Kansas City Royals: What to Watch For in the Second Half

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Improved, or continued, production

Perhaps the best story for the Kansas City Royals this season has been Mike Moustakas. Banished to the minors for ten days last season, and with a disappointing career thus far, Moustakas has finally reached he potential that everyone expected. While he is not hitting for the power numbers that one had hoped, Moustakas is hitting the ball to all fields with authority, and has posted a career best .297/.353/.427 batting line to this juncture of the season.

On the other end of the spectrum is Omar Infante. Infante, even with his latest hot streak, has been one of the worst second basemen in baseball, posting a meager .236/.247/.308 batting line with nary a home run and only five walks. This just is not the type of production the Royals need.

However, over the past month, Moustakas and Infante have trended in opposite directions. Since June 16, Moustakas has posted a .235/.289/.358 batting line with two home runs, closer to his career numbers than the hot start he had over the first two and a half months. Infante, meanwhile, has posted a .289/.303/.340 batting line, numbers that are quite respectable, especially given how Infante began the season.

With Alex Gordon out of the lineup until September, the Kansas City Royals need to get production from other places in the lineup. If Mike Moustakas can rebound, and Omar Infante can continue to hit at the rate he has over the past month, that could go a long way to helping make up for Gordon’s absence.

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