Major League Baseball bringing viral challenge to Kauffman Stadium
BASEBALL IS BACK THIS WEEK. YOUR KANSAS CITY ROYALS START THE SEASON ON THE ROAD FRIDAY IN ATLANTA AHEAD OF TIME. THEY’VE BEEN BUSY WITH CAMP AND SOME INTERNATIONAL PLAY. OF COURSE, THE GOAL IS TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A DISAPPOINTING YEAR AFTER RETURNING TO THE PLAYOFFS IN 2024 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR LAST WORLD SERIES WIN, THINGS APPEAR TO BE LOOKING UP. YOU KNOW, 2025 DIDN’T QUITE PLAY OUT LIKE WE’D HOPED WITH THE BOYS IN BLUE ENDING THE SEASON JUST ABOVE 500 AND MISSING THE PLAYOFFS AGAIN, THERE WAS A BRIGHT SPOT AND A REASON TO BE EXCITED. THOUGH. ROYALS STARS LIKE BOBBY WITT JR, VINNIE PASQUANTINO AND SALVADOR PEREZ ALL SHINED FOR THEIR TEAMS IN THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC MICHAEL GARCIA WAS EVEN NAMED MVP FOR AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE, HELPING BRING THE TITLE HOME TO VENEZUELA. ROYAL SKIPPER MATT QUATRARO LIKES WHAT HE’S SEEN FROM HIS GUYS, EVEN IN THE OFF SEASON, WHEN THEY WEREN’T ALL TOGETHER, YOU COULD FEEL THE ENERGY BUILDING AND NOW THAT WE’RE ALL HERE TOGETHER, YOU CAN DEFINITELY SENSE IT. LAST YEAR IS OVER WITH. I MEAN, THERE’S NO SENSE IN DWELLING ON THAT. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE REALLY GREAT AT EVERYTHING WE DO STARTING TODAY, AND THAT’S WHAT OUR FOCUS IS. WILL THEY BE ABLE TO CHANNEL THAT ENERGY INTO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON? WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO. AND YOU KNOW, THE BOYS IN BLUE WANT BACK IN THE POSTSEASON AHEAD OF THE SEASON OPENER. LET’S CHECK IN WITH CODY CHAMP AND ALEX GOLD, HOST OF CODY AND GOLD, WEEKDAYS ON 96.5. THE FAN. HEY GUYS, HOW ARE WE FEELING CODY GOING INTO THE SEASON? I’M HONESTLY PRETTY GOOD. THE ROYALS COMING OFF OF THAT WBC PERFORMANCES AND STUFF LIKE THAT HAS ME MORE EXCITED FOR THE SEASON THAN NORMAL, BUT THEY DID SOME THINGS TO ADDRESS THEIR OUTFIELD ISSUES FROM LAST YEAR, AND THEY DO APPEAR TO HAVE SOME YOUNG PLAYERS WHO STILL HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH. SO BETWEEN THAT AND, YOU KNOW, MVP GUYS LIKE BOBBY WOOD JR AND OTHERS, IT FEELS LIKE IT’S A PRETTY GOOD YEAR TO BE EXCITED ABOUT. YEAH. I THINK THOUGH THE EXPECTATIONS ARE SKY HIGH. ANYTIME YOU HAVE THE OFF SEASON THAT THEY HAD AND THE DISAPPOINTMENT FROM A YEAR AGO, YOU LOOK AT THE DIVISION AND WHAT OTHER TEAMS DID OR DIDN’T DO. I THINK THESE ARE TIMES WHERE ROYALS FANS ARE EXPECTING A PLAYOFF APPEARANCE. RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW THE ROYALS MADE SOME BIG MOVES IN THE OFFSEASON. WHAT’S CATCHING YOUR EYE SO FAR ALEX. I THINK LANE THOMAS IS THE MOVE THAT COULD END UP PAYING THE BIGGEST DIVIDEND FOR THIS BASEBALL TEAM. RIGHT. LANE THOMAS DID NOT HAVE A GREAT 2025. HE WAS BANGED UP, JUST WASN’T THE SAME PLAYER A PLAYER THE ROYALS WERE INTERESTED IN IN 2024 AROUND THE TRADE DEADLINE, HE ENDED UP GOING TO THE GUARDIANS FROM THE NATIONALS. SO THE REASON WHY I THINK HE COULD BE BIG FOR THEM IS THE ABILITY TO HIT THE BALL OVER THE FENCE, RIGHT? WE KNOW THIS LINEUP STRUGGLED TO HAVE POWER IN IT, AND HE’S SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY IN CENTER FIELD WHERE KYLE ISBELL DOESN’T HAVE A LOT OF POP. I THINK HE COULD BE A BIG DEAL FOR THEM IN 2026. FOR ME, IT MIGHT STILL BE STRONG. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE THE BULLPEN WAS LAST YEAR, THEY HAD ESTEVEZ ON A CAREER YEAR, BUT OSAGE WASN’T QUITE THE SAME AS HE WAS TWO YEARS AGO. SO THEY GOT KIND OF STUCK IN THIS. WHO DO WE USE IN THE SEVENTH OR LATE? DO WE USE SCHREIBER SOMETIMES? AND MACARTHUR GOT HURT FOR THE YEAR, AND THEY JUST FELT LIKE THEY WERE KIND OF LOST. BRINGING BACK MATT STRAHM FROM YEARS AGO OFFERS THEM LIKE ANOTHER POWER ARM WHO GETS STRIKEOUTS. STRIKEOUTS WAS A BIG PROBLEM IN THE BULLPEN LAST YEAR. AND SO SOMEBODY WHO’S GOT SWING AND MISS THAT COULD END UP HAVING A BIG IMPACT, HELPING CLOSE OUT SOME OF THOSE GAMES. YEAH, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO SEE BETTER DEPTH AT PITCHER. WE SEEM TO BE GETTING THAT THIS YEAR. YOU KNOW LET’S TALK ABOUT JACK GAGLIONE. IT’S BEEN GREAT TO SEE HIM KIND OF IN HIS ELEMENT IN TRAINING AND IN THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC WITH TEAM ITALY. HOW DO WE SEE A SECOND SEASON SHAPING UP? I’M STILL BUYING STOCK IN JACK GAGLIONE, THAT’S FOR SURE. I KNOW IT WAS A ROUGH ROOKIE CAMPAIGN FOR HIM. HE WAS PUT IN A PRETTY TOUGH SPOT. