KCSN Weekly: Opening Day arrives, basketball fades away and all is quiet in Chiefs Kingdom
A weekly look at everything happening across Kansas City sports.
The calendar has officially flipped.
After weeks of buildup, projections, and spring storylines, the Kansas City Royals are back, and with local college basketball now wrapped up and the NFL in its quieter stretch, all eyes turn to baseball as the next chapter of the Kansas City sports calendar begins.
Here’s where things stand this week.
Royals Report: It all starts tonight
The wait is over for the Kansas City Royals.
Kansas City opens the 2026 season tonight in Georgia against the Atlanta Braves, with Cole Ragans set to face veteran left-hander Chris Sale at 6:15 p.m. CT.
The Royals officially finalized their 26-man roster this week, offering a clear look at how they’ll open the season:
Catchers (2)
Salvador Perez
Carter Jensen
Infielders (4)
Vinnie Pasquantino (1B)
Jonathan India (2B)
Bobby Witt Jr. (SS)
Maikel Garcia (3B)
Outfielders (5)
Isaac Collins
Kyle Isbel
Jac Caglianone
Lane Thomas
Starling Marte
Utility (2)
Nick Loftin
Tyler Tolbert
Starting Rotation (5)
Cole Ragans
Seth Lugo
Kris Bubic
Michael Wacha
Noah Cameron
Bullpen (8)
Carlos Estévez
Lucas Erceg
Matt Strahm
John Schreiber
Alex Lange
Nick Mears
Daniel Lynch IV
Bailey Falter
According to FanGraphs, Kansas City is projected to finish 82–80, good for second in the AL Central. It mirrors last season’s record, but the path forward feels different.
With a full season of Jensen, potential breakout production from Caglianone, and a much-improved outfield group, there’s reason to believe the ceiling could be higher. Still, this team will ultimately go as far as Witt, Garcia, Pasquantino, and the pitching staff can take them.
It all begins tonight, but in more localized, network news…
KCSN launches ‘Royals Pipeline’
In other Royals-related news, KCSN announced a new show: Royals Pipeline.
Hosted by Jared Perkins (Head of College Baseball/MLB Draft Content at Just Baseball Media) and Kevin O’Brien (Crown Talk), the show will provide a deep dive into the Royals’ farm system, from Rookie ball through Triple-A Omaha, along with MLB Draft coverage and player interviews.
The inaugural episode focused on the current state of the minor league system, with bi-weekly updates expected moving forward.
Chiefs Check-In: Season 14 official for Kelce
It was a relatively quiet week for the Kansas City Chiefs, but one important piece of business became official.
Travis Kelce signed his one-year, $12 million deal at Arrowhead, confirming his return for a 14th NFL season.
Beyond that, the focus now shifts toward the NFL Draft, which is less than a month away. Kansas City currently holds nine selections, including picks at No. 9, No. 29, and No. 40 overall.
Be sure to pre-order the KCSN Draft Guide to get fully prepared.
The KCSN Draft Guide is available for pre-order. A Chiefs-specific book with detailed analysis, profiles of hundreds of prospects, player comps, a Chiefs draft pick trade chart, scheme fit analysis, and more. The book release is April 6th.
College Hoops: Game over
Kansas: Bounced by St. John’s on buzzer-beater
The season has officially come to a close for local college programs.
Kansas saw its run end in the Round of 32 with a 67–65 loss to St. John’s Red Storm. Freshman Darryn Peterson led KU with 21 points, while Melvin Council Jr. added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Kansas dominated much of the game statistically but was undone by turnovers, committing eight more than St. John’s. The Jayhawks tied it at 65 with 13 seconds left, but the Red Storm hit a buzzer-beater to end it.
Missouri: Losing streak continues
Missouri fell 80–66 to the Miami Hurricanes, extending its NCAA Tournament drought back to 2009. The Tigers briefly led midway through the second half, but Miami pulled away late. Missouri was outrebounded by 16 and shot just 35 percent from the field.
Mark Mitchell led Mizzou with 19 points, though only four came before halftime.
What to Watch This Week
Royals
Opening series at Atlanta begins tonight (6:15 p.m. CT).
Home opener Monday vs. the Minnesota Twins at 3:15 p.m. CT, with Kris Bubic on the mound.
College basketball has wrapped, the NFL is in its holding pattern before the draft, and baseball is back to take center stage.
We’ll be back next week to see how the first chapter of the 2026 season unfolds.