The Royals are set to open the 2027 season at home on March 25 against the Minnesota Twins, giving Kansas City the earliest Opening Day in franchise history - as long as there isn’t a work stoppage.
MLB released the 2027 schedule today, and the date marks a slight jump from 2026, when the Royals began on March 26. Kansas City will start the year at Kauffman Stadium with the Twins and White Sox coming in, then head out on the road to St. Louis for a meeting with the Cardinals before a quick West Coast trip to face the Angels.
That home opener also continues a familiar pattern for the Royals. They’ll begin at home for the tenth time in 13 years, and it will be the seventh time they’ve opened against Minnesota.
The rest of the home slate against National League opponents includes the Pirates from April 9-11, Reds from May 3-5, Nationals from May 18-20, Braves from May 21-23, Mets from June 7-9, Cardinals from July 16-18, Rockies from August 3-5, and Dodgers from September 3-5. The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 13 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Game times and promotions will be announced later.
The biggest cloud hanging over all of it is labor uncertainty. The Collective Bargaining Agreement expires after the 2026 season, and negotiations between owners and players have already been contentious. Owners are reportedly determined to push for a salary cap, which the union has made clear is a non-starter.
Baseball is continuing with its balanced schedule, in which every team plays every other team in the league. The Royals will play:
In Other News...
Royals Just Reached A Trade Deadline Crossroads Fans Feared
The All-Star break arrived with the Royals stuck at 38-59, a record that leaves them tied for the worst mark in baseball and forces a hard look at where this season is headed. Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone have given Kansas City some bright spots, but the roster around them has been battered by injuries to key arms and late-inning pieces, and the club has spent most of the summer trying to patch holes instead of climbing the standings.
Kansas Citys deficit in the division and wild-card race has made a postseason push look remote, which is why the next few weeks feel so important for the front office. With the Aug. 3 deadline approaching, the Royals are in no position to buy, and general manager J.J. Picollo could be faced with deciding whether to move multiple veterans and reset around the younger core rather than keep waiting for a turnaround that has not materialized. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Face A Franchise Shaping Deadline Decision Again
The Royals are once again being asked to decide whether to think short-term or keep leaning into the long view at the trade deadline. After spending the last few years trying to build a sturdier base, the front office is weighing whether to chase young, controllable talent that fits the roster for 2027 and beyond, even if it means parting with pieces that help now.
That kind of move can make sense on paper, but it also comes with real consequences for a club that still has to cover innings in the present. Kansas City already has a thin rotation to manage, and the organization is also trying to nurture upside from within, including high school pitcher Jack Slightom, the 6-foot-5 right-hander it took with the No. 56 pick and one of the more intriguing arms in the system after he touched 98 mph. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Late Draft Pick Carries More Weight Than Fans Realize
The Royals 19th-round choice of Hudson DeVaughan was never just about adding another arm to the system. Kansas City has leaned into an underslot draft strategy, saving money early so it can chase prep talent later, and DeVaughan fits that larger puzzle as a right-handed pitcher with real upside and enough raw stuff to make the pick worth remembering. An Alabama commit with a fastball that helped him climb the board this spring, he gives the Royals another lottery ticket in a draft class built around flexibility.
Hudson DeVaughan also gives Kansas City a little insurance if the rest of the class doesnt break the way the club hopes. Late picks like this often live in the margins of draft coverage, but this one carries more weight because of what it could unlock elsewhere, whether that means extra room to get other young players signed or simply a fallback if the money gets tight. Even if he never becomes the headline, the Royals clearly saw enough in the arm to make him part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]