Royals will open 2027 season with earliest Opening Day in franchise history

The Royals will begin the 2027 season earlier than they ever have before — provided there isn’t a work stoppage.

MLB revealed the 2027 schedules today, with the Royals opening at home on March 25 against the Minnesota Twins. This is the earliest in the calendar year the Royals have ever played a regular season game, with the 2026 season beginning on March 26. The Royals open the season with the Twins and White Sox coming to the K before going on the road to St. Louis to play the Cardinals, followed by a quick West Coast trip to play the Angels.

Among the National League teams that will visit Kansas City this year are the Pirates (April 9-11), Reds (May 3-5), Nationals (May 18-20), Braves (May 21-23), Mets (June 7-9), Cardinals (July 16-18), Rockies (August 3-5), and Dodgers (September 3-5). The All-Star Game will be held on July 13 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Game times and promotions will be announced at a later date.

Looming over the schedule is the prospect of a work stoppage. The Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at the conclusion of the 2026 season, and owners and players have already had contentious negotiations. Owners are reportedly resolute on imposing a salary cap, a non-starter for the union.

Baseball continues to use its balanced schedule where each team plays every other team in baseball. The Royals will play:

• 52 games vs. American League Central teams (13 games across 4 series vs. all 4 opponents)
• 62 league games vs. American League East and West teams (6-7 games vs. each opponent)
• 48 Interleague games (6 games vs. St. Louis and 3 games vs. all other NL teams)