Kansas City Royals getting hot at the right time
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Royals have strung together a small four-game winning streak. It’s happening at just the right time for the Royals as trade deadline decisions loom.
It was a very slow start for the Kansas City Royals coming out of the All-Star break. Slow enough that a lot of pundits and fans have jumped back on the “sell big” bandwagon. However, the Royals have quickly turned things around and are now back on the winning side of things. None too soon for their hopes of making a run at the 2017 postseason.
Of course, the big date that looms right now is July 31st. That is the MLB trade deadline for this year, which essentially decides what teams are going to be in the mix for the postseason. We have already seen some teams making big moves to look to their future. The Chicago White Sox, for example, have made a couple of moves that signify they are done for 2017.
That choice is still up in the air for the Royals. Truth be told, this is not a team that is far from being major contenders in 2017. Apart from a disastrous start to the season, Kansas City has actually been one of the best teams in all of baseball this year. In fact, it’s really just their early division match ups that hold this team back from a top record.
Royals beat the White Sox, 7-2. They cranked five homers, including 27 and 28 from Moustakas. They have won four straight. Record is 49-47.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) July 23, 2017
Within Striking Distance
As it currently stands, the Kansas City Royals are just 1.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. That is the crucial spot as (obviously) a division crown ensures a spot in the postseason. The Royals are 5-4 against the current division leading Cleveland Indians, so we know they can beat that team. It’s just a matter of getting ahead of them.
At the same time, the Royals are just one game out of holding one of the Wild Card positions for the postseason. Playing for the Wild Card is always a bit dicier than the division title because you have more teams competing. However, Kansas City is not in a bad position there at all.
Related Story: Kansas City Royals Should Go All In At The Trade Deadline
The biggest issue facing the Royals right now is that they share this position with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have given KC all they can handle this year, and are the one team in the American League that has had the Royals number. However, the Twins have fallen a bit from their early season division lead, and Kansas City took three of four in their last series.
Solid Performances
More from Kansas City Royals
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
- 3 Royals Players Who Won’t Be on the Roster Next Year
- LAST CHANCE to Claim $250 GUARANTEED Bonus With FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
What is going really well for the Kansas City Royals right now is that they are getting some solid performances. We expect guys like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas to keep playing well. However, the Royals have also been getting a boost in performance from the likes of Alex Gordon and Brandon Moss.
The biggest side story for the Royals this year is definitely Mike Moustakas. Coming into today’s game against the White Sox, Moustakas is just two shy of making the KC single-season top ten list for home runs. That would actually put him in a tie with the great George Brett, something every Royals player aspires for.
On the other end of things, we are starting to see the Alex Gordon that Kansas City gave a big contract to. While his season numbers are still nothing to get excited about, in July Gordon has hit .268/.333/.429. That is a huge turnaround, and he has been especially hot during the KC winning streak, going seven for twelve.
It’s huge for the Kansas City Royals that they are getting solid performances from both the top and the bottom of the lineup. That’s how you string together a bunch of wins.
The Kansas City Royals are very much alive in the hunt for the 2017 postseason. In fact, they are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball since March. That is no the sign of a team that needs to be selling off talent at the trade deadline. It’s the sign of a team that is ready to compete for another title.