The Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals will wrap up their midweek series at Kauffman Stadium on April 23, 2025, in a matchup that features two struggling teams trying to find their identity and establish positive momentum as April winds down. For the Royals, this game presents a valuable opportunity to secure a much-needed home series win against an opponent that has labored mightily both on the mound and at the plate. Entering the contest with a 9–14 record, Kansas City has shown flashes of offensive life behind emerging superstar Bobby Witt Jr., but inconsistency—especially in late-game execution—has kept them from translating promising moments into sustained winning. On the other side, the Rockies’ season has started disastrously with a 4–17 record, and they are still searching for answers in nearly every phase of the game, carrying a team ERA over 5.00 and one of the league’s lowest batting averages at .218. Colorado’s inability to protect leads or generate timely hitting has been the core of their early-season woes, and unless they get sharper pitching and more aggressive situational play, they’ll continue to fall deeper into the NL West basement. The pitching matchup sees Michael Lorenzen (1–3, 4.57 ERA) starting for the Royals, who has been steady but not dominant, taking on Rockies right-hander Germán Márquez (0–3, 8.27 ERA), who has struggled badly with control and home run prevention in his early outings.

The Royals’ strategy will likely be to get to Márquez early, forcing long at-bats and taking advantage of his recent tendency to fall behind in counts and leave pitches over the plate. Kansas City’s lineup is capable of stringing together quality at-bats, and with Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and MJ Melendez showing improved approaches at the plate, the Royals will aim to jump on Colorado’s pitching before the Rockies’ bullpen—already overworked—can be called into early duty. The total has gone over in four of the last six meetings between these two teams, suggesting a game script that favors offensive momentum and vulnerability in both pitching staffs, and given how both clubs rank near the bottom in team ERA and WHIP, it’s fair to expect runs on both sides. The Rockies will need better defensive play to support their pitchers—too many innings have been extended by routine errors or miscommunication—and they will need someone in the lineup, whether it’s Ryan McMahon or Elias Díaz, to step up and provide early offense if they want to keep pace in a ballpark that rewards gap-to-gap hitters. Both teams have a lot to prove, but the urgency feels heavier on the Rockies’ side, who are trying to avoid the mental weight of a season slipping away before May. For Kansas City, this finale is about finishing strong, protecting home field, and taking a tangible step forward in a division that remains wide open. With uneven pitching on both sides and rosters full of young players trying to find stability, this game could turn on one big inning, one defensive miscue, or one clutch swing, making it a must-watch for fans hoping to see which of these two rebuilding teams can respond better under pressure.