Kansas City Royals: Ranking every season from 2010s

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American League All-Star Billy Butler #16 (C) of the Kansas City Royals smiles as he acknowledges the fans during player introductions for the 83rd MLB All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium on July 10, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

RANKING EVERY ROYALS SEASON FROM 2010-2019

NUMBER 6: 2012

Record: 72-90

With a one-game improvement in 2012, the Kansas City Royals looked to be a team that was slowly but surely piecing everything together. Mike Moustakas was called up in 2012 and provided yet another piece of the puzzle.

Kansas City and Kauffman Stadium were the hosts of the 2012 All-Star Game. This, of course, was the famous “Boo Cano” moment due to Robinson Cano shafting Billy Butler in the home run derby that year.

Butler was the Royals’ lone representative for the All-Star Game that year too and it was cool to see the fans rally behind him, especially during the booing of Cano, which is still funny to this day. Butler hit .313 in 2012, which led the team. He also belted 29 home runs and 107 RBI.

The starting pitching wasn’t anything to brag about, though Jeremy Guthrie had a nice year, throwing 91 innings and putting up a 3.16 ERA. The bullpen was starting to become really good, with Greg Holland starting to show glimpses of the closer we’d grow to know and love.

The 2012 season was the last losing season the Royals would have for five years and paved the way for what was about to come.

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