Kansas City Royals: Players to watch that no one is talking about

PLAYERS TO WATCH THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT – RYAN O’HEARN

Surprisingly, Ryan O’Hearn hasn’t been discussed much this offseason, but his name should start to gain some traction after Eric Hosmer signed elsewhere. O’Hearn had a strong 2016 campaign, but dropped off significantly at the dish this past season.

Both seasons saw O’Hearn hit 22 home runs, but the difference was his slash line. In 2016, O’Hearn slashed .275/.351/.478 compared to his .253/.330/.455 slash line in 2017. The drop-off is concerning, but the Royals are also not expected to win many games this year, so O’Hearn could definitely get a shot to prove himself.

Ryan O’Hearn is only 24 years old and certainly has time to develop into a decent major leaguer.

O’Hearn would likely be utilized more as a first baseman for the Royals, but he has spent a lot of time in the outfield as well (left and right). He could be a utility player, but more than likely, first would be where he’d spend the majority of his time.

Ryan O’Hearn is only 24 years old and certainly has time to develop into a decent major leaguer. He’ll likely begin the season in Triple-A, but could easily get a call-up to the big league level if he performed well right out of the gate.

With first base being locked up the past few years, it was tough for O’Hearn to really get promoted. He finally has an opportunity to do just that this season.