Starting pitchers for Royals, Twins eager to get seasons going

One series into the season and both the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins are poised to move on with confidence from their early setbacks.

After each dropped their opening series, the Royals look to build on their first victory of 2026 by beginning the home portion of their schedule against the Twins on Monday.

After failing to make the postseason a year ago, Kansas City opened this season with a 6-0 loss at Atlanta, then blew a 2-0 ninth-inning lead in Saturday's 6-2 defeat. However, Carter Jensen homered with two RBIs and starter Seth Lugo tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings to help the Royals salvage a 4-1 victory Sunday.

"Ups and downs are going to happen," Jensen said. "Just making sure that we stay level-headed and not let the past affect the present."

Kris Bubic, a 2025 All-Star, draws the home-opening starting nod for the Royals to begin a three-game set. The veteran left-hander was among the major league ERA leaders while posting a 1.43 in going 5-3 over his first 12 starts last season. However, he went 3-4 with a 4.61 ERA in the next eight before his campaign ended in late July with a rotator cuff strain.

"I've been anxiously awaiting seeing him back out there," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said of Bubic during spring training.

Bubic was brilliant in his lone 2025 start versus Minnesota, allowing one run, two hits and two walks while striking out nine in seven innings of a 2-1 road victory on May 25.

The Royals hope to be more consistent at home this season after going 43-38 in 2025, when they won 16 of the first 21 at Kauffman Stadium before winning just three times in the next 21 there.

Kansas City went 5-2 at home last season against the Twins, who dropped two of three at Baltimore to begin 2026. Minnesota pitchers yielded three runs while splitting the first two games of that set before Bailey Ober and Mick Abel couldn't hold an early 4-0 lead en route to Sunday's 8-6 defeat.

The Twins' Royce Lewis has two hits in nine at-bats to begin the season, but both left the park. Meanwhile, teammate Byron Buxton is 4-for-12 on the young season.

Buxton is 5-for-10 with two doubles versus Bubic. Fellow Twin Josh Bell, who roped a pair of doubles on Sunday, is 3-for-4 against him.

Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who is scheduled to start for Minnesota, set a career best for wins while going 7-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) in his second full major league season. Though the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is 1-2 with a 4.80 ERA in three starts against the Royals, he's obviously eager to begin a new season.

"It's go time," Woods Richardson told the Twins' official website. "Hit the road and go compete."

Kansas City star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is 4-for-11 with an RBI through the first three contests. He also is hitless in eight career at-bats against Woods Richardson. Meanwhile, teammate Kyle Isbel, who has a hit in each of his first two 2026 games, is 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs versus Woods Richardson.

--Field Level Media