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KC Royals: Five players to watch in first series vs Detroit Tigers

By Leigh Oleszczak

May 28, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kansas City Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland (58) talks with starting pitcher Danny Duffy (41) during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kansas City Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland (58) talks with starting pitcher Danny Duffy (41) during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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KC Royals right fielder Jorge Bonifacio (38) rounds the bases after hitting a home run – Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
KC Royals right fielder Jorge Bonifacio (38) rounds the bases after hitting a home run – Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

The KC Royals will return home to the wonderful confines of Kauffman Stadium and will face the Detroit Tigers for the first time this season. The Royals are 21-28 while the Tigers sit at 23-27.

Remember back in 2014 when the Detroit Tigers were the Kansas City Royals‘ kryptonite? No matter what the Royals did, they just couldn’t seem to defeat the Tigers that year.

That’s why when 2015 went down the way it did, it was refreshing to finally see the Royals grab hold of the division and whoop up on the boys from Detroit. I always compared it to how the Chiefs were against the Broncos before the later part of 2015. They could never beat Denver, but once they rounded that corner, they never stopped.

The Tigers were a very good team until they dropped off in 2015. This year, they’re mediocre, but will likely sit in the middle of the pack for the duration of the season. The Royals should be able to compete with them, but they’ll have to prove it in their first series against them this year.

The KC Royals are coming off a series win against the Cleveland Indians, but did get shellacked by a score of 10-1 on Sunday. The boys in blue need to bounce back quickly for Game 1 of their series against Detroit.

Here are the five Royals players to keep an eye on in this series.

JORGE BONIFACIO

Nobody expected Jorge Bonifacio to become one of the best power hitters on the Royals roster this season, but that’s just what he’s become. In 31 games, Bonifacio has belted seven home runs and has a .273 batting average in 99 at bats.

While Bonifacio was supposed to be a temporary player until Jorge Soler finished his rehab assignment, there’s no good reason for demoting him back to Triple-A, at least not any time soon. The 23-year old outfielder has been crushing balls during the first month of his Major League rookie season and that’s a great skill to have, especially early on.

If Lorenzo Cain does get traded, the Royals might end up having to move Alex Gordon to center field and then consistently slotting Bonifacio in at left. He might even end up being a perfect option as the designated hitter in the near future.

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