Royals Report: 5 Things About Bounce-Back Vs. Tigers

Jun 17, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales (25) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three run home run in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 10-3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

3) Don’t Look Now But Kendrys Morales Is Heating Up

Yes, Kendrys’s slash line still sucks at .212/.283/354 for the season. But, he’s hit .263/.300/.421 in the seven days prior to Friday night. Then he proceeded to go 2 for 2 with three walks on the night, including a three-run home run that put a dagger in Detroit’s hopes to pull off a rally.

More from KC Royals News

The key was when Morales started to shoot the ball to the opposite field against the shift. That forced pitchers to be a little more careful with him, and Morales responded by taking his walks. Morales has a six game hitting streak going, and has raised his average from .191 on June 5 to .212 on June 17.

Kendrys Morales needs to get going to get consistent production from the Kansas City Royals offense. He’s a key middle-of-the-order switch hitter that makes it tough for opposing teams to play the match-up game against the KC Royals lineup in the late innings. As hot as Salvador Perez has been lately, the team needs Morales to provide him protection, or else opponents will start pitching around Perez.

Even with Morales terrible start, ESPN still projects him to hit 19 home runs with 65 RBI’s. If Morales can bring up his crazy low .235 BABIP (Batting Average Balls In Play), he can still have a productive season—even if the overall numbers end up sub-par due to his first 10 weeks.

In short, for the Royals to make a championship run, they’re going to need Morales.

Next: Salvador Perez

Schedule