MLB Season Preview: Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals


Last Season's Standings: The Kansas City Royals went 62-100, including 4-6 in their final ten games to finish in the basement of the AL Central.

In: SP Gil Meche (prev. team: Seattle Mariners); SP Dewon Brazelton (prev. team: San Diego Padres); RP Zach Day (prev. team: Washington Nationals); RP Octavio Dotel (prev. team: NY Yankees); SP Brandon Duckworth; RP Wayne Franklin (prev. team: Atlanta Braves); 3B Alex Gonzalez (prev. team: Philadelphia Phillies); RP David Riske (prev. team: Chicago White Sox); RP Jason Shiell (prev. team: Atlanta Braves); SP Jason Standrige (prev. team: NY Mets); RP Todd Wellemeyer; LF Emil Brown; RP Jimmy Gobble; RP Russ Haltiwanger (via trade w/ Cincinatti Reds); 1B Russ Gload (via trade w/ Chicago White Sox); RP John Bale; C Jason LaRue (via trade w/ Cincinatti Reds); SP Brain Bannister (via trade w/ NY Mets)

Out: 2B Donnie Murphy (via trade w/ Oakland A's); RP Andrew Sisco (via trade w/ Chicago White Sox); RP Ambiorix Burgos (via trade w/ NY Mets); 2B Jeff Keppinger (via trade w/ Cincinatti Reds); RP Steve Andrade (new team: Tampa Bay Devil Rays); C Paul Bako (new team: Baltimore Orioles); SP Andrew Bernero (new team: Boston Red Sox); RP Scott Dohman (new team: Tampa Bay Devil Rays); SP Runelvys Hernandez (new team: Boston Red Sox); 1B Doug Mientkiewicz (new team: NY Yankees); CF Kerry Robinson (new team: Boston Red Sox)

Starting Pitching: The Kansas City Royals are going to be pinning their hopes on the not-so-consistent arm of Gil Meche. He went 11-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 32 starts last season. Meche needs to about double that total if the Royals are to be successful this year. In his best season in 2003, eche won 15 games and lost 13 and had a 4.59 earned run average. This rightie hasa sinker that enables him to be a groundball pitcher and a fastball that allows him to rack up his strike-out total. Injuries and command are question marks for Meche. Southpaw Odalis Perez will follow Meche in the rotation. He was 6-8 with a bad 6.20 ERA in 32 appearances, twenty of those being a start in 2006. He brings a low-90's fastball and a wicked curve, which combined help him strikeout lots of batters. Too often, looking for the K, Perez will leave the pitch up in the zone and then LOOK OUT! Perez does not have a lot of endurance. Luke Hudson is slated to be the third pitcher in the rotation, but he had a bad year in '06 with major command issues. He'll need to focus on this season and write-off 2006, when he went 7-6 with a 5.12 ERA in 26 appearances, 15 of those being starts. Hudson has a mid-90's heaterand a curve that's knee-knocking to left-handed batters. Hudson doesn't put a lot of runners on, but when he does his game goes down the toilet and those runners usually cross home plate; needs to work on his endurance beyond the sixth inning. Southpaw Jorge De La Rosa is also in camp asa possible fifth starter. He went 5-6 with a 6.49 ERA in 28 appearances, 13 of them being starts. De La Rosa pounds hitters with blazing heat and thows them off-balance with a big curve. Lefties have a hard time against him. He's prone to bouts of wildness and needs to develope more stamina as a starter. De La Rosa could refine his change-up a bit. Young rightie Zack Greinke is being looked at as a possible starter in the rotation, but he could start the year in Pmaha for more fine-tuning of his arsenal. Greinke missed three months of the season for personal reasons and only got in three games last season as a reliever going 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in those games. Greinke has great command of his low-90's fastball, curve, slider and change, but at times can be too fine with his pitches, almost appearing to aim the pitch to a certain location. It's a good thing that Greinke is committed to self-improvement because he needs to work on his stamina as a starter because the Royals need a couple if pitchers that can last beyond the sixth inning without tiring and losing effectiveness of their pitchers. Scott Elarton has missed significant chunks of the last 2 seasons (torn knee ligaments in 2005 and a torn rotator cuff in 2006). He won't be ready to go until the all-star break and likely after it in August. He was 4-9 with a 5.34 ERA in 28 starts before the injury. Elarton possesses three quality pitches, including a 90 mph heater, that keeps opposing hitters guessing. His slide step makes him effective in stopping potential base-stealers. Although he can get himself out of trouble, Elarton is a little too hittable and is especially susceptible to the long ball. Right-handed batters just crush him. Finally, Brian Bannister is looking to earn a spot in the rotation, but look for him to start in Omaha to lack of experience and be called back up in September. Bannister was 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 8 appearances, 6 of those being a start last season.

