The Kansas City Royals open their season against the Atlanta Braves in a compelling Friday matchup featuring a high-end pitching duel and two teams looking to start 2026 strong.
MORE: MLB preseason power rankings
How To Watch Royals vs Braves
Date: Friday, February 27, 2026
TV Channel: MLB Kansas City Royals (local), BravesVision, MLB.TV
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Kansas City enters this game coming off a solid 82–80 campaign in 2025, leaning on a young core led by Bobby Witt Jr. and a lineup that looks deeper heading into the new season. The Royals will send ace Cole Ragans to the mound, a high-strikeout left-hander whose underlying metrics, like a dominant strikeout rate and strong expected ERA, suggest he can be even better than his surface numbers from last year. If the Royals can provide early run support and continue improving an offense that finished middle-of-the-pack last season, they have the tools to challenge any contender.
Atlanta, meanwhile, brings star power despite a disappointing 2025 season that saw them miss the playoffs at 76–86. The Braves still feature one of the most dangerous cores in baseball with Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Matt Olson anchoring the lineup, and they’ll hand the ball to veteran lefty Chris Sale for Opening Day. Sale’s ability to neutralize hitters—especially lefties—combined with Atlanta’s power potential gives them a slight edge at home, but if Kansas City’s young lineup can break through early, this has all the makings of a tightly contested, playoff-caliber battle.
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