According to Ken Rosenthal, the Royals are looking for another outfield option who can start in place of Jeff Francoeur when the Royals face a tough right-handed pitcher.  Rosenthal also mentions, if that outfielder can also play centerfield and be a backup option to Lorenzo Cain, then it makes it that much better of a move.

If no in house players will suffice, then there are some outfielders who could possibly fill the void of finding a left handed bat to face those tough righties.  MLB Trade Rumors put together a list of players without options who have less than five years of service time.  These players must clear waivers if their respective teams want to assign them to the minor leagues.

I wouldn’t mind if the Royals took a look at these left handed bats who could start in place of Frenchy when the team faces a dominant righty.  We all know Frenchy has his struggles against righties, so it could really be beneficial for the team to look at some options if they don’t like anybody in house.  Obviously, I’m thinking out loud and there is a very small percentage any of these players wind up in Kansas City, but I think it, at least, deserves some thought.

August 22, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Matt Joyce (20) hits a single in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Joyce is an intriguing name for me.  The former All-Star has had his struggles recently, but as a platoon option he could be of some service.  Against righties in 2012, he hit 33 of his 38 extra base hits and his average was 39 points higher.

Another left handed option could be Julio Borbon who has never really panned out the way Texas would have liked.  The former Tennessee Volunteer teammate of Luke Hochevar could just need a new home for his major league career to flourish.  Borbon is more of a speedster and right field isn’t the most conventional place for a left handed thrower, so he could end up in centerfield some games and Lorenzo Cain could then move to right.

Another interesting guy who is out of options is Pirates outfielder Travis Snider.  Originally with the Blue Jays, Snider has had an up and down career to this point.  This talented youngster could still be a superstar someday, and if he were to become available I would hope the Royals would at least glance in his direction.  There is still a lot of pop in his bat, and in the right situation he could be another option if they wanted to look at adding some more depth to the outfield.  The last name I want to drop is Mike Carp.  Carp finally got a decent amount of playing time in 2011 and hit 12 home runs in 79 games.  This left handed bat could be fun to watch in place of Frenchy when a tough arm like King Felix or Justin Verlander are on the mound.

In my honest opinion, I think we have the best option in our own backyard.  I’m not the only one who thinks that as my fellow writer, Tony Botts,  wrote a great article on why David Lough deserves a shot to start in right.  I’m just hoping the Royals at least try to address the issue and don’t end up settling and it costing us a chance to compete for the division this year.

It’s important to take spring stats with a grain of salt, but it is hard to deny how well this team is hitting.  Alex Gordon is leading the way with a .536 batting average to go along with three long balls.  Mike Moustakas is also getting in on the action with a .452 average and 5 extra base hits.  One guy the season will be riding on is Eric Hosmer and how well he can produce.  It’s great to see he’s off to a good start this spring but it’s whether he can ride it into the season that will truly matter.  I do think he’s way too good of a hitter to not have made the proper adjustments that he needed to from last season.  The greatest adjustment I noticed for him to make is to let the ball get deeper in the zone and not be so pull-happy.  He had a bad tendency of flying open way too early last year.

September 19, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera (40) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

If the starting pitching can be above average, which it should be, that will be the main factor for this team competing.  The hitting will come around and to go along with the bullpen, this team just needs to be in the game heading into the 6th inning.  James Shields has me all kinds of excited!  If Wade Davis can stay healthy I’m excited to see what he can bring to the table.  A number four starter, such as himself, that has had above average success in the AL East certainly would bolster the rotation and improve it a great deal over what this team has trotted out over the past several seasons.

Las Vegas has their over/under on wins at 79.5.  Even though it has been ten seasons since KC has seen an 80+ win season, I strongly believe that streak will be broken and the over seems like a favorite to me.  Obviously injuries can and will play some sort of role in how the season plays out, but this team is too good not to compete.  After adding in all the variables,  I can confidently say 85-90 wins is very realistic and contending deep into September should be a thought in most peoples’ minds who are familiar with this team.

I know, like most Royals fans, I’m anxiously awaiting the regular season opener.  It cannot come soon enough.  This season could and should be one of the best seasons we have seen in a very long time.  Besides watching James Shields, the other thing I can’t wait to see is Yordano Ventura, Kelvin Herrera, and Greg Holland shutting the door at the end of games.  But I’ll get more into that with a post at a later date.

The other award winners were Juan Gutierrez and Christian Colon.  Colon was named Puerto Rican League Rookie of the Year after his solid campaign for Leones del Caracas.  He tallied 46 hits, which included eight doubles and one triple and one home run.  He also stole 13 bases and scored 26 runs while driving in 11.  Gutierrez was named the Venezuelan League Reliever of the Year after his outstanding winter performance for Leones del Caracas.  He saved 15 games and only blew one opportunity and had a very dominating winter season.  He allowed a .163 opponents batting average and struck out 25 batters in 25 innings of work.

Jun. 5, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Guillermo Moscoso (56) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks defeated the Rockies 10-0. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

One player who I’m excited to see more of is Guillermo Moscoso.  The 29 year old righty was invited to the Major League side of camp for this season and has had some success in the past at the Major League Level.  He finished his winter season for Leones del Caracas in the Venezualan Winter League with a 3.10 ERA in 29 innings to go along with 18 strike outs and 2 wins.  I do believe we will be seeing some of Moscoso some point at Kauffman Stadium this year, whether that’s in a long relief role or as a spot starter.

More notable names out of the Royals organization include the likes of Miguel Tejada, Alcides Escobar, and Endy Chavez.  All three of them wrapped up their winter leagues with solid performances.  Escobar had the best season out of the three players I just mentioned, as he hit .349 with two home runs and 16 runs batted in.  In 26 games he also scored 24 runs and stole four bases.

The two new additions to the organization, Chavez and Tejada, played in their respective winter leagues and put up some promising numbers as they head into spring and challenge for a roster spot.  Tejada showed some pop and hit four homers and nine doubles and collected 19 RBI.  Chavez was a little more light hitting, but still managed five extra base hits and 14 runs scored.

After reviewing stats of all the players playing this winter, I was thoroughly impressed with Royals prospect Rey Navarro.  In the Puerto Rican Winter League he hit .333 in 114 at bats, and also knocked in 18 runs.  In 27 games he recorded 38 hits and scored 17 runs.  He’s not on the 40 man roster, but he was promoted to Omaha last year.  It’s likely he will stay there this year, but at 23 years old he still could be a promising infielder to watch out for in the future.

Players playing in these leagues can really showcase their talents to potential teams who are looking to add some depth to their rosters going into spring training.  Miguel Tejada and Endy Chavez are perfect examples as Dayton Moore was recommended to sign these two after their promising winter seasons.  A full length article about what Moore had to say about these signings can be found here.

Joining Tejada are some other former big leaguers with some moderate success.  George Sherril, who was an All-Star in 2008, will be in camp and compete for a spot as a left handed specialist out of the bullpen.  Dan Wheeler, another bullpen guy, has a career 3.98 ERA over 13 Major Leagues seasons.  Endy Chavez, who was also signed on the same day as Tejada will join the rest of the group for an opportunity to make the opening day roster as a fourth outfielder.  Also added to the camp list is former Astros centerfielder, Willy Taveras, who once led the National League in stolen bases with 68.

September 15, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Brandon Wood (2) hits a single in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Wood was also invited to camp as a non-roster invitee.  I’m anxious to see if he can resurrect his career after last playing in the majors in 2011 with the Pirates.  He’s had a very abysmal start to his big league career as he has hit .186 in 700 at bats.  He was a very promising young up and comer with the Angels as he hit 43 home runs during his 2005 campaign in the minors.  Prior to the 2006 season, he was rated the number three overall prospect by Baseball America.  It will certainly be interesting to see if he can challenge for a job on the big league roster, possibly as an option at second base.  Wood is 27, but he still has some time to figure out his stride in the majors, but he better make some progress this spring with his opportunity with the Royals.

Also included in the list of 21 players are catchers Manuel Pina, Adam Moore, Max Ramirez, and Julio Rodriguez.  Moore and Pina both made brief appearances as September callups for the Royals this past season.  Besides Tejada and Wood, Anthony Seratelli and Christian Colon will make up the group of infielders invited to camp.  I could see Colon also battling for the second base job or possibly the utility role, but I think it will be an uphill battle as he has quite a few guys in front of him.  The former first round pick in 2010 could see his first big league at bat this year, but it will most likely come later in the season and not as a result of him breaking camp.

Recently acquired pitcher, Blaine Boyer, along with Sugar Ray Marimon, Michael Mariot, Brian Sanches, Atahualpa Severino, Yordano Ventura, and Ryan Verdugo round out the rest of the pitchers invited.  While I don’t think Ventura will break camp with the team, I do believe he will be up at some point throughout the season and make a few starts.  In my opinion, Ventura is the best pitching prospect we have and it will be exciting to see him at some point pitch at the highest level this season.

Chavez is coming off a very bad season with the Orioles, where he hit .203 in 169 plate appearances.  He also landed on the disabled list twice and was designated for assignment on August 4th.  However, he was later added to their Wild Card and Division Series roster as his contract was selected on September 11th.

Sep 15, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Endy Chavez (9) makes a catch against the wall during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

This will be the second time Chavez has graced this organization with his presence.  In 2001, he hit .208 while driving in five runs and hitting two doubles in a limited role during a span of 29 games.  Chavez, who will turn 35 in a month, has played for a plethora of teams including the Expos, Mets, and most recently the Orioles.  He might be most known for his catch in game 7 of the NLCS in 2006 where he robbed Scott Rolen of a two-run home run in a 1-1 game.  This outstanding catch can be viewed here.

Chavez did have a nice season with the Rangers in 2011 where he hit .301 and belted five home runs and knocked in 27 runs.  This was after not playing a single game in the majors in 2010 and only collecting 36 plate appearances in eight minor league games.  He could be a bit of good luck as he has also played for three different post season teams.  In the last two years he has played on two post season teams, so maybe there’s room to make it three in a row.

The first and most important thing I’d like to see is for the team to be above .500 and compete in the second half of the year.  With additions to the pitching staff this offseason, the Royals have attempted to bolster their weakness from the 2012 season.  I do believe this will certainly help them contend into the latter part of the season, and hopefully into September.  If we could even attempt to come close to 90 wins, I’d be beyond ecstatic.

The second thing I’d like to see in 2013 is no more Jeff Francoeur in right field and no more Luke Hochevar on the mound.  The subtraction of Wil Myers could mean we see more of Frenchy than we’d like but I do believe the Royals will try and part ways with their right fielder or at least acquire some talent that can take away from his playing time.  The acquisitions of James Shields, Wade Davis, and Ervin Santana could mean that Luke Hochevar has thrown his last inning in royal blue.  It seems there is no more room in the rotation for the former number one overall draft pick.  The Royals have actively been calling other teams about their interest in Hochevar and it’s in my best guess he will be dealt sometime in the spring when injuries can affect other teams’ rotations.

June 9, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) hits a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

There has to be many people who are hoping for my next wish to come true.  We’d all like to see James Shields live up to his nickname ‘Big Game James’, and that is my 3rd wish.  If history repeats itself, he should start around 33 games and post about 15 wins with a mid three ERA.  However, I don’t think it’s out of the question he can come close to repeating his stellar 2011 campaign where he threw 11 complete games and tossed four shutouts as well.  The move to the AL Central and not facing the vaunted AL East offenses should certainly help his chances of dominating for the Royals and making the move to deal Wil Myers a little easier to digest.

My fourth wish is for Eric Hosmer to be the key offensive guy for the Royals this season.  The Royals will live and die off of his bat.  If he can rebound to his rookie season form and beyond, I think this team will definitely be a surprise offense to watch out for.  We need Hoz to be the cleanup hitter he is projected to be and it starts this year.

My last wish for 2012 is for Greg Holland to be an All-Star closer that I know he is capable of being.  He clearly has dominate stuff with 188 strike outs in only 145.2 innings and a 2.97 career ERA.  He was able to get a little taste of the closer’s role last season after the Royals traded Jonathan Broxton to the Reds.  There is no doubt in my mind Holland can wind up being a Royal representative at the All-Star game in New York, and if he is then we have a reliable guy we can count on to shut the door in the 9th.

