A Blue September

The first half of the 2013 season wasn't exactly the record the Kansas City Royals had in mind. They had a 43-49 record heading into the All-Star Break and wanting answers to questions. Those questions were answered with a Major-League leading 43-27 second half record. The 2014 season can be seen as a mirror situation with a dismal offense producing a 48-46 record for the first half. Although the team was two games above .500, they had 383 RS (runs scored) with 379 RA (runs allowed). Heading into September, the Royals have compiled a 26-16 second half record; not including their September 1st win at home against Texas. That is a winning-percentage of .619, thanks in part to a 19-10 August. Manager Ned Yost said at the beginning of the season that this team, the Royals, were a second half team. 

One of the many impressive records the Royals have put together this season has been in Inter-League play. They own a 15-5 record with 99 RS and 56 RA. The two best months for the Royals this season? June (17-10) and August (19-10) for a combined 36-20 record (.642 WP) with 256 RS and 202 RA. The team finished September 2013 with a 17-10 record. 

Top 5 Position Players (including offense/defense)
1. Alex Gordon - .280 BA, 75 R, 135 H, 29 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 63 RBI, 9 SB, 50 BB, 98 SO, .812 OPS, 5.9 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), 131 G, .993 Fld%, 1161.2 Innings played.
2. Salvador Perez - .269 BA, 51 R, 130 H, 25 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 62 RBI, 1 SB, 21 BB, 64 SO, .726 OPS, 3.8 WAR, 125 G, .994 Fld%, 1038.2 Innings played at catcher.
3. Alcides Escobar - .277 BA, 62 R, 133 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 44 RBI, 27 SB, 20 BB, 73 SO, .676 OPS, 2.5 WAR, 137 G, .977 Fld%, 1221.2 Innings played.
4. Lorenzo Cain - .298 BA, 43 R, 114 H, 25 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 24 SB, 21 BB, 88 SO, .739 OPS, 3.8 WAR, 109 G, .993 Fld%, 915.2 Innings played.
5. Mike Moustakas - .206 BA, 41 R, 78 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 31 BB, 60 SO, .642 OPS, 0.3 WAR, 113 G, .958 Fld%, 952.2 Innings played. 

Mike Moustakas and Billy Butler could both be No. 5 position player (offensively/defensively) for the Royals. Moustakas gets it for 6 more home runs (15), 26 fewer strikeouts, and he is flat out better on defense than Butler, who has a -0.2 WAR.

Goals for the remainder of the season: win more one-run games, provide more offense when pitching gets the job done during games, and keep the bullpen rested. 

A Royal Shuffle

The Kansas City Royals have stirred up their roster in the last 48 hours. The recently released Raul Ibanez of the Los Angeles Angels was signed by the Royals to improve their bench. Along with acquiring Ibanez, the Royals recalled utility infielder Christian Colon. Colon is able to man second base, third base, and shortstop. In order for acquisition and recalls to work, some negatives have to occur. Outfielder Justin Maxwell and infielder Pedro Ciriaco were designated for assignment. Both players have cleared waivers once this season.

Someone please explain to me why you'd sign a 42-year old player for the bench and bring up a utility infielder in exchange for designating two guys that already can do the same role. Bringing up Colon doesn't make any sense. You have a second baseman, Omar Infante, whom you just signed to a four-year deal. Granted, if anything were to happen, he would be insurance. But you also have a Gold Glove deserving shortstop and a platoon at third base between Moustakas and Valencia. So where would you put Colon? You already had Ciriaco and Maxwell doing the same thing. They just weren't given enough at-bats to perform to their expectations. What if the Ibanez move doesn't pay off? What if he doesn't deliver off the bench.

