About to embark on shortened 2020 season, Royals announce their MLB schedule for 2021
With perhaps the most unusual season in baseball history about to unfold, the Royals released their 2021 schedule Thursday hoping for a bit more normalcy in the year to come.
The Royals and the rest of Major League Baseball begin their 2020 season July 23-24 — KC’s first game is July 24 in Cleveland — with each team playing 60 games instead of the usual 162.
The 162-game season the Royals unveiled Thursday for 2021 looks a lot more like what fans are accustomed to seeing during non-pandemic times.
The Royals’ opening day in 2021 is scheduled for Thursday, April 1 at Kauffman Stadium against the Texas Rangers, marking the fifth time in seven years the Royals will open a season at home, and the first time since 2016 they’ll open against an opponent from outside the AL Central.
The Royals will complete their season-opening series in 2021 against the Rangers on Easter Sunday, April 4, at The K.
The Royals’ 2021 schedule also includes three I-70 series games against the St. Louis Cardinals: at Busch Stadium Aug. 6-8 and home against the Redbirds on Aug. 13-15.
The Royals’ other 14 Interleague games will be played over six series, including three at home and three on the road against the NL Central — the second consecutive season that KC will face all five NL Central opponents.
- home vs. Milwaukee May 18-19
- home vs. Pittsburgh May 31-June 1
- home vs. Cincinnati July 5-7
- at Pittsburgh April 27-28
- at Milwaukee July 20-21
- at the Chicago Cubs Aug. 20-22.
Here are the Royals’ holiday games:
- home vs. the Chicago White Sox on Mother’s Day, May 9
- home vs. Pittsburgh on Memorial Day, May 31
- home vs. Boston on Father’s Day, June 20)
- home vs. Minnesota on Independence Day, July 4
- at Baltimore for Labor Day, on Sept. 6.
The All-Star break is July 12-15, 2021, and will include the 91st MLB All-Star Game July 13 at Truist Park in Atlanta.
In terms of month-by-month breakdown, the Royals will play host to 81 games at Kauffman in 2021, including 13 in April, 13 in May, 11 in June, 16 in July, 11 in August, 14 in September and three in October.
They’ll have two 10-game homestands: April 12-21 vs. Los Angeles, Toronto and Tampa Bay, and Aug. 9-19 vs. New York, St. Louis and Houston.
They’ll embark on four three-city trips next year, including nine games in 10 days from April 23-May 2 at Detroit, at Pittsburgh and at Minnesota; 10 games in 10 days from June 22-July 1 at New York, Texas and Boston; nine games in 10 days from July 30-Aug. 8 at Toronto, at the Chicago White Sox and at St. Louis; and 10 games in 10 days from Aug. 20-29 at the Chicago Cubs, at Houston and at Seattle.
All game times and promotions will be announced later.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 12:40 PM with the headline "About to embark on shortened 2020 season, Royals announce their MLB schedule for 2021."