My wish list is optimistic but also very reasonable.  It is not out of the question that all of these wishes can come true.  If they do, I truly believe we will see a magical season at Kauffman, and it has been far too long since we’ve seen such a thing.

While Greinke was the center piece of the deal, he is no longer with the Brewers.  He found himself traded by the Brewers in the middle of this year to the Los Angeles Angels where he went 6-2 the rest of the way with a 3.53 ERA.  After the season Greinke was granted free agency, and after testing the market, he wound up signing one of the richest deals for a pitcher in Major League history.  He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for six years at $147 million.  It’s remarkable to believe that a team struggling to develop pitching was able to produce one of the most sought after free agent pitchers of the last several years.

October 02, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) crosses home plate after hitting a home run in the first inning of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Royals greatest return is their shortstop Alcides Escobar.  He should be a mainstay for several years and be an anchor up the middle.  He was known for being flashy with his glove, but has actually put up some solid, yet unexpected offensive numbers.  He struggled his first season at the plate in Kansas City, but found his stroke as he hit .293 and stole 35 bases while collecting 42 extra base hits.  While I do think Escobar had his peak season at the dish last year, I do think he will be around his 2012 numbers for the rest of his time with the Royals.

Another great haul in the trade is current Royals outfielder, Lorenzo Cain.  When Cain is healthy it looks as if he can be a staple in the outfield where he can provide a decent amount of pop and speed.  In an injury-shortened season he still connected on seven home runs and drove in 31 runs while stealing ten bases.  If you stretch that out over an entire season that’s roughly 20 home runs, nearly 90 RBI and almost 30 stolen bases.  I’d gladly take that on this team, which has been looking for an answer in center field for a few years now.

Jake Odorizzi was a former first round pick and one of the Royals most coveted pitching prospects.  He had an incredible season at two stops this year in the minors.  He went a combined 15-5 with a 3.03 ERA to go along with 135 strike outs in 145.1 innings.  Odorizzi was just included in the Royals latest trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, that netted James Shields and Wade Davis.  It strikes me odd that this former first rounder who’s had a lot of success in the minors at a young age has been traded away by two teams already.  Maybe I’m just reading into that a little too much though.

Another first rounder included in the deal was Jeremy Jeffress.  He was purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays in November after two subpar seasons with the Royals.  He appeared in 27 games and allowed 18 runs in 28.2 innings pitched.  He has a power arm but always struggled with command as he walked 24 men in his brief time with the Royals.  Betancourt is no longer on the Royals even though we signed him as a free agent following his year with the Brewers.  He was released by the Royals midseason in 2012.

We still have two very important pieces from the original trade two years ago.  If we play our cards right, they could be intricate parts to a playoff run over the next few seasons, especially after packaging Odorizzi to get two impactful veteran pitchers in Shields and Davis.  This trade has worked favorably for the Royals in the short term and I believe it will still be very favorable in the next coming seasons as well as it looks like they have set themselves up for possible success.

Our return of this blockbuster deal, netted us a solid frontline starter and a solid bullpen arm who could be a bit of a project to produce as a number three or number four down the road.  Big Game James Shields is the best starting pitcher this team has seen since Zack Greinke.  In 2011, he was an All-Star and took third in the American League Cy Young balloting.  He wasn’t quite as strong in 2012, but he still threw over 200 innings for the 6th straight season.  One thing is certain, we can count on Shields to be out there every fifth day as he’s started 33 games in each of the past five seasons.

Wade Davis will be the wild card in this deal for a few years to come.  I believe we know what we have in Shields, but Davis is definitely a question mark.  As a reliever last season he struck out 87 hitters in just over 70 innings of work.  He’s had solid years as a starter for the Rays, as he’s collected double digit wins in both his seasons as a full time starter.  His contract is very favorable to the Royals and if he can be a solid three or four starter, then this trade can be viewed as a definite win for the Royals.  Of course, that’s a very big if.  I am very optimistic that Davis will stick in the rotation, mainly because I don’t know what he would do out of the bullpen.  One thing that should happen as a result of this trade is finally push Luke Hochevar out of the rotation, at least I hope it does.

To land quality, established, front line pitching, one must give up talent as well.  The Royals certainly did just that, as they gave away three highly touted prospects.  The most notable being Baseball America’s current Minor League Player of the Year, Wil Myers.  Myers is certainly capable of being a perennial All-Star as he crushed Double-A and Triple-A pitching in 2012 and has a great track record of hitting during his years spent in the minors.  However, he could also be a flop as some other coveted Royals prospects never amounted to much at the Major League level.  We all remember Mark Quinn and Dee Brown.  With Myers’ value the highest it has ever been, the Royals capitalized and received two great arms in return.  Personally, I would have loved getting Price in return or perhaps Hellickson and Shields together, but Davis and Shields drastically changes our major league rotation for the better.

The Rays also received the Royals best pitching prospect in Jake Odorizzi.  I’m not sold on the fact that Jake Odorizzi will be an elite pitcher or even a number two or three for that matter.  I think it speaks volumes that he was a first round draft pick, and yet two teams have already traded him away.  I think his ceiling equates exactly to a Wade Davis type and Davis has already been proven in the big leagues, as a solid reliever and an average starter.  In that part of the trade, I believe we made out just fine.

Mike Montgomery is a very intriguing guy for me.  It is clear he just is not getting it right now.  A change of scenery and a new organization has me believing he can turn himself into a very serviceable starter or solid lefty bullpen arm for several years.  Just remember he’s only 23 years old, and the Rays have a history of developing young pitching.  I didn’t want to see him go, but for him to be successful he would have to eventually leave this organization and I would like for him to succeed.

So, what does this all mean?  Simply put, the Royals are making a conscious effort to push for the playoffs.  That is the main reason why I have reached my peace with this move.  I think I’m just so used to being a fan of a team that is always the one receiving prospects, that it just caught me off guard.  Once I realized that we might actually have a serviceable rotation top to bottom, it kind of got me really excited for this coming season to start.  I do not think the front office’s work is done by any means.  If the organization wants to go all in and commit to winning, I think there is room for one more additional quality starter.  I don’t want to put a label on these next two years as being “playoffs or bust”, but a winning record and a contending team in September is a must.

I still don’t like the fact we overpaid for pitching, but the deal is done and it should benefit us in the short run to compete in the AL Central to try and break our playoff drought.  One last thing, it will be nice, come April, to actually send out a starter on Opening Day who we can legitimately call an Opening Day starter.

May 28, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hits a single in the 3rd inning against the Chicago White Sox at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

If you really break it down from the beginning, I would say the Royals received the best haul in the deal.  Huber was a talented 21 year old catcher and was the fifth best prospect in 2003 and 2004 according to The Baseball Cube.  Around this time Bautista was struggling just to find some stability and a solid home.  Afterall, he ended the 2004 season as a 23 year old utility man with 40 strike outs and seven walks in 96 plate appearances.  He didn’t show many signs of pop as he ended the season with three extra base hits, all of which were doubles.  So, who would be able to predict that six years later he would belt over 50 home runs?

Huber, in 2005, led the Texas League in batting in his first full year in the Royals system.  At this point, the trade seemed to be working in the Royals favor.  This landed him a promotion to the big club where he hit .218 in 25 games notching six RBI and 17 hits in his first major league season.  Also, Huber was only the designated hitter or first baseman due to a knee injury that cut his 2004 season short in August after the Royals received him.

We turn to now, where Bautista is, arguably, the most feared right-handed power bat in the game.  His big breakthrough came in 2010 when he hammered a major-league leading 54 bombs.  This garnered him major attention and his first All-Star appearance and a Silver Slugger award.  In his stellar 2010 he also finished fourth in the MVP balloting.   He followed up his breakthrough campaign with a solid 2011 where he led the majors again with 43 home runs and finished 3rd in the MVP balloting.  An injury stalled his 2012 season but he was able to put on a show for his former team’s home town fans as he finished second behind Prince Fielder in the Home Run Derby.

Huber played a total of three seasons for the Royals, compiling 98 at bats.  He collected 20 hits, 7 RBI, and struck out 26 times.  The Royals decided to part ways with Huber in 2008 and received cash from the San Diego Padres in a trade that took place in March of 2008.  He finished a brief stint with Padres that year hitting .246 in 33 games.  His last run in the big leagues ended up in Minnesota as he had 2 at bats for the Twins in 2009.  He has recently been playing for the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League.  Obviously, this trade didn’t end up in the Royals favor but there were a number of other teams who moved on without Bautista, so it’s really hard to have a gripe with a trade like this.  It’s just too bad Joey Bats wasn’t able to break out in Kansas City instead of Toronto.

Brian Fletcher was the Royals “priority player”, ensuring he would be granted maximum playing time.  Unfortunately, Fletcher did not do too much with this time.  He hit .203 with only one home run and 9 runs batted in.  He struck out 24 times which was the second highest total on the team.  Shortstop Orlando Calixte was the designated member of the “taxi squad”, which meant he was only eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  In his limited time he hit .275 in 40 at bats to go along with one home run and 14 strike outs.

Whit Merrifield, who had a pretty good year at Wilmington followed up that showing with a decent showing in the AFL.  His average wasn’t solid, at .250, but he did have a home run to go along with nine stolen bases and 15 runs scored.  While some of his numbers were below average, it is nice to see a guy have more walks than strike outs, with ten and eight.  Alex McClure completes the list of position players the Royals placed on the roster and he did not have the best showing either.  In 37 at bats he tallied four RBI to go along with a .216 average 11 strike outs compared to only two walks.

Edwin Carl

The big story for the Royals comes from Justin Marks, who led the league with five wins.  He was the only Royals representative selected to the AFL’s Top Prospects Team.  He finished the fall with a 2.59 ERA in seven starts while fanning 22 in 24 1/3 innings of work.  On top of those gaudy numbers he walked only five batters.  Edwin Carl also had a strong fall.  In 13 innings he allowed nine hits and four earned runs, good for a 2.77 ERA.  He also struck out eight while walking only three and recorded a WHIP of .92.  The other three pitchers did not fair as well as Marks and Carl.  Jon Keck threw 9 2/3 innings and allowed 15 hits and five walks which equates to a 2.07 WHIP.  J.C. Sulbaran left due to an arm injury and in his brief time he allowed two earned runs in 3 innings.  He was replaced by Malcom Culver midseason, who was able to throw in five games and collect a loss and a 6.35 ERA.

While the Royals, collectively, didn’t have a great showing in Arizona, they did have a few good performances.  It’s nice to see one of your own be observed as one of the two best starting pitchers in the league.  Marks will be 25 as we head into the spring and does have one Triple-A start under his belt, although it’s a very forgettable one.  Maybe he can carry over his AFL success into the spring and summer just like Wil Myers did this past season after his strong AFL stint.

In the organization’s very first season, Lou Piniella received the award after hitting .282 and belting 11 home runs while driving in 68 runs.  He played four more seasons for the Royals and was an All-Star in 1972.  He is most known for his managerial resume as he has been named manager of the year three times and has done so in both leagues.  He’s also won three world championships, two as a player and one as a manager.  He finished his career with 1705 hits and received two votes for the Hall of Fame in 1990.

The next Royals player to win the award would be Bob Hamelin, 25 years later.  “The Hammer” mashed 24 home runs while hitting .282 and driving in 65 runs during his award-winning season.  Hamelin played two more seasons for the Royals after 1994 and ended his major league career in 1998 with the Milwaukee Brewers.  Hamelin battled vision and leg problems throughout his career which played a part in his decision to call it quits during the middle of the season for the Tigers Triple-A affiliate in 1999.  Hamelin is back in baseball as of 2012 as a scout for the Boston Red Sox.

Sep 11, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran (3) makes contact during the first inning swing against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

The next winner is one of the most notable names in Royals history.  Carlos Beltran hit .293 with 22 home runs, drove in 108 runs and stole 27 bases to garner his recognition as the best rookie in the AL.  Beltran went on to have several great seasons after his rookie year with the Royals.  In 2004, he was traded to the Astros where he went on to tie Barry Bonds‘s single postseason record of 8 home runs.  Beltran has a very impressive resume to date.  He is a seven time All-Star and three time Gold Glove winner and he has also won two Silver Sluggers.  I would think he has a shot at being inducted into the Hall of Fame in the future.  He could certainly end up with over 2500 hits to go along with his 300+ home runs and 300+ stolen bases.

