Orioles reveal Game 1 lineup for AL Wild Card series vs. Royals

We've finally made it to the 2024 MLB playoffs! The Orioles are set to take on the Royals in game 1 in a best of three in the AL Wild Card round, starting at 4pm today.

Fans will get an absolute banger this afternoon as two of the best starters in the AL will face off against one another. Corbin Burnes has been fully locked in during the month of September, lowering his season ERA to 2.95 to wrap up an outstanding year.

Burnes is bound to get paid a hefty sum in the offseason but he's got work left to do in an Orioles uniform before that happens. Today's matchup presents an excellent opportunity to step onto baseball's biggest stage and show everyone how good he can be.

Orioles set to take on Royals in AL Wild Card round at 4pm today

Opposite Burns will be Royals' lefty Cole Ragans, who by some accounts has been even better than the Orioles' righty. Ragans has pitched to a 3.14 ERA with a 2.99 FIP in 186.1 innings and is poised to get down-ballot Cy Young votes later this winter.

Ragans might have an ERA above 3 but don't let that fool you. He's posted the fourth-highest Fangraphs WAR among all MLB starters and his 223 strikeouts are good for second in the AL, just 5 behind the league-leading Tarik Skubal.

Both offenses will likely have a tough time today but throughout the year, these two teams have been among the best in the AL when it comes to run production. The Orioles are second in the AL with 786 runs scored, while the Royals' mark of 735 is good for sixth-best.

We'll see if the O's are able to fight back against Ragans and find a way to bounce him from the game early on. If they can, they might be able to take advantage of a weak Kansas City bullpen that's been middle of the pack, and bad since the All Star break.

Orioles starting lineup, October 1

• Gunnar Henderson, SS
• Jordan Westburg, 2B
• Anthony Santander, RF
• Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
• Adley Rutschman, DH
• Colton Cowser, LF
• Ramon Urias, 3B
• Cedric Mullins, CF
• James McCann, C

Royals starting lineup, October 1

• Michael Massey, 2B
• Bobby Witt Jr, SS
• Vinny Pasquantino, DH
• Salvador Perez, C
• Yuli Gurriel, 1B
• MJ Melendez, LF
• Tommy Pham, RF
• Kyle Isbel, CF
• Maikel Garcia, 3B