2008 Kansas City Royals Outlook
2007: (69-93), 5th place
Manager: Trey Hillman (1st season)
Key Additions -
OF Jose Guillen
P Brett Tomko
P Yasuhiko Yabuto
C Miguel Olivo
Key Losses -
P David Riske
DH Mike Sweeney
Projected Lineup -
C - John Buck
1B - Ross Gload
2B - Mark Grudzielanek
SS - Tony Pena Jr.
3B - Alex Gordon
LF - Mark Teahen
CF - David DeJesus
RF - Jose Guillen
DH - Billy Butler
Projected Rotation -
1 - Gil Meche (R)
2 - Brian Bannister (R)
3 - Zack Grienke (R)
4 - John Bale (L)
5 - Brett Tomko (R)
CL: Joakim Soria (R)
SU: Leo Nunez (R)
2008 Outlook:
The 2008 Kansas City Royals begin the season hoping to improve on the 68 wins they had last year, which was the third least wins in the major leagues. New manager Trey Hillman, a veteran manager in Japan, who took a notorious unsuccessful franchise (sound familiar KC) and turned them into a contender, comes back to America hoping the lead the Royals out of the cellar.
In terms of a young nucleus, the Royals have a promising future. Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Zack Grienke, Brian Bannister, Mark Teahen, John Buck, and Tony Pena Jr are all tremendous prospects. Gordon, the second pick in the 2005 draft, posted solid numbers in his first season, and will be asked to spearhead the offense this year. Gordon hit 15 homers, drove in 60 runs, and managed to hit .245 and post a .725 OPS after a terrible start.
Big DH Billy Butler has a chance to be a future batting champ. Last season, he posted a line of .292/8 HR/52 RBI/.794 OPS in half a season. Gordon and Butler are young, but will be asked to drive in most of the runs, along with veteran Jose Guillen.
Guillen, who is currently battling HGH rumors, hit 23 homers and drove in 99 runs for Seattle last season. The Royals are also hoping Teahen can regain his 2006 form, after his power numbers dropped significantly last season. He only hit 7 home runs in 544 at bats after 18 home runs and an .874 OPS in ‘06.
Veterans Mark Grudzielanek and Ross Gload are average major league hitters, so the young guns will have to carry the Royals’ lineup if they want to score any runs. However, watching Gordon and Butler hit will be worth the price of admission for the folks in KC.
In terms of pitching, the Royals have a decent rotation. Gil Meche is the ace of an arsenal that has young arms Grienke, Bannister, and John Bale. Meche, coming into the second year of a 5-year, 55 million dollar contract, posted a great ERA of 3.67 and logged over 200 innings last year. Faulty run support was the primary reason for winning only nine games, but Meche did pitch well.
Bannister won 12 games a season ago, while posting solid ERA and WHIP ratios of 3.87 and 1.21, while Grienke pitched well in relief and as a starter. These three arms will be asked to pitch into the 6th and 7th innings, and also lead the rotation. Bale makes the move to the rotation after relieving last year, and the Royals signed veteran Brett Tomko to round out the rotation.
The Royals bullpen will be shaky as Joel Peralta, Jimmy Gobble, Leo Nunez, and Japense import Yasuhiko Yabuto will try to get the ball to emerging closer Joakim Soria. Soria had a great season a year ago, as evident by his 17 saves, 2.48 ERA, and 0.94 WHIP, which is a great assest for any team. Soria also struck out 75 in 69 innings of work, showing he can punch out hitters at the end of the game.
The Royals could make some improvement from the 2007 season but are still years away from competing in the tough AL Central. Facing Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and Minnesota will be tough for the young squad, but there is hope for the future. Fans in Kansas City will enjoy watching the young hitters and young arms mature and eventually blossom into quality Major League players.
Fantasy Impact:
In terms of fantasy baseball, the Royals really have no proven fantasy options. However, they do have some “cant miss” options in the middle rounds. Gordon should be drafted in the middle rounds, and will produce tremendous numbers at some point. He flashed his potential in August and September by hitting 8 HR’s and driving in 25 runs. His OPS was also around .800 for these months, and could potentially hit 30 homers with 100 RBI this season.
Butler is another intriguing young option. As stated earlier, he hit .292 a year ago with 8 homers and 52 RBI. Butler has gap power, and both options are great for keeper leagues especially, since both are primed for stardom in this game.
Another offensive option for the Royals is Teahen. Owners should monitor Teahen to see if he can regain the power of 2006. He obviously struggled a year ago, but at 27 years old, he is approaching his prime and definitely one to watch out for. Another bonus is the 23 stolen bases he’s had in the past two years, which sometimes is overlooked by fantasy owners.
Guillen could be a solid utility man on someone’s team, but there is his HGH controversy. Nonetheless, he has shown the ability to hit, as evident by four seasons of 20+ home runs. Joey Gathright could be a one-category helper if he gets regular playing time. During Spring Training, he stole 11 bases.
In terms of pitching, Gil Meche could be a back-end fantasy starter. Even though his WHIP is high at 1.30, his strikeout rate solid at 6.5 K/9, and Meche has shown the ability to pitch. His ERA of 3.67 would help any team, and expect him to win more games this year with an improved offense. Grienke and Bannister are ones to watch, since they have shown flashes, but neither are proven. Bannister showed good poise as season ago, by winning 14 games and posting a WHIP of 1.21, but his K/9 rate was only 4.2.
At closer, Soria might be the best fantasy bet on the team, besides Gordon, based on his tremendous stuff and great performances last season when asked to close games. His line of 2 W/17 SV/2.48 ERA/0.94 WHIP/75K is great for a closer. Even though he pitches for a bad team, every full time closer gets at minimum 30-35 save opportunities, so a season of around 30 saves with great ratios can be expected by Soria. He could be a steal in your team’s draft.
2008 projection: (73-89), 5th place
Team MVP: Alex Gordon
Derek Rang
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