Everyone is waiting for the corner -- the one where the Kansas City Royals will make the turn and move from their losing ways to winning ways and the dividends of a major investment in the farm system will reap rewards on the major league level. Those days might be sooner than you'd believe.
The starting pitching is still a mess. There are still holes in the line-up. And there's no way the Royals match up well with their major division foes from top to bottom at this point. But the young call-ups like Johnny Giavotella and Eric Hosmer among others are making their presence felt day after day in the line-up and the momentum is carrying them to an above .500 record since the MLB All-Star Break. With yesterdays 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, the Royals are now officially 12-11 since the ASB, and that bodes well for the stretch run when even more help will be coming in September.
Giavotella has certainly been an instant spark at the plate and should provide a great bat in the middle infield, a place where the Royals have had historically poor standards in the line-up. As Mike Moustakas continues to adjust and Hosmer produces, it gives the Royals infield a very exciting future. The Royals will continue to look for pitching help to bring it all together, but a sunny second half would go a long way toward next season when the slate will be wiped clean.
A key seven-game road trip is coming up with four games in Tampa Bay and three games in Chicago. All will provide tough competition for teams wanting to make good in their respective races. However, it's also a chance for the Royals to show some grit away from Kauffman stadium and see how good these guys can be early on.