The Kansas City Royals face their most critical stretch of the season over the next month, with the July 31 trade deadline looming and their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
At 37-38, Matt Quatraro’s team sits 10.5 games back in the American League Central. But here’s what matters: they’re just 1.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for that third wild card spot.
The math is pretty straightforward. With 20 teams within five games of a playoff berth heading into Friday’s action, the next 30 games will determine who’s buying and who’s selling come deadline day.
Kansas City’s schedule doesn’t do them any favors.
It starts tonight in San Diego, then gets tougher from there. The Royals return home for three against the Rays and three more against the defending World Series champion Dodgers. Tampa Bay’s been red-hot lately, and LA is, well, LA.
That’s a stretch against teams with a combined 83-68 record.
Then it’s back out west for four in Seattle – you know, the team they’re chasing – and three in Arizona. The Diamondbacks aren’t in playoff contention, but they’ve got enough talent to make things difficult.
Things ease up slightly starting July 7 with the Pittsburgh Pirates coming to town. That’s about as close to a gimme as you’ll find these days.
After that, it’s the New York Mets at home, then road trips to Miami and Chicago before finishing the pre-deadline schedule against Cleveland and Atlanta. The Guardians and Braves have underachieved this season, but both were preseason playoff picks. They’ll be playing desperate too.
Let’s put it this way: there aren’t many easy wins in that schedule.
For a Royals organization that’s been rebuilding for years, this represents their best shot at October baseball in nearly a decade. The way I see it, if they can’t get hot during this stretch, they’ll likely find themselves as sellers rather than buyers at the deadline.
It’s make-or-break time in Kansas City.
