Jul 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; American League outfielder Lorenzo Cain (6) of the Kansas City Royals hits an RBI double against the National League during the fifth inning of the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
52-34(1st in the division, 1st in the AL)
What went right?
- The bullpen is as good as it was last year. Wade Davis carries a 0.46 ERA into the 2nd half.
- Kendrys Morales sports a .281 average with some solid pop.
- Mike Moustakas has shed the bust label partially with a career year in batting average.
- Lorenzo Cain has been in beast mode all season, He’s set a career high in home runs and is on pace for highs in stolen bases and runs batted in.
What’s gone wrong
- Losing Alex Gordon to an injury could hamper the team out of the gates.
- The supposed ace Yordano Ventura has really struggled with both pitching and maintaining his cool.
- The starting rotation has struggled to put up quality starts and rank 29th in MLB.
What should we expect in the 2nd half
The Royals have a 4.5 game lead over the surprising Minnesota Twins. I’ve been amazed as to how well they’ve played even without an ace on the staff. They will be buyers at the trade deadline but I can’t see them making a big splash as they operate on a smaller budget than most of the contenders. They won’t breeze through the second half but they will be playoff bound come October.