Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Royals

 

On the surface, there's not a ton fundamentally different between the Royals team that went deep last year and the Royals team that missed the playoffs this year. Both AL Central teams that made it this year rode huge waves of hot streaks, and the Royals couldn't really do that in the second half. The Royals were also without Cole Ragans for a lot of the season, and had a limited version of Seth Lugo. Plus, the Brady Singer for Jonathan India trade, which I could have told you was short-sighted to begin with, robbed them of a crucial workhorse. With the pitching depleted, not even the best closer in the AL could keep them in the divisional race. With no fault of Witt, Garcia or Bubic, the Royals stayed home this October. That doesn't mean the Quantaro era is through, and considering the young talent taking over it may just be taking off.

On the plus side, the Royals got another great season of offensive production from their captain, Salvador Perez. From the looks of things his ability to play great defense behind the plate is pretty much gone, and all that remains is an above average power bat to play DH everyday, which isn't a bad thing. This year marked Salvy's third 100+ RBI year [100 exactly], and his second year of 30 or more homers [30 exactly]. This season put him over not only the 300 homer mark but the 1000 RBI mark, both very good things, even if Perez isn't exactly a lock for the Hall of Fame.

2026 Prediction: So his contract is up, but I don't think Salvy has any desire to play somewhere other than KC, so I think they're gonna give him the Kershaw/Cutch track. Just keep re-upping, as long as you wanna play for. Next year won't exactly be a 100+ RBI year but he'll be relied upon as a power bat for sure.

Cole Ragan has been so good since coming over from Arlington that a mediocre season felt like a huge blow to the Royals' plans. And it's weird to say that about a year where Ragans still had 98 strikeouts in 13 games. He obviously can still outsmart batters, and he's still very dominant, but he had a 4.67 ERA this year, and whatever went wrong was clearly enough to sideline him for the rest of the season almost. The good news is that he was strong for his first few starts, and his September starts were a big part of why his ERA went below 5. But man that April-May stretch where he was clearly hurt wasn't fun.

2026 Prediction: As I write this, the Royals have been rumored to be shopping Ragans, potentially gauging Boston's interest considering that Jarren Duran might still need to be moved as well. I don't think Ragans will end up being moved though, and he'll have a stronger, fuller year for the Royals.

Kyle Isbel has been a steady, reliable outfield choice for the Royals for the last several years. In 135 games this year, Isbel hit .255 with 33 RBIs, but the offensive angle is not the takeaway, as he's such a great option in center field that it makes the team more well-rounded. Witt, Garcia, Isbel, Michael Massey to a degree- they're all excellent defenders that are helping the Royals stay in it and stay formidable. Yes, the power hitting helps too, but you can't outscore opponents if you don't have a Kyle Isbel.

2026 Prediction: The hope is that eventually they get someone who'll relegate Isbel to a Myles Straw-esque substitution, but I don't think that happens next year. Does more of the same.

Ever since coming back from his injuries in Cincinnati, Michael Lorenzen has made a name for himself as an underrated, durable starting option. In Anaheim, Detroit, Philadelphia, Texas and now Kansas City, Lorenzen has eaten innings, had nice starts and done exactly what's been asked of him. 2025 was something of a setback for Lorenzen, as he went 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts, but he still made 140 innings, and, miraculously, he led the team in strikeouts with 127, beating his nearest competition [Lugo and Wacha] by only one or two Ks. 

2026 Prediction: Why stop now? There's tons of teams that could use Lorenzen. Arizona maybe? Milwaukee? Baltimore? St. Louis? I think he'll have a better year for any of 'em. 

For the second year in a row, one of the most effective relief specialists for the Royals was Lucas Erceg. In a full year with this team, he doubled his output and wired in, with an 8-4 record, a 2.64 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP. He did miss a smidge of time midyear but still made 61 appearances. 

2026 Prediction: I think with Erceg the magic is more likely to keep going than fade off now. The Royals will be better next year, and Erceg will continue his strong work, complete with an averted close call in October.

