Opening Day is officially here.
The Kansas City Royals will begin the 2025 season against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. Central.
The Royals will look to build upon their 2024 campaign. The club finished with an 86-76 record and made the postseason for the first time since 2015. In the playoffs, KC defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card round.
The 2024 season concluded with a loss to the New York Yankees in the AL Divisional Series. However, the Royals showcased their ability to compete at a high level.
Now, the club is ready to take another step. Here is a guide to the top 2025 Kansas City Royals storylines…
Top Royals storylines
1. Can Royals find consistent offense?
The Royals will lean on their pitching staff and defense this season. The club boasts four former All-Stars in the starting rotation. The bullpen is led by closer Carlos Estévez and emerging reliever Lucas Erceg.
If the Royals are to make a postseason return, KC will need more offensive production from the middle of the lineup. Fans can expect superstars Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez to carry the bulk of the offensive load. Vinnie Pasquantino is a trendy breakout candidate and Jonathan India is a strong leadoff hitter.
The remainder of the lineup is a question mark. How outfielders MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe perform will greatly impact the Royals offense.
2. Will Vinnie Pasquantino be ready for opening day?
This is the million dollar question in Kansas City. Pasquantino is dealing with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain that he sustained on Friday.
The Royals are optimistic that Pasquantino will play in Thursday’s home opener. He participated in batting practice and on-field drills in recent days.
Pasquantino holds an important role after recording 19 home runs and 97 RBIs in 131 games last season.
3. Is Bobby Witt Jr. an early AL MVP frontrunner?
Witt finished second in the 2024 AL MVP Award race. However, he made a viable case to take home the prestigious honor.
Last season, Witt led Major League Baseball with a .332 batting average and 211 hits. He became an All-Star for the first time and notched his second consecutive 30-30 season.
Add in a Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove and Witt had a historic season. If he can replicate those numbers, the MVP award could very well be in future.
One historical stat to follow
There are just seven primary catchers with 300 or more homers in MLB history. Perez is just 23 home runs away from including the exclusive list.
The list includes Mike Piazza (427), Johnny Bench (389), Carlton Fisk (376), Yogi Berra (358), Lance Parrish (324), Garry Carter (324) and Ivan Rodriguez (311).
Six of the seven catchers are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 9:56 AM.
