The Colorado Rockies’ Interleague matchup with the Kansas City Royals ended Sunday with the Rocks taking two out of three games. The Royals are last in the American League with only 34 wins, but like the Washington Nationals, the hype surrounding them has nothing to do with making the playoffs this season. They are both teams with an exciting stable of young talent.
But are the Kansas City Royals the team of the future?
Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas represent the future of the Royals at first and third
[caption id="attachment_25" align="alignright" width="369" caption="Royals First Baseman Eric Hosmer ; Photo by The Associated Press"]
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base. Hosmer was called up before Moustakas and hasn’t disappointed. If he can continue to contribute, Hosmer could challenge Seattle’s Michael Pineda for the AL Rookie of the Year. In only 51 games, he has hit 6 home runs and 31 RBI’s to go with a modest .274 batting average.
Super-agent Scott Boras has made it known that he wants to get Hosmer paid handsomely by comparing his future contract situation to those of Prince Fielder and Mark Teixeira. Boras has also told the media that he has no plans to negotiate a long-term contract to keep Hosmer in Kansas City.
Another Scott Boras client, Rockies Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, recently signed a long-term contract to stay in Denver (a relatively small market), so Hosmer leaving Kansas City isn’t a guarantee. Hosmer would be a valuable asset to any club and would put the Royals over the top if he were to stay.
Mike Moustakas is another skilled infielder who is still adjusting to the big league level so his numbers don’t really reflect his talent.
[caption id="attachment_24" align="aligncenter" width="650" caption="Royals Third Baseman Mike Moustakas ; Photo by Mark J. Terrill / The Associated Press"]
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Kansas City’s pitching staff also has a bright future with Aaron Crow, Blake Wood, and Greg Holland.
With all these rookies like Hosmer, Moustakas, and Crow, it is pretty easy to overlook some of the other young players on the Royals’ roster. Billy Butler, Alex Gordon, and Jeff Francoeur are by no means “old” as all are 27 or younger.
If the Kansas City Royals can keep their young talented core of players together are they the team of the future in the American League? Yes, but that could become a pretty big “if.”
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