Kansas City Royals: Growing Up Before Our Eyes
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Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (4) Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Defensively, the Royals are exceptional. They are best in the league defending against stolen bases, having given up only 48 all year.
While they are again, only middle-of-the-pack in terms of errors (8th with 73), they also tend to reach more balls than others do, using their speed and uncanny ability to position themselves seemingly perfectly all the time, keep opponents away from big innings.
The Royals outfield … rank 1a, 1b, and 2 respectively with Cain and Gordon tied for first with a score of 20 and Dyson sitting in 2nd or 3rd depending on how you handle ties, with a score of 19!
Perhaps the most telling stat regarding the Royals defense is reflected in their Defensive Runs Saved Above Average, a stat developed by Baseball Info Solutions to express just how well a defender makes plays that other defenders don’t.
The Royals outfield combination of Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, and Jarrod Dyson rank 1a, 1b, and 2 respectively with Cain and Gordon tied for first with a score of 20 and Dyson sitting in 2nd or 3rd depending on how you handle ties, with a score of 19!
This is simply remarkable and given the size of both Kaufman Field and other division rivals parks, particularly Detroit, we start to get a real sense of just how successful Dayton Moore’s blueprint has become.