It is the year 2025, the game is ruled by a guy who was at LSU like two years ago, the Royals called up Jac Caglianone, and Rich Hill, who is 45, still pitched in MLB games. The Royals had him on for two starts this year in between some roster moves, and Hill...well, Hill pitched like a 45-year-old man. Not everyone can be Philip Rivers. He had a 5 ERA over 9 innings, gave up 5 earned runs and lost both games. Yet he still struck out 4. 

2026 Prediction: I know logically he's probably done, but this man still probably thinks himself indestructible. He is, after all, a New England Patriots fan. Look, if the Pats miss the AFC Championship, he might decide there's still more to do. If Drake Maye isn't there yet, he can just keep holding out til he is. So uh...screw it, Sox invite him to camp, makes 4 starts, has one insane scoreless outing. Why not, man? 

Adam Frazier, who was a good depth infield piece for the Royals last year, made a return before the deadline after spending a bit more time in Pittsburgh and remembering why he was grateful that he left. In 56 games in KC, he made up for a slow spring and hit .283 with 4 homers and 23 RBIs. Frazier, despite his best efforts, has become one of the more in demand utility infield helpers in the game, and the Royals clearly know that.

2026 Prediction: Why do I feel like the Royals already re-upped him? If they haven't already, they really should, it's nice to have security for Michael Massey.

In a move that shocked a lot of people, especially me, the Giants traded Mike Yastrzemski to the Royals. All that goodwill, all he'd done for the team, gone. Yaz only did so much to help the Royals' similarly doomed stretch run, but in 50 games he hit .237 with 9 homers and 18 RBIs, amounting to an .839 OPS. Clearly this one panned out for them, in addition to boosting Yaz's free agency case.

2026 Prediction: It's not gonna initially feel like it, but the Braves made the absolute correct choice nabbing him. It'll kick in very late.

In exchange for catcher Freddy Fermin, who, as I'll explain, they may not have needed anyway, the Royals got two more depth starting options to plug in for injured aces. Stephen Kolek had a 4.18 ERA in San Diego this year, and while he only got 5 starts in Kansas City, they were very sharp starts. Kolek had a 1.91 ERA, a 0.758 WHIP, 21 Ks and a 1.1 WAR after that month of work.

2026 Prediction: I think of the two guys they got, Kolek has more of a chance of getting flexed to a long relief position, but he'll have some nice starts when needed.

Ryan Bergert, at 25, has the higher ceiling of the two, and looked like the better choice in San Diego, with a 2.78 ERA in 11 appearances, 7 being starts. His KC work was less sharp, with a 4.43 ERA and 39 Ks in 8 starts. Cumulatively it's a 3.66 ERA, 1.4 WAR, 73 K season, which isn't awful to be fair.

2026 Prediction: Big year. Makes all his starts, becomes a really strong third man in this rotation.

After a certain point this year, there was really no avoiding it. Jac Caglianone, one of the top prospects in baseball, needed to come up. Unfortunately, as ready as he was in triple-A, his perks weren't all immediately evident in the majors in 2025. In 62 games, Caglianone hit .157, with 7 homers and 18 RBIs. He is 22 years old, just getting the hang of things, and will be fine. Not everyone can be Bobby Witt and have a rookie year that still looks better than 98% of rookie years even if, for Witt, it's mediocre. 

2026 Prediction: It won't be a full smash, but I think for three months we're gonna see some high quality offensive performance from this guy. I just don't know if it'll be right out of camp.

Dealing Freddy Fermin away lampshaded the fact that the Royals had another option at catcher in the wings, and eventually Carter Jensen was deployed. In 20 games he bat exactly .300 with 3 homers and 13 RBIs, already showing promise as a contact bat in addition to fine catching skills. 

2026 Prediction: The Royals are going to sign a career backup, somebody like Elias Diaz or James McCann, as a security measure, but Jansen will be the starter and he'll be ASG-quality.

Coming Tomorrow- A lot of auxiliary members of a Tigers team that couldn't quite follow up on the promises of their 2024 run.

