Which teams does Kansas City have an advantage over?

A lot has changed since the KC Royals last competed in the postseason. One of the biggest changes was the expansion of the playoff field from 10 to 12 teams. Now the top three division winners and three wild card teams from the AL and NL make the playoffs. Whether you like this change or not, the Royals are definitely benefiting from it this year.

The KC Royals have mixed results regarding the MLB playoff tiebreakers

However, this change also had procedural consequences. The exciting Game 163 tiebreaker is now a thing of the past, replaced by the expanded playoff field. Instead, multiple tiebreaker criteria are now used to determine the final MLB playoff teams.

A scenario in which the Royals need a tiebreaker may seem unlikely, but it's better to have one than none. Tiebreakers can determine the last wild card spot, postseason seeding, and even the division winner. Although there are five factors that decide a tiebreaker, the first is usually the deciding factor.

The easiest way to resolve a tie is to check the season series between the teams. If Team A and Team B are tied for first place in the division and Team A wins the series 11-7, Team A is declared the division winner. The same rule applies if the Royals are in a wild card race.

Let's analyze each team in the AL postseason and see which teams Kansas City has that unique edge over and which it doesn't.

KC Royals record against: New York Yankees (2-5)

As of September 19, the New York Yankees have held the top seed in the AL and are virtually guaranteed a first-round bye. It would take an unlikely collapse of their regular-season record for their seeding to suffer.

KC Royals record against: Cleveland Indians (8-5)

The Cleveland Guardians secured their spot in the postseason with a win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. They have a big lead over the Royals and Twins in the battle for the AL Central crown and are also seeded second in the AL. FanGraphs gives Kansas City a 0.1% chance of winning the division, so this tiebreaker is void.

KC Royals record against: Houston Astros (3-4)

Kansas City led the series 3-0 before that disastrous four-game series in Houston in August, a series that cemented the Astros' dominance in the AL West.

KC Royals record against: Baltimore Orioles (2-4)

This is an exciting deciding factor, as it could ultimately determine where the Royals play in October. The Baltimore Orioles have slowed down in September but still hold the top Wild Card spot. After their win on Thursday, Baltimore is three games ahead of the Royals in the Wild Card standings.

KC Royals record against: Minnesota Twins (6-7)

The Royals' recent series against the Minnesota Twins helped them keep a wild card spot, but wasn't enough to win the entire season series. Minnesota will have to take care of the Tigers before they can overtake the Royals, but if they can somehow do that, the Twins can rest easy with that tiebreaker.

KC Royals record against: Detroit Tigers (7-6)

The Detroit Tigers came to Kauffman Stadium and swept the Royals, putting them in the running for the postseason. Overall, however, the Royals were competitive, securing seven wins in their first ten meetings with Detroit.

KC Royals record against: Seattle Mariners (3-3)

The Seattle Mariners are far from the Wild Card rankings, but they are not mathematically eliminated. If they somehow manage to come back, they will have the only relevant season tie with the Royals. In that case, the tiebreaker would shift to which team has the better division record.

The Mariners have looked solid in the AL West with a 25-18 record. Unfortunately for them, Kansas City dominated the AL Central, posting a 33-19 record – the best intradivisional mark of any MLB team this year.

KC Royals record against: Boston Red Sox (2-4)

A month ago, the Boston Red Sox were Kansas City's biggest rivals for a wild card spot. But with a 23-33 record after the All-Star break, their playoff chances are in jeopardy. While Boston has the edge in the season series, Kansas City will have bigger problems if the Red Sox somehow get back into the playoff race.

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