One year ago, the KC Royals were defending World Champions. While PECOTA, and most other publicly available projection systems predicted a below .500 finish, pundits around the league considered those predictions something of a joke. Generally, the Royals were expected to contend. Most considered the Chicago Cubs the World Series favorite, but Kansas City was at least viewed as a threat.
Now, pretty much the only people who believe in the Royals reside in the Kansas City area—or at least within their extended regional market. Manager Ned Yost told the Kansas City Star that he has a good team.