In every game, the first baseman will make several putouts.  With the exception of the few times each game that the first baseman may catch a line drive, or beat the catcher back to the base on a grounder, most of these outs are preceded by another defensive player snagging the ball and throwing it to the first baseman.  If it wasn’t for Alcides Escobar, aka #ShortStopJesus, and Mike Moustakas, aka #Moose throwing leather all over the left side of the infield, Eric Hosmer wouldn’t be credited with nearly as many putouts.

Jeff Francoeur puts fear into the hearts of opposing baserunners (Image: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

For all their short comings, one thing the Royals have in good supply is strong defense.  The left side of the field is covered by Gold Glover Alex Gordon, future Gold Glove shortstop Escobar, and the most improved third baseman in baseball, Moustakas.  When Salvador Perez returns at catcher I believe he will significantly solidify our only current position of defensive weakness.  Eric Hosmer plays strong defense, and Chris Getz, Jarrod Dyson / Lorenzo Cain can hold their own with the best of them.  But there is one aspect of our defense that nearly outshines the others with consistently stunning and noteworthy performances – Jeff Francoeur and his lethal ability to gun down unsuspecting baserunners.

When I began writing this story, I started to research all the records for outfield assists so I could compare Francoeur to the great Carl Yastrzemski (he lead the league in outfield assists 7 times) and Roberto Clemente (led the league 5 times and many say he had the best arm ever), or talk about how some of the “so called” greatest players, such as Albert Belle and Barry Bonds were the easiest outfielders to run on, etc., etc.  And then, I decided against it.

If given the choice, would you rather read about the history of the Grand Canyon, or would you prefer to stand on the edge, peering down into the magnificent canyon below while the sun set in the surrounding desert?  Endure a tedious classical art lecture, or gaze opon the timeless face of the celebrated Mona Lisa?  I decided not to engage in a boring discussion of defensive assists and simply pause for a few moments while we take in the majesty of the greatest outfield arm of our generation.

One of my all-time favorite baseball highlights is the video of Francoeur’s perfect, perfect, perfect throw to nail the Tiger’s Jhonny Peralta at third base on August 7 last year.  Apparently, Peralta didn’t get the memo about Frenchy’s ability to throw runners out.  I challenge you to find a more beautiful, almost breathtaking defensive play – Francoeur running toward the line to pick up the ball, whirling and launching a rocket to 3^rd, capped by the ho-hum nonchalant tag made by Moustakas as if it happened every day.  And check out the Tigers 3^rd base coach’s reaction as he hangs his head during the slow motion replay, it’s classic.  Click here to see perfection.

Then, fast forward to this season, May 1, 2012 and apparently Peralta was suffering a memory lapse evidenced by his ill-advised attempt to test Francoeur’s arm again.  (Peralta would make a great subject for an SNL Weekend Update “Really?!?” skit.)  Click here to see the result, as if you don’t already know.  Don’t you just love watching Jhonny Peralta run the bases against the Royals?  On the downside, this highlight would be a lot more enjoyable if the Royals weren’t losing 9-0 in the 4^th inning.

Another of my all-time favorite defensive highlights is from September 7, 2011 when Michael Taylor of the Oakland A’s came to bat in only his 4^th game and lined what appeared to be a sharp single into right field.  Well, bad luck for Taylor, Jeff Francoeur was playing right field and as a baserunner you can never take anything for granted on a ball hit to Frenchy.  Even more amazing to me is the fact that Hosmer went to first base to cover the throw from Francoeur.  That is the definition of heads-up.  Click here to see the embarrassing moment.  Welcome to the big leagues rookie.

Last year, the ESPN blog ranked active outfielders’ throwing arms and came up with a virtual tie for the number one position between Francoeur and Shin-Soo Choo.  In 2012, Choo has one assist, Francoeur has 5.  End of discussion.

The difference between those who have the ability to throw out runners from the outfield and those who don’t is absolutely huge.  In 2012, Francoeur is tied for the AL lead with 5 assists and only 16 other guys have two or more.  Everyone else has one or none.  Francoeur’s ability to throw out runners is similar to Willie Wilson’s ability to steal bases, or George Brett’s ability to hit for average, or Humberto Quintero’s ability to swing at the first pitch and tap a dribbler back to the pitcher – it’s far above the abilities of almost any other player in the league.

One thing worth mentioning in this story is that with all his talent, Jeff Francoeur didn’t lead the Royals in outfield assists last year.   In 2011, that honor went to Alex Gordon.  Remember this when you hear someone talking about an unfair arms race, they may be talking about the Royals rather than the Russians.

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After a rough 2011, Wil Myers drew skepticism from some about his potential as a prospect. After a season of .254/.353/.393 hitting and just eight homers in a hitter-friendly league and home stadium, the shine was off the apple.

Wil Myers takes off. Photo: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

That Myers had fought off a fluke knee injury and resulting infection and he missed a fair amount of time. He also shifted from behind the plate to the outfield full time. As a 20-year-old at the Double A level, he already had some obstacles to get around. In that light, his season was a reasonable success, just not a wild one. He was still part of the All-Star Futures Game and still a Texas League All-Star in midseason, and a .353 on base percentage at any level is good to see.

Still, when the Arizona Fall League came around, Myers had some critics to quiet.

So he did.