Turn it On, Salvador

 

It's wild to me that Salvador Perez's career has been almost a two act process, where the first 8 years consists of some of the most consistent defensive catching, and the next 4+ includes some unbelievable power hitting. It's like Yadier Molina walked through a portal and became Mike Piazza. And the thing is, Salvador Perez's defense has gone down since his elbow injury, but he's still an above average defensive catcher. He's still back there more often than not, and considering that Freddy Fermin was SUPPOSED to take over and isn't having the season the Royals fans thought, it's nice that Perez is still a serviceable option.

So far, Perez is off to another wild start, as he's currently hitting .352 with a league leading 25 RBIs, plus 7 home runs. It is an insane offensive start, with enough contact hitting to round out the power numbers, and enough solid defensive moments to rationalize him still being back there at 34. I used to think that by the time the next wave of Royals superstars came around, Perez would have bowed out, but him being used as the veteran centerpiece of this team, much like Buster Posey for the 2021 Giants, is a cool outcome that I like. He's still really good, he can still hit, and he's still a very valuable member of this current Royals team, even ten seasons removed from winning his ring.

And that's the other wild thing about Salvador Perez. There aren't very many other members of the 2015 Royals who are still on a major league roster. It is literally just Salvy and Johnny Cueto, as Mike Moustakas did not make the White Sox's Opening Day roster, which...considering the start their off to, seems like a good decision. And Cueto's deal with Texas is very much a 'let's see if he still has anything left' deal, and that's an alternative to legging Jack Leiter out there apparently. So it's really just Perez left, and the fact that Perez is still an integral part of this Royals team...that says a lot about his overall value as a player. I think the Royals fans are gonna feel it whenever he ends up packing it up, more than they felt it when Alex Gordon retired. 

Perez is just one of many Royals who are over performing this April, and making their team a contender for first even this early on. Bobby Witt has fully come into his own, and has ascended to full throttle, hitting .308 with 7 steals already. Vinnie Pasquantino is back and power hitting like no time has passed. Seth Lugo, Brady Singer and Cole Ragans are all proving themselves to be extremely reliable starters, and though Alec Marsh's injury could be worrying, the idea is that Daniel Lynch won't be much of a drop-off. This team is doing so much right, and chasing even the greats. I'd love for them to keep it going, and for Perez to see the playoffs as a Royal again.

Coming Tomorrow- After an incredible start to his career last year, he gets to pitch for an even better version of that team.

Tales from Fifth Place: Royals Edition

 

It's one thing to be a last-place team. It's another thing entirely to be a last-place team while confusing the hell out of me.

I'm not confused that the Royals are in last. No, that makes sense, they don't have much this year and injuries have depleted the rotation further than it already was. But just the strange things we're seeing because this team is in last is pretty incredible. I don't know if this will be a recurring column, but I just wanted to detail some of the strange things I've noticed on this 2023 Royals team, and there's a lot more than just the obvious.

• Salvador Perez is a power-hitter now and leads the team in home runs. I guess on some level you could have told me that Perez, after being one of the best defensive catchers of the 2010s, would bottom out and focus purely on power hitting. But the way his stats have flipped from being a negative hitter and positive defender to being a positive hitter and negative defender is odd. It's odd that he can't be both at once, but it's insanely hard to be a good hitting catcher. Perez is easily the best hitter on the team, and may have a shot at yet another ASG nomination.
• The Royals' best starter is 39-year-old Zack Greinke, who is also 1-5. Greinke may not be the unhittable force he was in his 20s, but he's durable, and the Royals need durability right now if Brady Singer and Jordan Lyles aren't going to be reliable. Greinke has the lowest WHIP in the rotation, and has allowed the least amount of earned runs. There's also a chance he may hit his 3000th strikeout this year, which would be a worthy achievement to go out on.
• The best player on this team that isn't Perez or Greinke? Kyle Isbel. Yeah, the outfielder prospect that started the season with the team a few years ago and was demoted for the rest of the year. Isbel has struggled to show consistent work in the majors for KC, much like Bubba Starling, Ryan McBroom and Ryan O'Hearn before him. Before he got injured, he was hitting .209 but defensively a standout. Of course, he is currently injured.
• The Kansas City Royal that has the highest batting average is Matt Duffy, who's appeared in 23 games and has only 7 RBIs.
• The single best defensive catcher on this team might be the 28-year-old Freddy Fermin, who's been the primary backup since M.J. Melendez is mostly starting in the outfield. Fermin can also hit. I remember last year seeing Freddy Fermin mentioned because he sounded like dollar store Freddie Freeman.
• They have a starter who is currently 0-8. Shockingly, it is Jordan Lyles.
• One of the Royals' main bullpen options this year is Jose Cuas, who is most famously a former hitting prospect that became a pitcher midway through his minor league career. Cuas has been surprisingly smooth as a reliever, though his 4.58 ERA needs some work.
• I feel like there's so many failed starters hiding in the minors for the Royals, getting in occasional relief innings. Jackson Kowar, Jonathan Heasley, Carlos Hernandez I suppose. 
• Only Perez, Pasquantino and Nick Pratto have averages above .250 for this lineup. Something about Ps.

