Kansas City Royals: mlb FUTURES & BETTING ODDS

KANSAS CITY ROYALS 2021 OUTLOOK

Outside of a two-year period of great success in the last decade, the Royals have been in a weird spot where they have talented players but cannot seem to generate consistent success. The club has finished above .500 only three times (2013-15) since 1994. 

Despite losing Alex Gordon to retirement, the team still has some decent offensive pieces, many of whom remain from the 2015 World Series run. The pitching corps is not as impressive, however, even though there are some good players working their way up through the system in the minor leagues, including Asa Lacy, who is a 6-foot-4 lefty. He was the No. 4 pick in last year's draft, so it's unlikely that he'll be in the majors this season. 

Mike Matheny enters his second season as manager after replacing the retired Ned Yost after the 2019 campaign. Matheny led St. Louis, Missouri's other Major League Baseball team, to a World Series berth in 2013 but struggled in prior years before being fired by the Cardinals. 

2021 Featured Players

The names on offense will sound familiar: Salvador Perez as catcher, Carlos Santana will be playing first base after being acquired as a free agent, and outfield Whit Merrifield remains from the 2015 championship team. Michael A. Taylor comes over from Washington to take an outfield spot, and infielders Hunter Dozier and Adalberto Mondesi have had success. Nicky Lopez (second base) and Franchy Cordero (left field) are projects, and Jorge Soler should contribute some power from the designated hitter role. 

The rotation leaves much to be desired, as Danny Duffy and Mike Minor are projected to be the top two pitchers in the rotation. Brad Keller isn't a flashy pitcher when it comes to strikeouts, but he's the pitcher with probably the most upside due to his ability to break bats and frustrate hitters. The bullpen was solid last year, converting 19 of 20 save chances, and former closer Greg Holland is back in the fold to see if he can recapture his past success. 

Bet on the Kansas City Royals! Kansas City Royals Odds for 2021

The Royals are not expected to be a playoff contender in the deep American League Central, so a bet on the Kansas City Royals will net you some decent cash if they were to surprise people in 2021. The Royals are tied with fellow Central team Detroit at 100/1 odds to win the World Series. The Kansas City Royals odds to win the American League stand at 40/1, and a bet on the Kansas City Royals to secure an American League Central crown also will payout at 40/1. 

Royals Logo, Uniform & Stadium History

Outside of the success of 2014-15 when the Royals went to back-to-back World Series, winning in 2015, the team is mostly known for their success in the 1980s. They went to the Fall Classic in 1980, lost in the playoffs in '81 and '84, and won the World Series over St. Louis in seven games in 1985. That team was managed by Dick Howser and featured Hall of Famer George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Mike Gubicza, and Willie Wilson. Yost managed the 2015 World Series winners that, along with some of the current players, had Mike Moustakas, Ben Zobrist, Lorenzo Cain, and Alcides Escobar. 

The Royals play at Kauffman Stadium, named after original owner Ewing Kauffman, which is famous for its fountains and waterfalls in the outfield and a large scoreboard in centerfield that's adorned by a crown that's also on the Royals' logo. 

Uniforms feature a royal blue cap with an interlocking KC on the front. The home uniforms are all white with "Royals" written across the front in royal blue. The road jerseys are gray with "Kansas City" written across the front. There are two alternate uniforms: A light-blue home jersey top and a royal blue road top with the interlocking KC on the left side of the jersey in place of the city name. 

2020 Record: 26-34, Fourth Place in American League Central