Countdown to Opening Day: #21 Kansas City Royals

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#21 Kansas City Royals: A royal step in the right direction

PROJECTED LINEUP
SS Alicedes Escobar
CF Lorenzo Cain
LF Alex Gordon
DH Billy Butler
1B Eric Hosmer
3B Mike Moustakas
C Salvador Perez
RF Jeff Francouer
2B Chris Getz

PROJECTED ROTATION

James Shields
Ervin Santana
Jeremy Guthrie
Wade Davis
Bruce Chen

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Greg Holland

Set-up: Aaron Crow

Top Prospect: Bubba Starling (OF)

James Shields

How many years in a row will it actually be before prognosticators predicting a breakthrough season in Kanas City get it right? We are at 33 years and counting, but finally past performance, plus off-season trades suggest the Royals will not roll over in 2013.
Their young hitters have taken their lumps. After years of struggling left fielder Alex Gordon has put up back-to-back all-star caliber seasons. The young corner-men (Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas) have displayed the oohs and the ahhs.
Their biggest problem in the past, especially last year, was the starting rotation and they addressed that via trades. They gave up their top three prospects (Myers, Odorizzi, Montgomery) to bring in a bonafide ace in James Shields. They also added Ervin Santana from the Angels.
The difference between 70, 80, and 90 wins this season (a wide range, but all realistic) comes down to how the new starters perform. Shields' numbers away from Tropicana Field, a dome stadium in Tampa, are not at ace-level. Santana has been schizophrenic his entire career and Wade Davis will be transitioning back to a starting role after a year in the Rays' pen. The likes of Bruce Chen, Jeremy Guthrie, and Luke Hochevar actually do make up a strong back-end comparable to other American League teams, so their success really does rely on the Santana and Shields' shoulders. The 31 year-old is approaching free agency, so no one needs a gigantic year like Shields if he wants that gigantic payday.

Eric Hosmer

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - Talk about a lineup with no holes. Jeff Francouer, a who 25 home run guy, is hitting eighth for this squad and 3-through-7 all can hit for average and power. The Royals finish second in the American League behind the Angels in the runs scored and with their shutdown bullpen and above average starters they are team to be taken seriously for a World Series championship right now.



REAL TALK - Something special is on the horizon here, but I am not ready to predict playoffs yet. Yes, it will be the best full season yet for the likes of Hosmer, Moustakas, Salvador Perez and closer Greg Holland. But let's wait until 2014 when Hosmer is a true MVP candidate to suggest they can keep up with the power-packed duos in the A.L. like Cabrera and Fielder in Detroit, Hamilton and Pujols (and Trout) in Anaheim just to name a pair.

Breakout: Eric Hosmer (1B)

Bust: Lorenzo Cain (OF)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Mike Moustakas (3B)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 72-90 (3rd in AL Central)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 81-81 (3rd in AL Central)

**Check back tomorrow for the Chicago Cubs**