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2009 Kansas City Royals Predictions

Written March 4, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Royals Baseball The Royals, for the first time since 2004, were not the bottom feeders of the AL Central as they closed out the month of September by going 18-8, and wound up finishing a game ahead of the Detroit Tigers at 75-87. With that and a bunch of young talent on the way, the future looks bright for an organization that has had just one winning season since 1993. The Royals kept most of their roster from 2008, and have added the likes of 1B Mike Jacobs, RP Kyle Farnsworth, and CF Coco Crisp. So with the Royals primed to be competitive in 2009, here is closer look at the team and my take on how I see them finishing in the AL Central.

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Offense:

The Royals offense has some potential to put up some solid numbers this season. They have a bunch of guys that can really hit the baseball. The addition of 1B Mike Jacobs could really help this team out, as he is the biggest power threat this team will have. Jacobs hit 32 home runs with 93 RBI last season with the Marlins. The second most home runs returning from a year ago are the 20 hit by star outfielder Jose Guillen, who also had a team best 97 RBI. The addition of Crisp gives the team a solid leadoff hitter. The switch-hitter hit .283 with 20 stolen bases in just 118 games last year with the Red Sox. The Royals have some young talent that is ready to blossom in 3B Alex Gordon, SS Mike Aviles, and 2B Alberto Callaspo. Gordon has been consistent in his first two seasons, and could be ready for a big year in his third go around. Aviles was 4th in AL Rookie of the Year voting, as he hit .325 with 10 home runs an 51 RBI in just 102 games. Callaspo is fighting for the second base job with Mark Teahen, who is trying to make the switch from the outfield to the infield, and if the team decides power is more important than defense and average, Callaspo will likely be a backup. David DeJesus is the teams left fielder, and he is coming off a solid season where he hit .307 with 12 home runs and 73 RBI. Miguel Olivio and John Buck will share time behind the plate, with Olivio taking the majority of the starts, but there isn’t much separating the two offensively. Finally the DH role will once again be held down by Billy Butler, who could also be ready for a breakout season after hitting .275 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI in just his second season in the big leagues.

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Pitching:

The Royals have two great arms at the top of their rotation in Gil Meche and Zach Greinke. Meche led the team with wins going 14-11 with a 3.98 ERA, while Greinke was 13-10 with the 6th best ERA in the AL at 3.47. Behind the top two starters are Brian Bannister and Kyle Davies. The Royals are hoping to get a bounce back season from Brian Bannister, who was 9-16 with a 5.76 ERA in 2008 after going 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 2007. Davies showed great improvement in his second season as a legit full time starter, as he went 9-7 with a 4.06 ERA after going 7-15 with a 6.09 ERA in 2007. The final spot in the rotation will likely come down to Luke Hochevar and Horacio Ramirez. Hochevar was the first pick overall by the Royals in the 2006 draft, but has gone just 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA in 22 starts. On the other hand, Ramirez was mainly used out of the bullpen last season, but he could be the only lefty the team could put in the starting rotation. The bullpen could be a strong point this season if Farnsworth can pitch like he did with the Yankees, where he was a strikeout machine. He would be a great setup man to get the ball in the hands of closer Joakim Soria, who converted 42 of 45 saves last season. If this group of starters and relievers continues to improve, the Royals are going to cause a lot of problems for the entire American League.

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Prediction: 5th in AL Central

I think the Royals are on the fast track to success, and they could surprise a lot of people (including myself) this season by finishing higher than 5th in this division. It won’t be easy as the AL Central is loaded from top to bottom, but Kansas City could make a statement for the 2010 season.

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