Kansas City Royals: Mike Moustakas and the Curse of Steve Balboni

Injury and Fatigue

The primary reason for Moustakas’ recent struggles in the home run department likely comes down to his health.

Coming off a devastating knee injury in 2016, Moustakas was always likely to fatigue more down the stretch than his teammates. His participation in the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game kept him from getting what could have been vital rest over the All-Star break.

Even still, Moustakas increased his home run total from 25 at the break to 30 by the end of July. The third baseman added another five homers in the first half of August. The last of those came on Aug. 15 at Oakland.

Moustakas did not hit another home run in August. A knee injury that appeared to be sustained on Aug. 26 in Cleveland seemed to slow him down considerably for the final few days of the month. However, Moustakas went deep in a key series-opener with Minnesota on Sept. 1. That blast tied him with Balboni for the single-season mark.

He hasn’t gone deep since.

The knee has still clearly been bothering Moustakas in September. He has sat out a couple of games to try to rest it. He’s also been replaced early on five different occasions—although those had more to do with blowouts than anything else.

It’s worth wondering, if Moustakas had already set the record—say he hit a second homer in that Sept. 1 game—would manager Ned Yost have given him more rest the past few weeks. In turn, that additional rest might have allowed the knee to fully heal and have Moustakas as close to 100 percent as possible for the Kansas City Royals’ stretch run.

Regardless, the lack of home runs can also be partially attributed to at least one other reason.

Trying Too Hard

It might seem ridiculous to suggest a player who has featured in two World Series could succumb to the pressure of a home run record. But when a player has been on the cusp of a record this long, it’s human nature to have that in the back of your mind.

Kansas City Royals

Every single time he comes to the plate, Moustakas knows this could be the plate appearance he breaks the record. It’s a different kind of pressure than just batting in the postseason, where any kind of hit will benefit the team.

The home run-or-bust approach that has engulfed the league has also creeped into the Kansas City Royals this season—much more than in those playoff seasons of 2014 and 2015.

The problem with Moustakas’ drought is that it has encompassed his entire offensive game. He does not have a single run driven in since his home run on Sept. 1. He also had just two RBI between his 35th and 36th home runs. Since Aug. 12, Moustakas has a total of six RBI—half of which came on the homer in Minnesota.

He hasn’t been hitting for much power lately either. Just two of Moustakas’ 10 hits since homer No. 36 have gone for extra bases. Dating back to Aug. 16, he has five doubles and one home run out of his 19 hits. In that same time frame, his batting average has fallen from .284 to .271 and his slugging percentage has plummeted from .566 to .522.

That’s a sign of more than just injuries or fatigue. There’s a definite mental component to his struggles over the past month.

Does it Even Matter?

The timing of Moustakas’ rough patch has made a big impact on the Kansas City Royals’ declining postseason chances. He is far from the only one who has been out of sorts over the past month, but his inability to break a record he looked ready to set well before Labor Day has been a microcosm for the team’s second-half decline.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter whether or not Moustakas eventually separates himself from Balboni to sit alone atop the Kansas City Royals home run charts. He has had an incredible individual season and the Royals have had a disappointing collective season. A 37th home run will not change any of that.

However, with the Kansas City Royals all but certain to not reach the postseason, Moustakas setting the record could serve as a nice positive in a season without many. It also would be a nice way to send Moose out if this proves to be the free agent’s final season in Kansas City.

Maybe, Moustakas is just waiting for the Kansas City Royals’ final homestand to set the record in front of the hometown fans. Or at least that’s what those fans who shell out for parking can tell themselves.

Next: What if Wade Davis had Stayed in KC?

What do you think, fans? Will Moustakas break the record? If so, when will he launch his 37th home run? Let us know it the comments and on social media.