Kansas City Royals: Projecting 2017 Opening Day Lineup
By Scott Dillon
Third Batter: Lorenzo Cain
Lorenzo Cain may well be the reason the Royals got over the hump in 2015. His third-place MVP finish helped propel the Royals through the 2015 regular season and it was no surprise when his three-run double put the final nail in the coffin against the Mets.
As he struggled with for a lot of his career, injuries hampered Lorenzo Cain’s 2016 season. Between sore wrists, pulled muscles, and a slow start in April, Lorenzo Cain still managed to put together a pretty good year statistically. A .287/.339/.408 slash line is nothing to shrug at.
Cain, like many of the Royals’ hitters, really struggled in the month of April last season. As ugly as the .220 batting average was, it was the 23 strikeouts across the first 91 plate appearances that really stood out.
He came out firing on all cylinders in May and completely turned things around before injuries would pile up and end his season early.
Should he be fully healthy, his ability to hit for power and find that Lorenzo Cain Triangle in right-center field should help the Royals get back to their winning ways. It may be the last year the Royals and their fans get to see him patrolling center field. Enjoy every minute.