KC Royals: What A Difference A Decade Makes

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Tampa Bay Devil Rays shortstop Brendan Harris tags out Kansas City Royals outfielder Emil Brown during Friday night’s game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on June 1, 2007. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /

Right Field

The Royals have been without a great right fielder since Jermaine Dye was in blue and white. The question marks still exist heading into 2016.

2005: Emil Brown

Emil Brown was another former Royal to end his career with the Mets.

Brown was a former Pirates player who hadn’t played in the Major Leagues since 2001. He never had much success as a professional, but he broke out in 2005.

Emil Brown hit .286 and slugged 17 home runs in the 2005 season. He also led the team in a category in which no one wants to hold a lead.

Emil Brown led the team in negative defensive runs saved with -22 on the 2005 season. On a team riddled with defensive inadequacies, being the best at it isn’t a good thing.

Emil Brown may have hit the cover off the ball, but his lack of defense would have the Royals looking in a different direction in 2015. That just goes to show how far the Royals have come in terms of what they value in a player.

2015: Alex Rios

Unlike Emil Brown, Alex Rios was a player who had a long track record of success, but who had stumbled in recent years.

Rios spent most of the season trying to get his offensive rhythm back while losing any faith that fans had in him in the process.

Rios was looking for a shot to play with a contender and he got that chance with the Royals.

Alex Rios started off the season on a tear before an errant pitch sent him to the disabled list with a fractured wrist.

Rios spent most of the season trying to get his offensive rhythm back while losing any faith that fans had in him in the process.

Rios wasn’t great in the field either being responsible for -6 defensive runs saved. That’s a big improvement over Brown’s 2005 numbers, but for the Royals it’s a poor mark.

Rios did contribute some big hits for the Royals in the playoffs with a key double against the Astros, and a couple of good games against the Blue Jays.

Alex Rios being the worst starter on the Royals and batting ninth in the lineup shows just how much talent and depth they had in 2015.

Next: Turn A Weakness Into A Strength

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