Bullpen: Anchoring the bullpen and taking the ball in the ninth inning will be Octavio Dotel. He is coming off Tommy John surgery and only really started pitching in games in September of last year after basically missing 2 seasons in a row. He had an atroscious 10.80 ERA in 14 games played last season. Dotel has a fine fastball and an uncanny ability to rack up strikeouts. He's simply murder on lefties and can really bear down and get the job done with RISP. He has wildness tendencies and although he's not hit harder than the average pitcher, when he does get hit he gets hit very hard. Rightie Todd Wellemeyer will likely be a long man out of the bullpen, something the Royals are likely to need a few of what with the inexperience and lack of stamina in their slated starters. He was 1-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 46 appearances in the 2006 season. Rookie Joakim Soria is in camp to see how he has progressed. He'll start in AA Wichita and will likely make his major league debut sometime in September. Previously a starter, Jimmy Gobble will be counted on in the eighth inning as a primary setup man to Dotel. He went 4-6 with a 5.14 ERA in 60 appearances, 6 of those being a start. His curve is his best pitch and its good by any standards. Gobble is quite poised at a young age, but has shown some jitters with runners in scoring position. His history of injuries is also a concern, lef-handed hitters hit him too well. Joel Peralta is entering what is likely to be his first full season in the bigs and will be utilized as a second option at setup man. He was 1-3, and even notched a save, with a 4.40 ERA in 60 games played in '06. Peralta owns a solid arsenal of a low-90's fastball, a splitter, slider and change-up. He's tough on right-handed hitters. Left-handed batters pound him and the ball leaves the park a little too often (10 times last season).

Designated Hitter: Mike Sweeney will be the primary DH for the Royals. He hit .258 with 8 HR and 33 RBI last season. Unlike most legitmate power hitters, Sweeney walks more than he strikes out (28:48 last season, which is rare for him). He's an aggressive hitter who likes to jump on the first pitch. Expect him to bat clean-up and to play between 120 games if healthy. Sweeney missed significant time last season to various injries playing just 60 games in 2006. He's becoming injury-prone with a wonky back. Rightie Esteban German will see time at DH, he hit .326 with 3 HR and 34 RBI in 2006. German has phenomenol poise and patience at the plate; able to make contact at will. He has great speed and instincts on the bases. He hasn't developed a knack for driving in runs, best suited as a lead-off hitter. A third option as desihnated hitter is rookie Justin Huber, who will almost certainly start in AAA Omaha for more experience and fine-tuning. He is a good pure hitter with decent power who can rap liners from line to line. Has inconsistent plate discipline. Huber hit .200 with one run driven in in ten AB's as a September call-up.

Catcher: Veteran John Buck will get the bulk of the starts as the #1 back-stop. He hit .245 with 11 HR and 50 RBI last season and will bat in the customary eighth spot for catchers in the line-up and play between 110-120 games if healthy. Buck boasts plenty of power and runs fairly well... for a catcher. Behind the plate, he knows how to handle a pitching staff. He needs to improve his ability to hit the breaking ball and to cut down on the strikouts (struck out 84 times in 2006). Backing him up will be trade acquisition Jason LaRue who hit .194 with 8 HR and 21 RBI last season. Though he has good power and can produce runs, defense is his priority. He's become one of the game's top throwing catchers. LaRue has a knack for gaining the respect and confidence of his pitchers; not afraid to put his body in front of the ball. He's a free swinger who strike-out a lot and rarely takes a walk (struck out 51 times and walked 27 times last season). He struggles when facing a southpaw and has trouble driving in base runners. Rookie Paul Phillips is also in camp, but he'll be a September call-up or possible injury replacement. He hit .277 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 2006.

First Baseman: Over at first base will be Ryan Shealy who hit .277 with 7 HR and 37 RBI last season. He's a very strong slugger with good power who has shown some plate discipline against righties. He has a lot of trouble hitting lefties and doesn't have much speed. Expect him to bat 6th in the line-up and to play between 115 and 125 games if healthy. The primary back-up will be Ross Gload who hit .327 with 3 HR and 18 RBI in 2006. Boasting decent power and a steady bat, Gload can turn it up a notch with RISP. He can play first base and in the outfield. Ocassionally, his plate discpline lapses. Sweeney will be the third option as a back-up. He's not strong defensively and is more likely to have someone come into the ball game as a defensive replacement in the later innings in the games he starts.

