Kansas City Royals Make Baseball Bettors Take Notice

On Monday night, the Kansas City Royals recorded their Major League Baseball-leading ninth inning in which they scored as many as five runs. By the end of the night, they were winners for the 30th time this season. Last year, they didn’t get to win number 30 until July.

Kansas City’s win in the series opener against the Detroit Tigers put them 11 games over .500. The last time they were as many as 10 games over .500 was 2015. You may remember that the 2015 season ended with the Royals as World Series champions.

When the season began, the Royals were paying +6000 to win the American League pennant. That ranked 12th in the league. Today, they are +1800, which is still great value as the eighth-shortest odds on the board. The Royals have the third-most wins in the American League, only trailing the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.

The preseason win total for the Royals was 73.5. Now, a bet on Kansas City to get to as many as 80 wins pays only -450. They are on pace to win 99 games, which admittedly does feel higher than their current season suggests. But a bet on them to win as many as 90 games still comes with great value, paying +340. That ranks them seventh in the American League.

When Kansas City won the World Series in 2015, they finished the regular season with 95 wins.

Bobby Witt Jr. an MVP Favorite

In a little talked-about move at the time it happened in February, the Royals locked up shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with an 11-year, $288.8 million contract, with three more years at the end as a team option. It was even largely ignored in Kansas City, because it happened the same week the Kansas City Chiefs were preparing for the Super Bowl.

It is going to go down as one of the best moves in franchise history. 

Witt doesn’t turn 24 until next month, and last year, in just his second season, he became the first Royal in history to reach 30-30 (finishing with 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases). He also led the majors with 11 triples.

When this season began, Witt was paying +1540 to win the MVP. Now he is paying +300, which is second only to Juan Soto of the New York Yankees at +225.

Witt’s home run total is only five. But he’s on pace to set career marks in doubles, triples, runs scored (he leads MLB), and stolen bases. His 3.0 in WAR ranks fifth in baseball, just behind Shohei Ohtani’s 3.1.

Rest of May Presents Challenge

The Royals current four-game winning streak has come against the Oakland A’s and Detroit Tigers. After finishing their three-game series with Detroit, the Royals go on the road on Friday for three games at the Tampa Bay Rays, then four games at the Minnesota Twins. They then return home to face the San Diego Padres.

Those are three good teams spanning 10 games, and if the Royals can complete the stretch and still be at least 10 games over .500, this is going to be an exciting summer in Kansas City.