Royals: Candidates to hit 20 home runs in the 2020 season

While one was injured and one struggled in 2019 for the Kansas City Royals, there are two players who could see a good year ahead of them in 2020.

Salvador Perez

Honestly, Salvador Perez should probably be on the obvious candidate list with Soler and Dozier. Because of his season-long recovery in 2019, though, it’s unknown how his offensive production will be when he returns to action in 2020.

While it is possible Salvy could see a decline in his offense for 2020 as he is getting back into the swing of things, the quality that helps instill confidence in him hitting home runs is his history of consistency. From 2015 to 2018, his home run numbers were as follows: 21, 22, 27, 27. Along with his home runs, Salvy has put up similar numbers among all offensive stats from year to year that provide a solid argument of consistency.

Because of Salvy’s ability to be so consistent at the plate, he makes the list for candidates that are likely to hit 20 Home runs in 2020. While he may start off slow in his first few at-bats after an injury, Royals fans should rest assured that if anyone can bounce back, its Salvador Perez.

Ryan O’Hearn

Ryan O’Hearn had an unfortunately disappointing 2019 season. O’Hearn’s struggles were more disappointing to some fans than other players because of the promising half of the 2018 season that he put together.  In 2018, O’Hearn played in 44 games and smacked 12 home runs into the stands.

In 2019, over 105 games, O’Hearn managed to hit 14 home runs. That’s definitely down from what you would expect after the outstanding 2018 season, but when its put next to his .195 season batting average, it might not look as bad.

O’Hearn makes the list of likely candidates to hit his 20 homers in 2020 because of what he did at the end of 2019. O’Hearn started to turn things around. After spending some time in the minors, O’Hearn increased his batting average and slugging percentage in both August and September.

While the increased stats were still not blowing anyone out of the water, the fact that he was showing improvement is promising for a player who has shown he has the power to hit home runs. Soler managed to hit 48 home runs and spent a couple of months with batting averages around .200. If O’Hearn gets his head on straight and is patient at the plate, it’s likely he meets that 20 home run mark.

Salvy and O’Hearn might not provide record-breaking home run numbers for the Royals in 2020, but it is likely that they can be a big help in driving in runs. Using them to round out the lineup along with Dozier and Soler, and mixing them with players who get on base could create a dangerous lineup with unlimited potential.