Four years later, in 2003, Angel Berroa brought back some hardware as he won the award with a .287 batting average, 17 home runs, 73 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.  He had a lot of stiff competition that year as Rocco Baldelli, Jody Gerut, and Hideki Matsui all had deserving seasons as well.  Unfortunately, 2001 would be the high point in Berroa’s career.  The low point would likely be in 2006,  where he was dead last among all American League qualifiers in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.  He is now playing for the New Jersey Jackals in the Canadian-American Association after a few brief stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets.

Who knows, maybe the Royals have the next rookie of the year winner as Wil Myers should undoubtedly get his chance to shine next year in the big leagues.  He will be a front runner in most peoples minds as we head towards the spring.

Luke Hochevar and Jonathan Sanchez were two of the more recent nightmares this pitching staff had to deal with.  Even with WAR aside they were some of the most recent disappointments that I can remember.  The bright side is, Sanchez has already left us and I believe we’ve seen our last days with Hochevar on the mound.  There is absolutely no reason not to non-tender him.  The only positive coming from Sanchez was the fact we were able to flip him for Jeremy Guthrie, who ended up being one of the most dependable starters over the last few months.  When you look at their statistics, it is plain to see how they end up with negative WARs.  Hochevar was good for an 8-16 record over 32 starts where he also managed a 5.73 ERA and a WHIP of 1.42.  His performance yielded a pitcher’s worst WAR of -1.7.  Mr. Sanchez, on the other hand, started 12 games and notched only one win.  His 7.76 ERA and 2.04 WHIP produced the second worst pitcher’s WAR on the team with -1.4.  I really do hope the days are behind us where we trot out pitchers who are constantly giving us poor performances.

Enough about this past season, though.  I’d like to look at a few names from the past who give us that same uneasy feeling when they take the mound, the way Hoch and Sanchez did this year.  We all remember Runelvys Hernandez.  He seemed so promising in 2003, yet failed to be anything more than just a flash in the pan.  In 2006, Hernandez started 21 games for the Royals and went 6-10 for his efforts.  He struck out 50 batters while walking 48 and finished up with an ERA at 6.48.  His WHIP was an unheard of 1.76 which accounted for his -1.2 WAR, allowing his 2006 to be another forgettable and disappointing season for a Royals starter.

May 28, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Sean O

Jose Lima was a spark plug for any club house and was a main contributor in the Royals surprising 2003 season.  However, just two short years later, Lima pitched his way to the club’s second worst season ever, according to WAR.  This Royals team set the franchise record for losses in a season with 106.  In this historic season, Lima started 32 games and wound up with a 5-16 record.  He threw 168.2 innings and recorded only 80 strike outs while allowing 219 hits.  This equated to a 6.99 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP.  His WAR for this season registered at -1.8.

Now we must take a look at Doug Bird, who in 1978 had the single worst season a pitcher has ever had as he recorded a WAR of -2.3.  He started only 6 games but appeared in 40 throughout the season.  His win-loss record at 6-6 was respectable, but he only struck out 48 batters in nearly 100 innings of work.  His ERA came in at 5.29 and he had a WHIP of 1.43.  Those numbers don’t seem to be too bad, but as a reliever for most of the season, it is unfathomable to put nearly one and a half guys on base in critical late-inning high stress situations.

I would like to add a few honorable mentions.  Mike Hedlund, who in 1972, recorded a WAR of -1.6.  In 1979, Rich Gale had a WAR of -1.7 and finally everybody’s favorite, Sean O’Sullivan, in 2011 recorded a WAR of -1.6.  I’d also like to mention, in O’Sullivan’s 2011 campaign, he had an astonishingly bad WHIP of 1.78.  For me this has been interesting to go through season by season as I did research on some of the notably bad seasons in Royals history and examine just how awful these pitchers truly were.  I really hope the days ahead are brighter and we can put the recent seasons of poor starting pitching behind us.

I’ll start in the American League, where Matt Wieters claimed his second gold glove as the Orioles backstop.  Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy will share the award this year.  At 3rd base Adrian Beltre won his 4th gold glove, while at shortstop J.J. Hardy grabbed his first one.  Everybody’s favorite in KC, Robinson Cano, was awarded his 2nd gold glove tonight.  Eric Hosmer was beat out by Yankees first baseman, Mark Texeira, who collected his 5th award.

Aug 27, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick (16) makes a diving catch in front of center fielder Coco Crisp (4) in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

In the outfield, we have Royals left fielder, Alex Gordon, who received his second gold glove award.  I definitely see Gordon winning a few more of these in the future.  Gordon has really come along in his development and transition from the hot corner to being a mainstay in left field.  He is being rewarded again for his efforts this year.  Oriole’s center fielder, Adam Jones, snatched his second career gold glove award.  Finally, wrapping up the American League in right field, Josh Reddick for the A’s grabbed his first gold glove.

In the National League, Yadier Molina, collected his 5th award for the Cardinals.  Slick-fielding pitcher, Mark Buerhle, received his 4th career award, and his first in the National League.  Padres 3rd baseman Chase Headley received his very first award tonight.  Darwin Barney of the Chicago Cubs and Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies grabbed the awards up the middle for the National League.  Nationals first baseman and Fort Scott, Kansas native, Adam LaRoche, earned his first piece of hardware.Jason Heyward claimed his first gold glove as the Atlanta Braves right fielder.  In center field, Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates, also collected his first gold glove.  Finally, winning his 2nd award is Colorado Rockies left-fielder, Carlos Gonzalez.

While the Royals only accounted for one of these awards tonight, there should be several players in the future claiming rights to a gold glove or two.  In my opinion, Salvador Perez should have at least finished as finalist this year.  Even in his injury-shortened season, he was still able to show everyone how advanced he is as a signal caller.  Mike Moustakas will have a tough time winning one as it will be hard to surpass Adrian Beltre as the league’s best defender at the hot corner.  Eric Hosmer is only a year or two away from claiming his first gold glove, and Alcides Escobar should have no trouble winning one after he receives more and more national exposure.

One of the top WAR pitchers in Royals history is Kevin Appier.  Appier was the top player on his team for six different seasons during his time spent in Kansas City.  His greatest season came in 1993 where he registered a WAR of 9.0.  In that season he went 18-8 and had the best ERA in the league at 2.56.  One stat that really jumped out to me during that year was his ability to limit the long ball.  In 238.2 innings pitched he allowed only 8 home runs, which was good for .3 home runs allowed per 9 innings pitched.

June 12, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (13) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

While Appier may be the top player for his team with all pitchers considered in all seasons, he hasn’t had the greatest season in franchise history according to WAR.  His 1993 campaign ranks as the 3rd best pitching season in franchise history, under the WAR category.  The second greatest season, according to WAR, goes to Bret Saberhagen for his stellar season in 1989, in which his WAR was 9.2.  Saberhagen won the Cy Young award that year in the American League with a 23-6 win loss record and a league best ERA of 2.16.  In ’89 he also threw 12 complete games and struck out 193 batters, while only walking 43.

The greatest season in Kansas City Royals history for a pitcher goes to Zack Greinke, who had a WAR of 10.1, in 2009.  He won the Cy Young award that year despite only winning 16 games.  His 2.16 ERA and his 242 strike outs displayed his dominance that year.  For the lack of run support he did receive, it’s amazing he was able to win 16 games that year.  Greinke threw 3 shut outs in 2009, and those have been the only shut outs he has thrown in his career.  While Greinke has had some very terrific seasons over the last few years, none have compared to his unbelievable success in 2009.

There are a few seasons I’d like to give an honorable mention nod to.  Now remember the 3 seasons I just went over are based on WAR.  The next few seasons were great and even Cy Young worthy, but they don’t measure up in terms of WAR.  Bret Saberhagen in 1985 won the Cy Young award as a 21 year old rookie and his WAR measured in at 6.9.  In 1988, Mark Gubicza accounted for a WAR of 7.5.  He won 20 games that year and took 3rd in the Cy Young award balloting.  In the strike-shortened season of 1994, David Cone won the Cy Young award and finished with a WAR of 6.6.  In these 3 honorable mention seasons, Gubicza had the highest WAR, yet was the only one not to win the Cy Young award for his efforts.  Like with most stats, they need to be taken with a grain of salt, but I do like how WAR can give you an idea of a players worth for a particular season.

I am going to follow up this piece with the historically bad seasons on the mound, according to WAR, in franchise history.  I would expect to see a few recent pitchers we have had, including the likes of Luke Hochevar.

Edwin Carl and Justin Marks are having pretty decent falls.  Carl has an ERA at 1.42, as he has appeared in 5 games and thrown 6.1 innings thus far.  He has tallied 4 strike outs against 3 walks and surrendered only one earned run.  Marks has started 3 games and he accounted for the win in two of them.  In 8.1 innings pitched, he has an ERA of 2.16 and has struck out 6 as opposed to 4 walks.  Two pitchers who would like to forget their fall in Arizona are Sulbaran and Jon Keck.  Keck has allowed 6 earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched, good for an ERA of 16.20.  Sulbaran on the other hand, while not as bad as Keck, got pulled from the team on Tuesday, due to continuing arm soreness.  Sulbaran was replaced by Malcom Culver, who was an 8th round pick in 2008.  Initially, Culver was an infielder but began the transition to pitching in 2011.  As of this article, he has yet to pitch an inning.

Justin Marks from last season with the Blue Rocks

There are four hitters on the Surprise Saguaros.  The first one I’m going to look at is Orlando Calixte, who is on the “taxi squad”, meaning, he is only eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Calixte is hitting .364 with one home run and one RBI.  He has had 22 at bats and has struck out 7 times while walking zero times.  Whit Merrifield has played in 9 games and is hitting .267 in 30 at bats.  He has stolen 3 bases and driven in 2 runs for Surprise.

Alex McClure has played in 5 games and recorded 19 at bats.  In those 19 at bats he has 5 hits which is good for a .263 average.  McClure has also driven in 3 runs and recorded two doubles in his time in the AFL so far.  The Royals designated Brian Fletcher as the “priority player” which means he will be granted maximum playing time.  Fletcher hasn’t put that time to good use.  He’s currently hitting .176 in 34 at bats.  He has totaled 6 hits, two of them being the extra base variety.  This fall he has struck out 16 times which is almost half of his at bats.

None of the Royals prospects are putting up stellar numbers in Arizona, but a few of them are still very respectable.  The Rising Stars game is set for November 3rd which is next Saturday.  The AFL season concludes on November 17th as the championship game will be played then.  If you want to stay up to date a link to the Surprise Saguaros can be found here.

I recently wrote an article about the 2012 Royals and their WARs for the season and now I’d like to examine seasons of the past and those hitters who have really excelled and also those who under performed, yet were one of the best players on the team.  Frankly, we’ve had way too many players be the best hitters on the team but wouldn’t even be a threat in another team’s lineup.  I think that trend is changing, but a player like Ken Harvey should never be the most feared guy in a lineup.

June 23, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran (3) singles in a run against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

Alex Gordon has been the top performing player the past two seasons for the Royals recording WARs of 7.1 and 6.2.  Before Alex Gordon it had been since 2006 that a Royals hitter had the best WAR on the team.  In 2006 Mark Teahen recorded the best WAR on the team with 3.4.  That just speaks volumes for how anemic a team’s offense is, if Mark Teahen is the top player and his WAR is below 4.  The year before, in 2005, David DeJesus had a slightly better WAR at 4.2.  From 1998-2001 the best overall player on the team were hitters.  Jose Offerman started the streak with a very respectable WAR of 5.0.  Johnny Damon recorded the best seasons the following two years with WARs of 5.1 and an Alex Gordon-esque WAR of 6.0.  Postseason hero and former Royal great, Carlos Beltran, had a WAR of 6.1 in 2001.

