2020 Royals season preview: The offense could surprise
Every team in baseball will have a shot at making the playoffs this season, including the Kansas City Royals. The club hasn't reached the postseason since winning the World Series in 2015 and is coming off back-to-back 100-loss campaigns in 2018 and '19. It was supposed to be another rebuilding year for the lowly Royals, but they could surprise thanks to an offense with some intriguing pieces.
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 59-103 (4th in AL Central)
Payroll: $91,739,492
PECOTA Projection: 24-36 (4th)
World Series odds: +30000
3-year trend: 2017 (3rd); 2018 (5th); 2019 (4th)
Key addition: Maikel Franco
Key subtraction: Tim Hill
Highest projected WAR: Adalberto Mondesi (1.1)
X-factor: Salvador Perez
Prospect to watch: Bobby Witt Jr.
Winter report card: D
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whit Merrifield | RF | 0.7 |
| 2 | Adalberto Mondesi (S) | SS | 1.1 |
| 3 | Jorge Soler | DH | 0.4 |
| 4 | Alex Gordon (L) | LF | 0.3 |
| 5 | Salvador Perez | C | 0.5 |
| 6 | Maikel Franco | 3B | 0.5 |
| 7 | Franchy Cordero (L) | CF | 0.1 |
| 8 | Ryan McBroom | 1B | -0.1 |
| 9 | Nicky Lopez (L) | 2B | 0.6 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar Hernandez | C | 0.0 |
| Erick Mejia | IF/OF | 0.0 |
| Brett Phillips | OF | 0.1 |
| Bubba Starling | OF | -0.1 |
| Nick Heath | OF | 0.0 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
The Royals' lineup has a nice mix of power and speed. Merrifield - who led the majors in hits over the last two seasons - and Mondesi give the club a pair of speedsters atop the order. The latter swiped 43 bags in just 102 games in 2019. Both players will give Soler - last season's AL home run king - and Dozier plenty of chances to drive in runs. Kansas City had a glaring hole behind the plate after six-time All-Star Salvador Perez and his backup, Cam Gallagher, contracted COVID-19. However, Perez is back after testing negative and gives the club another solid bat in a sneaky good offense. The recently acquired Cordero, who couldn't live up to expectations with the San Diego Padres, has shown flashes of power and speed.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Duffy | L | 4.72 |
| Brady Singer | R | 4.76 |
| Mike Montgomery | L | 4.85 |
| Jorge Lopez | R | 4.86 |
| Glenn Sparkman | R | 5.33 |
Brad Keller, who started for the club on Opening Day in 2019, opens on the IL after contracting COVID-19. The 24-year-old owns a career 3.68 ERA across 305 2/3 major-league innings. The rest of the rotation is comprised of back-end starters who would struggle to crack the top five for any contender. Singer, the team's top pitching prospect, will have a chance to turn heads while Jakob Junis also remains on the injured list.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Kennedy | R | 4.37 |
| Scott Barlow | R | 4.09 |
| Greg Holland | R | 5.05 |
| Trevor Rosenthal | R | 4.32 |
| Josh Staumont | R | 4.42 |
| Kevin McCarthy | R | 4.48 |
| Tyler Zuber | R | 4.82 |
| Gabe Speier | L | 4.69 |
| Kyle Zimmer | R | 4.87 |
| Chance Adams | R | 4.87 |
| Jesse Hahn | R | 4.53 |
A few standout names have put together All-Star seasons in the past. However, it would be a major surprise if Holland and Rosenthal were anything more than serviceable in 2020. Kennedy, who's transitioned into a reliever after years of starting, should provide some stability in the ninth if he replicates last year's success. He'd also make a nice trade chip for a club looking to add bullpen depth for a playoff run. Dealing Tim Hill to the Padres leaves the Royals with one lefty in the bullpen and worsens an already underwhelming relief corps.
Key injuries/absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter Dozier | IF/OF | COVID-19 |
| Brad Keller | SP | COVID-19 |
| Cam Gallagher | C | COVID-19 |
| Ryan O'Hearn | 1B | COVID-19 |
| Jakob Junis | SP | COVID-19 |
| Randy Rosario | RP | Arm tightness |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)