MLB Spring Training: Kansas City Royals Full Preview
Key Additions: RP Joakim Soria, LF Alex Gordon (re-signed), SP Ian Kennedy
Key Subtractions: SP Johnny Cueto, RP Greg Holland, 2B Ben Zobrist, RP Ryan Madson, LF Alex Rios
For the first time since 1986 the Kansas City Royals enter the Major League season as defending World Series champions. The 2015 Royals won the AL Central by 12 games with a 95-67 record en route to defeating the New York Mets in the World Series.
More from Kansas City Royals
- Kansas City Royals: John McMillon call-up is a development win
- Kansas City Royals: Trade with Atlanta Braves for Taylor Hearn confusing
- Kansas City Royals: What to expect from Cole Ragans
- Grading J.J. Picollo and the Kansas City Royals front office at the season’s midway point
- MLB bullpen report: A couple of things to keep an eye on in June
There were a number of reasons for their success. The offense was driven by their incredible ability to make contact. As a team, they sported a league best 15.9 K%. By DRS and UZR their defense rated out as one of the best in baseball. The starting pitching was hit and miss, but if the Royals had a lead in the 7th inning it was almost an automatic win with the three headed monster of Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson, and Wade Davis.
The Royals have been to the World Series two years in a row now. Will the 2016 version be able to make it three? Lets take a look at Kansas City’s offseason.
The Rotation: During their current run of success the Royals have filled the rotation with high risk/high reward starters. Cueto’s departure means that Edinson Volquez should slide into the No. 1 slot in the group. Volquez had the best season of any Royals starter under 6’10 a year ago. Royals fans will hope that he can continue his productive run that began with a resurgence in Pittsburgh in 2014. He’s pitched in at least 190 innings in each of the past two seasons and he will be asked to carry another heavy workload.
Yordano Ventura is the most likely candidate for the No. 2 position. The twenty-two year old suffered through a rough start to the seaso, and was actually demoted to Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate in July (although he never pitched for them). His final two months of the season were much more solid, and that should give the Royals optimism heading into this season. Ventura led the Royals in strikeouts a year ago, in large part thanks to his league leading average fastball velocity of 96.3 mph. If Ventura can string together a few good months — and a few less brawls — it could go a long way toward solidifying the top of the rotation.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
The rest of Kansas City’s rotation has a lot of promise, but each candidate brings significant question marks. Ian Kennedy was signed to a five year $70MM contract this offseason. Once again, it looks like the Royals are trying to buy low on a pitcher who has had some success in the past but struggled recently. Kennedy led all qualified pitchers with a 1.66 HR/9 rate. However, his K/9 rate was up and his BB/9 rate was down. There are several reasons for the Royals to be optimistic about Kennedy. He’s trading in a bottom five defense for one of the best defenses in baseball. He is moving to a home park that was less conducive to home runs than Petco a year ago, and his HR numbers have to regress some.
Kris Medlen found some success in his return to baseball after missing all of 2014 following his second Tommy John surgery. His Fangraphs profile notes that his numbers look better than they were because of several relief appearances. He’s not a bad option as a back end starter, but there will always be concerns about his health.
Chris Young was one of the most unexpected success stories of 2016. The 6-foot-10, 36 year-old put together his best season as a starter with an 11-6 record and 3.06 ERA. As Jeff Zimmerman notes he is an extreme fly ball pitcher who has found success in keeping those fly balls in the yard. It’s hard to imagine Young and his 87 mph fastball having the same level of success as he did a year ago.
Danny Duffy and Christian Binford are candidates to see time in the rotation if any of the players above struggle or become injured.
The Lineup: Fans who watched the 2015 Royals won’t notice many changes to the lineup. Mid-season acquisition Ben Zobrist is headed to Chicago which means Omar Infante or Christian Colon could start at 2B. The departure of Alex Rios leaves RF open, and Ned Yost has mentioned the possibility of a Jarrod Dyson/Paulo Orlando platoon. At every other position the Royals will trot out a familiar cast of characters:
- SS Alcides Escobar
- CF Lorenzo Cain
- 1B Eric Hosmer
- DH Kendrys Morales
- 3B Mike Moustakas
- C Salvador Perez
- LF Alex Gordon
- 2B Omar Infante
- RF Jarrod Dyson
Kansas City got a big boost last season from the Morales free agent acquisition. The 32-year-old DH had his best season since 2009. In 158 games he hit .290/.362/.485 to go along with 22 HR and 106 RBI. Cain also continued his development by posting his best offensive season to date. He showed some power that had been lacking prior to this year hitting 16 HR (his previous high was 7). The rest of the lineup was solid, once Zobrist replaced Infante, and Kansas City will look to ride their high contact approach to continued success this year.
One player to watch offensively this season is Salvador Perez. He has declined by OPS+ every year since his debut in 2011. The core of Cain, Hosmer, Morales and Moustakas should continue to be productive, but if Perez continues to slide it gives them one less threat. He’ll continue to possess value defensively, but for the Royals lineup to truly be productive they need a return to form from their catcher. His .270 BABIP should rebound, but a minuscule 2.4 BB% helped fuel Perez’s disappointing .270 OBP last season.
Bullpen: The Royals bullpen will have a slightly different look in 2016. The former closer, Holland, who had spent his entire career in Kansas City, was good but not his dominant self in the early part of the season. His ERA spiked in August, and he was eventually shut down due to a UCL tear. The Royals non-tendered Holland in December. Madson had a surprisingly successful 2016 after missing three seasons, but is also out the door heading to Oakland.
Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera return as key contributors to one of the most dominant bullpens in baseball. New addition Joakim Soria, who pitched for KC from 2006-2011, will try and fill the hole left by Holland and Madson. There is no reason to think that this can’t remain one of the most dominant back ends of a bullpen in baseball. Luke Hochevar should also get a good amount of work in 2016. Tim Collins will return from Tommy John surgery.
Competitions: The biggest competition will likely be between Infante and Colon at second base. Infante still has value defensively, but he was one of the worst offensive second basemen in the game a year ago. The twenty-six year old Colon has had an opportunity to play at least 20 games for the Royals each of the past two seasons. He might be a better option than Infante, but he’s still not the Royals long term solution at the position.
For a more in depth discussion of competition for playing time in Kansas City you can check out this article by Fansaided’s David Hill.