It's an odd team with a lot of interesting faults. I don't know if they'll improve at all, but there something fascinating about them.

Coming Tomorrow- The Reds got him in exchange for Jesse Winker, and he's honestly been a nice piece for them.

The Great Kansas City Catch-Off

 

For the first time since 2012, Salvador Perez's status as perennial starting catcher in Kansas City may be in jeopardy.

Perez has missed a bit of time this year due to injury, and he's beginning to be shifted over to DH, but currently is mostly being used as a catcher because A.) Vinnie Pasquantino has a lock on the DH position, and B.) Vinnie Pasquantino isn't playing first much because Nick Pratto has been taking most of his reps at first, and C.) What reps Pratto isn't taking at first, Hunter Dozier is playing first.

Okay. So Salvador Perez is catching. He can still catch. He's still a solid enough defender despite being in his 30s. But...while Perez was gone, the majority of starts at backstop went to rookie MJ Melendez. Melendez is an excellent power bat, and already has 14 homers and 41 RBIs, so he's been a lineup mainstay for a bit. Only problem is he's not a very good defensive catcher, and he's more of a liability there than Perez. But the batting element was enough for the Royals to part with longtime backup Cam Gallagher, who they traded to San Diego, where he is now trapped behind Jorge Alfaro and Austin Nola. 

So now Perez and Melendez are battling for that starting catching spot. On one hand, this should be simple- Perez would be a first team All-2010s catcher if that list would be made today, and he has a chance for Hall of Fame consideration if he has a few more solid years. Meanwhile, Melendez, while an amusing bat, isn't the best catcher on the team. But at the same time, the Royals are trying to reestablish themselves as a younger, rebuilding roster, and having Bobby Witt, Nick Pratto, Michael Massey, Nate Eaton and Vinnie Pasquantino all up and doing well does speak to these future aspirations. Therefore somebody like Melendez fits more in that core than Perez, even though I imagine the Royals plan to use Perez in a veteran role going forward.

But Perez is just having the better season. He's only hitting .224, but he has 17 home runs and 51 RBIs. Yes, his transformation into a power hitter is pretty complete, but he still is a nice fit as a backstop, and he has a higher WAR than any hitter on this team not named Michael Taylor. Injuries in mind, I still think Perez has some more elite years left, and I think there's a way of keeping him around while also fitting Melendez into the equation without resigning oneself to having a bad catcher. 

The Royals still have some things to sort out, but hopefully they get this one right.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy who probably wishes he was hanging out with little leaguers like his old Boston teammates tonight. 

Predicting the Home Run Derby [Badly]

 I still have a soft spot for the Home Run Derby. It has morphed from the friendly, Chris Berman-led cacophony of 'BAAAAECK BAAAAECK' etc to a very NBA-esque personality display with the best of the best. This is the closest we get to the panache and flair of the NBA All Star Game, and while we don't exactly get a trap beat and wild lighting, there has been some definite tonal shifting in the last 10 or so years. Which is fine, I like that. But it's less homey. It's a little homey now, but not as much as it was in the mid-2000s.

