Royals at a Glance: June 2021 Preview

The Kansas City Royals (26-26) enter the month of June with a .500 record. The Royals find themselves just 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.

Kansas City will open the month of June be finishing a two-game set with the Pirates, followed by a four-game series with the Twins. Kansas City will then hit the road for a 7-game West Coast trip with the Angels and A’s before returning home to face the Tigers and Red Sox.

In all, Kansas City will play just 11 home games in June, eight of which will come against teams with losing records.


Royals Home Games | June 2021

DateTimeGamePromoTickets
June 1st7:10 p.m.vs. PiratesN/ATICKETS
June 3rd7:10 p.m.vs. TwinsLou Gehrig DayTICKETS
June 4th7:10 p.m.vs. TwinsJorge “Soler Power” Bobblehead (First 15,000 fans) | Buck Night | Summer FireworksTICKETS
June 5th3:10 p.m.vs. TwinsWhit Merrifield “Hit Counter” Bobblehead (First 15,000 fans)TICKETS
June 6th1:10 p.m.vs. TwinsFamily Funday SundayTICKETS
June 14th7:10 p.m.vs. TigersN/ATICKETS
June 15th7:10 p.m.vs. TigersT-Shirt Tuesday | Nurse Appreciation NightTICKETS
June 16th1:10 p.m.vs. TigersN/ATICKETS
June 18th7:10 p.m.vs. Red Sox
Buck Night | Summer Fireworks
TICKETS
June 19th3:10 p.m.vs. Red Sox
1970 Away Jersey (First 10,000 fans)
TICKETS
June 20th1:10 p.m.vs. Red Sox
Family Funday Sunday
TICKETS

Pitching at a Glance

Kansas City’s pitching staff has done its job through 52 games despite key injuries to Kyle Zimmer, Josh Staumont and Danny Duffy. Zimmer was one of Kansas City’s most reliable arms before an injury forced him to miss a few weeks, while Duffy was among the league leaders in ERA before going on the IL with a forearm strain. Staumont just recently went on the IL with a knee strain, as well.

From a starting pitching standpoint, Brad Keller and Mike Minor have been very solid of late, and Kris Bubic has provided a big spark to the rotation after starting the season at AAA. Overall, Kansas City’s pitching staff has been good, but the Royals could take a big step forward if the staff can limit walks. Their 211 walks are the fourth-most in the majors this season.

Kris Bubic: 7 G (3 GS) | 1-0 | 1.52 ERA | 29.2 IP | 22 K/14 BB | 1.11 WHIP

Brad Keller: 11 GS | 5-4 | 5.68 ERA | 50.2 IP | 46 K/25BB | 1.74 WHIP

Mike Minor: 11 GS | 4-2 | 4.65 ERA | 60 IP | 68 K/22 BB | 1.22 WHIP

Scott Barlow: 25 G | 2-1 | 2.00 ERA | 27 IP | 41 K/12 BB | 1.19 WHIP | 9 Holds

Jake Brentz: 26 G | 1-0 | 2.19 ERA | 24.2 IP | 26 K/17 BB | 1.22 WHIP | 5 Holds


Hitting at a Glance

Kansas City’s bats went ice cold for a time in the month of May, leading to a long 11-game losing streak for the team. The team has picked it up at the plate recently, though, averaging 6.5 runs per game over their last four games heading into June.

Much of Kansas City’s success of late can be attributed to the return of Adalberto Mondesi, who is batting .360 with five extra base hits in his first seven games since coming off the injured list. His presence in the lineup has sparked others as well, including Whit Merrifield and Carlos Santana.

Adalberto Mondesi: 7 G | .360 AVG (9-25) | 3 2B | 2 HR | 5 RBI | 1.080 OPS

Andrew Benintendi: 49 G | .288 AVG (51-177) | 5 2B | 4 HR | 18 RBI | 17 BB | .347 OBP

Carlos Santana: 52 G | .250 AVG (44-176) | 4 2B | 10 HR | 34 RBI | 38 BB | .382 OBP

Salvador Perez: 52 G | .276 AVG (56-203) | 11 2B | 10 HR | 33 RBI | .783 OPS

Whit Merrifield: 52 G | .250 AVG (50-200) | 13 2B | 4 HR | 28 RBI | 15 SB | 33 R


Keys to June Success

There are a lot of factors that will lead to success for the Royals in June, but the most important is the health of Adalberto Mondesi. Mondesi has been a lightning rod since returning from an oblique injury, showing the same flashes of stardom that he showed at the tail end of the shortened 2020 season. If he can stay healthy and prove to be a pivotal, consistent piece of the lineup, the offense should be strong moving forward.

The Royals will also need to survive a few tough road trips in June. The West Coast road trip that runs from June 7-13 includes three games against the Angels and four against Oakland. Their other road trip is a 10-game trip that includes three against the Yankees and four against the Red Sox with three games against the Rangers sandwiched in, all with no off days.


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