Basic Stats:
Final Record: 58-104
RS/G: 3.94 (25th)
RA/G: 5.14 (27th)
SB: 117 (6th)
ERA: 4.95 (29th)
Saves: 33 (28th)
Strikeouts: 1157 (29th)
RS/G - Runs Scored Per Game
RA/G - Runs Allowed Per Game
The Kansas City Royals are the next team up in our 2019 MLB Team Preview Series. With a record of 58-104, the Royals had their worst season since 2005 (.346 winning percentage). Current FanGraphs projections have the Royals improving slightly to a still below .500 mark of 72-90. Fortunately, from a fantasy baseball standpoint the Royals possess a few solid contributors. From a skills perspective the following players have what it takes to be rostered in our fantasy game. Team context must also be weighed however, as the Royals overall lineup continues to look weak aside from the aforementioned key contributors. While a weak lineup does not always translate into reduced counting statistics (runs and RBIs), it certainly adds a level of risk in reaching a satisfying return on investment.
The Superstar: Whit Merrifield & Adalberto Mondesi
Fantasy Baseball owners are constantly looking for the five category offensive contributor. When that player also has multi-position eligibility we quickly push him up our draft boards. Whit Merrifield (2B/OF) is the perfect example of this player. Merrifield owns enough power and speed skills to reach the 15/40 HR/SB level in 2019. A slow first half of the season against right-handed pitchers (.629 OPS) led to only four home runs before the break. An OPS of .849 versus right-handed pitchers and eight home runs during the second half helped to save his home run total. I expect six to nine home runs per half as a reasonable expectation for Merrifield next year. Low runs and RBIs may again be an issue for Merrifield. That said, last season we saw lower totals in these categories and Merrifield still finished 15th overall on the ESPN Player Rater. In the #2EarlyMocks I selected Merrifield 34th overall (ADP 42) - the earliest selection of all nine leagues.
Yes, a second Superstar. I’ll admit, I was originally going to write up Mondesi in The Guy to Avoidpost, however, that is not right. Mondesi could very well turn into a first round type of player next year. Think of 2019 as the last chance to acquire him somewhat cheaply. Just remember that there’s also a chance we’re treating Mondesi the same way we treated Jonathan Villar in 2017 following his amazing 2016 season. The only difference is that we have only half a season of Major League statistics to base our Mondesi love and projections on. That said, the projections are absolutely top-tier and if accurate, game-changing. 2019 Steamer Projections have the 23-year-old Mondesi’s fantasy line as: 597 PA | 73 R | 21 HR | 71 RBI | 42 SB | .252 - Depth Chart Projections like him slightly more based on additional plate appearances. I am hesitant simply based on the amount of swing-and-miss in Mondesi’s game, coupled with his low OBP, which I believe could fall lower without an approach change. Of course why change an approach that just produced 14 HR & 32 SB over 291 plate appearances?
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