Good News, Bad News, #FakeNews: KC Royals Off-day Observations

The KC Royals have won six of their last seven. Does that signify anything other than an outlier in a lost season or something resembling a turnaround?

Anybody who can tell me with a straight face that they expected the KC Royals to host the Baltimore Orioles—one of the American League’s best teams and a legitimate contender, by hook or by crook, for the pennant—and emerge as the victor in three tightly-contested contests has an extremely good poker face.

But after sweeping the Orioles and taking three of four from the Rays (not quite as big an accomplishment, tbh), is it time to take another look at the Royals?

I’m not sure yet. But why don’t we, you and I, go hand-in-hand together into a new segment I just came up with called Good News, Bad News, #FakeNews.

Good News

Eric Hosmer remembered how to hit

On May 1, Eric Hosmer’s batting average was .225, his OPS was .573 and he had one home run and six RBI.

Fifteen days later, his average is two ticks below .300, his OPS is up nearly 200 points and he’s already got nine RBI this month. The power numbers aren’t there yet, but he at least looks like the version of himself that seemed destined for a large contract this offseason.

Jason Vargas might be a low-level deity

It’s mid-May. Jason Vargas’ ERA is 1.01.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing. Consider Vargy’s starts can’t-miss viewing until otherwise notified. Or until he gets traded. One or the other.

Nathan Karns!

Twenty-two strikeouts his last two starts. An average Gamescore of 66.7 in his last three—that’s well north of league-average. He’s not as reliant on the fastball, leaning more on the curve (45.2 percent over his last three starts, compared to 27.5 percent in his first four). I’m VERY EXCITED for this development. Duffy, Karns, IK and Vargas (if they can hang on to him) is not bad.