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KC Royals: Eric Hosmer Joins Two Royals Legends

By Alec Tilson

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KC Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer has now posted ten consecutive games with an RBI after Sunday night’s showdown versus the Los Angeles Angels, something no other MLB player has done this season.

Something only two Kansas City Royals players have done in franchise history, according to ESPN Stats & Info, and Hosmer joins a couple Royals greats in the process.

Hosmer’s got work to do, especially to touch Sweeney’s record, but right now one thing is clear: Eric Hosmer has been the best player in the A.L. for the last 30 days.

Hosmer’s 27 runs in his last 29 games lead the league. No other player has more than 23, according to FanGraphs.com.

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That’s a 6-foot 4-inch, 225-pound first baseman leading the A.L. in runs scored for a month. It’s not just homers and doubles, either. He’s creating runs with his legs (with the help of designated hitter Kendrys Morales and crew.)

His .417 average leads the league by a mile. Seattle Mariners outfielder Nelson Cruz is next with a .372 average.

His .479 on-base percentage leads the league, and it’s not close. Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley is next with a .452 on-base percentage.

He leads the A.L. with 45 hits. Thirty singles, seven doubles, two triples and six home runs.

His 26 RBI trail only Chris Davis and David Ortiz, two of the top clean-up hitters in Major League Baseball. A big difference is those guys don’t play defense, or much of it anyways. They’re basically ‘one-way’ players.

Cruz has 15 homers in the last 30 days, and Davis has 15 homers and a league-leading 36 RBI in his last 30 days, but I’m giving Hosmer the nod based on all the other ways he impacts a game on a nightly basis. Still, Cruz and Davis’ last 30 days have been equally as absurd.

Hosmer is somewhat a five-tool player, a rarity at the position he plays.

One could argue against his power and that he doesn’t possess great speed, but he’s average or above average in both.

I don’t think many would argue against his hit tool, arm or glove. Well, actually, some will argue he’s a suspect defender, mostly based on some imperfect advanced statistic. At that point, I say just turn on the tape. He’s a gifted defensive first baseman.

This season, Hosmer is hitting .319/.381/.493. His Walk Rate is up from last season, and his Strikeout Rate is down. He’s already surpassed his 2014 season numbers by five homers, 19 RBI, and 13 runs, and that’s through 17 fewer games.

Hosmer’s in the right offense to keep his RBI streak alive. While it means little in the grand scheme, it’s an accomplishment few other guys in the league have done.

Next: KC Royals: What Jeremy Guthrie Brings To Rotation

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