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

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Here we are, about to enter the second half of the 2015 season, and the Kansas City Royals currently have the best record in the American League. At 52-34, 4.5 games better than the Minnesota Twins, the Royals control their playoff destiny at this point.

Yet, despite being tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second best record in baseball, not everything has gone the way that the Royals had hoped. They have dealt with numerous injuries to their starting rotation, as Danny Duffy, Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura have all missed time. Joe Blanton was forced into the rotation. Alex Rios missed almost two months, and has been a shadow of himself since returning. Omar Infante, until recently, was not hitting. And let us not forget the injury to Alex Gordon just before the All-Star Break.

Even with all of those hurdles, and players who have underperformed thus far, the Royals are still in quite the enviable position. For as bad as some of these outings may have been, they are still in the driver’s seat when it comes to the American League. Things could be much worse.

As we head forward into the second half of the season, and with two weeks exactly before the trading deadline, let us take a look at a few storylines to keep an eye on as the Kansas City Royals seek to make a return trek to the World Series.

Next: Can the offense hold up?

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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.

Next: The Big One

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A major trade at the deadline

It seems as though quite the large faction of Kansas City Royals fans do not expect Dayton Moore to make a major trade at the deadline. It makes sense to have this expectation, especially since Moore has never made an earth shattering move at the trade deadline in his tenure in Kansas City. Why would he do so now?

Well, Dayton Moore has never been in this position at the trade deadline before either. Prior to this season, the best record that the Royals have had at the All-Star Break in Moore’s tenure was 48-46. It is certainly understandable as to why Moore would not have pulled the trigger on a potentially franchise altering move for a rental player to pursue a playoff push that was not necessarily going to happen.

This season, the Royals have been connected to some of the bigger names that could be available. The Royals have been linked to Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Ben Zobrist for possible rental players. In fact, the Royals have even been mentioned as possibly being interested in bringing back James Shields should the Padres make him available.

Instead of the quiet trade deadline that we have gotten accustomed to, the Kansas City Royals could end up making a few major moves in pursuit of another World Series run. It will certainly be interesting to see what Dayton Moore does at the deadline this time around.

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The reinforcements are coming

Despite their excellent record, the Kansas City Royals starting rotation has been decimated by injuries this season. Three of the five starters in the Opening Day rotation have missed time, making the signing of Chris Young perhaps the best of the Royals previous offseason. It is a far cry from last season, when the Royals enjoyed generally good health amongst their starters.

With all of those injuries, it may not be a surprise that the Royals rank 23rd in baseball with a 4.32 ERA from their starting rotation. Likewise, Royals starters have pitched the fewest innings in baseball, tied with the Colorado Rockies with 476.2 innings this season. That bullpen depth that Moore put together in the offseason has been pressed to the limit.

Fortunately, reinforcements are coming. Both Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura have already returned, while Jason Vargas and Kris Medlen are expected to be back shortly after play resumes for the second half. Medlen is going to be quite the Wild Card, as he is coming off his second Tommy John surgery and is entering virtually uncharted water. However, if Medlen can be close to what he was during his excellent two year run from 2012 and 2013, when he posted a 2.47 ERA and a 1.096 WHiP with excellent control, the Royals could have that pitcher they needed.

The Kansas City Royals need help in the starting rotation. With Jason Vargas and Kris Medlen due back soon, they reinforcements may finally be arriving.

Next: Replacing the irreplaceable

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Trying to replace Alex Gordon

We all know that the Kansas City Royals cannot replace what Alex Gordon means to the team. Between his platinum defense in left and his ability to hit literally anywhere in the lineup, Gordon may be the most irreplaceable player that the Royals have. And yet, this is the reality that the Royals will face, with Gordon expected out until September.

As it stands, the Royals are looking at some sort of platoon between Paulo Orlando and Jarrod Dyson to cover the position until Gordon returns. While neither may be an every day option, Dyson and Orlando have had their moments. After a slow start to the season, Dyson has produced a stellar .375/.434/.604 batting line since May 25th while causing his usual havoc on the bases. Orlando, meanwhile, since being recalled from Omaha, has four hits in his 13 at bats, with two home runs and seven RBI.

While both Orlando and Dyson have filled in admirably, neither are really a long term solution. Both players seem destined to fit that fourth outfielder role, are to play in some sort of a platoon instead of being every day players. Yet, as the roster is currently situated, the Royals do not have a choice but to see if some combination of Dyson and Orlando can shoulder the burden of trying to provide some degree of what Gordon provided.

No one player can give the Kansas City Royals everything that Alex Gordon did. However, for now, they need to hope that Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando can come close.

Next: That impact callup