The start of a new Major League Baseball season means different things to different teams. For the Minnesota Twins, Opening Day 2024 means beginning their American League Central title defense with a meeting against the Kansas City Royals, one of the most improved teams in the majors.
The Twins are coming off an 87-75 season that saw them win the Central by nine games -- the largest gap in the American League. The Royals, meanwhile, lost 106 games in 2023 but spent the winter adding veterans to their roster in an attempt to bypass another miserable year.
Below, CBS Sports has given you the rundown on how to watch the Twins and Royals game, as well as some storylines to be aware of on both sides of the field.
Twins vs. Royals
Date: Thursday, March 28 | Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Location: Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, MO)
Live stream: Fubo (try for free), MLB.TV | TV: Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports North
Probable pitchers: RHP Pablo López (MIN) vs. LHP Cole Ragans (KC)
Odds: MIN -120; KC +100; over/under: 8.5
Storylines
Twins: The Twins won the American League Central for the third time in five years under manager Rocco Baldelli. They had a largely uneventful offseason, blamed partly on the uncertainty with their local television rights deal. That meant bidding adieu to Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Jorge Polanco. They'll also be without closer Jhoan Duran to begin the year because of injury. Nevertheless, the Twins remain the favorite in the Central, per various forecast models. Their biggest offseason additions include outfielder Manuel Margot, first baseman Carlos Santana, and reliever Steven Okert.
Royals: Kansas City has finished in the bottom two of the Central in six consecutive seasons. That didn't prevent the Royals from having a busy winter, signing starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo; outfielder Hunter Renfroe; and reliever Will Smith, among others. The Royals also inked star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year extension worth $288.7 million that represents the largest in franchise history.
