Deposit Instantly Using Your Credit Card at Sportsbook.com!

2009 Kansas City Royals Odds & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

royals-22309 A fifth straight last place finish and a fifth 100-loss season in the last seven years appeared inevitable until the Royals gave fans a September to remember. The Royals will look to ride the momentum of an 18-8 September into this season. Its 18 wins were its most in a month since July of 2004. Now after a 75-win season, anything short of .500 in 2009 will be viewed as a disappointment. The Kansas City Royals are listed at +12,500 to win the 2009 World Series.

Pitching
At the time, many considered the $55 million deal the Royals agreed to with Gil Meche to be absurd. Now, the deal isn’t catching any heat as Meche has evolved into the ace of the staff. He was 14-11 with a 3.98 ERA on a losing team. To put this in perspective, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle was 15-12 on a team that won the division. Zack Greinke has perhaps the biggest upside in the rotation. He started to live up to the hype with a 13-10 mark and a 3.47 ERA last season. Kyle Davies was Kansas City’s September MVP, going 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA in the month. The Royals are hoping and praying that they have a big three with this core ready to explode onto the scene. Horacio Ramirez and Brian Bannister should round out the rotation.

All-Star closer Joakim Soria shows no nerves late in games as he is able to command four nasty pitches. He had 42 saves in 2008 and a minute 1.60 ERA. The Royals wanted a right handed flame thrower to join Soria in the pen and I’d say Kyle Farnsworth fits that mold. He has never lived up to his potential but he is an upgrade for the Royals.

Lineup
The Royals went offseason shopping and brought in veteran Coco Crisp to play center field in spacious Kauffman Stadium. I expect Crisp to put up solid numbers on a team that needs his output. Shortstop Mike Aviles was a pleasant surprise in his rookie season, hitting .325 after being called up from triple-A Omaha. The Royals are hoping his rookie season wasn’t a fluke. Royals fans are used to seeing left fielder David DeJesus in the lead-off spot, but he will drop down with Crisp in town. He hit .419 with runners in scoring position and we should really see his powers numbers explode in the No. 3 spot this season. Right fielder Jose Guillen boasts one of the quickest bats in the AL. He is coming off a 20 homerun, 97 RBI season. The Royals were looking to add some pop to the lineup and a left handed stick. They may have gotten both with first baseman Mike Jacobs. He had 32 homeruns and 96 RBIs in just 141 games for Florida a season ago. DH Billy Butler and third baseman Alex Gordon are my two favorite players on this team. Butler is young with a huge upside and while Gordon has put together a pair of solid seasons, he is yet to reach his potential. Catcher Miguel Olivo and two-bagger Alberto Callaspo likely finish out the starting lineup.

Prediction: 4th Place
With offseason moves to bring in Coco Crisp, Mike Jacobs, and Kyle Farnsworth, the Royals believe they are nearing the day when they can contend in the division. It looks like 2010 could be the year when they really turn some heads, but for now, avoiding the gutter two years in a row is making nice progress. There should be some solid value in backing the Royals as they continue to improve. The Kansas City Royals are listed at +1500 to win the AL Central.

Get ready for another strong MLB betting season with Jimmy Boyd’s baseball picks. We’ll tell you right now, the MLB odds makers don’t stand a chance this season.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

Written by Jimmy Boyd on February 23, 2009 · Filed Under Baseball Betting Articles, News & Previews

Comments

Got something to say?