Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Royals

 

For a season without much to note for the Royals, I sure missed some big ones this year.

I only have six Royals for December, but three of them are ones I should have gotten to during the regular season. And that includes Brady Singer. This guy was a rookie that began the season in the rotation and acted like he'd been doing this for years. Singer started 12 games, had a 4.06 record, and led the team in strikeouts with 61. Brad Keller may have had more bang for his buck, but Singer was more consistent and a clear sign of the next few seasons of Royals baseball.

2021 Prediction: 200 strikeouts, not enough wins given this is a rebuilding Royals team, and an ASG nomination. 

I also should have done an Adalberto Mondesi custom during the season, on account of him LEADING THE LEAGUE IN STOLEN BASES. Who would have called that??? Mondi had a decent year, with .256 with 22 RBIs in 59 games for KC, and is still a crucial member of the core of this team. 

2021 Prediction: He'll be playing beautifully for the first two months before an injury sidelines him til September. 

Danny Duffy has been a consistent member of the Royals for a decade, even in weaker seasons. 2020 was a pretty neutral year for the Duffman- a 4-4 record in 11 starts, a 4.95 ERA and 57 Ks. He's not as sharp as he used to be, but he still had some strong games this year.

2021 Prediction: By July, there will be enough youth in the rotation that Duffy will be able to transition seamlessly to the bullpen.

Hunter Dozier came off the IL in August, and while he did his best to match his strong, ASG-caliber 2019, it wasn't much of a match. In 44 games, Dozier hit .228 with 12 RBIs. Not too great, despite some decent power numbers.

2021 Prediction: If he doesn't hit for average by June, he'll be DFA'd. 

The other rookie starting pitcher for KC was a crafty one named Kris Bubic. His 1-6 ERA and high WHIP hide the fact that he still had a 4.32 ERA and 49 Ks, and is a really interesting, clever pitcher just with some control issues.

2021 Prediction: 10 wins, a low WHIP, and some external factor that limits him to 22 games.

Of course, 2020 was the final one for Alex Gordon, a guy that's been a Royal since the year I started collecting. Gordo had some great power years and defensive years in the 2010s, and while he didn't exactly live up to expectations, he was still a consistent player and a Royals HOFer for sure. His mediocre 2020 stats, like a .209 average and 11 RBIs, were an afterthought. Gordon will be missed, and the Royals will need to establish a new type of consistency to live up to.

Coming Tomorrow- I genuinely have a ton of Detroit Tigers for tomorrow.