2014 Stats
Justin Maxwell - .150 BA (6-for-40), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 20 SO, 0 SB, .397 OPS
Pedro Ciriaco - .213 BA (10-for-47), 7 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 9 SO, 4 SB, .484 OPS
Christian Colon (AAA) - .296 BA (87-for-294), 48 R, 14 2B, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 28 BB, 25 SO, 14 SB, .744 OPS
Raul Ibanez - .157 BA (26-for-166), 16 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 23 BB, 43 SO, 3 SB, .523 OPS

A Case of Moose Fever - For Everyone

Moose Fever. Symptoms include winning ball games, smashing home runs, forearm bashes, and having fun. The Kansas City Royals were starting to get national attention with their 10-game winning streak that almost included a 4-game sweep in Detroit. The 10-game streak was ended with a score of 2-1 by the Tigers that was a makeup game from their April 3rd rain-out. Before that loss, the Royals hadn't lost in nearly two weeks; dating back to Friday, June 6th. That game was at Kauffman where the Royals lost 4-2 to the Yankees before going on their incredible run. A 5-2 home stand against the Cardinals and Yankees? A 6-1 road trip against the White Sox (3-game sweep of Chicago) and three out of 4 against the Tigers? Royals fans have to be more than enthralled about their leap from 29-32 (5 games out of first) to 39-33 and a 1/2 game lead for first place in the AL Central. The Royals' streak was the 3rd longest in franchise history.

Even though the Royals lost on Thursday to the Tigers, they still secured their first-place lead heading home for a 9-game home stand against Seattle and both Los Angeles teams. But back to the 10-game winning streak. Everything was clicking the Royals way. Highlight plays on defense, a team actually hitting home runs, and scoring runs to back up excellent pitching. The formula to winning ball games. During the 10-game streak, the Royals outscored their opponents 69-30. With runners in scoring position, the team went 42-for-98 (.429) while hitting 13 home runs in the 10 games. These are the numbers for the Royals offense during their last 10 games, including the 2-1 loss to the Tigers:

1. Nori Aoki - 11-for-37 (.297), 7 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SO
2. Omar Infante - 14-for-41 (.341), 10 R, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 4 SO
3. Eric Hosmer - 10-for-42 (.238), 6 R, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 9 SO, 2 SB; also had a HR on June 7th
4. Billy Butler - 15-for-37 (.405), 7 R, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO 
5. Alex Gordon - 11-for-39 (.282), 8 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 13 SO, 1 SB
6. Salvador Perez - 12-for-39 (.308), 7 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO
7. Mike Moustakas - 10-for-34 (.294), 7 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 5 SO (hence Moose Fever)
8. Lorenzo Cain - 12-for-40 (.300), 5 R, 7 RBI, 0 BB, 9 SO
9. Alcides Escobar - 14-for-36 (.389), 7 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO, 2 SB
10. Jarrod Dyson - 8-for-27 (.296), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO

A Royal Journey

It's been a while since I've written about the Royals on here. If you haven't known yet, I've started writing Fantasy Baseball articles for a company. What an interesting 64 games it has been so far for the Kansas City Royals. 32-32. 3rd place (3 games back) in the Central, 2 games out of the Wild Card. We have seen an offensive struggle to score even a single run. We have seen a pitching staff make hitters look like they don't know what they're doing. And most importantly, the Royals took three out of four from the St. Louis Cardinals and two of three so far (game No. 4 on August 25th) from the New York Yankees. 

It's June 11th and the Royals are 32-32. Let that sink in. In May of 2013, the Royals won just 8 games while losing 20. Last month, the Royals went 12-17. Not great but it's better than last year. The month of May last season might have cost them the playoffs. So how big are 12 wins and only 17 losses in May? On June 11th, 2014, the Royals were 29-33 and 6.5 games back in the Central. 32-32 (not including today's game) and only 3 games back in the Central is certainly better. 

The Royals shouldn't worry though about standings at this point in the season, it's too early. They should continue to focus on hitting as a team, winning as a team, and striving to improve even more. 

2nd Week Recap for Kansas City Royals

Since my 1st week recap of the season, the Royals have gone from 4-4 to 10-9. They've managed to go from an ugly, struggling offense to one that has shown what they can do when properly performing on all cylinders. They did lose center fielder Lorenzo Cain to the 15-day DL with a grade 1 groin strain. At this time last season, the Royals were at 10-7 and held a 1 game lead in the AL Central. The next objective is to close out this month above .500 and play better baseball in May. Do not repeat May 2013 when the team when 8-20. In their last 11 games this season, the Royals have managed to get swept at Minnesota, sweep the Astros in Houston, and take 2 out of 3 at home against Minnesota. They're in the middle of a four game series at Cleveland. Cleveland took the first game despite a Royals offense that hit .342. The Royals showed the true force of their offense in Game 2 as they defeated the Indians behind excellent pitching and a functional offense. James Shields, the ace of the pitching staff, threw six innings, allowed 2 runs (1 earned), walked one, and struck out 9 (21 in his last two starts) on 106 pitches. The bullpen threw three scoreless innings, two by Danny Duffy and one by Aaron Crow. The offense fed off of each other and clicked like a timely, well designed clock. Yes, I did just say that.

