KC Royals: Five huge IFs for deep postseason push in 2021

KC Royals can make deep postseason run if…

Andrew Benintendi bounces back and plays to his former top prospect status

The biggest move the Royals made this offseason was trading for Red Sox outfielder, Andrew Benintendi, who was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. Benintendi got off to a hot start with the Red Sox, batting .295 in 105 at-bats in 2016 and slashing .271/.352/.424 with 20 home runs and 90 RBI in 2017.

2018 continued to be good to Benintendi, as the former Razorback slashed .290/.366/.465 with 16 homers and 87 RBI. The Red Sox won the World Series that year and Benintendi hit .333 in his 18 World Series at-bats. The future looked bright for Benintendi in Boston.

After a mediocre year in 2019, injuries took their toll on Benintendi. He appeared in just 14 games in the shortened 2020 season and finished the year with an ugly .103 batting average through 39 at-bats.

The Royals took a gamble with this trade and their gamble was that they were hoping to get the player Benintendi was three years ago. It’s not farfetched to think they could get that same player, as Benintendi is only 26 years old (turning 27 in July) and a former top prospect.

If Andrew Benintendi is fully healthy and performs at the levels he did early on in his career, watch out for this Royals team late in the season.