From 1987-1997, WAR was completely dominated by pitching.  Pitchers were the highest rated players using the WAR factor.  The best overall player who was a hitter was George Brett in 1986 with a WAR of 3.8.  From 1971 through 1986, hitters were predominantly the best overall players on the team.  Amos Otis, John Mayberry, George Brett, and Willie Wilson all were the best players on their respected teams through these years on multiple occasions.  Brett compiled a few years where he was over 8, which is remarkable.  The highest WAR season for a Royals hitter was in 1980 when George Brett recorded a batting average of .390 and won the MVP which also resulted in a WAR of 9.3.  This gives the Trout supporters some validation in their argument over Cabrera as Trout finished with a WAR that was even higher than Brett’s in 1980, with 10.7.  Cabrera has the triple crown going for him, but when you factor in WAR he measures in at 6.9.

I ran through some notable WARs of years past with the hitters.  It’s interesting to see a stat that is a relatively new measurement of a player’s worth used in different eras.  My next post will cover the pitchers and what seasons we’ve been experiencing in Kansas City with some great pitchers of the past and some not so great pitchers.  Yes, I’m looking at you Darrell May.

My first prediction had Greg Holland being named the full time closer and notching 30 saves.  Well, it took Jonathan Broxton getting traded to Cincinnati, but Greg Holland is the team’s full time closer and has racked up 15 saves as we head into the final series against the Tigers.  My prediction was a little high, but for the most part, my prediction was on point.

September 24, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder (28) runs the bases after hitting a home run off Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Luke Hochevar (44) during the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

I’m not sure what I was drinking when I made my next prediction about Luke Hochevar.  I stated he will have an ERA under 4 for the first time in his major league career and he will win 15 games.  Boy, was I wrong!  Hochevar has collected 8 wins and is putting together one of the 25 worst pitching seasons ever for players who have thrown 185 innings or more, with his 5.73 ERA.  Needless to say, I was still very optimistic that Hochevar could somehow turn the corner and perform to the level of a first round pick, number one overall at that.  I think we can all agree that Hochevar will never live up to that pick and the Royals should not have him around for 2013.

I predicted that we would see more power from Mike Moustakas, but he will still also struggle at the plate this year.  I think it can be agreed upon that we saw just that.  Moose is second on the team in home runs, with 20, which is the most home run production we have seen from a Royals third baseman since 1998.  I stated Moose will hover around the .260 mark, which is a little high as he currently is hitting at a .242 clip.

With my next prediction, I had Lorenzo Cain one stolen base shy of a 20/20 campaign.  An injury early in the season kept Cain on the shelf for most of the first half of the season.  When healthy, Cain has shown he can be a very productive outfielder.  The question remains though, if Cain can truly ever be a reliable option based on his injury history.  All that being said, in limited action this season, Cain did put together a respectable line of 7 homers, 31 RBI, and a .266 average.

My final prediction was the one I was really hoping would come true.  I claimed Billy Butler would turn some of his infamous doubles into more home runs and that he would take 3rd in the American League batting title race.  I said he would end up with a .331 average and he is currently hitting .312 which is good for 6th in the league.  While I might have been a little off on the average, I am glad to see Butler swing it so well this year.  He has 107 RBI and is one home run shy of 30 on the season.

I believe 3 out of my 5 predictions were fairly accurate and those 3 predictions could lead to this team becoming a more solid bunch and possibly a contender as we head into next season.  However, the two that I swung and missed at were two reasons as to why this team did struggle as much as they did this year.  Inconsistent starting pitching and injuries were the achilles heel to this 2012 Royals season.  Let’s just hope we can find some answers in the off season to these problems.

The duo of Jarrod Dyson and Alcides Escobar made club history today as they are the first Royals teammates to both steal 30 or more bases since the World Series Champion team of 1985.  This season won’t have the same outcome as the 85 season had, but it’s still a nice little accomplishment for the pair of Royals.

There are only four other pairs of teammates to accomplish the feat so far this year.  Brewers teammates Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez have 30 and 36 respectively, and Jimmy Rollins and Juan Pierre of Philadelphia, also are a 30 stolen base duo with 37 and 30.  In Miami, speedsters, Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio both have surpassed 30 stolen bases and the final duo in the AL East are Rays teammates Desmond Jennings and B.J. Upton.  Norichika Aoki could join his Brewers teammates over the last few days of the season if he can swipe 2 more bags and Jordan Schafer can join his Astros teammate, Jose Altuve, if he can grab 3 more bases.

September 25, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (bottom) steals second base with Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta (27) covering during the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

The most important piece of this puzzle is getting on base, first.  No matter how fast a guy is, the old saying stands true  that you can’t steal first base.  Dyson has an on base percantage of .332 which is 11 points higher than his career on base percentage.  Escobar’s career on base percentage is slightly over .300, but this season he’s improved greatly in that category with a .329 on base percentage.  Obviously these higher on base percentages are going to result in more opportunities to steal a base, not to mention the big jump in playing time for Dyson as he filled in for the ailing Lorenzo Cain.

Escobar is slightly more efficient this year with a stolen base success rate at 86% by swiping 32 bags and only getting caught 5 times.  Dyson has a success rate of 85% as he has stolen 30 bags and has only been caught 5 times as well.  However, it’s important to note that Escobar has yet to be picked off and Dyson has been picked off 7 times.  In knowing that, the edge definitely goes to Escobar as the most well rounded base stealer on the team.

Most of us knew we were getting a great defensive shortstop in Escy, but we didn’t know we’d get this much production at the plate from him.  His base running/stealing is another element of his game that is just adding to his value as a very well rounded shortstop and one of the league’s best.  Dyson is a fringy 4th outfielder type, but his ability to capture an extra base when the team needs it most is a very important part of his game.  Most teams value having a guy like that on their team and it’s something that could keep Jarrod on the team for next year, at the very least.

Stealing bases can be a huge asset to a team’s success.  Teams sacrifice players on the base path all the time by using bunts and situational hitting, but if a player can advance bases solely on his own behalf, that adds tremendous value to his overall game.  However, a player can also do more harm than good if he can’t steal bases at a high success rate.  This duo was very successful in aiding the team on the base path and hopefully they can continue that success into next season as well.

Just to preface WAR values before I get into Royals player WARs, the average position player is worth +2 WAR, opposed to the average bench players who contribute about less than +1 WAR.  On the pitching side of things, the average starting pitcher is also worth +2 WAR, and relievers who measure +1 are considered sensational.

Knowing that WAR looks at the player’s overall contribution to the team, it may come as no surprise that the Royals WAR leader is none other than, Alex Gordon.  As of right now, Gordon’s WAR stands at 4.7, which is good for 8th in the American League and is tied for 19th in all of baseball with Melky Cabrera.  According to FanGraphs, this means Gordon is well above the average position player and is worth 4.7 wins to the Royals.

While Gordon’s WAR is great, I want to put this into a little perspective.  Mike Trout is leading all of baseball with a WAR of 10.3, and the next closest position players to him are Yadier Molina and Robinson Cano, who both have a WAR of 6.6.  Trout’s season is remarkable to this point and he’s the first player to, currently, have a WAR above 10 since 2004, when Barry Bonds accomplished the feat.

September 24, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur (21) walks back to dugout after striking out during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Royals right-fielder, Jeff Francoeur.  With all factors considered, Frenchy is, statistically, the worst position player in all of baseball with a WAR of -3.0.  Yes, you read that right!  A negative WAR, which means by himself he has lost the Royals 3 games just by being in the field and at the plate.  A few other Royals offensive WARs are Mike Moustakas at 3.5, Alcides Escobar with a 2.9 WAR, and Salvador Perez who registers a WAR of 2.5.  The Royals lone All-Star representative, Billy Butler, has a WAR of 2.4 this season and Eric Hosmer who, for the most part, is enduring a season long slump, has a WAR of .1.

On the pitching side of things, Kelvin Herrera has the highest WAR of all Royals pitchers.  He registers a 2.2 WAR and trailing him are Jeremy Guthrie, Felipe Paulino, and Greg Holland all at 1.7.  Guthrie and Paulino are just under the average of +2 WAR for a starting pitcher and Holland and Herrera exceed the benchmark of +1 WAR, for a relief pitcher, by a substantial margin.

While Jeff Francoeur is the worst player measured by this statistic in all of baseball, Luke Hochevar measures as one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball with a WAR of -0.8.  Even more remarkable than that is the WAR of former Royals starter Jonathan Sanchez who records an astonishing -1.3 WAR.  To the amazement of Royals fans everywhere, the Royals were putting these two guys on the bump with regularity during the first half of the season, and Hochevar is still being run out there every 5 days.

Royals starting pitchers Bruce Chen and Luis Mendoza have a WAR of .1 and .9 respectively, both well under the league average of +2 for a starting pitcher.  A few notable relievers have some outstanding WARs such as Tim Collins at 1.1 and Aaron Crow who has a .9 WAR.  While it’s clear the Royals have some great offensive players, they still are lacking in the starting pitching category, as it’s evident by not having one starting pitcher over, or even at the league average in WAR.  They may be helped in the off season by a free agent or two and during the season when a few pitchers come back from injuries, but the most important piece of the puzzle is missing and has been missing for several years now.

May 9, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals batter Johnny Giavotella (9) drives in a run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

Getz was able to carry over a solid spring into the season and maintain his position as the team’s starting second baseman for the first few months.  With Gio playing well in Omaha, he was promoted in May, and let’s just say he didn’t do all that much to stay with the big club.  A .239 average in May and a .174 clip in June doesn’t warrant a 25-man roster spot for long.  His call up was disappointing to say the least for those who had been campaigning for the youngster to claim the job.  It certainly didn’t help him that he received sporadic playing time and could never find a groove.  His main fault has always been his defense at second base, but throughout the ranks of the minor leagues he has always found a way to rake.  It doesn’t bode well for a guy who is known for his bat, that he’s not able to provide that at the big league level.  Luckily, Gio is going to have a few more chances.

An injury struck Chris Getz in August and forced him to miss the rest of the season.  This was a fortuitous break for Gio as he now is the regular second baseman getting the majority of starts the rest of the way.  In this time, from his last recall, Gio has improved his play defensively, but is still not hitting up to expectations.  However, as of late, Gio has started to catch fire.  He finally hit his first home run of the season on September 4th against the Rangers.  Through the first 9 games in September, Gio is hitting .344 and has shown a bit of consistency.  What’s troubling me are his strikeout to walk numbers.  In 142 at bats this season, he has 28 strikeouts to only 8 walks, good for a 18.8K% and a 5.4BB%.

This is still an open competition as we end the season and head into the spring.  Getz is still the better runner and has the better glove.  Due to a stance change he has also been hitting at a consistent level with a little more extra base pop than what we are used to seeing from him.  Gio must dominate pitching the way he has for Omaha the last two seasons if he wants the starting job all to himself.  Otherwise, we will still be looking at a platoon type of situation for next year or it could very well be Chris Getz’s job again.

Last year was a significant year for the Royals.  Many of their very talented prospects were making their major league debuts.  Eric Hosmer was the first to be called up in early May and then in June he was joined by Mike Moustakas.  In August, the Royals gave the call to Johnny Giavotella and Salvador Perez.  While all of those guys show a tremendous amount of promise, Moustakas could change the way we view 3rd base in Kansas City for many years to come.  Not only is he excelling defensively, which wasn’t expected, he’s also providing timely hits and a lot of pop at the plate.

I’ve been extremely impressed with how his defense has improved.  Night in and night out he is making web gem caliber plays.  What’s just as exciting is knowing that he will be a force in the middle of the lineup in Kansas City for many years to come.  Moose could be the leader that changes the trend of how we have viewed our third basemen in years past.  He has taken several steps this year that would indicate he’ll be able to put up 30 home runs or more, each year, for the forseeable future.

You can always tell how dominate a guy is by how many batters he strikes out per 9 innings pitched.  Take a look at Aroldis Chapman this year, who has 112 strike outs in only 62 innings pitched.   That many strike outs in that amount of innings is just unheard of, and is on pace to be record breaking.  That fact alone is why Chapman is the most dominating pitcher in baseball right now, even as a reliever.  It’s also to show how Holland, who isn’t on Chapman’s level, is still doing his fair share to keep up.  Holland strikes out over 11 guys per 9, while Chapman is at an astonishing 16 k’s per 9.