Let me throw some numbers at you. The No. 1, 8, and 9 hitters combined for 4 BB and 4 H. Eric Hosmer, the essential power hitter for the Royals in the No. 3 hole, went 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, 3 runs scored, 1 RBI, and 0 SO. He is now batting .311 on the season with a .754 OPS. Billy Butler showed his true form with an RBI double that bounced off the top of the wall following a Hosmer double. Alex Gordon got into the scoring late with a 2-run double in the ninth. This is what you want from your 3-4-5 hitters; a combined .538 BA (7-for-13) for a game. Despite Salvador Perez's skid at the plate, No. 7 hitter Mike Moustakas behind Perez got the offense going with a 3-run laser shot to right. He has really picked up his game after starting off the season with nothing at all. 4 of the 8 runs for the Royals came with 2-outs, something that lacked for most of the season so far. Alcides Escobar has been the hottest hitter for the Royals in the last week. He stole his 3rd base of the season, boosted his BA to .317 with 2 hits, and continues to put on a highlight reel at shortstop. In the game alone, the Royals hit .342 (13-for-38) and had a .958 OPS. That is the offense that is continually need to win. Keep it up guys. You have even more potential.

2nd Week Royals Offensive MVP:Hands down, Alcides Escobar has been an offensive machine in the last week and a half. Since the team was 4-4 to start off the season, Escobar has managed to raise his BA from .185 to .317. In his last 11 games, Escobar has batted .416 (15-for-36) with 9 R, 5 RBI, 3 walks (in last 3 games), and struck out 8 times (4 in first 8 games). Lets not forget he is batting ninth. Ninth! He has a 5-game hitting streak right now. Atta boy Esky, keep it up.

2nd Week Royals Dominant Pitcher:Jason Vargas has exceeded many expectations according to 610 Sports Radio KC. I don't think anyone expected him to start off the season like this. But more power to him, just another reason why we went after him. In his last two starts, he has 14 IP (7 innings for both starts), given up 12 H, walked 4, struck out 8, allowed 1 homerun, and combined for a 1.44 ERA. He was unlucky with his loss at Minnesota where he gave up 2 runs but the bullpen mustered it and the team lost 4-3. In his second start at home against Minnesota, it was a different story. 7 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, and he lowered his ERA to 1.24 (3rd in the AL). The team gave him more run support with 5 runs. Kudos to Vargas.

The Royals upcoming schedule includes the finishing of a four game series at Cleveland, three games at Baltimore, and 6 games at home (3 against Toronto and 3 against Detroit).

*All statistics are from www.baseball-reference.com*

(@DSEnick_brown32)

1st Week Recap of Spring Training

A week of Spring Training baseball has come and gone. Your 2013 Cactus League Champions (KC Royals) are currently at 5-2 following a tie at home against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday March 6th. Although Kelvin Herrera gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in the top of the 9th, what matters the most is newly acquired Jason Vargas pitched three shutout innings, giving up 5 H and getting 1 K.  25 of his 34 pitches were strikes as he used his great defense behind him for 3 groundouts and 3 flyouts. James Shields has been James Shields during Spring Training so far. In 2 Spring starts, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He's only pitched 4 innings while giving up only 2 hits with opposing batters hitting .083 against him and his WHIP is .025. 

Game by Game Recap:
February 27th - Loss vs. Rangers (7-11)
February 28th - Win @ Rangers (11-1)
March 1st - Win vs. Padres (7-3)
March 2nd - Win @ Cubs (5-3)
March 3rd - Loss @ White Sox (7-9)
March 4th - Win vs. Reds (9-5)
March 5th - Win @ D-backs (6-5)
March 6th - Tie vs. Split-Squad White Sox (6-6)

As you can tell by the final scores, the Royals offense has been clicking on all cylinders. The Royals, as a team, have the highest BA so far in Spring Training (.332). They also have the highest OBP, SLG, and OPS, respectively with .386, .523, .909. Yes it's only Spring Training but it's a good sight to see. Team chemistry going into the regular season is big as it can help this team avoid another dreadful May. The Royals also lost Luke Hochevar, who was competing for the final rotation spot, to a sprained UCL. He will be rested and evaluated to find out if he needs Tommy John Surgery or not. The injury occurred on his second to last pitch against the White Sox on March 3rd.

