Kansas City Royals: Time to kiss division title good-bye

The Kansas City Royals are in the midst of a pretty brutal losing streak. After losing the series to the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, the team doesn’t have a very good shot at winning the American League Central in 2017.

When the Kansas City Royals are hot, they’re RED hot. When the Kansas City Royals are cold, however, they’re as cold as ice. That’s too bad, as the Royals have a lot of the same team from their winning seasons yet still haven’t been able to get back to that 2015 level.

There has been some noise in the playoff race this weekend though, as the Royals pretty much kissed any chance of winning the division good-bye. With the loss, the Royals are now seven and a half games back of Cleveland in the American League Central and are actually behind the Minnesota Twins as well at the moment.

When it comes to who the best team in the American League Central is, we all know the answer. It’s the Cleveland Indians.

While seven and a half games isn’t insurmountable by any means, the Tribe would have to majorly implode over the next month and a half and the Royals would have to be on one of their hot, hot, hot streaks. As fun as both of those scenarios occurring would be, the realist in me is saying not to get my hopes up.

Let’s be honest with ourselves here, Royals fans. When it comes to who the best team in the American League Central is, we all know the answer. It’s the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe has the better starting rotation, the better bullpen, and the better offense. They’re the defending American League champions for a reason and that’s because they’re a good team.

The only reason why the Royals were even in the hunt for the division for as long as they were was because the Indians hit a rough patch coming out of the All-Star break, much like the Royals did. That stumble from the Tribe allowed the Royals to stay in the running despite being on a skid of their own and otherwise falling completely out of contention.

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Even though the division is likely out of the equation now, the KC Royals still have a very good chance of making it into the postseason. They’re currently a game and a half out of that second Wild Card spot, but this year’s race has been pretty close, so it wouldn’t be crazy at all if the boys in blue snuck into the playoffs via the Wild Card.

Right now, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (why can’t we just call them the Anaheim Angels?) are in the second spot with the Seattle Mariners only half a game out. The Royals are a game and a half back and the Rangers, Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays are all within five games.

Obviously Royals fans want to see their team win the division for a variety of reasons. It gives your team a better chance at advancing throughout the postseason is the biggest reason, as the Wild Card game is just such a crapshoot.

Still though, making it to the postseason would be a huge accomplishment for this Kansas City Royals squad considering how streaky they’ve been this year. If the Royals get hot at the right time in the coming weeks, that could be just what the team needs in order to make one last run at a championship with this core group of guys.

What do you think, Royals fans? Do you think that the division title is out of reach now or could the Royals still get it done and win the Central?