Kansas City RoyalsIn the 70's and 80's, the Royals were an American League powerhouse, led by homegrown stars like George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Frank White, and Dan Quisenberry. It was also during this time that guys like Bill James cut their teeth on new statistics that became the foundation of modern sabermetrics. While the Royals fell on hard times in the 90's, the industry that James helped spawned flourished. As the new millennium begins, the Royals are poised to rise again and because of the work of guys like Bill James, we will be able to appreciate them more fully.
The Royals come into the 2000 season with a very young but talented team. They have speed, power and defense. Last year's Rookie of the Year Carlos Beltran leads the charge. He was the first rookie since Joe DiMaggio to score and drive in 100 runs. While the numbers might be polluted a little due to the tremendous offensive surge over the past few years, they're still impressive. And it's not like the 30's were a pitcher's paradise. Regardless, Beltran is solid player and once he develops the plate discipline he showed in the minors, he'll be a perennial All Star 30/30 man. The Royals have several other young stars as well. Second baseman Carlos Febles is another in the Roberto Alomar mold of power and speed infielders. Mike Sweeney rose through the minors as a catcher, but was converted to firstbase/DH. This guy can flat out hit, a hitting package of average and power reminiscent of Ted Kluszewski: high average, big time power, few strikeouts. Outfielder Johnny Damon hasn't developed the power that many observers thought he would, but he's still young (26) and he is accomplished in all facets of the game. Outfielder Jermaine Dye has developed into a huge power source for the Royals. When he was traded by the Braves for Michael Tucker, many thought the Royals had been swindled. But the Kansas City faithful are having the last laugh now. Outfielder Mark Quinn is another good hitter that the Royals have developed who will make an impact. Third baseman Joe Randa began his career in Kansas City, got traded a few times and has made his way back to his original team. He doesn't possess the power that the other hitters have, but he's an excellent contact hitter with decent plate discipline. Shortstop Rey Sanchez is the designated defensive wiz in the line-up. Brian Johnson and Greg Zaun have some pop behind the plate but not much else. The line-up is young and impatient. But like the Expos, experience will cure the impatience and this team, the only one in the majors last year that had 5 players with runs created scores of 100+ (one of Bill James new equations to measure offensive prowess) will be a very impressive offensive squad. GRADE: 60
Defensively, the Royals are solid. Their outfield of Damon, Dye and Beltran is one of the most athletic outfields in the majors, all with above average range and all but Damon having good arms. Febles and Sanchez are good glovemen and Randa is about average. Sweeney is more of a DH. Quinn might be able to adjust to first base and allow Sweeney to DH full-time. The Royals catching is not particularly good with Johnson and Zaun. GRADE: 55
The Royals are developing some good starting pitchers but they're not there yet. Jose Rosado was nearly ruined by ex-manager Bob Boone's criminal overuse. He's showing signs of recovery and might yet become one of the best lefties in the league. Jeff Suppan is a refugee from the Red Sox organization. While his stuff doesn't dazzle, he has good control and a good feel for pitching. Jay Witasick and Chad Durbin both have above average stuff but are plagued by shaky mechanics and inconsistency. Mac Suzuki wore out his welcome in Seattle as a reliever, but is remaking himself as a starter in Kansas City. This staff has decent talent, but is not experienced enough to make a legitimate run at the post season, especially with the Tribe in the way. GRADE: 50
The bullpen gets interesting. Ricky Bottalico was brought in to be the closer. But he's just a year off arm surgery and still not completely back. So until he can be counted on fully, the Royals may get a look into their future at closer. Dan Reichert doesn't have the closer's velocity, but he has such movement on his pitches that some observers say it looks like he's throwing frisbees. Jose Santiago is a sinker/slider groundball pitcher who's more suited for set-up duties but could be a decent closer in a pinch. Ober Moreno is the prototypical closer with the mid-upper 90s fastball and the devastating slider. He's had some elbow problems but if he's fully recovered, Bottalico's stay in Kansas City could be a short one. Chris Fussell and well-traveled Jerry Spradlin round out the rest of the pen. GRADE: 55
GM Herk Robinson has gained a reputation similar to that of ex-Mariner GM Woody Woodward: a retard. Actually, that's a bit harsh because he has made a number of good moves. Just not as many as fans would like to see. He has done a good job of rebuilding the farm system and it's highly likely that the pitching will get a boost in the next couple of years from some of his recent draft picks, like Kyle Snyder and Jeff Austin. His weakness is clearly trading, though. Last year he gave up the staff ace, Kevin Appier, for a few relievers and this winter he gave up one of the better hitters in the KC minor league system, Jeremy Giambi, for Bret Laxton, who hasn't pitched well since winning the College World Series for LSU back in 1993. Manager Tony Muser hasn't really done anything to impress, although he hasn't abused his young starters the way his predecessor did, so that's a small plus. GRADE: 45