Myers hit .360/.481/.674 in 23 games for the Surprise Sagueros and was one of the standouts in the league. He walked more than he struck out while 14 of his 31 base hits went for extra bases.

He earned an invite to spring training where he had five singles in 18 at bats with the big league team.

Now, he’s tearing up the Texas League and is getting the call to Triple A.

His .343 batting average leads the league. His 13 homers are good for second place. Myers and Nathan Freiman are tied with 98 total bases. With an OPS of 1.146, he’s the best hitter at the Double A level.

The adjustment to right field has been better than expected to the point that the Royals have had him play center field more frequently this month and he’s even started at third base a couple of times. The Royals trust his athleticism and moving him from behind the plate may have diminished his value as a prospect (since catchers who can hit are very rare) but should make him a more valuable player overall (since he shouldn’t need as many off days in the outfield and injury isn’t as big of a concern). Before the 2009 draft, Perfect Game USA noted in his scouting report that Myers had “highest level tools and size, and they play all over the field.” So far he’s living up to that billing. His arm is strong (he threw 90 mph in high school) and he has playable speed in center.

Some have suggested that Myers could be a September call up in 2012. That may be a bit quick, despite his skills. I think he could hold his own over the course of a month in the big leagues, but the Royals aren’t a club that jumps levels often with their prospects. They follow the mantra of “better late than early”.

Regardless, Myers is ready for Omaha.

If there’s a knock on him in 2012, it’s that he’s struck out more frequently than at any other level. Through 35 games, he’s struck out 28% of the time. His strikeout rate went up a bit last year in his poor 2011, but it didn’t reach these levels. He’s clearly making hard contact, but he could be that much more productive with less strikeouts. He’s still walking more than 10% of the time, so he’s still got his trademark patience at the plate (Myers walked nearly as often as he had struck out in both levels of A ball). He’s also benefited from Arvest Ballpark, with a .271/.338/.644 to .408/.482/.831 road/home split.

That’s a sharp difference, but even on the road, Myers has been strong.

He’s ready for this new challenge.

J.J. Cooper from Baseball America noted that Mike Moustakas had similar splits in his breakout 2010 season in Northwest Arkansas and it took 66 games for him to reach Omaha. Myers, as one of the best outfield prospects in the game (and maybe the best after Bryce Harper and Mike Trout have made it to the big leagues) didn’t have a lot more to prove at Double A.

Where to fit Myers (and who to displace) is another thing. The Royals currently have Jeff Francoeur signed through 2013. Alex Gordon has signed an extension. Lorenzo Cain was penciled in as the everyday center fielder this year and Jarrod Dyson has played well, so long term, Myers may not see Kansas City until mid-2013 while the outfield gets sorted out (unless he adjusts to center field enough to hold his own).

That’s getting ahead of things. First he has to continue to rake in Omaha. In Triple A right now, David Lough and Derrick Robinson are having good years. Jason Bourgeois is struggling so far since being optioned to Omaha, so Myers will likely take at bats from him and play in right field. The Royals may want to keep Bourgeois in the lineup more often to justify the trade that brought him to Kansas City but Myers should play every day.

Wil Myers has played in 35 games. He’s gone hitless in three of them (and still walked three times in one of those).

Omaha’s the next step in his path. He’s ready.

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The Royals are only 4.5 games out of first place and it’s the middle of May. This doesn’t seem like much until you consider a few things.

I'm hoping this guy gives us a reason to keep Yuni on the bench. (Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

On Wednesday, April 11th of this year, the Royals lost to the Athletics 5-4. This alone may seem insignificant except in that this loss began a 12-game losing streak that seemed to practically erode any chance that “Our Time” was here and absolutely destroy the possibility that the Royals 2012 mission statement was going to be used as anything other than a snarky catchphrase anywhere and everywhere for the next hundred years.

Those were some bad weeks and it felt like everything we’d hoped for this year blew up in our faces before the season had even really started rolling.

But the Royals have been winning. They’ve won 7 of their last 10. They’ve split with the Yankees and strung together series wins against the Red Sox, White Sox, and Rangers. Aside from the White Sox, all of these wins/splits have come against average/above average teams. The Yankees are the Yankees. The Red Sox SHOULD have made the playoffs last year and the Rangers, as you all know, happened to be in the World Series last season.

We are still in May, and the dreaded “sample size” phrase has to be considered. But based on the fact that a mere 3 weeks ago our team looked like the Royals teams we’ve grown used to, I’d have to say that things are looking up. I’m used to a Royals team that starts hot and fizzles by May. I don’t know how to react when a Royals team takes a punch to the chin in the form of a 12-game losing streak and then starts winning enough games to make me notice that they’re within definite striking distance of the division leader.

Granted, the teams within the A.L. Central are not exactly dominating right now, but if the Royals decide to take advantage of that, I’m not going to sniff at it. We’ve faced many of our own hurdles in the form of injuries, Danny Duffy being the latest to fall. This is enough to for most people to give up hope if they hadn’t already after losing 12 games in a row.

It’s easy to be disgusted. The injury bug and a 12-game skid will do that to you. I won’t say I haven’t been pretty frustrated this season at times. But if you forget all of that, and take an objective look at what’s happening with the Royals right now, you’ll see that they’re finding ways to win. I’m not saying it will last. I know better than to make that assumption, but the Royals are competing against good teams and they’re playing their way back into relevance….for the time being at least.

I’m riding this gravy train as far as it will take me.

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