July 8, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland (56) pitches during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

I’ll definitely take that type of production out of a guy who is trying to slam the door on the opposition.  On top of his 98 mph fastball he also has a devastating slider that I’ve seen touch 90 on the stadium gun.  I may be slightly biased, but I think Greg Holland is a guy we need anchoring down the 9th for several years to come.  For a while now, I’ve been very high on his ability as a pitcher and his ability to be an elite closer.  I’ve been advocating that he should close all season and he is doing just that now, and flourishing in his current role.

Since he has taken over the role when Jonathan Broxton was traded, he has converted 7 out of 7 save chances with a 0.73 ERA.  Meanwhile, Broxton has a 6.43 ERA in his role with the Reds in 8 games.  It’s also been a lot less stressful watching Holland in the 9th this past month instead of seeing Broxton load the bases and somehow manage to get out of it.  I believe the Royals bullpen is extremely strong, but I think the right guy is handling the 9th right now.

Holland is a guy the Royals took in the 10th round in 2007 out of Western Carolina.  He doesn’t become a free agent until 2017 and is currently earning close to half a million dollars.  In my opinion, he is the perfect guy to hand the ball off for the next few years.  He is trying to make a name for himself and potentially earn several million dollars in the near future.  I hope the Royals continue to use him in the closer role so he can continue his growth in tight situations and progress even further as we head into next season.  Plus, he has one of the greatest entrance songs a pitcher can have.  Nothing strikes more fear in the opposition than a little Electric Feel.

Selman is listed at 6’3″ and 190 lbs. from Austin, Texas.  He sports a fastball that ranges from 90-95 mph and also offers a slider and change up that both need some polishing up.  He certainly has the potential to be a power arm from the left side for the Royals in a few years.  It’s important for him to continue his development and throw more innings as he refines his delivery to one that is a bit more consistent.  One of his down falls throughout his collegiate career was the lack of consistency in his delivery and the walks that would follow.  It would seem as if he may have found a remedy as he has allowed only 16 walks through his first 47.1 professional innings pitched.

It’s still to be determined how fast Selman could rise through the minors, but he’s definitely pushing for his next promotion right now.  Selman is completely dominating the Pioneer League this summer.  His last 5 starts he has thrown 27 innings and tallied up 46 strikeouts while only allowing 11 walks and 13 hits.  These are some astonishing numbers and have to delight Royals fans who are constantly looking for promising young pitchers to someday grace the mound at Kauffman Stadium.

I already like the pick of the young Austin, Texas native.  In my opinion, drafting Selman was well worth it.  He shows tremendous upside and only has a few tweaks to make to his game, the most important being the consistency of his delivery.  While, like most pitchers, his secondary pitches need a little work, they are still very formidable for the lower minor leagues.  However, to hold up in the upper minors and in the big leagues, he will need his slider to be sharper and his changeup to fade.  This should come with more seasoning in the minors and more repetition.

I’m hoping to give Selman the praise he deserves so far, as well as bring his name to light to other Royals fans.  I’m very excited we had the opportunity to take this kid, and I’d love to see him turn into a great number 2 or 3 starter for us down the line.  Realistically, I think that will be his calling as he continues to develop into a very promising young hurler.  Also feel free to give Sam a follow on his twitter page @crazylegsselman

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

This is my first post in nearly two months.  A lot of things have come up in the past two months that have taken my attention away from my articles, but now I’m back and ready to focus on my posts.  At this point in the season, not many things have gone right, however there are still a few interesting developments I’d like to see play out over the course of the next two months.

The first thing I’d like to see is Billy Butler give a nice run towards breaking Steve Balboni‘s single season record of 36 home runs.  With the juiced ball and steroid era, it was commonplace for teams to have multiple players with 30 and 40 home run seasons.  The Royals have remained quiet with the long ball and at 27 years and counting no one has surpassed Balboni’s 36 home runs in 1985.  I’m aware Butler only has 20 home runs through Sunday’s game but with a few hot streaks here and there it is possible for him to challenge the record.

The next thing I’d like to see is Greg Holland really stake a claim to the closer’s role as we head into next season.  Now I’ll admit I’ve been one of the biggest Holland advocates for the past two years.  I really like his makeup and his electric stuff, but I truly believe he could be a very dominate closer for the Royals for at least the next few years.

It’s been really nice to see Mike Moustakas carry over his hot September from last season into this year.  It’s been an even better surprise to see how well he has played defensively at third base.  On the other side of the diamond has been Eric Hosmer, who has been a little different story than Moose.  Hosmer still has time this season to get things in gear and put together a respectable season, although his time will be running out very soon.  It would certainly make me feel a bit more at ease going into the off season with Hosmer raking over the last several weeks of the season.

The last thing I’d like to see the rest of the way is the arrival of the most talked about prospect in all of baseball, Wil Myers.  Now it may be possible the Royals decide to keep Myers down until next year, but that will anger a lot, if not all, of the fan base.  I’d love to see what Wil can do the rest of the way if he gets the call.  It will, at least, add a little bit of suspense for the final two months to see if he gets promoted to Kansas City.  We will just have to wait and see what the front office decides to do, as he may end up waiting until next May to finally put on a Major League uniform.

I hope to see a few of these stories develop into realization.  These are some things that keep me watching even in the dog days of the season when the team is struggling to stay out of the basement in the AL Central.  What are some other interesting topics fans are looking forward to the rest of the season?  I’d love to hear what others are thinking about.

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There were probably a lot of Royals fans clamoring for Appel but it seemed unlikely that the Royals would be able to negotiate a contract with him given his agent is Scott Boras.  Therefore, the Royals took the guy they had been wanting, in Kyle Zimmer.  Zimmer was in the list of three of the top collegiate pitchers available in this draft also including Appel and LSU right hander Kevin Gausman.

My first reaction to the selection is praise.  I think the Royals did the right thing in selecting Zimmer and it seems most Royals fans have been in favor of the move as well, or at least those on Twitter.  Zimmer had a fantastic season for the Dons this past year posting a 2.85 ERA and serving as the club’s ace.  I’m more fascinated by his ability to limit his walks and rack up strikeouts.  He recorded 104 strikeouts to only 17 walks in 2012.

Zimmer stands at 6’4″ and weighs in at 220 pounds.  He is a young 20 year old with plenty of time to grow and develop as he hits the professional ranks.  I believe he has a few mechanical issues to work on but nothing major.  It appears he has a lean towards home and breaks his hands a tad too early, but once again it’s not a major issue.

He has three good offerings including a curveball, changeup, and a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and has touched 99.  He is very polished for someone who picked up pitching his freshman season at USF after transitioning from 3rd base.  He has a fresh arm and could be on the fast track for the big leagues.  I believe we could see Zimmer as early as the 2014 season.  My first projection has him as a solid number 2 with the possibility of advancing into an ace, but of course, that would depend on his development and the Royals ability to develop him as a starter.

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May 11, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton (32) gets congratulated by shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) after hitting a home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

The Royals wrapped up the weekend series in Chi-town with a 9-1 win Sunday to complete a series win.  They now have split or won their last six series and have won 8 of their last 14 after losing 12 in a row in April.  Now they get the daunting task of slowing down one of the best teams in baseball, the Texas Rangers.  Not to mention the best player in the game, Josh Hamilton, just came off one of the greatest weeks a hitter could ever have, including a 5-5 4 homerun game last Tuesday.

The Royals face the Rangers in a short 2 game series in Arlington, Texas.  Bruce Chen and Scott Feldman will be given the nod on Monday to take the mound and open the series.  On Tuesday there has been speculation as to who the Royals will start with most signs pointing toward Vin Mazzaro.  Colby Lewis will be the Rangers starter on Tuesday night.

Feldman, a career .500 pitcher, will be making his second start of the season tomorrow.  He has a 4.35 ERA in 10.1 innings of work on the season.  Feldman is not much of a strike out pitcher and the Royals should be able to put some good at bats together against him.  Colby Lewis is coming off two rough road starts where he allowed 6 runs in each.  While his last two starts are forgettable, he has managed to be stellar at home going 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA.

The main concern I have in the series is how well the Royals can keep the Rangers hitters in line.  I believe Bruce Chen can give us one of his usual starts which will give the Royals a fighting chance.  I’m very skeptical of Mazzaro, but he does have the ability to go 5 innings.  However, it’s also very likely he struggles to go 3 or 4 innings and the Texas lineup does what they do best, and mash.

Before the games get underway there are a few other interesting facts to know.  Ian Kinsler, the second baseman for the Rangers, and Josh Hamilton lead all of Major League Baseball in runs scored.  The Rangers also have one of the best bullpens in all of baseball.  Their bullpen ERA is tops amongst all teams, so it won’t be ideal if the Royals are trailing and have to make any attempt at a comeback against solid relievers like Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, and closer Joe Nathan.

This series is sure going to be an interesting one.  Will Josh Hamilton keep up his torrid hot streak?  Can the Royals starters and bullpen keep the Rangers at bay?  Will the Royals be able to keep pace with the best offense in baseball?  A lot of questions will be answered and we will soon find out how this series will play out.  Hopefully the Royals can, at least, manage a split on the road and head back to Kauffman Stadium on a good note.

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May 07, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (57) is relieved by manager Ned Yost (3) in the fourth inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Today, I realized I can no longer do this.  I can’t be hopelessly optimistic about someone who has given me little in return to back up my optimism.  I was never a fan of the Luke Hochevar pick in the 2006 draft, but I sucked it up and tried to find a reason to like the pick and give my support for Hochevar.  First, let me state that Hochevar should have never been the 1st overall pick and because of his selection there, he is going to be the most scrutinized player from that draft.  It’s also hard to swallow that Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, and Tim Lincecum were all top ten picks that year as well, and were passed on.

While Hochevar hasn’t been bad every time out, what makes him so frustrating to watch, is the fact he is one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the game.  He’s had days of complete game shutouts and then he’ll turn around and have an outing like the home opener onslaught that a sold out crowd witnessed earlier this year at Kauffman Stadium.  A starter needs to be consistent, something Hochevar is not.  Yeah, Bruce Chen won’t dominate a line up but you can expect 6 innings and 2-3 runs every time he toes the rubber.  There’s peace of mind knowing what to expect from your starter on any given day.

That being said it really is time to at least scan around for other options to start in place of Hochevar and Jonathan Sanchez.  I’m not sure how much longer their leash is, but it can’t be too long.  Sanchez and Hochevar combined have went past 5 innings only twice thus far this season.  Hochevar is now the 6th worst pitcher in MLB history according to ERA that includes pitchers with over 100 starts.  That’s an interesting piece of information that can be found here* along with the rest of the top, or should I say bottom, ten.  I tend to get a sick feeling in my stomach every time it’s Sanchez’s turn in the rotation.  I know 5 walks and 3 innings is very likely.  These two make watching the Royals a nauseating task.  Normally, I’m not this down on the Royals, but I hate seeing the starting pitching give these types of performances.

*It’s interesting to note Kyle Davies is right in front of Hochevar on this list.

Therefore, there may come a time relatively soon where a change has to be made.  Ryan Verdugo, Nate Adcock, and Everett Teaford are all guys I truly believe can give us a quality start just about every time out.  The most important things a starter can do is keep the team in the game and go deep in the game to preserve the bullpen arms throughout the season.  Jake Odorizzi is also an intriguing name that I’d love to see in Kansas City at some point during the season.

I really don’t like giving up on a player, but it appears as though Hochevar is not capable of overcoming his blow up inning more times than not.  I believe there is a lack of focus there, even though no one will come out and say that.  I’m sure he prepares himself very well and puts in the time and effort, but there is something with the mental side of his game that is just not adding up.  A guy with the repertoire of pitches that Hochevar sports should not be nearly this inconsistent and should be a top of the rotation starter.  It’s just very frustrating to continue to watch him and anticipate his blow up inning.

