No team in Major League Baseball has waited as long as the Kansas City Royals to make a return to the postseason. The last time the Royals were in the playoffs, they won the World Series – but that was 1985. It has been a long time since baseball has been celebrated in Kansas City, even though the city has some of the best baseball fans in the country. Finally, in 2014, the Royals were able to clinch the first Wild Card position in the American League and earned the chance to host the Oakland A’s in the Wild Card round.
The Royals are Back
So what has changed in Kansas City to put them back in this position? It is hard to say, specifically. To look at the Royals, you might notice just how ordinary 
their roster seems to be. There is an absence of star players, aside from the dominating back end of the bullpen comprised of Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Alex Gordon is an outstanding player left field, but he is not someone who is recognized as a superstar around the country. The Royals put together an impressive season, but they did it without the big stars that are often found in bigger cities.
This is a team that is built on speed, quality pitching, and timely hitting. The starting rotation is anchored by James Shields, who is a good-but-not-great starter. Jason Vargas, Yordano Ventura, and Danny Duffy have also provided significant contributions to the starting rotation during the 2014 season. The Royals tend to play close games, but they also tend to come out on top of those games thanks to an excellent bullpen and the kind of speed that can push a run across late in the game.
Keep it Low
If the Royals are going to succeed in the playoffs, it seems likely that they will need to keep the scoring to a minimum and win a bunch of low-scoring, close games. Should they find themselves in a series with the Angels, Tigers, or Orioles, they will most likely lack the firepower to keep up if the pitching falters at all. Tight, close ballgames are going to be the winning formula if KC is going to stick around in October.
Even for fans of other teams, it is good to see Kansas City back in the baseball playoffs for the first time in 29 years. Kansas City has always supported their baseball team, and the fans deserve to see some exciting playoff baseball after such a long layoff. If the pitching and defense can come through for Kansas City in the playoffs like it has all season long, there just might be some thrills ahead.
