Houston Astros • Kansas City Royals

 Astros and Royals: A Friendly Rivalry

The Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals are two of the most successful teams in the American League Central division. The Astros have won two World Series championships, while the Royals have won three. Despite their success, the two teams have a relatively friendly rivalry.

The rivalry began in 1969, when the Royals joined the American League as an expansion team. The two teams have played each other over 1,000 times, with the Astros holding a slight edge in the overall record.

The Astros and Royals have met in the playoffs four times, with the Astros winning two of those series. The most recent playoff meeting between the two teams was in the 2015 American League Division Series, when the Astros won in five games.

Despite their rivalry, the Astros and Royals have a lot of respect for each other. Both teams have a long history of winning, and they are always competitive. The Astros and Royals are also two of the most popular teams in their respective cities, and their fans are very passionate about their teams.

Here are some of the reasons why the Astros and Royals rivalry is so friendly:

• Both teams have a winning culture. The Astros and Royals have both won World Series championships in recent years, and they are both perennial contenders. This mutual respect for each other's success helps to keep the rivalry friendly.
• The two teams are not geographically close. The Astros are located in Houston, Texas, while the Royals are located in Kansas City, Missouri. This distance helps to lessen the intensity of the rivalry.
• The two teams have not played each other in the playoffs very often. The Astros and Royals have only met in the playoffs four times, which is relatively few compared to other rivalries in Major League Baseball. This helps to keep the rivalry from becoming too heated.

Overall, the Astros and Royals rivalry is a friendly one. Both teams respect each other, and their fans have a lot of fun competing against each other.