The Kansas City Royals shut out the Atlanta Braves 3-0 in Atlanta on Friday night. With the win, the Royals clinched a playoff spot in the American League for the first time since the 2015 season - the last time they won the World Series.

The Royals didn’t prevail at Atlanta Friday, but they won big-time later in the evening when the O’s beat the Twins to send KC, at long last, back to the playoffs.

The Royals authored an impressive year-to-year turnaround, reaching the playoffs after losing 106 games in 2023. According to MLB's research, the Royals are just the second team to ever appear in the postseason in a full season a year after losing 100 or more games. The other team to accomplish that feat? The 2017 Minnesota Twins.