Individual Stats Ranked by BA:

Player	Team	Pos	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG▼	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Ciriaco, P	SS	6	15	1	8	3	0	1	3	0	3	0	0	0.533	0.533	0.933	1.467
1	Perez, S	C	7	15	3	8	1	0	1	5	0	1	0	0	0.533	0.471	0.800	1.271
3	Donald, J	2B	8	15	3	7	0	0	0	1	2	2	1	0	0.467	0.529	0.467	0.996
3	Gordon, A	LF	6	15	5	7	2	2	0	5	1	2	0	0	0.467	0.500	0.867	1.367
5	Moustakas, M	3B	7	16	4	7	2	0	3	10	3	4	0	0	0.438	0.550	1.125	1.675
6	Cain, L	CF	6	15	2	6	1	0	0	3	2	1	0	0	0.400	0.444	0.467	0.911
6	Maxwell, J	RF	5	15	4	6	2	0	1	2	0	2	0	0	0.400	0.400	0.733	1.133
6	Moore, A	C	2	5	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0.400	0.400	0.400	0.800
9	Dyson, J	CF	5	11	4	4	1	0	0	2	3	2	1	0	0.364	0.500	0.455	0.955
10	Hosmer, E	1B	7	20	5	7	3	0	1	4	1	5	0	0	0.350	0.381	0.650	1.031
11	Butler, B	DH	6	18	4	6	0	1	0	2	1	5	0	0	0.333	0.368	0.444	0.813
11	Giavotella, J	2B	7	15	3	5	2	1	0	3	1	2	0	0	0.333	0.375	0.600	0.975
11	Infante, O	2B	2	6	2	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0.333	0.429	0.500	0.929
14	Laird, B	3B	6	10	2	3	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0.300	0.364	0.400	0.764
14	Peguero, C	RF	5	10	1	3	1	0	0	3	0	4	0	0	0.300	0.300	0.400	0.700
16	Bonifacio, J	RF	5	7	2	2	0	0	1	3	1	1	0	0	0.286	0.375	0.714	1.089
17	Colon, C	2B	7	15	1	4	1	0	0	3	0	2	0	0	0.267	0.267	0.333	0.600
18	Hayes, B	C	4	8	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0.250	0.333	0.250	0.583
18	Hernandez, G	CF	5	8	2	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0.250	0.300	0.250	0.550
18	Pena, F	C	3	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0.250	0.250	0.250	0.500
21	Aoki, N	RF	5	14	2	3	1	0	0	1	1	2	1	0	0.214	0.250	0.286	0.536
22	Adams, L	RF	4	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	1	1	0	0.200	0.429	0.200	0.629
23	Valencia, D	3B	8	16	4	3	0	0	1	1	1	5	0	0	0.188	0.235	0.375	0.610
24	Cuthbert, C	3B	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0.000	0.400	0.000	0.400
24	Graterol, J	C	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
24	Mesa, M	CF	4	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0.000	0.143	0.000	0.143
24	Orlando, P	LF	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0.000	0.333	0.000	0.333
24	Paredes, J	RF	5	7	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	0.000	0.125	0.000	0.125

*All statistics can be found on baseball-reference.com*

-Nick Brown (@DSEnick_brown32)

3 Things to Watch: Spring Training Edition

Spring Training 2014:

Pitchers and catchers have reported. Position players reported before they were required to. It's official. Spring Training games start this week. The Royals will face their Surprise Complex co-hosts, the Texas Rangers, at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, March 27th at 2:05 pm CT. Not that it really matter but the Royals will be the home team and the game the following day, they'll be the away team against the Rangers. The contingency of 60 players have started the process of loosening, oiling, and prepping the gears for the grind of the 162-game season.

The complete pitching assignments: (written by Dick Kaegel of MLB.com)

Thursday vs. Rangers - Bruce Chen, Danny Duffy, Donnie Joseph, Cory Wade, Guillermo Mota, Scott Alexander, and Kelvin Herrera.

