The Royals’ playoff chances are slim. But history says it’s not impossible
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals trail final AL Wild Card spot by 6.5 games with 12 remaining to play.
- Team must sweep series and replicate 2007 Rockies’ late-season playoff push.
- Veteran pitchers Wacha and Ragans anchor final stretch in do-or-die scenario.
The Kansas City Royals are facing an uphill battle. From the outside, it seems like their playoff chances are all but finished. There aren’t too many examples of a modern-day Major League Baseball team running the table.
But the Royals will have to do just that. KC entered Tuesday 6 ½ games behind the Houston Astros for the final American League Wild Card spot with 12 games to play. The Royals would have to get on an epic hot streak to leapfrog at least three teams in the standings.
Those aren’t favorable odds.
However, the Royals pride themselves on being a resilient team. Inside the clubhouse, players have echoed the same sentiment: “We’ve got to find a way.”
On Tuesday, general manager J.J. Picollo championed a similar message. He called the remaining schedule a critical stretch for the organization.
“These next 12 games are really important for this franchise,” Picollo said. “We need to play well and we need to approach it like a playoff series because we are in a do-or-die situation. So, we need to (not only) win series but (also) sweep some series, too.”
The Royals welcomed the Seattle Mariners to Kauffman Stadium for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. A few weeks ago, the series was deemed uber-important for playoff consideration. Now, it’s taken a turn toward survival.
If the Royals want to make an improbable run, it starts with sweeping the red-hot Mariners. It’s a difficult task considering the Mariners (82-68) have won nine consecutive games to overtake the Astros in the AL West.
KC turned to veteran right-hander Michael Wacha on Tuesday. He returned from the seven-day concussion injured list. He missed time after sustaining a concussion during an off-field accident.
Wacha has led the Royals’ rotation all season. Now, he’s tasked with setting the tone for the final homestand against the Mariners and the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays this weekend.
“It’s been done before,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There’s been plenty of teams that have run the table or had a really good last couple of weeks. You’ve got an opportunity right here with a team that’s in first place. And you’ve got to start winning. You gotta keep doing it.”
So which teams have run the table in recent memory? Well, look no further than the 2007 Colorado Rockies.
In a lot of ways, the Royals and Rockies were very similar. Colorado sat at 76-72 on Sept. 16, 2007 and was also 6 ½ games back of a playoff spot. They trailed several teams and needed a hot stretch to reach the postseason.
The Rockies wound up winning 14 of 15 games — including 11 straight victories — to tie with the San Diego Padres. In Game 163, the Rockies defeated the Padres in a 13-inning classic to decide who would make the playoffs.
Each game mattered. And the Rockies rode that momentum all the way to the World Series before losing to the Boston Red Sox.
The Rockies were saying similar things with slim playoff hopes. They finished 20-8 in September and it granted them a chance.
The Royals have a similar path. If the club can win its final 12 games, it would finish with a 17-8 record in the final month.
Coincidence?
“There is no alternative, right,” Quatraro said. “I mean, you’re here to win every night. And you can’t do anything more than go out there and put it all on the line.”
The Royals’ upcoming slate includes the Mariners and Blue Jays this week. Then, KC hits the road for a six-game swing against the Los Angeles Angels and Athletics to conclude the 2025 campaign.
It will not be easy for the Royals. They sit at 75-75 and need a lot of help to reach October baseball. With key starters returning in Wacha and Cole Ragans, the Royals have the pitching to compete.
The bullpen is much improved and the defense plays well at Kauffman Stadium. However, a perfect storm is needed to even consider themselves a playoff team.
Yet somehow, it’s not impossible for lightning to strike again.
“We are going to keep competing and we are going to keep fighting because that’s who we are,” Picollo said. “Making the playoffs last year is one thing, but sustainability over many years is another thing. These 12 games are very much a part of sustainability.”
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 6:50 PM with the headline "The Royals’ playoff chances are slim. But history says it’s not impossible."
