The Kansas City Royals are set to face the Baltimore Orioles in the 2024 MLB American League Wild Card Series, which promises to be an exciting battle. Ahead of the showdown, Royals manager Matt Quatraro sent a message to his players.
Following the Royals’ final regular-season game, a 4-2 road win over the Atlanta Braves, Quatraro praised his team for their hard work and how deserving they are of making the playoffs.
“They deserve, the way this year’s gone, to go out with a win for the regular season and close that chapter of it. But now, we start a brand new season,” Quatraro said, adding that winning the final stretch of games was crucial.
Looking ahead to the series against the Orioles, which will begin in Baltimore, Quatraro acknowledged the quality of the opposition. He noted that while the location wasn’t a significant factor, his primary concern was ensuring that the families of Royals players could attend the games.
“Very unique. Truthfully, I didn’t care which place we went. We know we are going to face a very good team regardless, both present interesting challenges. But we’re rolling the dice for our guys. It’s more for our families and everyone who’s not here yet, meeting us—that was the uncertainty.”
Kansas City Royals in the 2024 MLB Season
The Royals had a solid start to the 2024 season, finishing March and April with an 18-13 record, followed by a strong May at 17-11. June was a tough month (12-15), but the team bounced back in July (13-10) and August (15-13). However, September ended on a down note at 11-14.
Despite the ups and downs, Quatraro successfully led the Royals back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They finished second in the AL Central, behind Cleveland and ahead of Detroit.