Friday at Rangers - James Shields, Chris Dwyer, Jason Adam, Sugar Ray Marimon, Everett Teaford, Michael Mariot, and Tim Collins.

Saturday vs Padres - Jason Vargas, Brad Penny, Aaron Brooks, Aaron Crow, Greg Holland, and Jon Rauch.

Sunday at Cubs - Wade Davis, Yordano Ventura, John Lamb, Francisley Bueno, and P.J. Walters.

Monday, March 3rd, at White Sox - Jeremy Guthrie, Luke Hochevar, Justin Marks, and Louis Coleman.

3Things to Watch in Spring Training

1. Final Rotation Spot
Competitors include: Yordano Ventura, Danny Duffy, Wade Davis, Luke Hochevar, Chris Dwyer, Brad Penny, P.J. Walters, and Everett Teaford. The top three guys that have the best chances in claiming the fifth rotation spot, respectively, are Ventura, Duffy, and Davis. Hochevar proved last year he was bullpen material after multiple years of sluggish starts. The best spot for him is the bullpen. I don't see any other guys having a legitimate shot.

Yordano Ventura. If you were lucky enough to attend his Major League Debut, and only home start so far, on September 17th, 2013, you were somewhat disappointed. Not by Ventura but by the bullpen. Ventura pitched out of a few jams but was marvelous in his debut. Pitching 5.2 innings, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 3 SO, he was in line for the win until Kelvin Herrera allowed 2 earned runs in the 7th. The Royals ended up losing the game to Cleveland 5 to 3 but Ventura looked great. Overall, Ventura started 3 games in the final month of the season. His stat line of 15.1 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 6 BB, 11 SO, and 3.52 ERA are pretty decent numbers.

Danny Duffy made his MLB debut at 21 on May 18, 2011. He ended up making 20 starts during the season, compiling a 4-8 record along with a 5.68 ERA. Tommy John Surgery to his left elbow in 2012 limited him to starting just 6 games. In his 3 years of Major League experience, Duffy is 8-10 with a 4.75 ERA in 157.1 IP. Granted he was limited by injuries and not backed by much offense. If he is able to stay healthy throughout Spring Training this year, I think he has a legitimate shot at the fifth rotation spot. But only if he is healthy throughout Spring Training.

I'm still a fan of the Wade Davis acquisition. Don't let his stats from 2013 throw you off. Yes he went 8-11 with a whopping 5.32 ERA between the bullpen and as a starter. You can argue that he is better as a bullpen when he went 3-0 in 70.1 IP and a 2.43 ERA in 2012 with Tampa Bay. What is the definition of a winning team? Above .500. Wade Davis is a "winning pitcher". His career numbers are 36-33 (.522) but with a 4.26 ERA (kind of high) in 88 starts. If he struggles this year as a starter, just move him to bullpen again and have Duffy or Hochevar fill in. But don't let me pitch half the season with a roller coaster of quality and poor starts. 

Career numbers that matter:
                             
Yordano Ventura: 0-1 record, 3.52 ERA, 3 GS, 15.1 IP, 13 H, 6 ER, 6 BB, 11 SO, 1.239 WHIP.
Danny Duffy: 8-10 record, 4.75 ERA, 31 GS, 157.1 IP, 164 H, 83 ER, 83 BB, 137 SO, 1.570 WHIP.
Wade Davis: 36-33 record, 4.26 ERA, 88 GS, 594 IP, 605 H, 281 ER, 225 BB, 455 SO, 1.397 WHIP.
Luke Hochevar: 43-61 record, 5.10 ERA, 128 GS, 841.1 IP, 866 H, 477 ER, 274 BB, 613 SO, 1.355 WHIP.

Luke Hochevar, the man with a beard. Drafted in 2006 (1st Round, 1st Overall Pick) as a starter, has had some decent years and beyond poor years. In 2011, Hochevar went 11-11 in 31 starts but had a 4.68 ERA. Way, way too high. During his first campaign as a bullpen guy in 2013, Hochevar compiled a 5-2 record in 70.1 IP. His ERA was 1.92, the lowest it's ever been. His average ERA from 2007-2012 was 4.90. Does that not prove he should be in the bullpen? Bring the big guy (6' 5") out of the bullpen to shut down hitters late in games.

