The Royals beat the Braves 4-2 on Sunday in Atlanta, and their 86-76 record made them the second wild-card team in the American League. By winning the regular-season series with Detroit, the Royals finished ahead of the Tigers, who had an identical record.

The Kansas City Royals are inching toward their first playoff berth since 2015 and they've done some truly historic things over the last four games.

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.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., center has champagne poured on him by teammates during the celebration in the locker room after a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Atlanta.

Not every move the Royals made has worked out. But, like their lineup, the Royals front office has a pretty low whiff rate.

Kansas City swept Baltimore in the 2014 American League Championship Series, while the Royals defeated the Astros in a thrilling five-game set in the opening round of the 2015 postseason. Royals catcher Salvador Pérez is the only player remaining on the roster from the 2014 and 2015 teams.