankees’ pitchers should attack the zone against until the boys in powder and dark blue from Kansas City prove they can knock the ball out of the park.
Make them remember. The Yankees were undeniably the better team when they faced off against the Royals in the 2024 postseason. Winning two out of three or sweeping the series would set the standard that the Yankees are the better team this season, too.
Four runs. The Yankees are 6-1 this season when four or fewer runs are allowed. At the moment, that seems to be the magic number for them.
Image Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
More to come!