2. The New Moose
Mike Moustakas used the "off season" as a conditioning transition to what he calls the new Mike. Most guys spend the off season either hunting, golfing, relaxing, or doing what they can't do during the season. Not Moose. He spent part of his off season in the Venezuelan League playing under hitting coach Pedro Grifol. They worked on his hitting approach, plate discipline, and one important factor. One of the most important changes in Moustakas' offensive approach for 2014 will be not pulling the ball every time. He is transitioning like Hosmer did last season into driving the ball to the opposite field. This should help raise his BA, increase H, and lower SO. I wanted him during Spring Training in 2013 and he looked good but things changed during the season. He tried too much, plain and simple. If he is able to do things with his bat like he can with his glove, things will be looking up.

3. Final Outfield Spots
Justin Maxwell, Jarrod Dyson, Carlos Peguero, and Jimmy Paredes are going to battle it out for the fourth and fifth outfield spots. All contenders are worthy of the spots. Yet all have the same thing to lose. Maxwell, Dyson, Peguero, and Paredes are all out of minor league options. Ned Yost has ruled out the possibility of an 11-man bullpen while Dyson is expected to be an "insurance" for CF Lorenzo Cain. Dyson has what all the contenders have but a little bit more. Speed. Dyson stole 34 bases last season while only getting thrown out 6 times. For his career, he has 84 SB and 13 CS. Pretty good numbers.Putting that speed in center field is any manager's dream. But honestly, I don't think Dyson is as great defensively as he could be. The battle for the fifth outfield spot should be between Maxwell and Peguero. Both have spower (speed and power) that will help the Royals since they lacked power most of last season. I don't see Paredes contending that well for the fifth spot. Not get me wrong, Paredes is a great ball player but he lacks hitting for average and power. His 3 years in the Majors only shows a .234 BA and only 3 HR. The way the last home game of the season went in 2013, I think Maxwell has the edge with his walk-off grand slam. But if Peguero can prove to be a lethal threat with his power in Spring Training, I'd be surprised if he gave Maxwell a run for his money.

Let the career numbers speak for themselves:

Justin Maxwell - .228 BA (hit .268 in 35 games for the Royals in 2013), 27 HR, 79 RBI, 26 SB (8 CS), 99 BB, .745 SLG in parts of 5 seasons in the NL/AL.

Carlos Peguero - .195 BA, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 1 SB (1 CS), 10 BB, 380 SLG in parts of 3 seasons with Seattle.

Bold Prediction: Maxwell is fifth outfielder.

-Nick Brown (@nick_brown32)

*All statistics are from www.baseball-reference.com*
*Complete pitching assignments originally reported by Dick Kaegel of MLB.com*

From FanFest to Spring Training

"Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, the answer is on the box but you have to fit the pieces together yourself."

To many, FanFest is the unofficial starting countdown to Spring Training. This year, FanFest was a two-day event at Bartle Hall and it certainly didn't disappoint. Besides more opportunities to obtain autographs, the best addition was overall space. Those of you that braved the winter mix of snow and ice for the first day of FanFest probably scored on autographs as much as I did. James Shields, Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, etc. Friday's attendance was roughly 3,000 along with over 8,000 on Saturday. I only attended Friday and it was a success for me. Scored a bunch of autographs on game used memorabilia that players gave to me during the season (especially Salvy's bat from batting practice). I was able to get Yordano Ventura's autograph on his 2014 Topps Series 1 Rookie Card. 

Wins and losses don't matter much for Spring Training but the Royals will defend their Cactus League title from last year (25-7-2) when they take on their Surprise Stadium counterparts, Texas Rangers, on February 27th at 2:05 pm CST. 

During FanFest, Bruce Chen was signed to a one-year contract for $4.25 million with a mutual option for 2015 of $5.5 million, with a buyout of $1.25 million. On top of that, Yost positioned Chen as #4 in the starting rotation behind Shields, Guthrie, and Vargas, respectively. He finished strong as a starter, beginning the season in the bullpen, but coming to the rescue as Mendoza struggled. that leaves the final rotation spot up for grabs. The competition that'll be contending for it? Danny Duffy, Wade Davis, Yordano Ventura, Kyle Zimmer, and Luke Hochevar. I predict that Ventura or Duffy will claim the final rotation spot to start the year. Ventura went 0-1 in three starts with a 3.52 ERA and 11 K in 15.1 IP. He could have gone 2-0 but the bullpen allowed runs late following a quality start at home. Duffy started five games and went 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA and 22 K in 24.1 IP. I can see Hochevar, Davis, and Zimmer starting at some point during the season if there are injuries or inconsistent starts.

