The boys are back in town! The Royals come home from their season-opening series in Atlanta to begin the home portion of their schedule. They will host the Twins for a three-game set, beginning on Monday, March 30 at 3:10 CT. Here is what you need to know!
Heading out to the K today? Parking lots open at 9 a.m., with general parking admission set at $21. You can obtain a parking pass here. Gates open at noon. The Royals typically take batting practice from 12:25 to 1:25 p.m. with the visiting team
allowed to hit from 1:30 to 2:25 p.m. Opening Day ceremonies will begin at 2:30. The National Anthem will be performed by America’s Got Talent Season 20 quarterfinalists “CitiLimitz” along with a flyover from Whiteman Air Force Base A-10s. First pitch will be at 3:10.
Kris Bubic will start for the Royals against Simeon Woods Richardson. The Royals bring back most of the squad that finished 82-80 last year, including Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez, who are all coming off terrific performances in the World Baseball Classic. The Royals added some new bats such as Isaac Collins, Starling Marte, and Lane Thomas. They also added bullpen help with Matt Strahm, Nick Mears, and Kansas City native Alex Lange. The Royals are counting on the development of two young bats – Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone.
The K may look slightly different to fans. The team moved in the fences in left-center and right-center by ten feet, from 389 to 379. The left- and right-field corners are being pulled in nine feet, from 356 and 353 feet, respectively, to 347 and 344 feet. The fences are also being lowered from ten feet to 8 1/2 feet in most places.
The weather is looking fantastic for the home opener, with first pitch temperatures expected to be over 80 with some winds up to 30 mph.
Stadium policies
The Royals allow only clear bags no more than 12” x 12” x 6” with all items inside easily visible, with exceptions made for small clutch bags no bigger than 9″ x 5″, diaper bags, or bags required for medical reasons.
Vendors do not accept cash, and will only take credit cards. You can exchange cash for cards at reverse ATMs located in the Plaza Team Store, sections 221 and 234, in the outfield behind Crown Vison, and sections 419 and 423.
Banners and signs are permitted so long as they do not block the view of others, interfere with the game, carry advertising, present a safety hazard, or contain political or obscene material.
Check out the Kauffman Stadium guide for more information.
How to watch on TV and streaming
Royals games, including the home opener, will air on Royals.TV, part of the MLB.TV umbrella. If you live in Royals territory, the cheapest way to watch Royals games is to buy the Royals.TV package for $19.99 per month of $99.99 per year. That gets you streaming access to all Royals games without any blackout restrictions. You can also buy the $199.99 Royals.TV + MLB.TV package which provides access to all Royals games without any blackout restrictions and every other MLB game. Today’s game, and nine others will air for simulcast free on over-the-air KCTV5 in Kansas City.
Royals.TV is also available on several cable and satellite platforms such as DirecTV and Comcast. Ryan Lefebvre, Rex Hudler, Jake Eisenberg, Jeremy Guthrie, Joel Goldberg, and Jeff Montgomery all return, with Eric Hosmer joining the crew to fill in as an analyst for some games, and Bridget Howard joining as a sideline reporter.
Are you planning at being at the home opener?