So what I'm gonna do is try to predict how these brackets are going to go. Knowing, of course, that I'm famously bad at predicting things. But hey, this could be fun, and I kinda wanna do something for the Derby anyway. So here goes:

Shohei Ohtani v. Juan Soto

Who Should Win: Ohtani, because he's having an incredible year and not even Childish Bambino can stop him.

Who Will Win: Ohtani, though Soto will likely go a lot further than we think in his 10. 

Salvador Perez v. Pete Alonso

Who Should Win: Perez has amassed more homers this season, hence his higher seed.

Who Will Win: Alonso, as he's the more traditional home run hitter, and he's famously gotten further in the Derby than Salvy. 

Joey Gallo v. Trevor Story

Who Should Win: Gallo has the higher seed, has crept into the Top 5 Home Run standings, and has the momentum.

Who Will Win: The factor we have to remember is that Story has the homefield advantage, and has the crowd on his side. So I think he'll go on a tear that not even Gallo will be able to stop.

Matt Olson v. Trey Mancini

Who Should Win: Mancini winning would be the bigger story, considering his cancer comeback and the fact that people will be watching.

Who Will Win: Mancini. Yeah, I'm predicting another bracket upset. Olson is gonna hit a great deal. I just see Mancini latching onto some serious momentum. 

Round Two: Ohtani v. Alonso

Who Should Win: Ohtani, because come on

Who Will Win: Again, I do think Ohtani is gonna win the bracket, even if these two are gonna go on for a bit. I know that eventually Ohtani is eventually going to have to disappoint some people, but not here, even if Alonso will try to replicate his former glory. 

Mancini v. Story

Who Should Win: Mancini, as he's slotted higher, and has the bigger story

Who Will Win: Ironically, the bigger Story will win. Mancini's gonna have an unlucky round and Story's gonna squeak into the finals dramatically. The crowd will be going nuts.

Final Round: Ohtani v. Story

Who Should Win: Ohtani. He's the biggest dog in this race, and everyone's gonna be expecting him to take this all the way.

Who Will Win: Trevor Story is gonna go absolutely batshit in this final round, and become the umpteenth home field Home Run Derby winner, and have one last moment of glory before his inevitable trade at the end of the month. 

So yeah, this is what I think is about to happen. I may be very wrong, I probably will be, but this is the coolest outcome for me. 

Is Salvador Perez Just 'Pretty Good', or a Legend?

 

The one thing that a lot of major league catchers don't have going for them right now is consistency. 

Of the 30 MLB starting catchers right now, 8 have been a starting catcher full time for the last 5 or more years. Aside from the big two, Posey and Molina, you have names like Willson Contreras, Yan Gomes, Yasmani Grandal, Tucker Barnhart and J.T. Realmuto, and...yes, the subject of this post. But outside of those 8, you have people like Wilson Ramos, Gary Sanchez, Travis d'Arnaud, and Mike Zunino, guys who had to bobble back and forth in order to take the starting position. And then you have career backups like Omar Narvaez, Martin Maldonado, Roberto Perez and Christian Vazquez, who only became trusted starters very, very recently. 

So, it does help to have a consistent catcher for a long period of time who can always be trusted to be good defensively and offensively. And Salvador Perez, barring the 2019 injury, has been that for the Royals.

Just to give you an idea- Perez is a 6-time All-Star. Same number as Buster Posey. A few less than Yadier Molina. But Perez is rare in that he's almost always a starting catcher for the AL. Pretty much every year from 2014 til 2018, he was the starting catcher for the AL. It was just a thing that happened. And in that period, Perez averaged 23 homers and 73 RBIs a year, which is a decent run for a catcher known more for contact than power. And while Perez has only amassed 25.7 WAR, which is a decent total by 31 but not exactly befitting of a Hall of Fame career, you can definitely say he's been one of the best catchers of the modern era.

