Five Royals Storylines to Watch for in 2018

Bubba’s “Star” Rising?

It seems as if Bubba Starling has been stuck in the minor leagues for almost seven years now. Oh yeah, he has. Despite an oblique injury cutting his season short, Starling was able to hit .248 in 2017. This may not sound like a good figure but when considering he hit .183 the year before, it’s progress. Hitting .248 in AAA is far more impressive than it looks, considering Starling’s extensive history of struggles at the plate.

It’s well-documented that Starling has MLB-ready speed and a great glove. Some are more optimistic than others:

Nonetheless, you get the point. Starling himself knows the clock is ticking on his MLB debut. Earlier this year, he said the following:

"“I’ve been in the system long enough, seven years now, I feel like I’m getting kind of old… It’s like, it’s time for me to figure this baseball thing out and run with it.”"

Expected to start the season in AAA Omaha, it would be a welcome sight to have Starling patrolling center field at Kauffman Stadium this summer. Set to turn 26 in August, time is indeed running out. It’s time for the Royals to find out what they have in Bubba Starling.