All I’m hoping for is this doesn’t continue.  Whether Hochevar and Sanchez figure out a few things and can pitch deeper into a game or Ned Yost finally makes a move and replaces one or both of them with a few candidates I mentioned earlier, something will need to change.  The starting pitching is the weak spot of the team but that doesn’t mean you can’t make changes to try and produce different outcomes.  These two are certainly not cutting it.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aaron Crow (43) against the Oakland Athletics Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

There isn’t much else we can say about our beloved Royals.  They lost 12 straight games and completed a winless season opening home stand.  Their lack of timely hitting and an inconsistent bullpen have combined for a disastrous start to the 2012 season.  I’ve had enough of discussing what’s going wrong and who’s to blame.  That’s why I’d like to focus my attention on a few bright spots in recent years.  I’m talking about the MLB draft and the solid job the Royals have done in drafting their talent.  With the MLB first-year player draft looming merely a month away, I’d like to recap the past 5 first round picks and evaluate them now as well as what their future might hold.

2007

First, let’s look at 2007 first rounder Mike Moustakas.  A highly-touted high school kid out of Chatsworth, CA, Moustakas was drafted 2nd overall and signed on the deadline of August 15 for $4 million dollars.  Moustakas garnered some accolades in the minor leagues, including being named the 2010 Texas League Player of the Year.  Moose has been a top prospect entering every season in his professional career.  He has started off this season very well and has produced at the plate and on defense.  He will always have a tremendous amount of power and there was a question about his glove.  Thus far, he has shown vast improvement in the field and I like the way he has adjusted to major league pitching.  He’s not getting himself out nearly as much as he was last year.  Moose should put together a few 40+ homerun seasons when all is said and done and earn  himself a few All-Star bids as well.  It has always seemed it’s taken him a little while to adjust to each level, and it’s finally looking like he is coming around at the major league level on a consistent basis.

2008

In 2008, the Royals took American Heritage High School star, Eric Hosmer.  We all know how good this kid is, but there was a time he struggled early in his professional career.  It wasn’t until he had vision correction surgery that his career took off at the plate.  He hit so well in early 2011, the Royals were practically forced to call him up to Kansas City.  He finished 3rd in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and is well on his way to a phenomenal career.  He should have a similar career path as Cincinnati Reds first baseman, Joey Votto.  Hosmer will most likely play in multiple All-Star games and find himself in the top 10 in MVP voting in the prime of his career.  The Royals did a great job of drafting the corner of their infield for several years to come in back-to-back drafts.

*Also in the supplemental first round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery.

2009

Aaron Crow was selected 12th overall by the Royals in the summer of 2009.  He had been previously drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2008 draft but elected not to sign.  Crow had a rocky road to the majors, but has found a calling in a bullpen role.  He was named an All-Star last year as a reliever, but it’s yet to be determined if Crow could find a home in the starting rotation anytime during his career.  While it certainly is a possibility, I think the closer role is a likely landing spot for the former Mizzou standout.  I have faith that he could be a dominant closer for several years as we hope the Royals find themselves in contention for a playoff spot.

2010

Christian Colon was the least impressive pick of the past 5 years.  I’m not sold on the fact that Colon is a first round talent.  I don’t think he will ever be much more than a Carlos Febles type at second base.  He is certainly not going to translate to a shortstop at the major league level, which is what he was at Cal-State Fullerton.  Currently, Colon is batting .271 with 1 homerun and 7 RBI for Double-A Northwest Arkansas.  He could find his own and be a quality major league player, but I think it’s more reasonable to expect him to be a utility guy at best for several seasons.

2011

The most recent pick was Bubba Starling.  Starling was chosen 5th overall out of Gardner Edgerton High School in 2011.  At the time of the pick, many people were in favor of the selection.  I for one, was all in favor of drafting Bubba.  I think he is loaded with immense amounts of raw talent.  It will take some seasoning for him to fully tap into his potential, which means his path to the show could be 4 or more years before he is finally called up.  Once he is up, his ability will be limitless.  He very well could be an MVP candidate for several seasons with Kansas City.  I think at the very least, he will be a mainstay in centerfield and a top contributor for what we hope is a contending team.  I will be anxiously awaiting the day that Bubba is in the middle of the order with Hosmer and Moose.

I find the MLB draft very entertaining and am anxiously awaiting this year’s draft.  The Royals have had their fair share of busts, but lately they have been selecting top notch talent and forking out the money to get these players signed.  When the draft creeps a little closer I will have a preview of who the Royals could end up taking and examine some of those players.  Let’s just hope they select a Hosmer and not another Chris Lubanski.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Bruce Chen pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

The losing streak continues.  Make that 7 in a row for the Royals as they lost a close one last night to the Tigers by a final of 4-3.  It’s tough to keep an open mind when things are, seemingly, spiraling out of control.  There are, however, a few things that we can take away as positives even though they are caught in the midst of a 7 game losing streak.

The first and most important positive I have taken away from the streak are the performances by Danny Duffy.  Many have suspected for a while about what Duffy is capable of, but his first two starts this season have been very impressive, to say the least.  He went toe-to-toe with, arguably, the best pitcher in all of baseball and held his own.  Although he was on the losing end, he impressed many as he handled the Tigers lineup with relative ease.  Duffy is certainly showing us he has “Ace” stuff and it shows in his stat line which can be found here.

It’s also been very nice to see how well Bruce Chen is pitching.  He brings consistency to his starts, which can be very helpful for the offense.  Every time Chen takes the hill, we can almost expect 5-6 innings with about 2 or 3 runs allowed, so the offense has a grasp on how many runs they would need when he starts.  He hasn’t been rewarded for his efforts this season, but I’m willing to bet he still piles together 10-11 wins throughout the course of the season.

It might surprise some fans that Chris Getz has made this list of positives, but he has been a pleasant surprise through the first 12 games of the season.  I know I might get some grief for mentioning Getz, but he has not been to blame for this team’s poor start.  He has always brought speed to his game and now it seems he is stinging the ball with some authority, which is a definite positive.  Even some of his outs have been well struck.  Normally we might be blaming Getz, but he has not given us that ammunition at this time and hopefully he will continue to contribute.

While Bruce Chen is the consistent starter for the pitching staff, Billy Butler has been the most consistent hitter in the lineup.  This should come as no surprise, as Butler, for several years, has given the Royals a consistent showing season in and season out.  He is a doubles machine and already has 6 this season.  He is still in the process of turning some of those doubles into homeruns, but it’s a warming feeling when we know Butler will be the anchor in the lineup through thick and thin.

I would have liked to see Mike Moustakas jump out to an amazing start at the plate, but he still has provided us with some moments where he’s shined.  He does have 5 doubles and one homerun through the his first 10 games but has walked zero times while striking out ten.  The positive I see from Moose is his glove at third base.  He has made some dazzling plays while also playing errorless up to this point.  The knock on Moose was his glove, but it could be possible he is transitioning into an above average third baseman.

It’s definitely not easy to be positive when the team started out 3-2 and is now in the middle of a nauseating 7 game losing streak.  With a young team, losing streaks are bound to happen, but at the same time, winning streaks are going to be right around the corner as well.  It’s going to take getting over this hump, but I do believe it will happen especially with some of the positives I’ve just mentioned.

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Apr 7, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) celebrates after scoring a run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

This past weekend the Royals took the series from the Angels by winning the rubber game yesterday, 7-3.  With the help of solid starting pitching and some nice hitting performances, the Royals left Los Angeles on a high note.  As I was watching the games, there were many great things I saw as well as some pretty lackluster performances.  I don’t want to put too much emphasis on Alex Gordon‘s hitting, or lack thereof.  I believe Gordon will be just fine and getting all worked up over three games just seems like a waste of time.

The most impressive thing I took from this series was how well the Royals hit two pretty darn good starters from the Halos.  On Saturday they roughed up Dan Haren for 5 earned in 5.1 innings pitched.  They also recorded 11 hits against the usually dominant righty.  On Sunday, the hitting continued from Saturday into the first inning.  Billy Butler capped a 3-run first with his first homerun of the season.  Ervin Santana allowed 5 earned through 5.2 innings pitched on Sunday and he and Haren both allowed 2 homeruns a piece.  I think there’s something to be said about what this lineup is capable of producing on a daily basis.  This offense might very well be on its way of becoming one of the most feared lineups in the American League*.

*As I am writing this the Royals are currently getting shutout by Tom Milone, granted Gordon and Mike Moustakas aren’t playing.

The downside of things from this weekend was the base running and the bullpen.  As I’m watching the game against the A’s right now they have continued the trend of bad base running.  I’m not sure if it’s a lack of focus or some bad luck but this team can’t afford to give up free outs.  The strength of this team was supposed to be the bullpen and right now it has looked like the weakest link.  Almost every reliever so far has had a forgettable outing.  I’m also not too fond of some of the moves Manager Ned Yost has made in regards to the bullpen.  I am certainly not a believer of Tim Collins being used as a left-handed specialist, which seems to be his role through the first few games.  It was nice to see Jonathan Broxton come in the 9th on Sunday and shut the door on the Angels by striking out the side.

The season is still very young and there is nothing to worry about at this point.  Alex Gordon will be on his way to breaking out of his funk and many of the bullpen arms will have strong seasons.  It would be icing on the cake if the starters kept up their strong outings throughout most of the year, but being a realist I don’t see that being the case.  It would be great to see this team end the west coast trip with a 5-1 or 4-2 record as they head back to Kansas City for the home opener on Friday against Cleveland.  With that being said things seem to be shaping up to make for a great home stand at ”The K”.

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Kansas City Royals designated hitter Billy Butler (16) hits an RBI double Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

With opening day looming, I wanted to give a few of my predictions for this season.  This spring has been a roller coaster ride of injuries, disappointment, and excitement and I‘m trying to make some sense on how this season might fare.  There couldn’t have been too many folks predicting that Lorenzo Cain would be one of the best hitters in all of spring training, so that‘s what makes it confusing.  I believe this squad is certainly capable of building off of last year’s second half momentum but a few key injuries could hamper any further progression.  That’s why I think they will contend for a few months but the lack of experience and missing some key players, through injuries, will keep this team at 80 wins for the year, but I think most Royals fans will gladly take an 80 win season.  So, without further ado, here are my top 5 predictions for the season.

My first prediction comes out of the bullpen.  With Joakim Soria out for the year, the Royals will look somewhere else to fill the void of the former All-Star.  I believe Greg Holland will be the guy Ned Yost names as his closer.  While Aaron Crow and Jonathan Broxton snatch a few saves throughout the season, I predict Greg Holland as the full-time closer as he notches 30 saves.

I’ll stick with pitching for my next prediction.  The rotation won’t be the brightest spot for the team this year, but Luke Hochevar certainly will do his fair share.  Hochevar will continue his spring dominance and carry that into the regular season where he will win 15 games and finish with an ERA under 4.00 for the first time in the majors as a regular starter.

One of the more interesting things to watch will be how last September carries over into this year for Mike Moustakas.  I think we will see more power from Mous, but he still will show some struggles at times at the dish.  I look to see him hit 25 homeruns, which might seem like a lot, but it certainly is attainable for someone who has as much power as he does.  His average, however, will hover around the .260 mark throughout the season.

One thing is certain, I cannot wait to watch Lorenzo Cain roam centerfield at “The K”.  He has hit the cover off the ball this spring and has shown some good pop on top of that.  It is not out of the question that he hits 20 homeruns and finishes one stolen base shy of 20 steals, which is what I have him doing this year.  Just how Melky Cabrera had a very nice spring last year and relayed it into a great year, I think Cain will do the same thing this year for the Royals.

My final prediction is for a guy who has been a steady performer in his first few seasons in the big leagues.  He is always hitting for a good average but has been looked down upon, in the past, for his lack of elite power.  I had always thought it will take him some time to grow into his power, which I think in the second half of last season we saw a glimpse of what he is capable of doing.  I am, of course, talking about “Country Breakfast”, or Billy Butler.  A few more doubles in the past, will now turn into some homers for Butler, this season.  I believe he will hit .331 and finish 3^rd in the American League behind Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano in the batting title race.  Butler will continue to impress people with his consistency and he might even make a case for one of the top right-handed hitters in the game.

