The Royals fans are excited after the Royals had their first winning season since season 2 and their best record since the 117 win team in season 1. After a disappointing loss in the wild card round last season the Royals are looking to take it to the next level. Anything less than a playoff series victory would come as a disappointment after adding Sanders, Dong, & Bunch from the Austin Franchise at the cost of some highly touted prospects. With the pressure on and the element of surprise gone, the Royals expect to make the playoffs with 90-95 wins and probably as a wild card again. Here is your season 10 Kansas City Royals by position.
C - Wascar Sanchez will man the tools of ignorance again this season. He was an All Star at the position last season and should be in the running for years to come. Hector Campbell is the backup. He is good enough where there was some thought to letting him start. Sanchez' bat said no.
1B - Dallas Payton will move from leftfield to man firstbase. He had MVP like numbers last season and we can expect more of the same from him.
2B - Spud Hoyt will start at secondbase. Spud had an off year last season and the team hopes that he will return to form this year. If it wasn't for the great season the team had I would be more concerned about his production. I believe spud will see an All Star game or two before his career is done.
3B - Charlie Stone will start at thirdbase. He was an All Star last season at the position and management had intended to move him to SS this season. Since Fernandez also made the All Star team he will remain at 3rd for now. There may not be enough room on the guys mantle for all his awards when his career is through.
SS - Oswaldo Fernandez will start at shortstop. He was an All Star last season after being only expected to warm the spot for Stone. The Royals expect a solid contribution from him again, but I think an All Star repeat is a stretch.
LF - Ramon Dong will start in leftfield. The Royals expect what Dong has done pretty much all his career. He will be an on-base machine and could approach 50 doubles in Kansas City. Management think hes a perfect fit.
CF - Sidney Kotsay is the starting centerfielder. He was an All Star last season and the Royals expect he will be in the running at the position once again. After signing a 2 year contract, pressure is on management to sign him to an extension.
RF - Kyle Forster will start in rightfield. He was aquired late last season from St.Louis and may be an All Star or at least in the running with a full season this year.
DH - John Bang/Art Peters will share the DH spot this season. Either could start full time and probably post All Star numbers. Bang will get lefties and Peters will get the righthanders. The two combined for 22hrs 136rbis & 350.+ avg. last season. The Royals expect more of the same this year.
SPs - Rico Dali, Victor Guzman,Chad Sanders, & Frank Kim form a solid and young rotation anchored by the vet Sanders. The Royals are expecting 12-15 wins out of each.
LR/Spot Starters - Fernando Gonzalez & Orlando Delgado will be the long relievers and get a start now and then. Delgado may have an all star game in his future and Gonzalez is consistent.
Bullpen - Louis Bunch & Bill Roth will be the setup men. Both are solid, durable, veteran relievers. Miguel Owen will return as closer and hopes to duplicate the season he had last year. (He was an All-Star)
Bench - Duke Crawford, Ruben Reyes, Francis Guerrero, & Thomas Schmidt form a useful and great hitting bench. Guerrero & Schmidt could probably start somewhere and it'll be tough to see them have to ride the pine.
The Royals are excited about the upcoming season but are prepared for a battle. With strong teams like New York, Toronto, Monterrerey, and Vegas in the way and still the teams to beat, the Royals will have their work cut out for them. Kansas City expects to return as a wild card and hopes to advance beyond that first series.
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