What if the Chiefs played a baseball game?

In honor of opening day we create the ideal baseball line up comprised entirely of Chiefs players.

There are several factors that make Arrowhead a unique NFL stadium: the charm of the football shaped jumbotron, the smoke coming off the grills of fans before the sun rises, and even never getting to hear the final word of the national anthem. One trait that also makes Arrowhead unique is its neighbor across the parking lot. The Truman sports complex is still one of the most unique sports venues in the country. Hosting two professional teams in two separate venues while simultaneously using the same parking lots. The dynamic makes for some fantastic memories like when the Chiefs destroyed the Patriots on Monday Night Football in 2014 and the Royals walked off the wild card game the next night. Having both of Kansas City’s teams in one place will always be part of what makes our teams unique.

Opening day is just 2 days away!! pic.twitter.com/j2imaZWG0b

— Price Carter (@priceacarter) March 30, 2021

But, I’ve always found myself wondering.. “what would happen if these players went across the parking lot?” Heck, they could even just take the underground tunnel that connects the two stadiums. What Chiefs players would make the best baseball players? and what Royal could catch passes from Mahomes? In honor of the boys in blue let’s walk down this extremely hypothetical path and create the ultimate Chiefs batting order.

1- Tyreek Hill SS

Leading off and playing short stop is Tyreek Hill. Tyreek would make an excellent lead off hitter given his most raw trait: speed. He may not represent the modern leadoff hitter who hits for power and a high on base percentage his speed could turn a bunt into a single, and a single into a double. Defensively, Hill would be great at short because of his acceleration, part of what make him so fast is not just his top speed but his burst in short spurts. Though, we’ve seen Tyreek throw the ball before (it wasn’t pretty) I think he could have the arm strength to get the ball to first.

2- Clyde Edwards-Helaire 2B

In the second slot in the line up we have Clyde manning second base and hitting high up in the order. Clyde has enough power and a strong base that he could definitely hit for extra bases and also use his speed on the bases. He is able to catch and track balls well which makes him a great candidate to play second base, which is less demanding than short stop.

3- Travis Kelce 3B

Playing third and hitting third is the all-pro tight end. Third in the lineup is typically where you want your best hitter to be, giving them opportunities with men on base and lots of at-bats as well. Kelce is athletic and agile enough to man the hot corner, his length makes it hard for a ball to shoot past him up the 3rd base line. He has great hands which would help him catch some of the bullets coming off the bats of right handed hitters, and as a former high school QB he has the arm to get the ball across the infield. His strength and size would make him a great hitter, he has the power to send the ball into the fountains, and his height would make his strike zone difficult for pitchers to locate.

4- Joe Thuney DH

New Chief Joe Thuney would be a model of a perfect DH for our hypothetical line up. Sure, Thuney isn’t going to be hitting many triples but he has enough upper body strength to handle Aaron Donald one-on-one. There’s no doubt he’s putting some balls into the fountains. Hitting 4th is one of the traditional slots for power hitters in a lineup as well giving him lots of opportunities to drive in runs.

5-Chris Jones 1B

First base is always a place where you can hide some of the less athletic players on the diamond. Chris is of course an athletic freak for his size but he wouldn’t have the range to cover lots of space. Chris is tall enough to stop balls going into the dug out from third base and range-y enough to pick up some grounders. Obviously, his power makes him an ideal hitter in the middle of the order.

6- Tyrann Mathieu C

Catcher is a position that is as important for its leadership as its production. Mathieu has always been a dynamic leader on and off the field, his swagger and confidence is exactly what a pitching staff needs. He is a smaller bodied player, which is typical of catchers. He has great hands for a defensive player and would be a solid enough hitter given his ability to read QB’s eyes and jump routes. He has a quick twitch ability that would make him a dangerous enough slap hitter with some power.

7- Demarcus Robinson RF

D-Rob would be an ideal right fielder as he’s athletic, but doesn’t need the true top end speed as some of the other outfielders do. He would still be able to track down fly balls well, and has the ability to catch and jump for some of the tougher outs. Demarcus Robinson isn’t known for his power or strength as a player, but his athleticism would make him a threat at the plate.

8- L’Jarius Sneed LF

Sneed would be great out in left, he would make Alex Gordon proud. His physicality and athleticism would make him a great defender. His ball skills are excellent which is always important in Kauffman Stadium. As the 8 hitter not much would be asked of Sneed at the plate as long as he can put the ball in play and make some plays on the bases.

9- Mecole Hardman CF

Hardman is an ideal center fielder, he has more traditional track speed than Tyreek. While the acceleration isn’t as great as Hill, his long strides make his top speed perfect for center. Hardman would have great range and could take away a lot of doubles and triples. As long as he doesn’t think of a fly ball as a punt, the Chiefs outfield defense would be solid. Much like Hill, Hardman’s speed on the bases would make him a nice slap hitter at the bottom of the order.

Patrick Mahomes RHP

This is the obvious no-brainer. Mahomes has MLB pitching pedigree in his blood, he pitched in high school and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He threw a 16 strikeout no-hitter in high school and was commanding a fastball around 91 MPH in high school. Mahomes would be great for the National League as well, where he has experience at the plate. Mahomes would be a star on the diamond just like the gridiron. Plus he could be the first part owner to play for a team as well!

The Chiefs would no doubt be a team that would make the 2014-2015 Royals proud. They would rely on speed, defense and putting the ball in play to win games. They would be dynamic on the bases and have a star pitcher as well. While we all hope none of the players decide to have a “Michael Jordan” baseball experience in their careers as Chiefs it is certainly fun to dream what they could do at the plate. Let’s go Royals!