KC Royals best and worst player of 2020 according to Bleacher Report

The KC Royals like all teams have had their ups and downs in 2020, but some players stand out for better, or for worse reasons.

The 2020 baseball season is coming to an end and among the postseason talk, awards talk is starting as well. Seeing who will come out on top for batting or pitching is always interesting. The KC Royals will have at least one person with some recognition in Adalberto Mondesi, who currently leads the MLB in stolen bases.

While the Royals may not have a lot of other representation at the top of the pack in varying categories, it’s always good to look at organization awards as well. Who was the best pitcher, who had the most hits, most RBI’s, etc.

Recently, Zachary Rymer over at Bleacher Report shared his list of each team’s best and worst players for the 2020 regular season. The stats that were used for the choices were those that players held through September 22. While there are still a few games left of the season, as Rymer states, there is already a pretty good idea of where players stand in this shortened season.

For the Royals, Rymer puts pitcher Ian Kennedy in the worst slot.

This likely isn’t a surprise to most, but it wasn’t expected to begin the season. Kennedy finally turned out a good season in 2019 after he was moved to the bullpen. He saved 30 games for the Royals and was one of the few consistencies of the pitching staff.

2020 was a different story, though. Kennedy couldn’t seem to control the ball the way he wanted. He got roughed up early, and before ending his season with an injury, pitched 14.0 innings with an ERA of 9.00, giving up 7 home runs over those innings.

Kennedy was on a long term contract with the Royals and other than his 2016 (arguably) and 2019 seasons, there was little success to show. Kennedy likely pitched his last innings as a Royals, and it’s unfortunate that he goes out on the bottom.

As far as the best player goes, it’s no surprise to see that the pick is Salvador Perez.

How Perez would play this season was a concern for many coming into 2020. He was coming off of surgery and would have to take things slow. The extra time off only helped Salvy’s recovery and he has smashed his way through the season. An unfortunate issue with his eye caused him to be out of play for an extended time, but since being back, he has made up for time lost.

In 2020 (through September 24), Salvy has slashed .360/.375/.683 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs, and 32 RBIs. These numbers are outstanding for any, and Salvy has made sure nobody will count him out.

Rymer does make a point mention Brad Keller, but jokes that they are helping to keep him an underrated player.

There are still a few games left to be played, but at this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone catching Salvador Perez to take his place as the best Royals in 2020. Hopefully, his success will carry into 2021 and push the Royals forward to a better year, and closer to contention.

According to a recent piece published at Bleacher Report, Ian Kennedy was the worst in Kansas City this year, and Salvador Perez was the best.