5 Most Important Kansas City Royals in 2013

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

3- ERIC HOSMER: After a very poor 2012, and a slow start last season, it was great to see Eric Hosmer turn his game around, and take huge strides forward in his game. Hosmer won his first Gold Glove, and he pushed his average over the .300 mark for the first time in his 3-year career, finishing at .302.

Hosmer bottomed out in May like the rest of his team. After the loss on May 18th, he was hitting a paltry .244 with a .633 OPS. He had just one home run and only 11 RBI in his first 37 games. It was looking more and more like he might be a flop.

Then he started turning it around. From that point on, Hosmer hit .317 with a .847 OPS. He hit 16 home runs, 30 doubles, and drove in 68 runs in 122 games. He became a force in the line up, one the Royals and their fans had envisioned.

The Royals need Hosmer to continue with his development. It would be great if he can maintain his average, and significantly improve his power numbers. If he could hit .300, and bang out 25 home runs, he would a star for the Royals.

He came close to reaching his potential as he was the Royals all around best hitter in 2013. It should fun seeing how he improves in 2014.