Three Reasons to Believe in the 2017 Kansas City Royals

It’s no secret that the Kansas City Royals have been playing significantly better baseball as of late, but how much faith should we really put into this team?

Here are three big reasons why we should put all our eggs in the basket with the 2017 Kansas City Royals.

2014

Hey, remember way back in 2014 when the Kansas City Royals were counted out of just about everyone’s playoff predictions?

Well, we all know how well that turned out for the “analysts.” Yeah yeah, I know, it’s a different team, but the core group of homegrown best buds still remains.

Of course, the Royals didn’t get off to the best start that year either, eventually falling to three games under .500 at one point in May. Throughout July and August, the Royals’ confidence exploded, and with it came immense offensive production and pristine pitching. If there’s anything we can be sure of, it’s that you can never count the Royals out, especially in a division as tight as the AL Central right now.

This team is more than capable of putting together a great couple of months, hopefully great enough to make a run at the division. So, yes, it is a different Kansas City team, but the point here is that I (and I’m guessing most of you readers) made the mistake of counting out the Royals once before, and I will not be doing it this year.

Winning Despite Injuries

The Kansas City Royals recent hot streak has been great in and of itself, but it is an even more incredible feat when you think about how many injuries/sucky players they have had to deal with.

With Danny Duffy and Nathan Karns spending some time on the DL, Ned Yost and Dayton Moore called upon younglings like Eric Skoglund, Jake Junis and Matt Strahm to help fill some innings, and fill they have. Their performances and ability to fill innings have eased the Royals reliance on Jason Vargas, Ian Kennedy and Jason Hammel, even though these three guys have been outstanding lately.

But for real, adding Duffy and Karns back into an already decent rotation is going to be…legen…wait for it…DARY!

Obviously, Brandon Moss and Jorge Soler haven’t quite worked out for the team so far, but with the emergence of Jorge Bonifacio and Whit Merrifield as offensive producers, the Royals have filled their gaps nicely. Soler and Moss will come around eventually, so just imagine the offense once they do. It feels like this Royals team is finally playing up to their fullest potential.

It’s also worth noting that Eric Hosmer, despite his atrocious start to this season, is now slashing .305/.364/.828.

The Core

Hosmer, Duffy, Salvador Perez, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Kelvin Herrera. All of those guys have been in this position before, being down in a mid-season rut and being counted out of any and all playoff contention. The core of this Royals team has been around the block a time or two and I can imagine that the clubhouse morale is nothing short of electric once this team starts winning.

Reporters all around the league rave about the Royals’ clubhouse environment, so it’s no secret that this close-knit group of men can create a contagious flow of energy amongst one another and other teammates; I expect nothing less than an exciting and thrilling rest of the season as these guys continue to heat up.

Next: The Duffman Cometh

Perhaps I haven’t convinced you to believe in this team yet, or perhaps you never stopped. Whatever your feelings may be towards this team, these three reasons are facts and only time will tell if these 2017 Kansas City Royals can be just as magical as their predecessors.