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

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Who will make an impact during the stretch run?

Last season, Brandon Finnegan burst upon the baseball world in September, as he went from pitching in the College World Series and being selected 17th overall in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft to being a key part of the Kansas City Royals bullpen. Finnegan was able to give the Royals that solid lefty reliever they lacked all season, and his performance during the Wild Card Game was a key in Kansas City being able to mount a historic comeback.

While it may be unreasonable to expect another minor league player to step up and give the Royals the same sort of performance as Finnegan, it is likely that one of the rookies will make an impact upon the Royals postseason hopes. Perhaps John Lamb, who has been dominant with the Omaha Storm Chasers this season, will finally get his chance. Or, perhaps an unheralded player like Balbino Fuenmayor, who has done nothing but hit this season, will be added to the 40 man roster and give the Royals a solid month of offense.

Perhaps that callup has already happened. While Paulo Orlando was with the team out of Spring Training, he had been sent back to Omaha before Gordon’s injury. Now that he has returned, Orlando has hit two home runs, both of which have won games for the Royals. He may not fit the profile exactly, but he is a minor league callup that has made an impact.

The Kansas City Royals will get contributions from an unlikely source that will impact their playoff run. Part of the fun of the second half will be seeing which players make those unlikely contributions.

Next: Royals Five Biggest Weaknesses at the Break