1998 Kansas City Royals season


The 1998 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 3rd in the American League Central with a record of 72 wins and 89 losses.

Offseason

Before the 1998 regular season began, two new teams—the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays—were added by Major League Baseball. This resulted in the American League and National League having fifteen teams. However, in order for MLB officials to continue primarily intraleague play, both leagues would need to carry a number of teams that was divisible by two, so the decision was made to move one club from the AL Central to the NL Central.
This realignment was widely considered to have great financial benefit to the club moving. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues. The choice was offered to the Kansas City Royals, who ultimately decided to stay in the American League and bypassing the opportunity to build a full-time rivalry with the St. Louis Cardinals. The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997, elected to move to the National League. Had the Brewers elected not to move to the National League, the Minnesota Twins would have been offered the opportunity to switch leagues.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Player stats

Starters by position

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; R = Runs; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; Slg. = Slugging average; SB = Stolen bases
Pos.PlayerGABRHHRRBIAvg.Slg.SB
CMike Sweeney922823273835.259.4082
1BJeff King131486831282493.263.45110
2BJosé Offerman158607102191766.315.43845
3BDean Palmer1525728415934119.278.5108
SSMendy López742061850115.243.3255
LFJeff Conine933093079843.256.4173
CFJohnny Damon1616421041781866.277.43926
RFLarry Sutton1113102976542.245.3523
DHHal Morris12747250146140.309.3811

Other batters

PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Farm system