I admit that I do not actually hate the New York Yankees. You’re supposed to do that as a Royals fan—but there are two issues to this. One, I wasn’t alive in the 1970s/1980s when the Yankees and Royals were a clash of the titans. Two, the Yankees haven’t been good enough to hate. It’s been over a decade and a half and New York hasn’t won a World Series, and since then nearly a third of the league (including small market teams like the Royals and Cardinals) have hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy.

So in the first series since the Yankees beat the Royals in the 2024 playoffs, I can’t muster that much anger towards a team that was up-and-down simply better than Kansas City. I can, however, muster anger towards the Fisher Price dimensions of new Yankee Stadium. If ever there was a time for MJ Melendez to get going, it would be here in the Bronx.

MJ’s not playing tonight, though. That’s probably a sign.

Royals lineup

Yankees lineup

Starting pitcher: Carlos Carrasco

1. Ben Rice, DH
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Austin Wells, C
4. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
6. Anthony Volpe, SS
7. Jasson Dominguez, LF
8. Trent Grisham, CF
9. Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B