Kansas City Royals reveal drastic Kauffman Stadium plans as $2bn relocation stalls

The Kansas City Royals are determined to build a new ballpark.

Truman Sports complex has hosted Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium since the early 1970s, but the leases on both are up in 2031.

Getty

The Kansas City Chiefs are planning to build a Super Bowl-worthy domed arena across state lines in Kansas, with public funding set to cover 60 percent of the $4 billion project.

Their neighbors missed a December 31 deadline to propose a similar agreement for a new home, estimated to cost around $2 billion.

While negotiations continue, Kauffman remains home and the Royals have big plans for 2026.

Spring Training is around the corner and Kansas City bosses are keen to avoid a repeat of an 82-80 season.

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan revealed Tuesday that the Royals will move in the outfield fences and lower the height of the wall in a bid to make it more home run friendly.

“We want a neutral ballpark where if you hit a ball well, it should be a home run,” general manager J.J. Picollo told ESPN. “The second they start feeling like they can’t get the ball out of the ballpark, they start changing their swing.

“I watched it for years and years and years, and I just felt like this is the time to try to push it and see if everything we felt for however many years is accurate.”

The decision is being driven by analytics and aimed at improving the team’s performance, with an improved experience and catching practice for fans a potential bonus.

Dodger Stadium was the best for home run hitters in 2025 with 254 in a campaign that saw the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in a thrilling showdown against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rogers Centre was sixth in the list behind the Great American Ball Park, Yankee Stadium, Citizen’s Bank Park and Angel Stadium.

Getty

Getty

“It’s not that we’re trying to jump-start our offense,” Picollo added. “The more neutral it is at home, the better success we think we’ll have overall.”

The Royals moved the fences in 10 feet between 1995 and 2003, when it was slightly above MLB average for homers.

Since the original dimensions were restored in 2004, the warning track has become a magnet once again.

Numbers drive new Royals approach

Dr. Daniel Mack — the franchise’s vice president of research and development and an assistant GM — put his Ph.D. in computer science to good use by producing a study.

“What we wanted to focus on was how could we find dimensions that would create a more consistent approach for us as a team,” he said. “It’s one thing when you say, ‘OK, well, Kauffman’s so large, it’s great for pitchers, you can’t really bring in power hitters.’

“Can we find dimensions that make it so that regardless of when we’re home or on the road, we didn’t have to need to worry about the spectrum as much?”

Getty

After Jackson County voters rejected a financing proposal to fund a new stadium for the Royals in Missouri, Kansas could soon be about to add an NFL and MLB team.

The Royals have eyed a site on the Aspiria Campus in Overland Park, with financing still up in the air.

“There are other economic tools, but I think it would be pretty difficult to do that,” Republican Speaker Dan Hawkins said.

He later added: “But it would be tough to use those and develop enough money to really support a stadium, and so, I just can’t see that happening.”

Sherman has made no secret of his preference to build a downtown ballpark and remain in Missouri.