Kansas City Royals: Adalberto Mondesi changes dynamic of batting order

Adalberto Mondesi made his return to the Kansas City Royals lineup and it was obvious that he changes the dynamic of this lineup for the better.

Kansas City Royals fans everywhere held their breath when budding superstar, Adalberto Mondesi dove for a foul ball in mid-July and dislocated his shoulder in the process. The 24-year old shortstop was one of the most highly regarded prospects coming up through the team’s minor league system and made his debut in Game 3 of the 2015 World Series.

He made his long-awaited return to the lineup on Sunday and it was a night and day difference of how he changes this lineup. While the Royals haven’t had the season they had hoped for, Mondesi has been a player fans have a tremendous of excitement for going forward.

Mondesi was showing signs last season of the player he is capable of being, slashing 0.276/0.306/0.498 with 13 doubles, 14 home runs, 37 RBI’s and 32 stolen bases. On Sunday, he went 4 for 5 and stole three bases in a game for the second time in his young career.

The Royals lineup is filled with holes but Mondesi provides some stability hitting from the two-spot and his ability to easily swipe bases is extremely invaluable for this roster. He’s played in 83 games this season and has slashed 0.274/0.301/0.438 with 17 doubles, 9 triples, 7 home runs, 52 RBI’s, and 34 stolen bases.

Despite missing a significant amount of time with the shoulder injury, Mondesi’s 9 triples still lead the majors. He should figure to see every day playing time at shortstop to finish out the final month of this season, which will likely force Nicky Lopez to second base and Whit Merrifield to the outfield.

One area that Mondesi still needs to improve is taking more walks. He has just 16 on the season with 102 strikeouts. He would make for the perfect leadoff hitter if his on-base percentage was somewhere close to 0.350. Regardless, it’s good to see him back in the lineup and hopefully, he can finish out the season on a positive note.