Royals out to prove last season was no fluke
As projections for the upcoming season come trickling in, the Kansas City Royals are being treated like, well, the Kansas City Royals.
In other words, the Royals are being treated like a team that has little or no shot at making the playoffs.
Bovada in Las Vegas recently released updated predictions, and Kansas City is listed as a 28/1 favorite to win the World Series. Thirteen teams - including the White Sox, Tigers and Indians in the AL Central - have better odds.
Even worse, Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projection has the Royals going 72-90 this season.
Kansas City is used to getting no respect, but the Royals emerged as the darlings of major-league baseball last season while taking the eventual champion San Francisco Giants to Game 7 of the World Series.
And who can ever forget K.C. rallying from a 7-3 deficit in the wild-card game and beating the Oakland Athletics 9-8 in 12 innings?
Apparently, a lot of forecasters have either forgotten the Royals' remarkable run through the playoffs or filed it under fluke.
First baseman Eric Hosmer, one of Kansas City's many October heroes, was particularly peeved at PECOTA.
"Hearing that, you don't care about that because that's just ridiculous," Hosmer told the Kansas City Star early in spring training.
"For whoever to make that prediction, to come in here and tell a bunch of guys who have been through an experience like last year and went through a ride like that, to tell us we're going to win 72 games is just ridiculous."
Most of the doubt comes from the off-season losses.
Ace starting pitcher James Shields exited as a free agent and wound up signing with the San Diego Padres. Designated hitter Billy Butler was traded to the A's. Right fielder Nori Aoki signed with the San Francisco Giants.
Those are three notable subtractions, specifically Shields, but the cupboard is far from bare in Kansas City.
The Royals brought in Alex Rios, Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez to fill the three holes, and they still have Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar in the lineup.
They still have Yordano Ventura and Jason Vargas in the rotation, and the back end of the bullpen - closer Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera - remains one of baseball's best.
Rios and Morales should give Kansas City some needed power, but the Royals fared quite well last season despite finishing last in the American League with 95 home runs.
Speed, defense and a strong bullpen were Kansas City's primary strengths, and that figures to be the case again this year.
"We still have a lot to prove," Gordon told the K.C. Star. "You always hear about people predicting who is going to win the AL or who is going to win the Central. And, really, we're not on the list. You still have your doubters. But I think everyone in here still feels confident that we're going to make October."