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TURNAROUND FROM BEING DRAFTED AND THEN RAN RIGHT THROUGH THE MINORS, AND REALLY THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT FOR HIM TO DO IN THE MINORS. BUT THEY CALLED HIM UP ALMOST HOPING HE COULD BE THE SAVIOR OF THE OFFENSE. IT’S A LOT OF PRESSURE FOR A YOUNG KID. I THINK THE WBC, SEEING THE SWAG COME BACK THAT WE KIND OF SAW WHEN HE WAS AT FLORIDA IS A GREAT SIGN. HE’S ALSO BEEN MORE PATIENT DURING THE WBC, AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT TRANSLATES TO THE SEASON. AND IF IT DOES, THAT’S A HUGE SWING FOR THIS ENTIRE ROYALS TEAM. I COULD BE WRONG. I THINK ALEX AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS ON THE SHOW, WHICH WAS HAD HE JUST STAYED IN THE MINORS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, HE’D BE TALKED ABOUT LIKE ALL THE OTHER GREAT PROSPECTS YOU HEAR TALKED ABOUT RIGHT NOW, GRIFFIN AND PITTSBURG OR ANYTHING ELSE TO BE TALKED ABOUT AS THE NUMBER ONE PROSPECT IN THE SPORT. I’M STILL VERY HIGH ON HIM. I LOOK AT A GUY LIKE JUNIOR CAMINERO AS A KEY EXAMPLE OF HOW QUICKLY THINGS CAN TURN AROUND. HE’S BEEN 56 GAMES IN THE MAJORS, DOING ESSENTIALLY WHAT JACK WAS DOING, HITTING FOR LOW AVERAGE, NOT HITTING FOR POWER, NOT GETTING ON BASE. AND THEN LAST YEAR HE HIT 45 HOME RUNS. AND SO I STILL THINK ALL THAT POWER IS THERE AND WAY LESS PRESSURE ON HIM. AS ALEX SAID IN THE LINEUP THIS YEAR, I JUST STILL THINK HE’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROSPECTS IN BASEBALL. SO I NEVER SOLD THE STOCK. I’M BUYING MORE IF IT’S AVAILABLE, I THINK. I THINK HE’S IN FOR A BIG YEAR. YOU KNOW, SO MANY ROYALS PLAYERS WERE IN THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC. WE HOPE THEY KEEP THAT MOMENTUM THROUGH THE SEASON. CODY TAFT ALEX GOLD THANK YOU. AND GO ROYALS COWLEY KMBC9 NEWS AND SPORTS. TO FOLLOW THE ROYALS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, FROM INJURY UPDATES TO INTERVIEWS WITH PLAYERS AND COACHES, WE’LL HAVE IT ALL ON AIR AND ONLINE@KMBC.COM. AND DON’T MISS REPORTING FROM DENNIS EVANS, TAYLOR KAUFFMAN, AND LEN JENNINGS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON ON SPORTS SUNDA
Major League Baseball bringing viral challenge to Kauffman Stadium
Updated: 5:32 PM CDT Mar 23, 2026
Major League Baseball is bringing a fan-favorite — and stomach-testing — ballpark challenge to Kauffman Stadium this season.Major League Baseball announced the return of the “9-9-9 Challenge” for 2026, expanding it to more ballparks across the country. The group this season includes Kauffman Stadium. The challenge is simple in theory: fans attempt to eat nine hot dogs and drink nine beers over the course of a nine-inning game.Kauffman Stadium now joins a lineup of participating venues that includes parks in New York, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco and Colorado.There’s no official word yet on how the Royals will roll it out locally, but the concept has become a viral hit among baseball fans looking to test their limits during a game.Total calories of the challenge? An estimated 3,000 to 3,500.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Major League Baseball is bringing a fan-favorite — and stomach-testing — ballpark challenge to Kauffman Stadium this season.
Major League Baseball announced the return of the “9-9-9 Challenge” for 2026, expanding it to more ballparks across the country.
The group this season includes Kauffman Stadium.
The challenge is simple in theory: fans attempt to eat nine hot dogs and drink nine beers over the course of a nine-inning game.
Kauffman Stadium now joins a lineup of participating venues that includes parks in New York, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco and Colorado.
There’s no official word yet on how the Royals will roll it out locally, but the concept has become a viral hit among baseball fans looking to test their limits during a game.
Total calories of the challenge?
An estimated 3,000 to 3,500.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The 9-9-9 Challenge is back and will be available at even more ballparks in 2026 👀
Where will you be attempting the challenge? 🌭
New York Mets – Citi Field
Philadelphia Phillies – Citizens Bank Park
Colorado Rockies – Coors Field
Houston Astros – Daikin Park
Kansas City Royals… pic.twitter.com/GYn32rRRT8
— MLB (@MLB) March 23, 2026