These are some of my thoughts and predictions for this season.  I hope everyone enjoyed reading what I think are realistic outcomes for the year and I’d love to hear some of your opinions regarding my predictions or if you have some you’d like to add.  It’s always fun to toss around some ideas on who we think will do what this year.  Oh and by the way, we are only two days away!!

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August 8, 2011; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Luke Hochevar (44) throws a pitch during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

As we are nearing opening day, a few things should start to clear up.  There are some pieces to the puzzle the Royals still have to figure out, and it’s becoming a guessing game for their fans to try and solve as well.  One thing that is certain, is Yuniesky Betancourt and Chris Getz will be platooning at second base to start the season.  This makes me question so many things, and the move has left a sour taste in the mouths of Royals diehards on Twitter .  In no way can this work in the Royals favor.  But I digress, there’s still many other questions to answer.  Who will be the lefty out of the bullpen?  Who will be the number four and five to fill out the rotation?  Also, who will be the next Royals closer in the wake of Joakim Soria needing his second Tommy John surgery?

Jose Mijares, Tim Collins, Everett Teaford, and Tommy Hottovy are all in the race to be the left-handed reliever out of the pen.  Three out of four of these pitchers have spotless ERAs and Collins has still managed a miniscule 1.08 ERA, at this time.  I think Mijares is the lead dog of the pack simply because he was brought in to be the go-to lefty.  Although, the other three guys are making their cases to start the year on the opening day roster as well.  It does seem possible to me, that two of these four could make the team but I would definitely say no more than that.

I don’t know about all of you, but I have been less than impressed by what I’ve seen out of the starters so far this spring.  I want to clarify that I’m aware the Royals aren’t anywhere near the Phillies or Angels in terms of starting pitching, but I was hoping they would be above adequate this spring.  Luke Hochevar and Luis Mendoza are the only two guys who have pitched extremely well and there is no guarantee Mendoza even makes the team as a starter.  Bruce Chen, Jonathan Sanchez, Danny Duffy, and Felipe Paulino have all underperformed this spring and aren’t doing much to claim their spots in the rotation.  I know not much weight should be put into spring training stats, but the fact that Chen has given up 27 hits in 12 innings is very disheartening.  It would be nice if a few of these guys pitched like they wanted the job.  That being said, Paulino is pitching his way out and Mendoza is pitching his way into the rotation.  I believe Duffy will start out in the rotation and am looking for Sanchez and Chen to bounce back after very rough springs.  I do not think there is room for Paulino, Duffy, or Mendoza out of the bullpen, if that question comes up, as there is an abundance of arms already out there now.

The starting pitching has been a question mark all off season, but one thing we thought was certain, was the closer’s role.  With the news that Joakim Soria will undergo his second Tommy John surgery, the question remains, who will fill his shoes?  I say  Greg Holland, Aaron Crow, and Jonathan Broxton, in that order.  Holland has the dominating stuff and one of the best sliders in the game, so I feel extremely confident with him in the 9th.  Crow was bestowed upon as the closer for a short amount of time last season and Broxton is coming off some elbow issues but is still capable of returning to his former All-Star self.  I would be okay with any of these relievers, but I’m personally pulling for Holland.

We only have a few more weeks, if not sooner, before we get some of the answers to these questions.  Whatever happens though, I’m sure it will make for some great conversations and playful banter.  Either way, Opening Day is less than two weeks away!

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (4) hits a single during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

I had several topics I was considering posting about today, but this is one that I have wanted to do for a while.  It’s fair to say, up to this point, Alex Gordon‘s baseball career resembles that of a roller coaster.  He has seen many ups and also encountered his share of downs.  I’m hoping that what we saw of him last year isn’t a mirage and that he can produce along those lines for several more years in a Royals uniform.

Gordon was drafted in the first round, 2nd overall in 2005, after an illustrious collegiate career at the University of Nebraska.  His career at Nebraska included an enormous amount of honors including 2x Big XII Player of the Year as well as being a 2x First-Team All-American.  At this point Gordon was riding high and was possibly being looked at as the next face of the franchise.

Coming into the 2006 season he was ranked as the 13th best prospect by Baseball America.  Simply put, he did not disappoint.  Gordon hit 29 homeruns and hit .325.  He also had a remarkable OPS of 1.016.  He garnered the Texas League Player of the Year award as well as Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.  Needless to say, Gordon was on the right track for the big leagues, and heading into the 2007 season he was the number two overall prospect.

2007 turned out to be a mediocre year after an abysmal start.  Through his first two months he was on the way down of this roller coaster as he hit .185 with three homeruns and only eight RBI as an everyday starter in the show.  However, he did manage a respectable 15 homeruns and 60 RBI to go along with a .247 batting average.  He showed some promise throughout the year, but it didn’t equate to much over the next handful of years.  Gordon really saw some of his darkest days as a baseball player from 2008-2010.

He saw many trips up and down from the majors to the minors over these next three seasons, and many were losing hope that this wonder boy from Lincoln would ever be able to put it together and be the player most thought he should be.  In 2008 he tore a muscle in his hamstring that landed him on the DL and he also had the lowest fielding percentage of all qualifying 3rd basemen in the American League.  2009 did not go any better as he found himself on the DL again only a week after the start of the season.  He missed 12 weeks, and a month after he was reinstated the Royals optioned him to Triple-A Omaha.  The roller coaster just kept on dipping down for Mr. Gordon.

Royals fans always seem to be optimistic, so there was still hope from the diehards that Gordon could still be a great player and 2010 would be the year he asserts himself as a force.  Wrong again.  He started the year on a rehab assignment with Class-A Wilmington due to an injury sustained in spring training.  He was activated after three weeks into the season and then demoted only a short time after that, in May.  Things were not going his way and they didn’t seem like they ever would.  He was recalled in late July and finished out the season with the major league club.  Still nothing to write home about at this point.

Well, in 2011 the light started to shine down on him.  In spring training he led the major leagues with 23 RBI and was showing some signs of his elite level prospect status from 4 years prior.  I even decided to pick him up as a free agent in my fantasy league as I had some hope of things to come.  That sure paid off nicely for me throughout the season.  Gordon finally rode his roller coaster to a career year.  He was one of the best overall outfielders in all of major league baseball last season and he even added a Gold Glove award as he threw out an astonishing 20 base runners.  He received votes in the MVP race and was also tied for second in the majors in doubles with teammate Jeff Francoeur.  We all are hoping that this is the Alex Gordon that will be around for several more years.  I think the Royals believe he is capable of more seasons like 2011, and will most likely reward him with a handsome contract extension very soon.

Gordon certainly has seen some very high high’s and some rock bottom low’s but he is entering the prime of his career and seems to have finally made some adjustments in his approach at the plate as well as found a position as a left fielder.  It finally looks like Gordon could level off on a high note and be a producer for many years for the Royals as they make their run for the playoffs.  At least, that’s what we all hope happens.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Kansas City Royals pitcher Luis Mendoza. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

The top three rotation spots are already solidified.  Jonathan Sanchez, Bruce Chen, and Luke Hochevar will  lead the staff as the top three starters.  That leaves the Royals to fill two more spots as we head into April, with Opening Day looming.  Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino were who I initially thought would fill out the latter part of the rotation.  However, I’m pleasantly surprised with the spring that Luis Mendoza has put together so far, and he seems to have firmly tossed his name in the race.  It would be great if he continued to perform and make this a very difficult decision for Manager Ned Yost but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.

Bruce Chen and Jonathan Sanchez have been poor to start the spring, but that doesn’t mean we should be panicking.  Chen is currently sporting a 9.64 ERA and has given up nine hits and five earned runs in only 4.2 innings of work.  It’s early in the spring and because he is a veteran and knows how to pick himself up, I’m confident he will still be a reliable starter for the Royals this season.  Sanchez hasn’t been aided with much defensive help but has still given up three earned runs in one inning of work.  On the plus side, he did not give up a walk in that inning but was still roughed up for four hits.  I’m not going to put too much stock in their performances thus far but I will be expecting some noticeable progression from the two, as we close out March.

Luke Hochevar has continued with his improvements from the last half of the season last year into this spring and had a good outing in his first spring start.  Over five innings he has allowed only two runs while striking out three.  I think it’s finally the year where Hochevar stamps his name as a competent top of the rotation starter.  I do not think he will ever be an Ace or a true number one, but I believe he can be a very good two or three for a contending team.

Danny Duffy really impressed in his first time out this spring.  He recorded five straight strike outs and did not allow a single base runner in his two innings so far.  I would love for Duffy to be a dominant backend guy the Royals can count on this year.  I still believe he is going to have his bumps in the road as the season advances, but I’m confident he will earn a spot out of Spring Training, especially if he continues to show flashes of brilliance like we saw only a few days ago.

That leaves one more rotation spot up for grabs, and I think Felipe Paulino has the slight edge over Luis Mendoza at this point.  While Mendoza has impressed, in my opinion, this spot is Paulino’s to lose.  Mendoza has started two games and went a combined six innings giving up zero runs and striking out four while only walking one.  If he keeps this up, it will be hard to deny him a rotation spot but if that doesn’t happen he could still be a long reliever out of the gate for this team.  Paulino, in his one start hasn’t given up a run in his two innings, but did allow three hits and only struck out one batter.  He still has done nothing to lose the spot, and while it’s very early, I expect him to be the final starter, assuming Duffy takes the 4th spot.

It certainly will be an entertaining end to the spring as we will find out who will fill out the last two rotation spots.  I hope Mendoza continues to pitch the way he has and maybe force the Royals hand to put him on the Opening Day 25 man roster.  It’s still a viable option that he is one of the first guys looked at for a spot start, or something along those lines, at some point throughout the season.  Either way, we have been blessed with some good outings by most of the guys so far, and there’s still time for Chen and Sanchez to start pitching like we would expect them to, in time for Opening Day.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Sep 11, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) makes a diving catch against the Seattle Mariners in the 2nd inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

My first few posts  for Kings of Kauffman have dealt with some player analysis and a few simple projections or expectations I have for these players.  I want to take an another angle for a moment and simply state how excited I am for this upcoming season.  I have not felt a buzz like this surrounding the Royals since I was a Freshman in high school when they started unbelievably hot in April of 2003.  I recently experienced the buzz on a whole other level, and it sparked my interest in writing this piece.

I was recently hired by the Royals to be an usher for this season and I couldn’t have been happier when I received the call.  Not only will I get to spend my summer nights working at a stadium that I love, but I will also be able to witness, first hand, this much anticipated season on a nightly basis.  Also, it will be one of the greatest experiences of my life to work and be around all of the All-Star excitement during that week in July.

On Monday evening I had my first training session with all of the new hires for this season.  I was instantly hit with a flabbergasted feeling.  The team that I grew up rooting for has hired me, and now I am getting paid to walk the grounds of Kauffman Stadium.  It will be an amazing feeling for me to wander by players and ownership as if I belong now.  I realize my position is of the part-time variety, but it is still a dream come true to work for the organization I had dreams of playing for as a kid.  I’d also like to meet a lot of great Royals fans this year including readers and contributors to this site, and this will just give me another outlet to do so.

I want to get back to Monday evening.  During the introduction of training we were shown a video highlight tape from 2011.  There were so many great clips shown including Frenchy’s strike from right field straight into Moose’s glove, Escy’s numerous acrobatic adventures, and Gordon’s gold glove plays in left.  All I can say is I had chills during the duration of the film.  Nothing gets me more fired up for this season than watching Hosmer’s first homerun at Yankee Stadium, while his mom is in utter amazement, and he calmly struts around the bases like he’s done it 500 times before.

Folks, we are merely one month away from beginning a fantastic and exciting season in Kansas City.  Let’s just keep bringing the positive energy to the guys, as I’m sure they are able to feed off our energy.  We are all in store for a treat this year (as long as it doesn’t involve Yuni starting three or four times per week), and it’s nice to finally say it’s “Our Time”.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

May 22, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Greg Holland (56) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

It’s safe to say Greg Holland had quite the breakout season last year. There weren’t too many who saw his strong performance coming, possibly no one at all. Throughout the season, I was still having trouble grasping what he was accomplishing on the mound. A quick glance at his 2011 stat line will show just the type of dominance I am talking about. Holland racked up 74 strikeouts in only 60 innings of work, good for an 11.1 K/9 ratio. He notched 5 wins and 4 saves and recorded a miniscule 1.80 ERA. On top of all of those terrific numbers, he only gave up 37 hits and had a remarkable WHIP of 0.933. In my eyes, he clearly had the best season of any Royals pitcher on the staff.

