Royals latest win an example of how underrated X-factor can unlock this lineup

The Kansas City Royals are riding some serious momentum right now after their offense exploded for the first time this season in Wednesday's beat down of their division rivals, the Minnesota Twins.

13 runs! They scored 13 runs after entering Wednesday's contest with the worst offense in baseball in terms of runs per game.

Now, after just one offensive explosion, the Royals find themselves firmly in the middle of the pack in that same metric, sitting 12th in MLB with 4.40 runs per game.

While some might assume the top of the order was the driving force of such a dominant effort giving it's star-studded make-up - and to an extent it was with Maikel Garcia driving in three runs in the leadoff spot - the bottom of the order was where the production really came from.

From sixth to ninth in the order, these four Royals hitters - Jonathan India, Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins and Kyle Isbel - went 10-for-16 with two homers, eight RBI, nine runs scored, one walk and just two strikeouts on the night.

And Royals fans can't help but notice how hot Isbel has been to start the year in particular, becoming an X-factor that has unlocked this lineup potential.

Kyle Isbel is once again looking like the ideal nine-hole hitter in the Royals' lineup

Isbel led the way for the Royals on Wednesday in the hits department as their only player to have a four-hit night, playing hero by going 4-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored.

Not only did he play hero in Wednesday's affair, but just two nights earlier, it was his two-run blast in the home opener that ended up being the difference in their 3-1 victory versus those same Twins.

He's certainly more known for his Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field, but while his career 81 wRC+ would indicate he's nothing to write home about with the bat overall, he has one trait that makes him an excellent fit in the nine-hole. Isbel has proven he knows how to make contact and carry a strong average for a bottom-of-the-order hitter.

Last season, Isbel was able to be somewhat of an average merchant in the nine-spot, hitting for a respectable .255 mark.

And that's what was on display on Wednesday. His perfect four hit night set the table for the top of the order and Maikel Garcia was the direct beneficiary of Isbel's efforts.

Arguably the biggest question for this team entering the season, given all of their offensive shortcomings from a year ago, was whether or not the bottom of the order could support Bobby Witt Jr. and the star-studded top-half.

And on Wednesday, spearheaded by Isbel, the Royals caught their most convincing glimpse of the bottom of the order being able to do just that.

The next shot they'll have to see whether or not they can do it again will come in Thursday's series finale against the Twins as Cole Ragans takes the bump in search of redemption. First pitch goes down at 1:10 p.m. CT.