“We didn’t come this far just to come this far” – Kansas City Royals’ improbable turnaround completes 123-year MLB first

From 106 losses to winning a playoff series.

From rags to riches, this is the story of the 2024 Kansas City Royals – and it’s not over yet.

Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the locker room after sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

No team in the 123-year history of Major League Baseball has lost 100 games the season prior and then go on to win a postseason series the following year after a full 162 game regular season.

Until now.

The Royals lost a staggering 106 games last season.

They finished 56-106.

Tied for the worst record in franchise history.

As the Royals watched their next door neighbors, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, raise another Lombardi Trophy, not much attention was given to what was happening in Kauffman Stadium.

There were no expectations for this lowly Kansas City squad heading into the year. Forget advancing in the postseason, they weren’t supposed to be anywhere near October baseball.

Then the season began and magic happened.

Led by 24-year-old phenom Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals blazed to an 86-76 record, finishing second in the AL Central and capturing the second wild-card berth.

They took on a 91-win Baltimore Orioles team in the wild-card round, went into their house at the vaunted Camden Yards and proceeded to sweep them two games to none.

Witt Jr. made his first All-Star team this year, while leading the Royals into the postseason (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

“This group is special,” Witt said in an interview with ESPN, “and we’re not done yet.”

No they are not.

“We didn’t come this far just to come this far,” Witt said, “so we’re going to keep getting after it, keep trying to create our own legacy.”

The Royals busted out the champagne after advancing in the postseason for the time since their World Series title in 2015 (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

What lies ahead for these frisky Royals?

A divisional round series against the number one seed in the AL, the AL East 91-win champ, the New York Yankees.

In the past, this showdown would be viewed as a David versus Goliath story.

Not now. Not for these Royals. There are no Davids here.

The Royals are on a tear and will look to keep it going against Aaron Judge and the Yankees (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

They have proven they belong with the best of the best. They believe in themselves.

“Anything is possible,” closer Lucas Erceg said to MLB.com after securing two saves in his first career postseason series. “We’re just going to keep playing hard.

“Keep proving to people that we belong here, that we can compete at the highest level. We can’t wait.”

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Gerrit Cole and overwhelming AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge await the Royals.

And they are underdogs, no more.