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KC Royals: Kendrys Morales Surprised Everyone in 2015

By Leigh Oleszczak

Oct 12, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales (25) hits into a fielders choice, scoring two runs against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning in game four of the ALDS at Minute Maid Park. Royals won 9-6. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales (25) hits into a fielders choice, scoring two runs against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning in game four of the ALDS at Minute Maid Park. Royals won 9-6. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The KC Royals had a magical season in 2015, concluded by a World Series championship to their name. Another magical part of the season was the resurgence of designated hitter Kendrys Morales.

Kendrys Morales was signed by the Kansas City Royals during the 2014-2015 offseason. After losing Game 7 of the World Series and losing fan favorite Billy Butler, Royals fans weren’t super stoked about Morales coming to Kansas City.

Here was a guy who was fantastic for the Los Angeles Angels until he shattered his ankle celebrating a walk-off grand slam in 2010. After that injury, things weren’t the same for Morales.

He jumped from the Angels to the Mariners to the Twins and then back to Seattle before signing a two-year deal with the Royals last year. The reaction around Kansas City wasn’t welcoming, but Morales was going to be filling big shoes in Butler. It was hard letting go of the long time fan favorite.

Morales went on to more than exceed fans’ expectations in 2015. He crushed 22 home runs in the regular season to go along with a .290 batting average and 106 RBI. The guy was clutch for the Royals, and by the halfway point of the season, fans were saying, “Billy who?”.

Morales also fared well during the postseason, batting .263 in the ALDS and .273 in the ALCS. He smashed three home runs during the ALDS against the Houston Astros, including a clutch one in Game 5 that pretty much sealed the game and sent the Royals on their way to their second consecutive ALCS.

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After only one year with the Royals, Kendrys Morales has a World Series ring and a newly found confidence heading into year number two. While it’s hard to believe that Morales will have the same dominant season he had in 2015, it’s not too crazy to think that he can still be the clutch guy for the Royals.

It is interesting though, looking back at some of the fan reactions to the Morales signing last year though. Max Rieper at Royals Review wrote up a post about it at the time, compiling some of the reactions, and people were not happy.

Fans were quick to point out that Morales hadn’t been good in five years and that he was still trying to bounce back from a horrible injury. All of them certainly had good points, and hey… I’m sure they’d all be more than happy to admit just how wrong they were (myself included).

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Hopefully, 2016 will be just as kind to Kendrys Morales as 2015 was. It took less than a year for Morales to become a fan favorite in Kansas City, and we’d love to see that continue this season.

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