Kansas City Royals: Eight bold predictions for 2020 season
By Cullen Jekel
Bold Prediction No. 5: The Team Improves by 10 Wins
Is it going out on a limb by predicting a team loses 93 games?
Maybe it is, considering this an organization coming off seasons of 104 and 103 losses the past couple of years. But dang it, that’s my prediction and I’m sticking to it!
A couple of reasons for this particular prediction:
- This Royals lineup seems more cohesive than the most recent iterations. It gets a boost with the return of catcher Salvador Perez while solid hitters Merrifield and Soler return. Alex Gordon’s presence always helps things.
- Keller should bounce back, and maybe Jake Junis performs well, too, anchoring a starting rotation that struggled last season. Danny Duffy is healthy at the start of the season, unlike in 2019. Plus, those rising young arms don’t seem too far off into the future. Maybe a couple premiere this season.
- While it won’t rank among the top units, the Royals bullpen looks better than it did last season.
- The Tigers are still a dumpster fire, the White Sox look stitched together, and the Indians are trading off valuable assets. This division belongs to the Twins, and the race for second place is wide open.