Tag: Royals

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has the most popular MLB jersey

Yes, you read the headline right. Mahomes’ Kansas City Royals jersey is listed as the most popular MLB jersey on Fanatics.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes became the NFL’s leader in merchandise sales back in April. Now, he’s leading another professional sports league in jersey popularity, at least for one major online retailer.

An astute Chiefs fan, Ryan D., spotted that Mahomes is listed in the top player category for the most popular MLB jersey on fanatics.com. If you click on his name it directs you to the Kansas City Royals team page, where Mahomes has a jersey and a name & number T-shirt available for purchase.

So why does Mahomes have a Royals jersey up for sale? Mahomes, of course, joined the Royals ownership group ahead of the 2020 NFL season. Yes, he’s a part-owner of the Kansas City MLB franchise.

Mahomes has been a baseball fan his entire life after basically growing up in a clubhouse. His father, Pat Mahomes, was an MLB pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets and Texas Rangers among other teams.

It’s pretty impressive that in the midst of the AL and NL playoff races, that Mahomes’ Royals jersey leads popular players like Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. We’ll see if this holds as the MLB postseason progresses. It just goes to show you how Mahomes’ popularity transcends the NFL.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes on career of Royals outfielder Alex Gordon

Royals outfielder Alex Gordon announced his retirement on Thursday after 14 years with the team.

Across the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot, over at Kauffman Stadium, longtime Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon announced his retirement on Thursday after 14 years with the team.

Gordon was selected by the Royals as the second overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft after a standout career at the University of Nebraska. He’d go through some tough sledding early in his career, but he rallied to become a three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner and he became a World Series series champion in 2015.

During Thursday’s media availability, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and HC Andy Reid spoke about Gordon’s career and legacy. Mahomes, who bought into the Royals ownership group over the summer, believes that Gordon blazed the trail for players like him in Kansas City.

“He’s done everything the right way his entire career,” Mahomes said. “The amount of gold gloves that he’s won, I’ve seen him dive around the outfield growing up… and throwing people out at the plate. He’s someone that set the example of how to be in the Kansas City community and lead his team to championships and do it the right way on and off the field.”

Reid too believed that Gordon did things the right way on and off the field.

“Yeah, a big-time fan of his,” Reid said. “I used to joke with Alex Smith that they looked like brothers and both of them played about as reckless as each other too. They’re both great, great athletes. But I’m happy for Alex (Gordon). He gets another chapter of his life here started and I know he’ll enjoy that. He’s a family guy and he’ll enjoy being around family and whatever else ventures into his life after this. But what a great career, he did it the right way. Kansas City was lucky to have him and he was lucky to have Kansas City.”

Kansas City sure was lucky to have Gordon, from the diving catches in the outfield to his legendary work ethic and commitment to the community off the field. His presence will be missed, but his legacy won’t be forgotten by either the Royals or the Chiefs.

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Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Indians odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Indians matchup, with MLB betting predictions, picks and best bets.

The Kansas City Royals visit the division rival Cleveland Indians Friday at Progressive Field for a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch. We analyze the Royals-Indians MLB betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Royals at Indians: Projected starting pitchers

LHP Danny Duffy vs. RHP Shane Bieber

Duffy was 7-6 with a 4.34 ERA, 115 K’s and 1.31 WHIP in 2019.

  • Duffy went 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA across two starts vs. Cleveland in 2019.
  • The southpaw posted a 5-5 record with a 4.99 ERA and allowed 14 homers in 83 innings across 15 evening starts last season.

Bieber emerged as the Indians’ ace in 2019, registering a 15-8 record, 3.28 ERA and 259 strikeouts with a 1.05 WHIP in 34 appearances (33 starts).

  • Bieber’s 259 strikeouts ranked third in the majors, while he was 15th in ERA.
  • Bieber won his only decision vs. Kansas City but posted a marginal 4.50 ERA and .279 opponent batting average in three starts across 18 innings.

Baseball season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an MLB bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

Royals at Indians: Key injuries

(List of injuries around the league)

Royals

  • C Cam Gallagher has been designated for the COVID-19 injured list after testing positive, and his return date is unclear.

Indians

  • CF Delino DeShields is also on the 10-day injured list, as the team wants him to have extra time to recover from his bout with coronavirus. OFs Jordan Luplow (back) and Tyler Naquin (toe) are questionable for the opener.

Royals at Indians: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Indians 5, Royals 2

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. The Indians (-209) should get off on the right foot with their ace on the hill, but risking more than two times your potential return is not a recommended strategy, especially for Game 1. You’re better off looking to the run line.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Indians (-209) to win straight up nets a return of just $4.78 if they do so.

Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

Play the INDIANS (-1.5, -110) on the run line, as they look to start out victorious on their home field. While there will not be any fans in the stands at Progressive Field to spur them on, the familiarity of their home park combined with an inferior opponent should mean a successful opener for the Tribe. The Royals are a dismal 9-27 in their past 36 trips to Cleveland.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 8.5 (-110) is the recommended play, although it will be a close shave. The Under has hit in four of the previous five head-to-head meetings in Northeast Ohio, and with the strangeness of the COVID-19 late start and rust, look for plenty of Under results early on until teams get their sea legs.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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2020 MLB Futures Odds: How many games will the Kansas City Royals win?

Looking at 2020 MLB futures odds for how many games the Kansas City Royals will win in the 60-game MLB season.

