Kansas City Royals Christmas List For 2017

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May 14, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) celebrates with right fielder Paulo Orlando (16) after scoring during the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

For Alcides Escobar And Paulo Orlando:

A sprinkle of dust from the BABIP fairy. Alcides Escobar enjoyed his best season in 2012, when he slashed .293/.331/.390 driven by a .344 Batting Average Balls In Play (BABIP). Meanwhile, Paulo Orlando generated a .302/.329/.405 season in 2016. His BABIP was an outrageous .380.

The fact is, I don’t think either player can rate as an above average hitter without a lot of batted balls falling unusually well for them.

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Hey, if you believe that a guy riding around in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer wants to give you presents on December 25, then you’re not going to doubt that the BABIP fairy exits. Why shouldn’t they? Both Escobar and Orlando enjoyed strong seasons when their batted balls regularly missed fielders over an entire season.

Why can’t it happen again in 2017?

For Ian Kennedy And Jarrod Dyson:

A repeat of 2016. Both players enjoyed better-than-expected seasons in 2016. Kennedy went 11-11, with a 3.68 ERA, good for 4.1 bWAR in 2016. Jarrod Dyson slashed .278/.340/.388 with 30 stolen bases in 337 plate appearances. Dyson added 11 outfield assists along with his typical outstanding range in center. Overall, it all added up to a career-high 3.1 bWAR season.

Really, neither player could have expected things to go much better than they did in 2016. Thus, both would be quite happy with a repeat in 2017. I’d take 7.2 WAR from those two players anytime, and run to the bank to deposit the wins.

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