The Kansas City Royals (86-76) and the New York Yankees (94-68) meeting in the playoffs was once an annual ritual. They meet again in the ALDS this season, renewing that rivalry from the 1970s. Our Royals vs Yankees prediction is for the Yankees to win this series in 4 games.
| Team | Run Line | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | +1.5 (-124) | +182 | O 7.5 (-120) |
| Yankees | -1.5 (+104) | -200 | U 7.5 (+100) |
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Royals vs Yankees Was Once an Annual Ritual
From 1976 through 1980, the Yankees and Royals met for the American League pennant four times with the Yankees winning three. They were not friendly and there was no fraternization as there is today. In fact…
Today, the Yankees remain one of MLB’s annual contenders. The Royals won a pennant in 2014 and a World Series in 2015, but lost 106 games in 2023. Now, they’re back in the playoffs and just dispatched the Orioles in the Wild Card series. New York won 5 of their 7 games against Kansas City this season.
The Royals, led by veteran catcher and team captain Salvador Perez and 24-year-old superstar Bobby Witt Jr., have risen rapidly from their extended rebuild. The Yankees are still star-studded with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto carrying the club offensively.
The Yankees Have Holes to Exploit
While the Yankees scored the most runs in the American League, that total is somewhat misleading due to the production of Judge (58 home runs, 144 RBI, 1.159 OPS) and Soto (41 home runs, 109 RBI, .989 OPS). The rest of the offense was inconsistent at best.
The clubs are evenly matched in pitching, despite the Yankees not having the star power of Gerrit Cole. The Royals are opportunistic, steal a ton of bases and catch the ball defensively. The Yankees will need to be at their best on the mound and in the field.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has a poor history in the postseason. Meanwhile, this is Royals manager Matt Quatraro’s first playoff experience, though he had plenty of time in the postseason as a coach with the Rays.
ALDS Prediction: Yankees in 4
The Royals have the talent to challenge the Yankees, but New York has the experience to get them through to the next round. The Royals had trouble scoring in their series against the Orioles and even if they put up runs in the ALDS, the Yankees can match them. We see the Yankees winning this competitive MLB playoff series in 4 games.
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Pick
Yankees in 4
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