If you haven't seen Yost's, presumably set, lineup for Opening Day, it looks like a real MLB lineup. Compared to last year's, it doesn't really need to be tampered with when it comes to left-handed pitching. The batting order includes left-handed or right-handed and each player's career BA (batting average) and OBP (on-base %) for that batting order position . MLB BA average for 2013 was .253 and OBP was .318.

1. Norichika Aoki (L)- .296 BA and .367 OBP (main batting order position in career)
2. Omar Infante (R) - .444 BA and .500 OBP (only 2 games batting 2nd)
3. Eric Hosmer (L) - .322 BA and .372 OBP (.279 BA and .324 OBP when batting 4th)
4. Billy Butler (R) - .283 Ba and .391 OBP (.303 BA and .454 OBP when batting 3rd)
5. Alex Gordon (L) - (never has batted 5th, in 119 games as lead-off .255 BA/.323 OBP) 
6. Salvador Perez (R) - .333 BA and .345 OBP (only 16 games batting 6th)
7. Mike Moustakas (L) - .233 BA and .268 OBP (only 34 games batting 7th)
8. Lorenzo Cain (R) - .500 BA and .545 OBP (only 3 games batting 8th)
9. Alcides Escobar (R) - .282 BA and .297 OBP (only 46 games batting 9th)

A lead-off hitter is one of the most important components of a successful lineup. In my opinion, the part of this lineup that's most prominent is the decision of the #3/4 hitters. I agree with Yost's decision for Hosmer as the #3 hitter instead of Billy Butler. After Hosmer's second half  surge last season, it's obvious that he deserves the #3 hole. Hosmer was batting .285 in the 1st half and .323 in the 2nd half. His numbers across the board in wins last year proves that he should be the #3 hitter, especially with our two newest additions for lead-off and #2 (Aoki and Infante). (Link for Win/Loss stats - http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=hosmeer01&year=&t=b#outcb)

For 2014, I expect Mike Moustakas to have a career year. I expect him to excel in every statistical category. He has been working out during the entire off-season. He got married (sorry ladies), which should mature him quite a bit. He has been playing games in the Venezuelan League with hitting coach Pedro Grifol, where he has completely changed his approach and swing. The biggest factor that should help him improve is his new approach of not pulling the ball anymore. Watching games last year, Hosmer didn't pull the ball as most lefties do. He was hitting opposite bombs and doubles in the left-center field gap.

Alex Gordon. Where do you even begin with him? Guys still won't learn to NOT run on him. Offensively, I expect a better year than last season when he hit .265 with 20 HR, 81 RBI, and only 27 2B (compared to his league leading 51 2B in 2012).

Salvador Perez. The Venezuelan Cannon behind home plate. 1st Gold Glove of many. Gunning down runners than underestimate him. I see him having another great season after his first full season last year.

*All statistics are from www.baseball-reference.com *

Spring Training Home Schedule 2014

• February 27th vs Rangers (2:05 pm CST)
• February 27th vs Rangers (away team - 2:05 pm CST)
• March 1st vs Padres (2:05 pm CST)
• March 4th vs Reds (2:05 pm CST)
• March 6th vs White Sox (2:05 pm CST)
• March 7th vs Giants (2:05 pm CST)
• March 9th vs Rockies (3:05 pm CDT) *Note the time change from daylight savings
• March 11th vs Dodgers (3:05 pm CDT)
• March 14th vs Athletics (3:05 pm CDT)
• March 15th vs Cubs (Split Squad - 3:05 pm CDT)
• March 17th vs Rangers (8:05 pm CDT)
• March 19th vs Reds (8:05 pm CDT)
• March 20th vs Angels (3:05 pm CDT)
• March 22th vs Rangers (3:05 pm CDT)
• March 25th vs Mariners (8:05 pm CDT)

All home/away games except March 5/8/13/14/15/20/21/22 are available on KCSP 610, MLB.com, or the MLB At Bat app.

Spring Training is right around the corner! Only 10 more days until Royals pitchers/catchers report and 15 more days until the first full squad workout!

-Nick Brown (@nick_brown32)