Kansas City Royals Biggest Disappointments in 2015

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Everything should be wonderful for the Kansas City Royals. Today, they currently sit atop the American League Central with a comfortable eleven game lead, and have a four game edge for home field advantage throughout the postseason. The Royals have a true ace, were buyers at the trade deadline and have managed to get the corpse of Omar Infante out of the lineup. Yes, times are good over at Kauffman Stadium.

Yet, there is an undercurrent of concern with the Royals. They have lost seven of their last ten games, and five of their last six contests. In a week, they have gone from 31 games over .500 to a “mere” 27 games over. The Twins have shaved two games from their lead, and while they may well be too far behind to overtake the Royals, could make the last couple of weeks a bit more uncomfortable than anyone would like. Meanwhile, the prospect of losing home field advantage to the Blue Jays is looming as the losses keep piling up.

Yet, even with these recent struggles, the Royals have had quite the successful season. They have set an all time attendance record, and the excitement around the ballclub is palpable. Last year’s foray into the World Series almost seems like an appetizer, with this season as the main dish.

Last week, we took a look at the surprises for the Kansas City Royals this season. Now, let us take a look at the disappointments for the Royals this season, as they have managed to put together the best record in the American League with little contribution from these players.

Next: He was supposed to solidify the position

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What if Alex Rios had not been injured?

If not for the struggles of Omar Infante, Alex Rios would likely be the biggest target of ire in the Kansas City Royals lineup. His .251/.284/.329 batting line is not what the Royals had envisioned when they gave Rios a guaranteed $11 Million this offseason, and is even worse than his mediocre 2014 season.

Yet, one has to wonder what his year would have been like it he remained healthy. Let us not forget that Rios had scorched the ball throughout Spring Training, and had produced a torrid .321/.345/.464 batting line with a home run, two stolen bases and eight RBI as the Royals won their first seven games. Then, he was hit in the hand, missing just over six weeks before returning to the lineup on May 31st.

Instead, as Rios has struggled, the Royals have been looking to find production in right field. Both Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando have had their moments, and Rios’ bout with chicken pox may have resulted in Jonny Gomes being acquired at the end of August. Somewhere, from that collection, the Royals are hoping to find the production needed as they enter the playoffs.

One has to wonder what could have been for Alex Rios and the Kansas City Royals. Instead, he has been a major disappointment this season.

Next: Young guns not taking that next step

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It was too soon for Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy.

When the Kansas City Royals let James Shields leave via free agency and brought in Edinson Volquez, there were certain expectations upon the pitching staff. The first was that Volquez would produce numbers similar to what Shields provided the Royals. The second was that Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy would be able to step in and fill the void as the aces of the rotation.

While the first expectation occurred, the second did not. Ventura and Duffy have struggled for most of the season, failing to take that step forward in their development. In fact, if not for Jason Vargas needing to undergo Tommy John surgery, Ventura may well have spent a bit of time in the minors to get himself back on track.

Both pitchers have displayed signs of being on the right track lately. Ventura has posted a 1.93 ERA and has struck out 57 batters in his past 37.1 innings, even with his rough outing on Monday. Duffy, even with a couple of rocky starts, has a 3.66 ERA and a 1.254 WHiP since the All-Star Break. While that may not be a top of the rotation arm, those numbers for Duffy are still solid.

Maybe it was just too early in their development for Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy to step up and front the Kansas City Royals rotation. Next year, however, may be a different story.

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Is Greg Holland still an elite closer?

From the time that he took over as the Kansas City Royals closer through the end of the 2014 season, few closers were at the level of Greg Holland. He was one of the best in the game, someone whose appearance tended to signal another victory for the Royals. The pantheon of top closers in baseball included Holland, Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, in some order. That is some truly lofty company.

This year, Holland may not even be the best closer on the Royals, with that honor potentially belonging to Wade Davis. Holland has battled injuries and general ineffectiveness, posting a 3.64 ERA and a 1.381 WHiP. Holland’s control, which has typically been stellar, has failed him at times this season, as he has allowed 23 walks in 42 innings, for a career high 4.9 walks per nine. Meanwhile, his 10.1 strikeouts per nine marks a career low.

Holland has also disappeared at random times this year. He went ten days between appearances before earning a save on Tuesday, and made three appearances in a two week time frame from July 28th through August 13th. Perhaps those injury concerns from earlier in the year are even more pronounced than one would have thought.

The Kansas City Royals have one of the deepest bullpens in all of baseball. However, they still need their closer to come through. Maybe this time off will let Greg Holland be the dominant force he has been in years past.

Next: Johnny Cueto Cracking Under Contract Pressure?