Royals’ fast-food dominance includes crushing it in the Sonic Slam inning
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- Hawaiian Bros promotion has resulted in more than 40,000 free meals for fans this season.
- The Royals have scored 28 runs in the sixth inning, second most in MLB.
- Kansas City leads MLB with 11 sixth-inning home runs and a .937 OPS.
Royals fans have eaten well this season.
Thanks to a Hawaiian Bros promotion, Royals fans have received more than 40,000 free meals since the start of April. When the team scores six runs in a home game, Royals fans get a free plate if they are part of the loyalty program.
It’s caused quite a stir among fans, who barely missed out on another free meal Tuesday in the Royals’ 5-3 win over the Guardians.
But Hawaiian Bros is not the only fast-food chain that’s been a boon to Royals fans thanks to the team’s batters.
The Sonic Slam Inning has been around for over two decades, but there have seemed to be more winners this year. A contestant doesn’t need a Royals player to hit a grand slam to win, although that does trigger the $25,000 grand prize.
A contestant is guaranteed at least $100 if a player hits a home run, and that was the case Tuesday when Isaac Collins went yard against the Guardians.
On Monday, Jac Caglianone hit a home run in the sixth inning and made a winner of another Royals fan. On Friday night, Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino each hit a home run in the sixth inning of the Royals’ 7-6 win at Seattle, which was doubly nice for a fan.
And don’t forget that Jonathan India hit a grand slam in the sixth inning on April 1, and Kevin Younger of Pittsburg, Kansas, won $25,000.
“When that ball went over the left field fence, it was just, I mean, just screaming … 25 grand,” Younger told KSNF-TV.
Unfortunately for Sonic, the sixth inning has been the Royals’ most productive frame of the season.
They have scored 28 runs in the sixth inning, second only to the Yankees’ 29. The next-best innings in terms of runs for the Royals are the fourth and seventh (24).
The Royals lead Major League Baseball by a wide margin in home runs in the sixth inning with 11. That is three more than Atlanta and the Yanks. The Royals’ 26 RBIs are tied for the most in the sixth inning, and KC has a league-best .937 OPS. The Pirates are second (.858).
Additionally, the Royals have drawn the second-most walks (23) in the sixth inning, trailing only the Cubs (26).
Why the success in the sixth inning? It could be because the Royals’ lineup often faces a starting pitcher for the third time. Or, perhaps deep down, the Royals players know what’s at stake for fans in the sixth inning.
Whatever the case, the Royals have been crushing it this season when it comes to fast-food promotions.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 8:57 AM with the headline "Royals’ fast-food dominance includes crushing it in the Sonic Slam inning."
