KC Royals Preview: 4 factors to focus on in NL East matchup

Dairon Blanco and Drew Waters are providing offensive spark for the KC Royals

It may be surprising to say, but Dairon Blanco has been a solid hitter for the Royals all season and he has been hot since the All-Star Break: in the eight games when he had a plate appearance, Blanco has slashed .368/.400/.632 for an OPS of 1.032. Overall, on the year he has an OPS of .701, but he is providing a lot of spark in the field and as a baserunner, swiping nine bags while being caught stealing three times. Will he stay this hot? Probably not, but it is good to see some bench bats providing some spark.

Drew Waters is a player to keep an eye on because he may have more of a future with the Royals—he's 24 and Blanco is 30. Waters has not been as good as Blanco since the Break, but during the last homestand he was great. Waters slashed .238/.489/.653 for an OPS of 1.142 during the six-game stint at Kauffman Stadium. Another key thing to keep an eye on is he didn't strike out much after fanning three times against the Twins in the first game of the homestand.

While both these outfielders have been wild cards overall, they have provided some spark to the Royals' offense during the current winning streak.

Now, let's take a look at the opposition and see why the Phillies will be tough...