KC Royals Eighth in Initial FanSided Power Rankings

Yesterday, we debuted the FanSided Major League Baseball Power Rankings. These rankings were put together by a panel consisting of myself, the two previous Editorial Directors for the division in Aaron Somers and Kyle Franzoni, and Senior Director Joel Wagler. This is something that will be done weekly, and we wanted to kick things off with a preseason look around baseball.

Naturally, having two KC Royals fans on the panel in myself and Joel, one would expect the Royals to slot well. They did indeed rank fairly highly, as they came in eighth, just behind the Detroit Tigers. In fact, in terms of the overall total, they finished tied with the Tigers, but they may have been given the nod due to alphabetical order.

When looking at both teams, it is easy to see how they could be considered the co-favorites for the Central. The Tigers still have concerns with their bullpen, where there are questions as to whether or not the Royals speed and defense strategy is more than just a one season flash in the pan.

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As the blurb in the power rankings states, the Royals need quite a few things to go their way this season to replicate last year’s success. Edinson Volquez will need to replace James Shields‘ production in the rotation. Alex Rios and Kendrys Morales will have to have the bounceback seasons that the Royals and Dayton Moore are expecting. The Royals will also need to hope that the bullpen remains as dominant as last season, and that they can find a way to make up for the innings they lost with Shields’ departure.

Likewise, the Central has gotten a lot tougher. Although I still equate the Tigers bullpen to a dumpster fire, they do have a rather formidable lineup. The White Sox drastically improved this offseason, adding depth to their lineup while bringing in David Robertson and Jeff Samardzija. The Indians also loom as a threat, as their young starters appear to be on the cusp of turning that potential into actual results.

Even if the Royals do improve this season, the results may not show up in their record. With even the Twins improving, the Royals face a difficult task to not only make the playoffs, but to end the Tigers reign of terror atop the Central.

What do you think of the Royals being ranked as the eighth best team in baseball before the season? Let us know where you would rank them!

Next: KC Royals Lefty Bullpen Spot is Still Up in the Air