Kansas City Royals: Bubba Starling could get a shot in center field in 2018
The Kansas City Royals are in rebuild mode and that means there’s no better time than the present to give outfielder Bubba Starling a shot in the outfield.
The Kansas City Royals made Bubba Starling the fifth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft and here we are nearly seven years later and Starling has still yet to sniff the major leagues. Starling is just 25 years old and has already displayed his defensive skills in the outfield in the minor leagues. Now he just needs to work at getting on base.
Starling, a native of Gardner, Kansas, was just 18 years old when the Royals drafted him in 2011. I don’t think Royals fans expected to still be awaiting his debut seven years later, but fortunately, 2018 could be the year for Bubba Starling.
Back in December, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star tweeted that Dayton Moore noted Starling would start the year in the minors. If he impresses in Omaha, the organization wouldn’t hesitate to bring him to Kansas City.
Dayton Moore said he sees Paulo Orlando, Alex Gordon and Billy Burns as options in center. Maybe a late FA if the price is right. Bubba Starling will start season in Omaha, but ... "we wouldn’t hesitate if he gets off to a really good start," Moore said.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) December 12, 2017
Center field is where Starling would be slotted for sure. Alex Gordon is a Gold Glover in left and Jorge Bonifacio showed promise in right last season, so that leaves the middle ground to cover. With Lorenzo Cain now off to Milwaukee, this is the perfect time to find out what the Royals have with Starling.
As mentioned above, it’s been his poor hitting ability that has kept Starling from making it to the big leagues. He looked like he was finally figuring it out in 2015 when he hit .274 in the Arizona Fall League, but since then, he’s regressed at the plate.
Royals fans have constantly asked the question “When is Bubba Starling going to get called up?” for years now and it appears that 2018 could finally be the answer to that question. It feels like the guy has been with the team for over a decade, but he’s still young and could contribute to the team for many years if he improves his hitting skills.
It's amazing to me that Bubba Starling is still just 25 - it feels like he was drafted in 1998 by now.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) January 7, 2018
Starling has as good a chance as any to make it to Kansas City this season and if he doesn’t, then well… His career is probably over. According to Blair Kerkhoff of The Kansas City Star, Starling had a breakdown last April and was in tears after still being unable to figure things out offensively.
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"“This was after a horrendous stretch, I think I was hitting about a buck 17 (.117), X amount of strikeouts and I remember sitting there bawling after a game,” Starling said. “It kept snowballing each day.”"
The Royals aren’t expected to do much in 2018 due to losing so many free agents, which means that if Starling does get the call-up, he has time throughout the season to make adjustments and improve his game. If they find out they have a tremendous defender and a subpar hitter, then so be it. At least they finally cracked the code that is Bubba Starling.
I’m pulling for Bubba this year, as I’m sure all Royals fans are. Hopefully the guy can finally defy the odds and contribute to the team this year. He’s still only 25 years old and would be getting a call-up just in time to fill the void in center field.
What do you think, Royals fans? Is this finally the year where we see Bubba Starling get to the big leagues?