#25
The Kansas City Royals are starting fresh in 2020 with a new manager as they attempt to rebuild their roster back to the World Series caliber team they were just five short years ago. Will this season see some progress toward their goal?
2019 Predictions
#29 - 5th in AL Central
MIH: Adalberto Mondesi
MIP: Danny Duffy
PTW: Nicky Lopez
FP: The Royals will not trade away any lineup pieces mid-season.
2019 Results
#27 - 59-103, 4th in AL Central
Somehow, the Royals were able to lose over 100 games and stay out of the cellar. This speaks more to how bad the Tigers were than anything. The Royals have entered full rebuild mode with only three players left over from their 2015 World Series win (Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, Danny Duffy ... four if you want to count a random postseason appearance by a then 19 year old Adalberto Mondesi). Although Mondesi is continuing to be a solid player in the big leagues, the youngster still hasn't taken the leap that his talent level promised when he was a prospect. It seems as if the best of Danny Duffy is behind him, as he hasn't become the lockdown ace it looked like he could be in 2016 and 2017. Nicky Lopez showed enough in 2019 to be entering the 2020 season as the team's starting second baseman, moving perennial All Star Whit Merrifield to centerfield, but he still has a lot to prove. As far as my prediction, the Royals were indeed very quiet in terms of trades during the season. Although Merrifield is constantly part of trade rumors, the Royals want to keep guys like that around instead of using him to help build the future.
Additions / Subtractions
The Royals are entering 2020 with almost the exact same roster they had at the end of 2019. The one addition they made was bringing in former Phillie Maikel Franco to man the hot corner. They also re-signed leftfielder Alex Gordon for his age 36 season, more out of loyalty than anything. The biggest change to the Royals this season is the retirement of their World Series manager Ned Yost who was replaced by former catcher and Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. Matheny seems like the perfect guy to lead this team.
Most Important Hitter
Salvador Perez
Salvador Perez is a 6 time All Star catcher with 5 Gold Gloves and 3 Silver Sluggers. He was also the MVP of the 2015 World Series. When the Royals needed to start a rebuild and move on from the core of their World Series roster, Perez was the one of the few they kept, locking him up through 2021. With all that said, this is an important season for Sal. He is coming off a lost 2019 season after Tommy John surgery was needed last spring. So he is going to have to fight through the rust and fatigue of missing all that time while also mentoring the young pitching staff trying to find their way and return to his Gold Glove caliber play. If is a tough challenge, but if anyone is up to it, it is Sal Perez.
Most Important Pitcher
Brad Keller
The best pitcher on the Royals last year was Brad Keller. In his second season in the big leagues, Keller posted a 4.19 ERA, a 113 ERA+, and a 2.8 WAR. Now he is entering 2020 (his age 24 season) as their ace and needs to take another leap forward to solidify the top of their rotation. Look for Keller to be one of the quiet success stories of the 2020 season.
Prospect to Watch
Brady Singer
The Royals' farm system is still a work in progress. They have three players in the top 100 prospects, topped by last year's #2 overall pick Bobby Witt Jr. at #10. However, the majority of their prospects are still a few seasons away from making a big league impact. The exception to that is pitcher Brady Singer. A 2018 1st round pick out of Florida, Singer worked his way all the way up to AA in his first taste of pro ball. His sinker/slider combo plays at any level and should start to establish himself at the top of the Royals' rotation at some point this season.
2020 Prediction
4th in AL Central
Much like last season, the only thing keeping the Royals from the cellar of the AL Central will be the struggles of the Detroit Tigers. With that said, I see the Royals taking some baby steps forward. Keeping their veteran core around, while unconventional in today's MLB, is allowing for the youngsters to come along slowly and learn from the best. Like I said, I think the Matheny hire was a home run for the Royals. With all this said, the best description for the Royals in 2020 is ... boring. For the most part, they are going to be a boring team. They are in a rare spot in baseball these days. They are not stockpiled to win now, and their farm system is not stockpiled for a rebuild. They also don't seem to be working at achieving one of those goals very quickly. Instead, they are just ... boring. They will win some games, they will lose more, but it doesn't seem like 2020 is really progressing towards much of anything.
Fearless Prediction
Jorge Soler will hit less than 24 home runs in 2020.
The breakout star for the Royals in 2020 was by far Jorge Soler. Formerly a top prospect of the Cubs, Soler had really struggled to find his place in the big leagues. His career high in games played before 2019 was 101, and his career high in homers was 12. Then came 2019, where he played in all 162 games and led the AL with 48 home runs. Did he finally figure it out, or was it a fluke? I am betting on it being a fluke. Look for his home run total to be around half of what it was last year. Either that, or he hits 50+. It will be one or the other.
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