Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Kansas City Royals Fantasy Outlook

Apr 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (8) is congratulated by first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) after scoring a run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The regular season is right around the corner. That means that my favorite Opening Day tradition will happen again this year: our Opening Day draft. Here are the last two teams for those of you that draft on Opening Day as well!

2015 Kansas City Royals Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Salvador Perez (.260, 17HR, 70RBI, 1SB)
1B Eric Hosmer (.270, 9HR, 58RBI, 4SB)
2B: Omar Infante (.252, 6HR, 66RBI, 9SB)
SS: Alcides Escobar (.285, 3HR, 50RBI, 31SB)
3B: Mike Moustakas (.212, 15HR, 54RBI, 1SB)
LF: Alex Gordon (.266, 19HR, 74RBI, 12SB)
CF: Lorenzo Cain (.301, 5HR, 53RBI, 28SB)
RF: Alex Rios (.280, 4HR, 54RBI, 17SB with Texas)
DH: Kendrys Morales (.218, 8HR, 42RBI, 0SB with Twins/Mariners)

Perez still put up quality numbers for a catcher year, but it was still short of expectations. Perhaps it was because the .260 average is far below what he put up in his first three seasons. He still set a career high in home runs and runs scored. It’s unfair to call his 2014 season a regression just because his average was a little lower. He won’t be 25 until May, so he probably hasn’t hit his peak yet. He is still a bargain at his current ADP of 122, and could perform far above his draft position.

Some scouts had projected Hosmer as a 20/20 player in the majors. That seems less and less likely with each passing year. He will hit for a very good average, but he only hit nine homers last year over a full season and stole four bases. He may just be a late bloomer like Alex Gordon was, but his defense and timely hitting fueled the run to the World Series for the Royals. He is only disappointing fantasy players at this point. His team is very happy with him. His lack of counting stats make him a hard sell for standard leagues. He is a great add in deep leagues to help your batting average.

Infante has never been a fantasy star, but he has always been a solid defender who hits for a decent average. Are you seeing a pattern here? Infante can largely be ignored for fantasy purposes unless you are in a deep league.

Escobar is a fantastic source for late steals in any fantasy format. He won’t hurt your average either. I have him targeted late in all of my drafts. There is a very real possibility that he could hit .280 and steal 40 bases. Most people who have that potential are going at a much higher premium.

Moose’s average has dropped in each of his four seasons, and his power has followed suit over his last three. He hit for great power in the minors, but he is 26 years old, so one would think that his time to prove himself in the majors is running out. Hunter Dozier is probably not going to ascend to the majors this year, but if Moustakas doesn’t prove that he can hit major league pitching this year, he will likely be out of a job next spring. He can be ignored in all fantasy formats until he gets on his one hot streak for the season.

Gordon is good at everything: power, speed, hitting, but he is an exceptional defender. That doesn’t help out a lot in fantasy, but he is not without value. A .270 hitter with 20 homers and 15 steals is worth a spot in the back of your standard league outfield.

Cain is not an elite base stealer, but there is a good chance that he can get close to 40 with a solid average. He won’t hit quite as well as Escobar does, but the both of them could score a good number of runs at the top of the Royals’ order. His value is essentially the same as Escobar’s. He is worth a late round add in any format if you need steals.

At age 34, it doesn’t appear that Rios has much power left. What he will do is hit for a good average and steal a few bases. I would expect him to hit more than the paltry four homers that he boasted last year, but don’t expect 20 in a season again. He is likely only worth a look in deeper leagues right now.

Kendrys Morales’s regression has been baffling. Before he broke his ankle celebrating a walk-off home run with the Angels in 2010, he was one of the elite hitters at first base. He has not come close to his numbers prior to that since. His power all but disappeared last year, but some of that had to do with playing in two pitcher’s parks in Seattle and Minnesota. He is worth a gamble in leagues of 12 or more teams in the late rounds just to see if he regains his power stroke, but don’t let him hurt your team. He likely won’t burn you if you cut him.

Next: How Does The Rotation Look?

Mar 10, 2015; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Greg Holland (56) on the mound during a spring training baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Surprise Stadium. The White Sox beat the Royals 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Kansas City Royals Projected Starting Rotation:

Yordano Ventura (14-10, 3.20 ERA, 159K)
Danny Duffy (9-12, 2.53 ERA, 113K)
Edinson Volquez (13-7, 3.04 ERA, 140K with Pittsburgh)
Jason Vargas (11-10, 3.71 ERA, 128K)
Jeremy Guthrie (13-11, 4.13 ERA, 124K)
Greg Holland (1-3, 1.44 ERA, 90K, 46/48 saves

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How will Yordano Ventura respond to being the staff ace in just his second season? His numbers bordered on elite in the minors, and he showed the ability to rack up strikeouts. He won’t be 24 until June, so there is reason to believe that he can evolve into an ace. The bad news for fantasy players is that it may not happen this year. Still, I think he is a great bargain in the 15th round where his ADP has him.

Duffy’s dominance in the bullpen over the 2013 and first part of the 2014 season followed him into the rotation. He doesn’t posses potentially elite strikeout numbers, but he arguably does for ERA. He might not post a 2.53 ERA again this year, but I would not be one bit surprised if his ERA stays below 3. He could be a great late round pick in standard leagues.

Volquez had the best year of his ten year MLB career last year in Pittsburgh. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that he can’t pull it off again in the AL Central. There is the usual red flag when a pitcher posts his best ERA and WHIP numbers in a contract year. The move back to the American League won’t help him either. I think he regresses to the point where he is only a streaming option in standard leagues.

Vargas is never going to wow you with numbers. He is a solid pitcher, but he never was, nor will he ever be anything more. He is boring for fantasy purposes, which s not so good for standard leagues, but Vargas is a good option in leagues of 12 or more teams.

Guthrie managed to hold off Chris Young (12-9, 3.65 ERA, 108K with Seattle) for the fifth starter spot, but if he struggles, Young will be right there to step in. Young was one of the more promising young pitchers in the league until injuries derailed him, but he can still be an asset if he winds up in the rotation. Both Guthrie and Young should only be used in deep leagues.

The Royals signed all of these veteran arms to short term contracts to bridge the gap until Sean Manaea, Kyle Zimmer, and Miguel Almonte are ready for the major leagues. We could see all three of them as soon as next year, so all of you dynasty players should keep an eye on them.

Holland moved into the upper echelon of closers. He posts elite strikeout numbers along with an elite ERA and number of saves. I tend to think that the Royals are going to have a hard time doing what they did last year, especially after losing James Shields, but Holland should be good for at least 40 saves again, and will likely be the second closer off the board in most drafts.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for our last team preview!

Next: Five Sleepers For Your Fantasy Baseball Team

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