Regardless of the Royals' downturn, Salvador Perez has been one of the constants of this team. He's still playing really well, with a .277 average and 29 RBIs, and he leads the team in WAR with 1.4. Having Perez, Danny Duffy and Whit Merrifield still doing well for this team even after everyone's left is at least a good piece, as are the newcomers like Kris Bubic, Carlos Santana and Andrew Benintendi. The Royals have sort of fallen off since the April come-up, but still have enough of a decent team where they could theoretically still compete. It may be for a wild card spot, but it still could happen. 

And heck, if Salvador Perez could make the playoffs one more time as a Royal, that'd definitely be something.

Coming Tonight: I started the season saying Corbin Burnes was a favorite for the Cy Young, but his teammate may have lapped him. 

2020 Topps Final Edition: Card #199-207

 Today, we reach the 200-card-marker of this set. I've been plugging these in since February, and now in early May we get to card 200. Not bad at all. Hope you guys are still enjoying the set. 

Here are the next 9 cards, including the hero card.

#199- Brandon Lowe ASG, Tampa Bay Rays

In a season where D.J. LeMahieu, Cesar Hernandez and Nick Madrigal all would have racked up votes, Brandon Lowe would have been the starting 2nd baseman of the AL team if the 2020 All Star Game had happened. Putting the 2020 season into context, it shouldn't be much of a shocker- Lowe had an incredible sophomore season, being among the chief difference-makers for the Rays, and leading them to a World Series. While Lowe's numbers have been a bit more human so far, he's still healthy and relatively reliable right now in a slightly thinner roster climate.

Card #200- Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies fans had been waiting a few years for Alec Bohm to hit the majors, especially after his impressive minor league numbers in Lehigh Valley and Reading. Midway through the 2020 season, Bohm hit Philly, and in 44 games, hit .338 with 23 RBIs, finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting to Devin Williams. He established himself as a strong option at third almost immediately, and gave the fans confidence that is fraying now that Bohm seems resigned to hitting around .200 this year. 

Card #201- Chad Kuhl, Pittsburgh Pirates

Yeah, no Chad Kuhl card in 2020 Topps. I know. Kuhl missed 2019 with Tommy John surgery, returned to the rotation in 2020 as a strong enough option, pitched a 4.27 ERA in 9 starts with 44 Ks, and was one of the more consistent players for the Pirates last year. He was given a high ranking in the rotation this year, and he's currently on the IL. That is the exhilaration of Pirates baseball for you.

Card #202- Salvador Perez ASG, Kansas City Royals

As Salvador Perez continues to be one of the most consistently-excellent catchers in the game, the 2020 All Star Game would have been his seventh, as well as his triumphant return. The best part is that the year of injury did nothing to dull Perez' abilities, as 2020 was still a very strong year for him, with his 2.1 WAR being very much on par with other recent numbers. Perez has been doing well this season so far, and hopefully he'll get his ASG moment this year.

Card #203- Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins

One of the SEVERAL youngsters the Marlins called up during the 2020 season, Jesus Sanchez was called up specifically to aid the team after Starling Marte's injury. Sanchez took Marte's place, and only hit .040 with 11 strikeouts and 2 RBIs in that 10 game period. For those reasons, Sanchez is still currently in the minors. 

Card #204- Yency Almonte, Colorado Rockies

Yency Almonte might have been one of the Rockies' best bullpen pieces of a very forgettable year. Almonte appeared in 24 games, and hit a 2.93 ERA with 23 Ks and 3 wins. Almonte was used in middle relief as well as a final-out man, getting his first save as well last year. So far in 2021, his WAR is negating the entirety of his 2020 earnings in that category.

Card #205- Alex Kirilloff, Minnesota Twins

One of the more intriguing prospects heading into the 2020 season, Alex Kirilloff saw no major league playing time last year, but was added to the postseason roster before playing a single MLB regular season game. That says everything you need to know about how confident the Twins are in Kirilloff. Granted, Kirilloff only hit .250 in 4 postseason at-bats, but he still had a postseason hit before any of his 2021 regular season hits. He's currently a decent offensive piece for the Twins, and while the 2021 Topps rookie is a lot more practical, this one could have been cool.

