In late July of this season, I was assigned to cover a Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field. I hadn’t watched much of the Royals in 2015 until that game, where I realized how special this team was.
I was wondering what set them apart, what made 2014 not a fluke, and it was on display at the Cell that game. The Royals made impressive play after impressive play. Seemingly any ball that touched the infield was scooped up by a middle infielder. KC pounded Sox ace Chris Sale, sealing the victory with a spin play from shortstop Alcides Escobar, a fitting ending to an entertaining game. The Royals simply looked better than their opponent.
Now, the Kansas City Royals are back in the World Series.
Following an exciting playoff run in 2014, KC finds themselves up two games to none against the New York Mets.
The Royals trekked through the AL divisional and championship series’, beating both Houston and Toronto. Now, against New York, it seems as if Kansas City’s confidence has never been higher. But why could that be?
The Royals don’t have a superstar. They don’t have a standout player. Their bullpen is great, but a great bullpen doesn’t win championships. So what sets them apart?
The Kansas City Royals are the most fundamentally sound baseball team of our generation. They simply don’t shoot themselves in the foot. And when they do, they pick themselves right back up. In game one of the World Series, the Mets took the lead on an Eric Hosmer error in the eighth inning. Alex Gordon salvaged that mistake by blasting a game-tying homer in the ninth.
But this isn’t a one game case. Throughout the season, Kansas City has simply looked better than their opponent. FanGraphs’ Def metric labels the Royals twice as good on defense as any other team in baseball. Their 2015 mark of 56.9 stands third in the last three years….behind the 2014 Royals and the 2013 Royals. KC also leads the league in defensive UZR at 50.9, a metric they also led in 2013 and 2014.
But it doesn’t stop there. Kansas City, one thru nine, is an incredibly balanced lineup. The Royals landed second in all of baseball with a .269 team batting average. They also recorded the lowest strikeout rate (15.9%) in all of baseball.
“The Royals don’t have a weak spot,” said Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci on Colin Cowherd’s ‘The Herd,’ on Tuesday. He’s right. Nobody in Kansas City’s lineup had a regular season batting average of under .260. Not one pitcher on the Royals’ starting staff had an ERA of above 4.30 in 2015. And obviously, KC’s masterful bullpen needs no explanation to display their excellence.
If you simply look at the team statistics, you will see how balanced this Royals team is. But it’s visible when watching too. The Kansas City Royals are incredibly sound fundamentally and never give up. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a team like this rule baseball. Let’s enjoy this spectacle that is the Royals.
Charlie Clarke 