Twins Look to Upset Royals in Kansas City Matchup

Minnesota Twins visit the Kansas City Royals in Thursday night MLB action

Apr. 1, 2026 at 10:22pm

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The Minnesota Twins (1-3) travel to Kauffman Stadium to take on the Kansas City Royals (2-2) in Thursday night MLB action. The Twins are listed as +220 underdogs against the -275 favorite Royals, with the total set at 9 runs. Pitching matchup features Taj Bradley for the Twins against Cole Ragans for the Royals.

Why it matters

This early-season AL Central matchup provides an opportunity for the Twins to pick up a key road win against a divisional rival. The Royals are looking to build on their 2-2 start, while the Twins hope to bounce back from a 1-3 opening week.

The details

The Twins offense has struggled out of the gate, averaging just 3.0 runs per game which ranks 25th in MLB. They'll look to get their bats going against Ragans and the Royals pitching staff. On the mound, Bradley will try to build on his 19-27 career record and 4.83 ERA. The Royals have gotten off to a 2-2 start, led by their pitching staff which has a 3.70 team ERA. Offensively, they've been paced by 4 home runs and 9 RBIs so far this season.

  • The game is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, 2026.
  • First pitch is set for 7:40 PM Central Time at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

The players

Taj Bradley

The Twins' starting pitcher, who has a 19-27 career record and 4.83 ERA in the majors.

Cole Ragans

The Royals' starting pitcher, who holds a 3.71 ERA and 3.15 K/BB ratio in his MLB career.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins are 1-3 on the season and looking to pick up a key road win against their AL Central rivals.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals are 2-2 so far and hoping to defend their home field against the visiting Twins.

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What they’re saying

“We need to get our offense going if we want to have a chance against the Royals tonight.”

— Rocco Baldelli, Twins Manager

“Our pitching staff has kept us in games so far, now we need the bats to come alive.”

— Bobby Witt Jr., Royals Shortstop

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a 1-game lead in the early AL Central standings.

The takeaway

This matchup between the Twins and Royals provides an intriguing early-season divisional clash, with both teams looking to gain an edge in the competitive AL Central race.