Contenders or Pretenders? How the Royals Look Heading Into the Midway Point of the Season
With the 2021 All-Star break swiftly nearing, the Kansas City Royals find themselves one game above .500, currently sitting at 27-26. The Royals have a basic number of steps to accomplish to stay within fighting contention upon the break.
So far, the Royals have given the fans a little bit of everything this season. From going the month of April as the best team in baseball, followed by an 11-game losing streak, and now, playing 500 ball. Fluke or not, the Boys in Blue finished first in the Cactus League prior to the start of the season, raising eyebrows across the league on who this team actually is, but soon turned heads after losing 11 games in a row and dropping to third in the American League Central Division.
The team is making a turnaround as they dive into the month of June. They have won seven out of their last 10 games and are now one win above .500.
Here are more breakdowns of their season by the numbers.
By the Numbers
The All-Star break begins on July 12. Between now and then, Kansas City has 37 games. The team will need to go 18-19 to maintain an even record. If Kansas City would like to switch places with the second-place Cleveland Indians (30-24) in the Central Division, the Boys in Blue will need to go on a few winning streaks of four or more games just to stay in the race. The first-place Chicago White Sox are 33-22; too far ahead for the Royals to make any major moves in the next month.
Within those 37 games, the Royals play eight different teams; 14 of those 37 games will come against divisional opponents and seven against the Minnesota Twins who hold one of the worst records in baseball.
One concerning number is the Royals divisional record, which sits at 13-18. The team has a chance to improve that number, but could really fall behind in the division if the team drops more than half of those 14 upcoming matchups. The other downfall is none of those matchups include the first-place White Sox, allowing no chance for the Royals to gain on them, relying solely on the Southside squad to drop some games.
On the other hand, the Royals are 10-6 against the AL East and West and hold a 5-1 interleague record. If the team can stay on the winning side of those out-of-division matchups, they could sit in a good position to survive the second half of the season.
The Royals will have to get the claws out as they dive deeper into the American League East facing two heavy contenders like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. All have winning records, all have gone on powering winning streaks, all are pretty darn good. These matchups will be the ultimate test for a team that’s trying to stay alive. And ultimately, if the Royals snatch a wildcard spot in the postseason, they will be facing one of these two teams from the East.
Closing in
While 37 games sound like a lot, there are only five and a half weeks remaining until the break. Each series and each game matters.
Going into the break with at least a .500 record is vital. It’s a matter of what the front office will do by the trade deadline. Will they be buyers or will they be sellers?
What the Royals have
What the Royals have right now is an extremely hot Andrew Benintendi and Salvador Perez. In the last seven games, the left fielder is slashing .348/.360/.609. And in their win over the Pittsburg Pirates on June 2, Benintendi hit one into the Royals bullpen for his second career grand slam. He also collected five RBIs that game, doing so for the fourth time in his career.
Benintendi was not the only Royal who shined against the Pirates in the 10-5 win, slugger Salvador Perez hit two home runs, totaling 12 on the year. His appearances behind the plate are shared with backup catcher Cam Gallagher more than usual, but that is nothing to worry about as Salvy takes the role as the designated hitter for plenty of games.
Starting pitching has been decent lately from Brady Singer, Mike Minor, Kris Bubic and Brad Keller. The fifth and most notable starter, Danny Duffy, still finds himself on the injured list but should be making a return soon.
Speaking of return, Aldaberto Mondesi has made his return and disappear so fast it's like he was never there. On Monday night, the shortstop pulled himself from the game after experiencing tightness in his hamstring. To err on the side of caution, he did not play June 2 against the Pirates.
Despite the tightness, Mondesi has appeared in seven games so far and it has been nothing short of greatness. He went 2-for-4 in his 2021 debut at Tampa Bay with two doubles. In his 25 at-bats, he's hitting .360 with two home runs, five RBIs and one stolen base. Mondi's return has been wonderful and he should be back on the roster soon.
What the Royals Need
If Kansas City sees themselves as buyers by the trade deadline, the Royals absolutely need a designated hitter. Jorge Soler is simply not producing. The power hitter is not living up to his name, striking out 62 times in 50 games, with only four home runs while batting .178. Soler has gone multiple games without hitting the ball and couldn't hit a beach ball if it was thrown right down the middle of the plate. Dayton Moore needs to pull a 2014 Mike Moustakas and send Soler down to Triple-A to find his bat again. Because after that trip to Omaha for Moose, he was one of the Royals' top hitters in their postseason run that fall.
Another thing Kansas City needs is another arm in the bullpen. The Royals bullpen has been pitching quite well recently, with the eight best batting average against batters faced in the majors. The teams' opponent ERA and strikeouts are in the top half as well with a 4.00 ERA and 218 strikeouts. To the fans, the bullpen situation has felt like a rollercoaster, and a lot of blame is going towards manager Mike Matheny's decision-making.
Wade Davis and Greg Holland have pitched too many times in save situations. Despite the sentimental feeling those two bring, their age is really showing. Kyle Zimmer, Josh Staumont, Scott Barlow and Jake Brentz are the move for closing it out, but it would be nice to add one more to the group because it seems like all four take turns being on the injured list.
Next Series
The Minnesota Twins arrive in town for a four-game series. The two recently faced off during Memorial Day weekend with the Royals taking two out of three. The Twins sit at the bottom of the Central Division with a 22-33 record.