While Holland had a spectacular 2011 campaign, his 2010 season did not go nearly as well. He pitched in 15 games and his ERA approached 7, settling at 6.75. His WHIP was also at an alarming 1.661. He walked 8 guys in 18.2 innings for a 3.9 BB/9 ratio, which isn’t good, but is also a small sample size. However, he wasn’t all that bad in 2010, as he struck out batters at an 11.1 K/9 clip. Even though he would have much rather had a better season, statistically speaking, he still illustrated to everyone how capable he is of dominating batters with his electric fastball and sharp slider.

I got the idea to write about Greg Holland after listening to the Danny Parkins February 22nd pod cast regarding 3 top Royals bloggers, including our own Michael Engel, and their takes on the 2012 Royals. I have not heard much about Holland heading into spring training, which was mentioned by those on the show, and it strikes me as odd. Here is a guy who absolutely tore up the league last year and slammed the door on any team who even thought of starting a rally. Also, it seems Jonathan Broxton has already been anointed as the 8th inning guy, and like those on the pod cast, I was curious as to what exactly warranted this decision. It is early, and certainly anything can change at this point, but it doesn’t seem feasible to grant Broxton the 8th inning. He is coming off September elbow surgery and has a lot to prove. I hope he can regain his former All-Star form, but until he has proved himself, why not go with someone who clearly established himself last year as an elite reliever?

Holland is very capable of becoming a closer in the future. I would be a very strong advocate of this move as it only seems like a matter of time before the Royals end the union between Joakim Soria and the 9th inning. Holland shines in moments where the game is on the line and has displayed the confidence needed to be a shutdown closer. I’ve heard talk of trying him out in the rotation, but I think a guy with only 7 career starts in professional baseball has found a niche in the backend of the bullpen. Why mess with something that seems to be working, right?

He is mainly a two-pitch pitcher and that translates into a very effective reliever when those pitches are dominant. Holland’s slider is one of the most effective sliders in all of baseball and it has even caught the eye of Kings of Kauffman Senior Editor, Michael Engel. Engel also wrote a great piece on Holland last year and nicknamed him “Dirty South” due to his roots in Asheville, North Carolina. You can revisit Engel’s article here.

If you can’t tell by now, I’m very high on Greg Holland. I believe we can count on him to perform very well again this summer, and help solidify the pen if Soria has another rocky year and Broxton is unable to stay healthy.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

One player that keeps getting attention by the fans, front office, and the media, is Eric Hosmer, and deservedly so.  There is a lot of hype surrounding the third overall pick from 2008, as he emerged on the scene last year in Kansas City, and found a home in the heart of the order.  As a Royals fan, I am extremely pleased that he is with this organization, and thankful the front office was able to sign him minutes before the deadline in August of 2008.  His signing could go down as one of the most important deals in club history.  Hosmer was mere minutes away from not getting a deal finished and pursuing a collegiate career at Arizona St. University.  If that would have been the case, he would have been an afterthought for the Royals and their fans.

Hosmer seems to have an aura about him that makes him a very special, charismatic player.  He has been a spark plug ever since his much anticipated debut last May, and seems to have single-handedly rejuvenated and captivated the Royals fan base and the entire organization.  He displays just the right amount of confidence and swagger for the young talented star he is becoming.  I find it amazing, watching him handle himself in games and in interviews, as he always seems to be at ease and is very comfortable no matter what the situation.  When I watch this guy play, I see an instant star and someone who can handle the attention of the national media.  He carries himself the way a ballplayer should carry himself on and off the field, and is a great person for young ballplayers to look up to as a role model.  At 22, Hosmer is already the face of the franchise heading into his sophomore year.  On top of that, he is the featured Royal in the “Our Time” commercial.  It’s fairly evident, when Hosmer goes, so does this franchise.

Another thing I have noticed are the comparisons Hosmer receives to several other young stars in the game today.  One that stuck out to me was the comparison of Hosmer to Cincinnati Reds slugger, Joey Votto.  I have seen this one several times, and I believe it is a great fit.  Both are left-handed hitters who are known for their sweet swings and great defensive play at first base.  Votto has progressively improved his play at first base throughout his career, and even won a gold glove last season.  I know there are some people out there who would agree with me, that Hosmer is already a better defensive first baseman than Votto, and is on his way to winning a few himself.  Hosmer is also capable of putting up the same type of numbers Votto has recently rattled off at the plate. I firmly believe ”The Hoz” will be in contention for an MVP award for several seasons to come.  This comparison alone should help people understand what type of star Hosmer is becoming.  He’s being compared to a recent National League MVP and he hasn’t even played a full major league season yet.

Coming into 2011, Hosmer was the number 8 rated prospect by Baseball America, and for his first month in Triple-A all he did was rake, and finally forced the Royals hand to call him up.  In his first season, Hosmer slashed .293/.334/.465 and I believe he will improve on all these numbers this season.  His slugging percentage should see the largest jump, but I also expect him to walk at a slightly higher clip, which would raise his OBP.  This year will be another great year and a stepping stone for Hosmer to propel himself into elite status as a Major League ballplayer.  He has already established his name in baseball circles around the country and is on his way to becoming an icon in Kansas City, following in the footsteps of Hall of Famer, George Brett.  The Royals should take some major steps this year toward becoming a contender for several years, and they will be led by the man we all call ”Hoz”.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Sep 10, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Felipe Paulino (59) pitches to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Kansas City defeated Seattle 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

One of the most talked about topics by Royals fans this off season has been whether or not the team will acquire another starter to bolster their staff.  It seems fairly certain the Royals won’t be making any additonal moves regarding starting pitching, at this point.  That would leave us with Luke Hochevar, Jonathan Sanchez, and Bruce Chen as anchors to the staff and Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, Everett Teaford, and Aaron Crow as possible candidates to be 4th and 5th starters.  It seems more likely Duffy and Paulino will end up filling out the bottom of the rotation, but we’ll have to see what happens over the next several weeks.  Unless he falls apart in spring training, Paulino seems to be a given to make the rotation.  Felipe Paulino will be one of my most interesting watches this year, and I think he could very well be the best and most important starter for the Royals.

I’m aware of his 10-31 career record, and that alone could make my prediction seem preposterous.  And After hearing his record, some of you may think I’m one drink away from claiming that Mark Redman was deserving of his 2006 All-Star nod.  However, I’m not going to hold Paulino’s career record hostage as there is more to a pitcher than his W-L record.  I’m also not going to declare him a world beater, but I am saying the Royals have a guy, who is capable of reaching 10-12 wins as their 4th starter.  General Manager Dayton Moore did a great job of buying low on Paulino, as he was acquired last May, for cash considerations, from Colorado.  In 2012, the team will only be paying him $1.9 million dollars.

A brief look at Paulino’s major league career would indicate he hasn’t seen much success with either the Astros or the Rockies.  He was 6-21 in three seasons with the Astros, but still had a tremendous K/9 of 8.1.  In his time with Colorado in 2011, he posted a 0-4 record with a 7.36 ERA.  However, in his time with the Royals last year, he posted a 4.11 ERA and fanned 119 batters in 124.2 innings pitched.  He was also able to limit his walks, or at least bring them down near his career average of 3.8 BB/9.  One thing I really like about Paulino is the fact he is able to pitch deep into games and help eat some innings in order to preserve the bullpen.  In Kansas City, Paulino had his best stint yet as a major leaguer, and, according to fangraphs.com, he also tied with Alexi Ogando for the fastest fastball velocity at 95.1 mph, for all major league pitchers with 120 innings pitched.  That puts him ahead of guys like Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, and Felix Hernandez.

There are many things that could have helped Paulino transition over to the American League and put together a decent year in 2011. For instance, changing scenery and finally switching to a pitcher-friendly home park would certainly help the majority of pitchers out there.  Many careers don’t seem to flourish out of Coors Field, unless your name is Ubaldo Jimenez or Jorge de la Rosa.  At 28 years old he is entering his prime and certainly capable of stringing together many quality starts throughout the season.  One thing is certain though, he will have to continue to make an adjustment and do a better job of utilizing his fastball on the corners of the plate.  We have seen him dominate before but now I, and other Royals fans, would like him to be consistent in his outings.  If the Royals are to contend in the AL Central, Paulino will be an integral part of their season.  I’ll leave you all with this information.  In his last four starts in 2011, Paulino notched 2 wins with a 3.75 ERA and tallied 31 strikeouts to only 7 walks.  Now wouldn’t that be a pleasant surprise out of your 4th starter, if he carried those numbers into 2012?

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Not every player in the Royals’ farm system comes from a major university or big-time prep high school.  There are some who come from small towns and little known universities such as the one in northeastern Missouri where the campus of Truman State University is located.  If you are reading this blog then chances are you know of the Eric Hosmers, Wil Myers, and Mike Montgomerys of the world.  Well now it’s time to put the spotlight on Holt, Missouri native, Christian Witt, who completed his first professional season this past summer with the rookie-level AZL Royals.

Not only is Witt a Royals minor league player, but he’s also a great friend and former teammate of mine at Truman St. It was no surprise to us at Truman when Witt was drafted in the 36^th round in June of 2011.  We had all been around and seen the scouts at various games last spring, and were very aware that they came to see the 93 mph fastball that he seems to effortlessly hurl out of his right hand towards home plate.

However, a few years ago no one on the team would have thought this would be happening for him.  When he first arrived to Truman he possessed an average mid 80s fastball for a collegiate pitcher, but was no where near an elite talent.  After having to red shirt his freshman season due to a grade 2 UCL sprain suffered at Emporia St., in only his second collegiate start, Witt bounced back by rehabbing and dropping nearly 50 pounds from his frame in his return to school the next fall.  I believe this weight loss and added conditioning aided Witt immensely.  He started the next fall by touching 90 on the radar gun several times and by dropping in a monster 12-6 curve that dropped off the table and buckled opposing hitters.

It was known by some on the team that he had a chance, albeit small, of getting drafted at this point.  If he could light up the radar and put up some dazzling numbers in the spring then he certainly would raise the probability for his chances of getting drafted.  He did just that.  Witt posted a 2.70 ERA in 36 innings while accumulating a win-loss record of 4-2.  He also stockpiled 43 strikeouts to only 10 walks.  He was named MIAA Pitcher of the Week twice, and was placed on the honorable mention all-MIAA team.  His eye-popping K:BB ratio and his sizzling fastball got the attention of many scouts in the area, including the Royals.

On the third day of the First-Year MLB player draft, Witt was selected by the Royals in the 36^th round.  He would soon sign only days after so he could start his journey through the minor leagues in Surprise, Arizona, where all draft picks report.  Witt began his professional career with two starts.  These are definitely two starts he’d like to have back.  With the build up of nerves and some bad luck he amassed a 0-2 record and a 50.14 ERA in just 2.1 innings of work.  This is not the start one would have in mind, that’s for sure.  Because of this the Royals decided to make a move and placed Witt in the bullpen, a role in which he’s always been more comfortable in, at the beginning of July.

In this bullpen role, he went 1-0 with a stellar 1.98 ERA in 8 outings which also included a save.  He went on to collect two more wins in August, but had one rough outing that ballooned his August ERA to 9.26.  Witt settled down very nicely after shaking off his nerves of his first two professional outings and went on to rebound and end the summer with a respectable 3-3 record and a skewed ERA of 9.11.  He still maintained a good K:BB ratio over the summer while striking out 19 and only walking 7 in 27.2 innings.  He has made many strides over the summer and was  able to put his bad start behind him.  He reports to spring training March 1^st, and I look forward to hearing updates throughout the spring from him as well as following whatever team he winds up on this summer, whether it’s Idaho Falls or with the AZL Royals again.  Whatever team it is, I know Witt will work just as hard as I’ve seen him work at Truman, if not harder, and will continue to progress as a professional pitcher.  Witt’s success and accomplishments so far are a great story and proof that talent can come from anywhere.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.