Record: 36-26, 2nd in AL Central
Yeah, yeah. Bobby Witt Jr. has a shot at a second straight 30-30 homer season, and the Royals offense leads MLB with a .310 average with runners in scoring position.
Where the Royals have really improved on last year's 106-loss dud, though, is on the mound. Their ERA is down from 5.17 to 3.60, with the starters leading the way with a 3.17 ERA. And once Michael Wacha is back, the rotation won't have any weak links.
Setting aside how the offense doesn't go very deep and how the bullpen has been vulnerable, the bigger reason to doubt the Royals has to do with who they've beat up on. To wit, 23 of their 36 wins have come against teams with losing records.
