The New York Yankees are about to face off against the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS, marking their first postseason matchup in 44 years. This series isn’t just about baseball rivalry—it’s also putting pressure on friendships off the field. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has a minority stake in the Royals, had some fun at his ex-teammate Gehrig Dieter’s expense, calling him out for supporting the Yankees.
Dieter, who played wide receiver for the Chiefs from 2017 to 2021, was part of the Super Bowl-winning team alongside Mahomes in 2020. However, Dieter’s loyalty lies with the Yankees, something Patrick Mahomes—given his connection to the Royals—isn’t exactly thrilled about. During a Chiefs press conference on Thursday, Mahomes was asked if Dieter, a Yankees fan, would be getting tickets for the upcoming games in Kansas City. Mahomes didn’t hold back.
“I’ll let him be there because when we hopefully win, I’ll get to talk trash,” Mahomes said. “He’s a big Yankees fan, and I think if the Yankees lose this series, he might have to move cities. So let’s see if we can do that for him.”
Patrick Mahomes pokes fun at Yankees fan Gehrig Dieter
Mahomes’ deep ties to baseball add another layer to this budding rivalry. His father, Patrick Mahomes Sr., played Major League Baseball, and in July 2020, Mahomes purchased an ownership stake in the Royals just months after leading the Chiefs to a Super Bowl title. Mahomes Sr. enjoyed some of his best moments in New York—but not with the Yankees. He pitched for the Mets in 1999 and 2000, helping them reach the World Series in 2000, which they lost to the Yankees in five games. Patrick Mahomes was just six years old at the time, and has fond memories of running around Shea Stadium as a kid.
That 2000 Subway Series remains one of the most memorable (and painful) moments for Mets fans, who watched the Yankees celebrate a third straight championship on their crosstown rival’s turf. The younger Mahomes was there to see it all, and that history makes this current series between the Yankees and Royals even more meaningful.
While Mahomes has chosen football over baseball, his connection to the sport remains strong. In fact, before he became the face of the NFL, Mahomes almost pursued a professional baseball career. Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez even tried to convince Mahomes to pick baseball over football, an effort that ultimately failed.
“I said, ‘If you don’t hear one thing that I ever tell you, you better listen to this—there’s no money, no future, no history in football. You have to play baseball!’ Well, he reminded me of that recently, and boy, am I glad he did not listen to me,” Rodriguez recalled during an interview in 2018 when Mahomes was on his way to his first MVP season in the NFL.
Even though Mahomes decided against following in his father’s footsteps to play in Major League Baseball, he still found inspiration from Yankees stars. In 2001, a year after losing to the Yankees, Mahomes Sr. brought home a signed Derek Jeter photograph for his young son—a piece of memorabilia that meant a lot to Patrick. Last year, the Chiefs quarterback and Jeter reminisced about that time in an interview on FOX.
With the Yankees and Royals meeting in the ALDS, Mahomes’ support for Kansas City couldn’t be clearer. The first game of the series will be played Saturday at Yankee Stadium, with the matchup shifting to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for Game 3 on Wednesday. Dieter might just be in attendance, and if he is, Mahomes will be looking to get the last laugh should the Royals come out on top.
As Mahomes tries to lead the Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl title, the Royals will look to topple the Yankees. This showdown could give Mahomes and Kansas City more to celebrate, making the rivalry between the Yankees and Royals all the more compelling.
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