Kansas City Royals Dynasty Hopes Have a Setback
By David Hill
What went right in 2016?
To say that the Kansas City Royals are not known for their power would be an understatement. Steve Balboni is still their single season home run leader, having his 36 homers in 1985. Prior to this season, only ten players in team history had even hit 30 homers in a season. Kendrys Morales joined that group this season.
Coming off a painfully slow start where he looked like a candidate to be released, Morales turned it on after May. Overall, he produced a .263/.327/.468 batting line, slugging 30 homers and 24 doubles. His 108 OPS+, as low as it may seem, led all of the Royals regulars. A free agent, Morales may be someone that the Royals look to keep around.
Likewise, Jarrod Dyson showed that he may be more than a fourth outfielder. While he may never be a source of power, Dyson showed a solid batting eye, drawing 26 walks while striking out only 39 times. His speed continued to play, as he stole 30 bases in his role as a platoon outfielder.
Perhaps the most positive sign for the Kansas City Royals involved Danny Duffy. Once again, he started the season in the bullpen, and did not make his first start until May 15th. In that time, Duffy established himself as one of the Royals best pitchers, producing a combined 12-3 record with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.141 WHiP. Those numbers are actually a bit worse than they could have been, as Duffy had a 2.66 ERA on August 21st. With a full offseason and Spring Training to build himself up as a starter, Duffy could potentially be the ace that the Royals have been searching for.
Let us now look at the other side of the coin.