Kansas City Royals closing out the pre-All Star slate in the City of Angels

In the final road trip before baseball’s annual break, the Kansas City Royals will travel to Los Angeles to take on the class of the National League—the Los Angeles Dodgers. And with how well the Royals are playing, I’m sensing something like optimism at the moment.

Top Five Reasons to (Choose Your Own Adjective, it could be positive or negative, don’t let me influence you) Los Angeles and the Dodgers

1. The weather is beautiful 315 days a year in Los Angeles. I hate you people for that.
2. The Dodgers spend a lot of money—more than the Yankees or Red Sox—and receive a fraction of the fan vitriol for it. That’s unfair to the Yankees and Red Sox, and it’s the Dodgers fault that I even typed that sentence.
3. A season without Vin Scully behind the mic is just something I can’t identify with. Vin Scully is baseball and I miss him dearly.
4. Can you imagine the 1,700 word thinkpieces in 2017 if the Dodgers abandoned Brooklyn for Los Angeles?
5. No one franchise should have the good fortune to produce Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Kenley Jansen and Cody Bellinger from its minor league ranks.

Opponent Most Likely to start a Brawl

The obvious answer is Yasiel Puig, a player with a reputation—fair or not—for aggressive behavior and who has you know what, here’s some video.

You’ll need to fast-forward to about the 2:20 mark here.

So yeah. Yasiel Puig is a good choice.

History of Bad Blood with the KC Royals?

That would be a ‘no’.

Los Angeles Player of Whom Much Was Expected and Less Was Produced?

I was super-duper high on Joc Pederson during his rookie season, and everything crested when he earned an All-Star nod at the tender age of 23. But he has yet to re-create those heights and seems destined to top out around .245/.360/.470 with 25 home runs and 165 strikeouts. And that’s a shame.

KC Royals Player Most Likely to Light Up the Dodgers?

In limited opportunities, it’s hard to find a standout. But kudos to Danny Duffy for his six-inning, four-hits, one-earned start in 2014… which resulted in a loss, but let’s not dwell on that.

Will this series be fun?

Yes! The Dodgers are a great measuring stick for the Kansas City Royals, who could actually take a divisional lead into the All-Star break if things shook out correctly. Take a couple from a contender on the West Coast and if Cleveland stumbles…

Next: Get the guys to Miami

It’ll be tough for the Royals though. Kenta Maeda and Brandon McCarthy (making his first start since June 25) are scheduled to oppose Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy in the first two games. If the Kansas City Royals survive that, they close the pre-All Star schedule against Clayton Kershaw.