The Kansas City Royals are searching for their first World Series championship since 2015. After sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card Series of the 2024 MLB playoffs, Kansas City must now face the top-seeded New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

J.J. Picollo was mere weeks into taking over as Kansas City’s top baseball decision maker. This, he knew, he had to get right. What Picollo wanted wasn’t necessarily someone he knew or had worked with, often the case in professional baseball hirings. For Kansas City to truly transform, it had to get uncomfortable.

Yankees: Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 99 strikeouts) BOTTOM LINE: The New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals meet in Game 1 of the ALDS. New York has a 44-37 record at home and a 94-68 record overall.

This American League Division Series was only a few days away, and Alex Verdugo still couldn’t speak with any authority about his role on the Yankees' roster, responding with a verbal shrug. He had lost playing time in the final month of the regular season,