Kansas City Royals: Top Ten Players To Watch In 2017
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Royals are looking to return to the postseason after a disappointing 2016 season. Here are the top ten players to watch in the 2017 campaign.
It’s not a stretch to say that the 2016 season was a disappointment for the Kansas City Royals. The defending World Series champions failed to make the postseason. That was definitely a let down for a team that had gone to the championship in the prior two seasons. The team is (obviously) hoping for a return to that top form, but it will take some strong performances this year.
Unfortunately, most of the experts are saying you should bet against the Royals in 2017. Most outlets have Kansas City finishing somewhere around .500, some have them much lower. Of course, this is a team that has defied expectations in the past. So if there is one thing we know, it is that you don’t count the Royals out before the games are played.
However, if the Royals hope to out-perform the projections of the experts, it is going to take some solid performances from a number of players. Many guys will have to step up and play much better than they did in 2016. That’s a tall task, but not one that is impossible.
Gaming site Bovada has Royals' odds of winning World Series at 33-1. That's same as it was on Nov. 3 and Dec. 7. Cubs/BoSox are faves at 9-2
— Pete Grathoff (@pgrathoff) February 13, 2017
Many members of the Kansas City Royals 2016 team have shown they can play better in the past. That is part of what made the season so frustrating. However, even with some down years and other hurdles, KC was still in the hunt for a playoff spot at the end of the year. If the Royals can just somehow move the needle back the other direction just a bit, they’ll make it to the postseason again.
As I said, that will take a number of players stepping up. Here are the top ten players for Royals fans to watch in 2017…