After the Kansas City Royals lost the 2014 World Series which marked the end of a grueling seven-game struggle against the San Francisco Giants, there was a high level of hunger that fueled this team in 2015. The Royals won 95 games en route to winning the American League Central, while also getting back to the World Series and winning it. But 2016 hasn’t been the same fairy tale for the Royals as after 99 games, they have a record of 48-51. The Royals are in fourth place in the A.L. Central as they are 8.5 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians and seven games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the league’s final wild card spot. The Royals have been able to show flashes of what made them World Series Champions in 2015 which included dominating the eighth and ninth innings, but the magic that was there last year simply hasn’t completely transferred to 2016.
Not to make this an oxymoron, but the Royals issues began as soon as the final out of the World Series was made last October. Rightfully so the Royals had every right to celebrate winning, but that party has carried over to 2016. In the Royals first game of the season, they received their World Series Title rings and there was plenty of pageantry at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The Royals have also elected to wear a commemorative patch on their jerseys this year to honor their World Series Championship, while also wearing jerseys with gold lettering and matching hats for every Friday home game during the year. The Royals already had a bulls eye on their back after winning the World Series, and the marketing of it has only made that target larger.
But aside from the self-promotion, the Royals lost some key contributors from last year’s team that they’ve been unable to replace. Last year saw the Royals acquire utility man Ben Zobrist from the Oakland Athletics and starting pitcher Johnny Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds. Both Zobrist and Cueto came up huge in the Royals title run. However when Zobrist and Cueto came to the Royals, they were expected to only be rentals as Kansas City wasn’t going to get into a bidding war with the big market teams in free agency and each player bid farewell as Zobrist is now a member of the Chicago Cubs, while Cueto is with the San Francisco Giants.
Pitching wise the Royals team earned run average of 4.36 is eighth in the American League while the starting rotation is lacking an ace. The only Royals starting pitcher that has made at least 10 starts this year and currently possesses an earned run average south of 4.00 is Danny Duffy as Kansas City opponents have made it their business to put this team in early holes which neutralizes their strong bullpen while also minimizing the late-inning comeback by this club.
Lorenzo Cain
The injury bug has also bitten the Royals as key players such as outfielder Lorenzo Cain and third baseman Mike Moustakas are currently on the disabled list which has left first baseman Eric Hosmer and catcher Salvador Perez to carry the load for Kansas City’s offense.
But things really began to unravel for the Royals this year at the site of their greatest triumph in 2015. On June 21, the Royals traveled to face the New York Mets and they had a record of 38-31. The Mets swept the two-game series from the Royals as they were able to beat Kansas City at their own game which saw them win each contest by just a single run.
Since that time the Royals went on to lose series’ against the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays as they limped into the All-Star break. The second half of the Major League Baseball season has not been any easier for the Royals as they’ve lost each series so far which has been magnified since most of these losses have come against playoff contenders in the Detroit Tigers, Indians, and Texas Rangers, while they’ve also dropped a series at home to the Los Angeles Angels who have been wavering with being in the basement of the American League West.. You have to go back to June 19th to find the last time that Kansas City won three games in a row as they are losing ground in the A.L. Central.
Ned Yost
Royals manager Ned Yost has his finger on the pulse of his team, but it is now time to push the panic button in Kansas City as their dreams of repeating as World Series Champions are fading away. There is still time for the Royals to get things turned around, but the American League Central has gotten much more competitive this year as the Indians and Tigers are each better teams. And overall in the A.L., the wild card race is heating up between the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros which leaves the Royals little margin for error.
After the Royals finish up their series against the Angels, they will hit the road for eight games against the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays before returning to Kansas City for a three-game series against the Blue Jays. There is still time for the Royals to turn things around, but the heart and determination that was front and center in 2015 must reappear if they are going to make another title run.
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