Kansas City Royals Mike Moustakas: His Journey

It has been a long, and often times difficult, journey for Mike Moustakas. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Moustakas has maneuvered expectations, disappointment, and tragedy in route to becoming one of the best third basemen in Major League Baseball

As the Royals take the field Thursday for game one of the American League Divisional Series against the Astros, Mike Moustakas will trot out to his spot at third base.

This is normal.

As he steps onto the field Thursday, he will be doing it as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals for the 677 time, including playoffs.

Only four Royals in the franchise’s 46 year history will have played more games at third base than Moustakas has, as he is set to pass Mark Teahen‘s 676 appearances on Thursday.

However, as Moustakas makes the familiar trek to his hot corner, he does so in a vastly different position than he had in previous years.

For most of the first three and a half years of his Major League journey, Moustakas jogged out to his position as arguably the worst hitter in baseball for a team fighting to rip a 25-year monkey off it’s back.

This time, he will be jogging out to his position, undoubtedly to a chorus of Moose calls, as one of the best third baseman in baseball for the best team in the American League.

This is Moustakas new found reality.

However, as most of you reading this already know, this reality was not always normal.

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