How many games will the Kansas City Royals win in the 60-game 2020 MLB season? We look at the Royals‘ MLB futures odds, including their projected 2020 win total and Over/Under odds at BetMGM, and make our best bet.

Kansas City Royals’ 2019 recap

The Royals recorded a poor .364 win percentage in 2019, as both their 59 wins and -178 run differential were 4th worst in all of baseball. Some bad luck played at least a small role, as they were just 15-25 in one-run games.

An offense that ranked 14th in the American League in runs scored is where most of the blame lies.

Kansas City Royals’ offseason

It was a rather quiet offseason for the Royals, so the team will be relying on most of the same core in 2020. OF Alex Gordon briefly became a free agent, but ended up coming back on a one-year deal. 3B Maikel Franco, who hit 17 home runs in 428 plate appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019, was also signed to a one-year deal.

The rest of the moves by the Kansas City front office were small and centered around adding some arms. They acquired right-hander Chance Adams from the New York Yankees in December and signed Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland to minor-league deals.

Also see:

Kansas City Royals’ 2020 schedule

Schedules will be heavily weighted with divisional play this season. Teams will play each team in their own division 10 times, which will account for two-thirds of the schedule, The Royals went 31-45 against AL Central opponents in 2019, which was good for a .408 win percentage.

The rest of the schedule will be against teams from the National League Central. This will include six games against the St. Louis Cardinals, four against the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, and three apiece against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers. The Royals will kick things off July 24th against the Cleveland Indians, and wrap things up with a seven-game homestand against the Cardinals and Detroit Tigers August 21 through 27.

Baseball season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

How many games will the Kansas City Royals win in 2020?

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, July 7 at 12:20 p.m. ET.

The Royals’ win total currently sits at 23.5, with both the Over and Under carrying -110 odds. It seems like a pretty fair line, one in which they are likely to fall within a few games on either side when all is said and done.

Getting to 24 wins would require a .400 winning percentage, something that seems within reach with just a little better fortune in the one-run games. The OVER (-110) looks like the side to take in this case.

Kansas City Royals’ World Series odds

The Royals are +50000 to win the World Series in 2020, meaning a $100 bet would return a profit of $50,000.

Even in a shortened season where there will be more randomness and noise, the Royals don’t really stand a chance to go all the way. It’s best to look elsewhere for value on World Series odds.

Kansas City Royals’ playoff odds

The Royals are currently +8000 to win the American League Central, so a $100 bet would return $8,000. There’s no doubt they are heavy underdogs, but the Royals have a better chance of hanging in there over a 60-game season than they would over a full 162-game schedule.

While the result is highly unlikely, the Royals probably stand better than an 80 to 1 chance of taking home the divisional crown. Therefore, this may be worth a small play if you’re looking to gamble on a long shot.

Want action on any 2020 MLB futures? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Chiefs should follow Royals, create ‘Fanbassador’ program if fans can’t attend games

This would be a fun alternative for the Kansas City Chiefs if fans aren’t able to attend games in 2020.

If fans are unable to attend NFL games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas City Chiefs should borrow an idea from their neighbors across the parking lot at the Truman Sports Complex.

The Kansas City Royals recently announced that season ticket holders would have the chance to become a “Fanbassador” and order a plastic cutout of their likeness to be displayed in a seat at Kauffman Stadium. The cutout will cost $40 dollars and some of the proceeds will benefit the Royals Respond Fund, which supports Kansas City area nonprofits organizations fighting hunger during the coronavirus pandemic.

While the MLB will resume their 2020 season without fans, the NFL is pushing full-steam ahead with the goal of having fans at games in 2020. The most recent reports say the league is considering having fans sign a coronavirus liability waiver in order to attend games.

The NFL still has some details to iron out ahead of the season, but we don’t yet know for certain if fans will be allowed in Arrowhead Stadium for the 2020 season. Even if the NFL allows fans, this “Fanbassador” program could be a nice opportunity for the Chiefs to help fans who want to show their support for the team but aren’t willing to risk their health and safety. If a portion of the proceeds went to a good cause, it’d make it an even more worthwhile endeavor for the team.

If you were unable to attend games in 2020 would you purchase a plastic cutout of your likeness to have in Arrowhead Stadium? Be sure to let us know your thoughts and share the photo you would use on Facebook, Twitter and the Chiefs Wire forums.

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Royals announce schedule change to potentially accommodate Chiefs’ home opener

Mark Thursday, September 10th in your calendar for the Chiefs’ 2020 home opener.

The Kansas City Royals are changing some dates to potentially accommodate their neighbors across the parking lot at the Truman Sports Complex.

The NFL typically has the defending Super Bowl champion open the NFL season with a Thursday Night Football home game. Because of that common theme, the suspected date for the Kansas City Chiefs to open the 2020 NFL season is Thursday, Sept. 10. There was a problem with that date, though. The Royals were originally scheduled to play a game against the Oakland Athletics in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, the Royals announced scheduling changes, creating a doubleheader on Tuesday, Sept. 8 and freeing up Thursday for the Chiefs.

The two Kansas City franchises have collaborated on scheduling issues in the past. The Royals and Chiefs share parking lots at the Truman Sports Complex, and managing games at the same time can be difficult because of that. This change will free up the parking lot for both fanbases.

Given the Royals went through the trouble of changing their schedule, and mentioned the Chiefs potentially opening the season on Sept. 10 in their press release, expect that to be the case. The question everyone now wants to know the answer to: Who will the Chiefs open the 2020 season playing against? The NFL typically reveals their schedule in mid-April, so we should know the answer in just over a month’s time.