The latest MLB Power Rankings are out over at ESPN and the Kansas City Royals can’t seem to climb out of the bottom third of baseball’s franchises. Even though the team is only 5.5 games out of first, that’s more of a sign of the poor divisional play in the AL Central than it is a testament to the Royals success. They were No. 24 last week and that’s where they sit this week.
David Schoenfield writes, “For the ninth season in a row, the Royals will have just one All-Star. At least Billy Butler is a little better than luminaries like Aaron Crow, Mark Redman or Mike Sweeney.”
The Royals are hoping to head into the All Star Break with some momentum with continued wins against the Blue Jays in their current series and three games against the rival Detroit Tigers before getting a few days off. A strong showing before the second half of the season would garner some attention for being a young team ready to get hot in the dog days of summer.