Royals' success in one-run games much improved this season
The Kansas City Royals took three one-run affairs from the Chicago White Sox over the weekend. They are baseball's most improved team this year in games decided by a single run.
Largest Win Percentage Improvement in One-Run Games, 2014-15
| Team | 2014 | 2015 | Difference |
| Kansas City Royals | .468 (22-25) | .643 (18-10) | +.175 |
| Seattle Mariners | .400 (18-27) | .537 (22-19) | +.137 |
| Chicago Cubs | .475 (19-21) | .595 (25-17) | +.120 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | .517 (31-29) | .632 (24-14) | +.115 |
Something will have to give in this series, as the Detroit Tigers and Royals have the two best marks against division opponents in the American League.
Best Record vs. Division Opponents
| Team | Record |
| New York Mets | 30-17 (.638) |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 30-17 (.638) |
| Kansas City Royals | 30-18 (625) |
| Detroit Tigers | 29-18 (.617) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 29-20 (.592) |
The Tigers boast one of the best stables of right-handed hitters around, while the Royals' left-handed swingers have gotten the job done all year long.
Tigers and Royals' Team Batting Average by Handedness
| Average | MLB Ranks | |
| Tigers as RHB | .287 | Highest in MLB |
| Royals as LHB | .284 | Highest in MLB |
When these teams last met just a few days ago, Ian Kinsler sent the Detroit fans home happy with a two-run walk-off home run. Kinsler has posted one of the highest career slugging percentages versus the Royals among active players.
Highest Career Slugging Percentage vs. Royals -- Active Players
| Player | Slugging Percentage |
| Alex Rodriguez | .644 |
| Adrian Beltre | .584 |
| Grady Sizemore | .566 |
| Shin-soo Choo | .533 |
| Ian Kinsler | .526 |
Kendrys Morales ranks in the top five in the AL in both doubles and RBIs while becoming only the fourth Royals player in history with at least 30 doubles and 80 RBIs through the season's first 110 games.
Royals with 30-Plus Doubles and 80-Plus RBIs Thru 110 Team Games, All Time
| Year | Player | Doubles | RBI |
| 1982 | Hal McRae | 30 | 97 |
| 1988 | George Brett | 35 | 82 |
| 1999 | Mike Sweeney | 32 | 80 |
| 2015 | Kendrys Morales | 30 | 80 |
Kansas City's Johnny Cueto has made seven straight starts without allowing a home run, the second longest streak of his career.
Most Consecutive Starts for Johnny Cueto with 0 Homers Allowed
| Starts | Dates |
| 11 | 5/30/12 - 7/28/12 |
| 7 | 7/1/15 - 8/5/15 (active) |
| 6 | 6/7/10 - 7/3/10 |
| 6 | 7/4/11 - 7/31/11 |
| 4 | 4/22/12 - 5/9/12 |
| 4 | 5/15/14 - 5/31/14 |
