MLB Power Rankings: Kansas City Royals Making Their Move
By David Hill
Every so often, there is a team that can shake off a slow start and make an unexpected push for the playoffs in the middle of the season. The Kansas City Royals are doing just that as they move up the MLB power rankings this week.
Almost every year, there is a team that starts off slowly, seemingly playing their way out of a spot in the postseason within the first month. Then, slowly but surely, they right the ship, edging their way into contention. Suddenly, there they are, sitting within a few games of the division or a Wild Card spot, poised to go on another run through the postseason.
That is where the Kansas City Royals find themselves heading into Week 12 of the season. Buried in the bottom third of our MLB power rankings for much of the year, the Royals have gone on quite the run, winning seven of their last eight games. Sitting just two games under .500, they now find themselves within four games of the AL Central lead, and just two games out of a Wild Card spot.
On the other side of the coin, we have the Royals division foes, the Minnesota Twins. Despite a negative run differential, they had led the Central for much of the year. However, they have lost their last four games in a row, and were swept by the Indians this past weekend to drop out of first. Could it be that the other shoe has finally fallen, and the Twins will fade back into the pack? Or do they have one more run left in them?
Let us take a look over the past week, as we update our MLB power rankings heading into Week 12.