What to know about 2024 Royals Opening Day

Baseball begins Thursday!

Baseball season is back and Royals fans have reason to be hopeful for the first time in several years with a legit MVP candidate in Bobby Witt Jr., a Cy Young Award candidate in Cole Ragans, and one of the bigger spending sprees in free agency this off-season.

The Royals will begin the 2024 season on Thursday, March 28 at 3:10 CT against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Here’s what you need to know about Opening Day.

Team Workout

First, there will be a team workout open to the public at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, March 27. Gates open at 2:30 at Gate D, and the workout will take place from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Owner John Sherman, pitcher Cole Ragans, and manager Matt Quatraro will also take questions from the media. Admission and parking is free, and concessions and the team store will be open for sales to the public. Fans will need a ticket, which can be obtained here.

Opening Day

The Royals host the Twins for the season opener, with Cole Ragans tabbed for his Opening Day assignment against Twins pitcher Pablo López.

The parking lot at the Truman Sports Complex will open at 9 a.m. with gates at the stadium 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. Parking is $20 and must be purchased in advance. You can obtain a parking pass here.

Kauffman Stadium will feature pre-game music from local band Lost Wax at the Miller Lite Fountain Bar Deck in left field, as well as music from DJ Code P. The first 30,000 fans will receive a free Bobby Witt Jr. Bobblehead. The team will hand out 2023 organization awards in pre-game ceremonies and Chiefs coach Andy Reid will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The national anthem will be performed by Lost Wax members Patrick Woolam and Shelby Winfrey.

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 throughout the stadium.

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.

Eats and drinks

Kauffman Stadium has added Buffalo State Pizza Company (Sections 234 and 252) and Italian Sausage Company (Section 234) to its food options this season. Buffalo State offers a specialty pizza called the Royal Q, featuring roasted smoked chicken, black olives, red onion, mushrooms, and a tangy BBQ sauce. Sections 216 and the Diamond Club will also feature an expanded KCQ, which features a rotating selection of offerings from local BBQ pitmasters.

Kauffman Stadium still features restaurants like Craft and Draft on the third base side and Rivals Sports Bar with the Blue Moon Taproom in right field. The Pepsi Porch has been rebranded as the QuikTrip Fountain Deck, as Coca-Cola is now the official beverage of Kauffman Stadium. The Royals also have a new hot dog partnership, and will sell Vienna Beef dogs all summer.

In left field, you can sit in the Miller Lite Fountain Bar or the Price Chopper Patio. The Outfield Experience also has tables and benches to sit on with nearby eating options like the Barbeque Pit sponsored by Sweet Baby Ray’s, the Quirk Station featuring Boulevard beer, Bullpen Burger, Tenders, Love and Chicken (TLC), Belfonte’s Ice Cream, and the Price Chopper Market Place. You can find a complete dining guide for Kauffman Stadium here.

How to watch on TV and streaming

The game will be one of 161 games that air on Bally Sports Kansas City with Rex Hudler and Ryan Lefebvre on the call. Bally Sports Kansas City is available on most cable and satellite providers in the area, including Cox, Spectrum, AT&T U-Verse, Xfinity, DirecTV, and Fubo. Pre-game coverage starts at 2 p.m. CT with the Price Chopper Royals Live pre-game show and the game will be followed by the Rally House Royals Live, both hosted by Joel Goldberg and Jeff Montgomery.

Cord-cutters can stream Bally Sports Kansas City through Fubo, but not YouTubeTV, Hulu, or SlingTV. Games are also available through the direct-to-consumer streaming option Bally Sports Plus for $19.99 per month, $105.99 for the entire Royals season, or $189.99 for the entire year. A potential deal to put Bally Sports Kansas City on Amazon is still subject to approval from a bankruptcy court.

For those out of the Kansas City Royals territorial market, you can watch games through MLB.TV for $29.99 per month of $149.99 for the entire season, subject to blackout restrictions. T-Mobile customers can get a free year-long subscription. You can also listen to games on radio with Jake Eisenberg and Hall of Famer Denny Matthews on 610 Sports in Kansas City and the Royals Radio network.

Anyone planning on going to Opening Day?