Twenty-three years. Lots of things have happened in twenty-three years. One thing that hasn't happened though is a playoff appearance for the Kansas City Royals. 1985 was the last time they made the postseason, and in that postseason they defeated cross-state rivals the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first and only World Series crown.
The 2009 Kansas City Royals come into the season looking to snap that streak before it reaches twenty-four seasons. That charge will be lead by the ace of the Royals pitching staff,
Zack Greinke (13-10, 3.47 ERA). Greinke showed that he could be a very good pitcher for the Royals and live up to his All-Star potential he has showed for years.
Gil Meche (14-11, 3.98 ERA) will also pitch in as a proven arm in the rotation, but the back end of the rotation has many questions.
One part of the team without questions is the 8th and 9th innings.
Kyle Farnsworth (2-3, 1 SV, 4.48 ERA) will be the primary setup reliever for one of the premier closers in baseball,
Joakim Soria (2-3, 42 SV, 1.60 ERA). If the Royals have a lead with Soria coming into the game, you can almost surely put it in the win column.
The Royals are lead on the offensive side by their corner infielders, third baseman Alex Gordon (.260, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 19 SB) and first baseman Billy Butler (.275, 11 HR, 55 RBI). Both of these men are very young and are primed for breakout seasons. A big bat was added in the offseason when the Royals picked up their new designated hitter, Mike Jacobs (.247, 32 HR, 93 RBI). Jacobs will provide some power that wasn't there last season.
The Royals have been down for many seasons, but with an infusion of young talent, this could be the year that the Royals start to turn the corner. Make sure you are tuned in this year to Royals baseball, it's going to be a fun ride.
Kansas City Royals Roster
Starting Pitchers
23 Zack Grenike - 25 years old - 4 years, $38 million
13-10, 3.47 ERA, 183 K
55 Gil Meche - 30 years old - 5 years, $55 million
14-11, 3.98 ERA, 183 K - 1x All Star
28 Kyle Davies - 25 years old - 1 year, $1.3 million
9-7, 4.06 ERA, 71 K
34 Jamey Wright - 34 years old - 1 year, $800,000
8-7, 5.12 ERA, 60 K
19 Brian Bannister - 28 years old - 1 year, $1.7 million
9-16, 5.76 ERA, 113 K
Middle Relief Pitchers
61 Sidney Ponson - 32 years old - 1 year, $600,000
8-5, 5.04 ERA, 58 K
32 Ron Mahay - 37 years old - 2 years, $8 million
5-0, 3.48 ERA, 49 K
51 Robinson Tejada - 27 years old - 1 year, $400,000
2-2, 3.97 ERA, 45 K
45 Doug Waechter - 28 years old - 1 year, $640,000
4-2, 3.69 ERA, 46 K
Setup Relievers
40 Kyle Farnsworth - 32 years old - 3 years, $14 million
2-3, 1 SV, 4.48 ERA, 61 K
37 Juan Cruz - 30 years old - 3 years, $9.5 million
4-0, 2.61 ERA, 71 K
Closer
48 Joakim Soria - 24 years old - 6 years, $30.8 million
2-3, 42 SV, 1.60 ERA, 66 K
Catchers
22 Miguel Olivo - 30 years old - 2 years, $4.9 million
.255, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 7 SB
3 Brayan Pena - 27 years old - 1 year, $400,000
.286, 0 HR, 0 RBI
First Baseman
16 Billy Butler - 22 years old - 1 year, $421,000
.275, 11 HR, 55 RBI
Second Baseman
13 Alberto Callaspo - 25 years old - 1 year, $416,000
.305, 0 HR, 16 RBI, 2 SB
Third Baseman
4 Alex Gordon - 25 years old - 1 year, $457,000
.260, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 9 SB
Shortstops
30 Mike Aviles - 28 years old - 1 year, $425,000
.325, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 8 SB
8 Wilie Bloomquist - 31 years old - 2 years, $3.1 million
.279, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 14 SB
Left Fielder
9 David DeJesus - 29 years old - 6 years, $19.3 million
.307, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 11 SB
Center Fielder
2 Coco Crisp - 29 years old - 4 years, $23 million
.283, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 20 SB
Right Fielders
24 Mark Teahen - 27 years old - 1 year, $3.6 million
.255, 15 HR, 59 RBI, 4 SB
11 Jose Guillen - 32 years old - 3 years, $36 million
.264, 20 HR, 97 RBI, 2 SB
18 Brian Buchanan - 35 years old - 1 year, $400,000
No Major League Stats Last Season
Designated Hitter
17 Mike Jacobs - 28 years old - 1 year, $3.3 million
.247, 32 HR, 93 RBI, 1 SB