Kansas City Royals in contention for AL Central

The Kansas City Royals have emerged from the cellar of the American League. Now they are actually in a position to take over the AL Central with their next two series.

They were supposed to have been dead and buried. Everyone was calling them surefire “sellers” at the trade deadline. It was the beginning of a new dark age for the organization. Yet, somehow, the Kansas City Royals now find themselves sitting at .500 and just 2.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. They could very well lead the division by the end of the week.

Some people out there are now letting out a big “I told ya so”. However, most people are simply amazed that this could have been pulled off. Those of us that saw things falling apart for the Royals are now doubling back. This team has simply done what they weren’t supposed to be able to do. That’s actually kind of par for the course for this team though.

Now, with seven straight games against division opponents, the Kansas City Royals are poised to strike. The key to those games will be four at home against the Minnesota Twins. For whatever reason, the Royals simply have not been able to beat the Twins this year. However, now is the perfect opportunity to right that ship.

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Could They Be “Buyers”?

There are only a few small grumblings about this, but if the Kansas City Royals were to take over the AL Central ahead of the All-Star break, they could definitely become “buyers” at the trade deadline. Despite their recent success, there is no doubt that the Royals could still use a little bit of help.

One area in particular that KC could use some assistance is in the bullpen. The Royals are short on reliable relief arms that can come in and work when needed. Adding some talent to the relief staff could absolutely help the team continue their surge. There are certainly some quality targets out there.

The Young Guns

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Where has the Kansas City Royals newfound success come from? While some of the team favorites have certainly stepped up, it has actually been contributions from some younger players carrying the load. Guys like Whit Merrifield and Jorge Bonifacio have stepped up into major roles for Kansas City.

In fact, players like Whit Merrifield may be the guys that Dayton Moore chooses to build around in the future. Merrifield, Jorge Bonifacio, Ramon Torres, and Raul Mondesi Jr have all gotten some significant playing time this year. Added to that mix is Bubba Starling finally putting things together at Omaha. The future may be bright.

That young core of players is helping drive the Kansas City Royals, much like the young core of players did back in 2014 and 2015. That’s one reason why fans are really starting to get excited about what this team can do.

The Kansas City Royals have done the unthinkable and completely reversed their fortunes. If the Royals can continue to play this kind of baseball, they should be able to take over the AL Central. That can literally happen this week. Royals fans, it’s time to get excited.