Card #206- Mookie Betts ASG, Los Angeles Dodgers

Third 2020 ASG starter in this post. Lowe, Perez and Betts. For the first time, though, they wouldn't all be starting for the same team, as Betts would have taken an NL start in 2020 for the Dodgers. I don't think anyone would dispute Betts' starting outfield position in a supposed 2020 ASG, especially considering his red-hot numbers and high MVP vote-getting. 

Card #207- Robert Gsellman, New York Mets

Robert Gsellman haș been one of three indispensable Mets relief arms for the past few years. With him, Seth Lugo and Jeurys Familia, the Mets have just needed to build around the core. Gsellman had an alright 2020, being utilized in a starting role and finishing with a 9.64 ERA, but he's been returned to the 'pen for 2021 and is working on a lower, sub-4 ERA so far. 

Friday brings the next 9 cards in this set. A few important player omissions, a few amusing rookies, and a very big 'what could have been'.

KC Not-Quite-A-Masterpiece

So yeah...Kansas City Royals. Remember when they were really good? Like...2 years ago?

Hosmer and Cain are gone, yeah...but so is the intensity. So is the fire. It's clear that Ned Yost doesn't as good of a hand to work with, and the once monolithic, methodical bullpen has been whittled down to a couple of guys that are good and a bunch of people that get put in for lack of a better choice. I mean, Yost was putting legitimate thought and talent into that bullpen, and rotation for that matter, 4 years ago. And now it's all been depleted.

The lineup, as well, is made up of a few contracts, a few disappointing youngsters, and the last stragglers of the 2015 team. Some of those guys, like Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez, are doing pretty great. Some, like Alcides Escobar, have forgotten how to hit. The team is being carried by guys like Jakob Junis and Whit Merrifield, guys that are barely household names anywhere, let alone KC (cue the comment or two claiming that Junis already has his own brand of grass seed or something).

There's just not much to talk about. Everyone here is either too old, too young, or on the way out. It's not Yost's fault, either, as he's doing all he can with this group. The team won a World Series, then got old and dissolved. It happens to the best of teams, even the 2010s Giants. The only problem is that, after waiting so long for 'the big Royals team' to happen, there's the fear that there won't be much left after this one passes, and we'll be right back where we were in 2006.

Meanwhile, the bright side here is that they're not in last. They're in fourth, in front of the White Sox. So, until they grab 4th back, it's at least a reason to be thankful.

Coming Tonight: A rookie standout for a still-good-but-not-AS-good NL Central squad.

The Royal Comeback

In April...they were absolutely atrocious.

In June...they're at .500. So it could be a lot worse than it is right now.

Thanks to the sparks of their stars, like Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain, and some people you never thought would be doing well, like Mike Minor, Jason Vargas and Whit Merrifield, the Royals are in third place, whizzing past two teams that were part of the four-man blockade in April, and are now just pitiful.

Also, a bunch of Royals, like usual, are getting a ton of ASG votes, a week or so before voting ends. All's right in the world, I guess.

I'm impressed that Salvador Perez is having an insanely good offensive season, and I'm impressed that the team didn't take a disastrous first month and hang on it. This guy has become the second coming of Ivan Rodriguez, and the Royals have been absolutely embracing him. He's 27, he's made an All Star team every year since 2013, and he's become an indispensable part of this Royals team, as they grow beyond the 2015 title.

The Royals are going to need to seriously push in order to catch up to the Indians and Twins, but they have proven that they have some momentum, and are more than a last place team.

Coming Tonight: Last year he was a a backup third baseman for a team with too many options. This year, his old team has NO options at third base...and he's the starting first baseman for a first place NL team.

Royal Repeat?

The Kansas City Royals, a team that had been the goat of the AL Central for the longest time, have just been to two World Series in a row, winning the last one.

The big question- will the Royals be able to reach the very top again?

