MLB Team Previews – Kansas City Royals
This hasn’t been said in MLB betting circles in ages – maybe the mid 1980s? – but things may finally be looking up for the Kansas City Royals, especially in the anything-goes AL Central. Raise your hand if you knew they went 18-8 last September. All those draft picks are finally arriving and the pitching staff even offers a glimmer of hope.
Those who bet sports can’t deny the Royals’ lineup is at least young and offers some pop. Coco Crisp joins the team and should become the everyday leadoff man; he has a chance to re-establish the level of play he showed in his Cleveland days. Mike Jacobs – though he’s never seen a pitch he didn’t like – adds 30-homer power to the lineup. Miles Aviles probably played over his head at shortstop last year, but he’s at least shown he has doubles power. Most importantly – Alex Gordon, the former second overall pick many baseball betting pundits dubbed “the next David Wright” – could make that next leap this season. He had a .277 average, .392 on-base percentage and .888 OPS after the All-Star break last season – all very good signs. We can’t forget about minor-league hitting legend Billy Butler either, but he’s running out of chances to prove he can be an elite major-league slugger.
The pitching staff will get knocked around again but still has its bright spots. Zack Greinke’s velocity has exploded and he mowed down hitters last year, suggesting his personal problems are behind him and that he’s ready to deliver on the promise that made him a 2002 first-round draft pick. Gil Meche won’t send you running to the offshore sportsbook with excitement every time he takes the mound, but he’s an underrated innings eater who can miss bats.
Things are definitely looking up in the Royals’ pen; Joakim Soria proved 2007 was no fluke with a dominant 2008 season. He seems destined to remain a steady reliever for the next decade. The Royals also picked two absolute flamethrowers off the scrap heap — Kyle Farnsworth and Juan Cruz – who should hold their own as setup men.
While nothing comes easy for the Royals in MLB odds, those who bet sports should keep them on the back burner in 2009. They don’t have the same number of strong prospects the Rays did last year but they also play in a much weaker division. You just never know what could happen for the Royals in the 2009 MLB odds.
