First off sorry for the delay in getting another update. Work has been busy and just been playing sparingly the past few weeks. But here is a good update for you all!
Royals are Rolling heading into Interleague Play!!
If the Royals are not on fire so far this season, there is no such thing as being on fire in sports. After 56 games in the 2011 season, the Royals are sitting at 37-19 and have the best record in baseball by two games. The next best team is the Cincinnati Reds with a 36-21 record.
We had known for years now it was only a matter of time before the Royals rebuilding project would blossom and this is the year. They are currently seven games up on the second place Minnesota Twins and ten games up on the third place White Sox.
The one major reason for the domination from the Royals has to be their starting rotation and bullpen. Their pitching has always been their biggest weakness but not this year. Leading the way is prized free agent pickup
Joe Blanton. So far he is 7-0 with a 2.59 ERA. He currently leads the AL in ERA and VORP with a 23.1
"Its just been a special year so far. When I signed with KC I knew they were just missing that one piece to the puzzle and I am delighted to hopefully be that piece. I am throwing the ball with confidence and my arm feels great." stated Blanton before yesterdays game.
Also leading the charge for the Royals are starters
Blake Hawksworth(6-3, 2.92),
Cleo Garrido(4-1, 2.70) and
Paul Valtierra(5-1, 2.89). Even
Bobby Brownlie is turning in another masterful first half of the season with a 6-1 record and 4.18 ERA.
Below are the pitching stats heading into interleague play:
And lets not forget about the always deadly Royals offense and this year is no exception. Minus batting average and hits, they are leading every statistical category possible.
Leading the way for the Royals this year has to be catcher
Gene "Boom Boom" Marquez and first baseman
Melvin "Butterball" Colmenares. With these guys batting two and three in the lineup its a first inning that every starting pitcher fears.
Marquez leads the league in OBP with an astonishing .463 mark. He is also batting .343 with 12 home runs. Colmenares in the three spot is currently hitting .278 and leads the team in home runs with 15. He is on pace to hit over 45 home runs this year.
And not to be forgotten is short stop
Rudolph Shaeffer. To many fans, Rudolph is easily the team MVP this season. He is second in the AL with a .353 average and carries a .413 on base percentage. Shaeffer also leads the Royals with 47 RBI's while batting in the fourth spot. Amazing what numbers you can put up with Boom Boom and Butterball on base nearly half the time.
The other sleeper on the team would have to be the Designated Hitter
William Quattlebaum. He has come out of his early season slump and is currently sitting at .314/.368/.565 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI's.
For the longest time the Royals tried putting Quattlebaum in the leadoff spot but it just never worked. "I was just never comfortable in that spot. I had the same problem in the minors and it carried over. Its probably all in my mind but I will gladly bat fifth behind these guys and have a smile on my face everyday." said William when reached on his cell phone.
The one sore spot on the offensive side of the ball would have to be ex-Rookie of the Year Award Winner
Santiago Rao. The speed demon has struggled all season long and is showing no signs of breaking out of it. A couple of scouts are wondering if he was just a flash in the pan but only time will tell. No matter what happens to Rao there will always be a place on a team for him because he is blessed with the fastest legs ever. He currently has 30 stolen bases and is ranked second in the AL.
But at the end of the day, with the Royals having such a high powered offense they can afford to let Rao bat at the bottom of the order and work out his kinks. If he ever does break out of it, watch out folks.
Below are the hitting statistics heading into interleague play:
With the Royals just dominating the American League this year, the one question remains. Can they dominate the National League also. They did draw a huge break and have the first six games of interleague play in Kansas City. They will have to go 4-2 or even 5-1 for it to be a success. A 3-3 split will not cut it.
Here are this years interleague opponents: Philadelphia Phillies(29-27), Washington Nationals(20-37), New York Mets(33-23), Atlanta Braves(25-31), Arizona Diamondbacks(20-37) and San Diego Padres(35-21).
They face a good mix of teams and it should be an interesting month of interleague play. Lets go Royals!!!