Well, let's look at the big picture. This is a team that's not drastically different from the 2015 squad. The two guys they picked up at the trade deadline, Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto, aren't there anymore, and some smaller pieces like Alex Rios aren't there anymore, but, if anything, this is a stronger team. Wade Davis is in place as the closer from the get-go, instead of running Greg Holland until he runs out of steam. Paulo Orlando and Reymond Fuentes are currently switching off at RF, but Orlando's likely gonna be the full-time starter.

This is a fully formed team, one with a generally strong pitching staff, one where one guy isn't outdoing everybody else on the team. The guys they've kept are all doing pretty well so far, especially Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez.

This is a solid core, one that has stayed intact over the past two seasons, and has gotten stronger. Not too much is stopping them from making another run at the top spot. The Tigers are looking kind of intimidating right now, and the White Sox could be a late-season sleeper, but if the Royals can stay at first for the remainder of the season, we could be in for a ride.

The trick is outdoing whoever ends up in the top spot in the NL. It's 2016, so that might be the Giants again, which could be a pretty tough battle. I want to see what happens to the Royals over the course of the season, to see how plausible WS #2 is. Here's hoping they can snag it.

Coming Tomorrow- The big Cardinals rookie who's been hitting like crazy lately.

1985 All Over Again

Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals, for bringing home a much-deserved World Series, and for dominating this 2015 season from start to finish.

Even in 5 games, this was still a fun series, with a ton of extra inning games, a lot of drama, a lot of suspense, and a lot of passion, and pride, from both sides. I think this was a hell of a way to end the season, and it makes me look forward to the next one.

Well done Mets, and Royals. Now...we're officially in the offseason. Let the sparks fly.

Custom Card of the Day: Perez Edition

You see, there's a picture that deserves a caption. Is he rescuing an insect? Is he trying to eat an insect? Discuss.

I don't know how it happened, but Salvador Perez very quickly became one of the best catchers in the AL. I dunno what is was. One year he was in a few upper-end sets, and I was like, 'yeah, I guess he's okay', and pretty soon he's an All Star, and everybody's talking about him. And he was in the World Series last year, smacking the living daylights out of Tim Hudson and such.

I mean, I think maybe he gained a huge bat over time, or maybe it was the kind of thing where everybody else got good, and he got good by osmosis. But, I don't wanna go into too much detail. Bottom line is he's awesome now, he rocks, and I respect that.

This season, I don't know if the Royals are gonna be as big as they were in 2014. Before their series with the Yankees, the Tigers showed some serious potential, and have some of the best bats in the AL. If they rebound big time, they could be dangerous come September. It's between them and the Royals, I think, unless the White Sox want to get in on it.

Either way, Salvador Perez is gonna hit big and get another AS nod.

Coming Tomorrow- For a week, the Braves were one of the biggest teams in baseball. Then they returned to reality. Also returning to reality- their closer.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Royals

I figured Salvador Perez, who broke out big time this year, and became one of the premiere catchers in the AL, deserved a really nice custom, so I whipped up an '88. I think this might be one of my best customs of 2014, though I'll be tallying those up once I'm done posting the new customs.

The Royals made the World Series and had an incredible season. I just wish they would have won the whole thing.

Jeremy Guthrie has been a durable starter since the mid-2000's, pitching through hard-luck Orioles teams before becoming one of the elder statesman of the Royals rotation. While he lacked the Shields-like 'best of the season' credentials, he was a formidable starter.

Jason Vargas has played for a couple different teams over the past few years, but I reckon this one was the most successful for him. He was a nice extra starter for them.

Coming Tonight- A few members of the Tigers.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Royals

 The Royals actually had a pretty nice season in 2013, even if they didn't make the playoffs. Billy Butler is becoming their huge star, replacing Alex Gordon as Mr. Kansas City. Unless he gets traded, he'll probably be there for a while.

 Salvador Perez had another nice season behind the plate, with another All Star nod. Under-the-radar star, I guess?

And Greg Holland was Kansas City's 'middle reliever that plays well this season and this season alone' for 2013. Danny Duffy and Aaron Crow would be proud.

Coming Tomorrow- The Tigers had another nice season, and here are three core members of that team.