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Kansas City Royals Predictions / 2010 Season Preview

Shea Matthews weighs in with his Kansas City Royals 2010 Team Preview. Don’t be surprised if the Royals have enough legit pros to be competitive every night. Do your MLB betting with Cappers Picks MLB expert picks in 2010 and get ready to cash in big!

2010 MLB Predictions/Previews: Kansas City Royals

Hard to believe, as many of us watch the snow fall outside, that the Boys of Summer are almost back. But it’s true; teams have reported to 2010 Major League Baseball training camps and it’s time to start our team-by-team baseball gambling previews for the year.

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MLB Team Preview – Kansas City Royals

Wasn’t Kansas City supposed to be the next Tampa Bay?

That was the thinking among bettors entering 2009. The Royals had ended 2008 with baseball’s best September record and, like the Rays, they’d used their years of horrible play to stockpile big prospects – Alex Gordon, Zack Greinke, Luke Hochevar and Billy Butler, to name a few.

But instead of becoming last season’s breakout team, the Royals were a huge bust. Greinke and Butler were obvious bright spots but no one else made any strides. Is K.C.’s breakout just coming later than expected or is this team just going nowhere fast?

Looking up and down the Royals’ lineup, I see a veteran group of guys that won’t embarrass themselves plus one or two legit hitters. It reminds me of the Washington Nationals and that’s not a good thing. Scott Podsednik, David DeJesus, Rick Ankiel, Jose Guillen – all are capable major leaguers who would be fine fixtures at the bottom of a good team’s batting order. But the problem is that the Royals are depending on that group to fill out four of the top five spots. These guys simply aren’t going to get any better.

The Royals have to rest their hopes on big Billy Butler, who went from overhyped to breakout star last season. All he did was hit in the minors and it appears he’ll do so in the majors too. Most encouraging was his 21 homers and 93 RBI; the .301 average was a given but scouts were holding their breath hoping Butler would grow into his power and not end up a Dmitri Young/John Kruk-type player who lacks power despite his large frame.

Butler should continue to grow and may hit 100 RBI for the first time in 2010. However, if the Royals want to make any offensive strides, they need Alex Gordon to show up. Gordon, a former second overall pick, was supposed to be the next David Wright. Instead, he’s scuffled, hitting .250 and striking out 300 times in 334 games. He’s now 26 years old, approaching his “prime,” so the clock is ticking.

Kansas City’s pitching staff, while incomplete, is in better hands. Zack Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award last season and it was no fluke. His control was always outstanding but, now that he conquered anxiety issues and added velocity to his arsenal, he is absolutely dominant. Expect more of the same this season. Gil Meche is usually a capable No. 2 and is still young enough to bounce back after a disappointing 2009. Give him a mulligan.

The rest of K.C.’s rotation is a mystery. Brian Bannister is an interesting person but not very good pitcher.

If Kyle Davies was truly going to blossom, it would’ve happened by now. Like Gordon, Luke Hochevar is the guy on the hot seat on the pitching staff. Drafted first overall in 2006, he’s been a disaster, posting a 5.88 ERA. But there may be hope for him yet. Despite his hideous numbers, he did post a great strikeout rate in the second half of 2009, whiffing 80 batters in 85.2 innings.

In the bullpen, Juan Cruz and Kyle Farnsworth need to rediscover their past dominance. At least the ninth inning is safe if the Royals ever get there with a lead. Joakim Soria is arguably one of baseball’s top-five closers; he’d be a household name if he pitched for a different team and I can only assume he’ll cash in bigtime when he hits free agency.

The Royals have enough legit pros to be competitive every night, a few true stars, and a few boom-bust players. That puts them above the lowly Indians in my book but below the more predictable Twins, Tigers and White Sox in the American League Central.

Royals Prediction: Fourth, American League Central

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By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"