Second Baseman: Batting 5th and playing between 135 and 150 games if healthy is Mark Grudzielanek. Hit batted .297 with 7 HR and 52 RBI last season. Grudzielanek has become an excellent defensive second baseman. He has also tried to cut down on his aggressiveness at the plate. He is a solid contact hitter who can line the ball to any part of the field. Though he can still turn on the jets, he has lost that first step quickness that made him a solid base stealer and is prone to cement-headed base-running blunders. Backing him up will be German who still needs a lot of work on his defense. A third option, but likely as an injury replacement recall is rookie Andres Blanco. He hit 241 while driving in 9 runs last season.

Shortstop: Tony Pena is slated to be the everyday shortstop, but could start in Omaha or serve as the back-up to Blanco. If he does win the starters job, expect Pena to play around 100 games and to bat 7th in the line-up. He hit .227 with 1 HR amd 3 RBI last season. As mentioned, Blanco will either start or be the primary back-up. Likely to be a September call-up is Angel Sanchez, who hit .222 while driving in one run last season in his major-league debut.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner will be Mark Teahen who hit .290 with 18 HR and 69 RBI last season. Teahen has slowly shown more power as he's risen through the system. He can lay off bad pitches and produce with runners in scoring position while fielding well at the hot corner. The problem is he had season-ending shoulder surgery last season and may not be ready until later in the season. He struggles against southpaws and can cut down on the strikeouts (85 last season). Teahen's unavailibility means that raw rookie Alex Gordon will not only make his major league debut, he'll be the everyday third baseman until Teahen is healthy. Gordon has phenomenol natural hitting ability and works hard to be even better. He can go deep to any field and has the speed and smarts to steal bases. There aren't many holes in his offensive game, but his hot corner defense could use some improvement. Expect Gordon to hit ninth in the line-up and to play up to around 100 games this season. Utility man German will serve as a third back-up.

Left Fielder: The speedster Emil Brown will bat 2nd and play between 145-155 games if healthy. He hit .287 with 15 HR and 81 RBI last season. Brown has excellent speed on the bases, decent power and above-average range in the field. He also has a strong and accurate arm. Brown is a free swinger and strikes out far too much (95 times last season). He needs to be a lot more consistent. Veteran David DeJesus will be the primary back-up and the starting center fielder. . . more on him later. The aging Reggie Sanders may receive playing time in LF, but will more likely serve as primary back-up in RF. He hit .246 with 11 HR and 49 RBI last season. Speed is still one of Sanders's best assets and he uses it best in the oufield, but also to steal a base when necessary. He's always been equally effective against righties and lefties, and shows tremendous power against southpaws. He resist the high-heater out of the strike zone and he's prone to letting loose with two strikes against him. Minor nagging injuries have always been a problem, as has hitting with runners in scoring position. A final option as left-fielder is Shane Costa, who hit .274 with 3 HR and 23 RBI last season. He may start in Omaha and be an injury replacement. Costa's a good natural hitter with emerging power and he's shown good plate discipline in the minors. He plays hard making the most of his average speed. He could stand to improve his production with runners in scoring position and has a weak outfield arm.

Center Fielder: Batting lead-off and playing between 115-125 games if healthy will be David DeJesus. He hit .295 with 8 HR and 56 RBI last season. As aggressive as they come, DeJesus has good discpline at the plate and speed on the bases. He owns right-handed pitching and is a quality defensive outfielder. His hard nose nature makes him injury prone. Southpaws have given him trouble and he needs to improve his read on pitchers before stealing bases. Backing him up will be Teahen, Joey Gathright, German and Costa. Gathright hit .230 with one HR and 41 RBI last season. Few human beings on the planet can out-run Gathright. He slaps the ball on the ground, making consistent contact. He doesn't walk enough to be the leadoff man he should be (walked just 42 times last season). He has no power at all and has a weak throwing arm.

Right Fielder: Finally Teahen will bat third and play between 125 and 135 games if heathy. Either Sanders, Brown, Costa or Mitch Maier will be the back-up. Expect Maier to be a September call-up to give him most of the season to fine tune his skills. He hit just .154 last season.

Season Prediction: The Kansas City Royals are very much in a re-building mode this season and will be one of the worst teams in the majors this season, finishing dead last in the AL Central. They will produce runs primarily through small ball and they will probably lose over 100 games.