Royals Win Total Prediction
After hitting the .500 mark in the 2016 season, will the Kansas City Royals take a step back this year, or get back to making a run at the playoffs?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Royals have been given an over/under of 77 wins for the 2017 season. The Royals are also listed with 50/1 odds while also getting 25/1 odds to win the ALCS.
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The Royals are just a few years removed from a World Series but are coming off a letdown season in 2016 when it went 81-81. Ned Yost returns to the team for his eighth season as manager. The team was dealt a big blow in the offseason as pitcher Yordano Ventura was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. Aside from the emotional blow, Ventura had 11 wins on the mound with a 4.45 ERA last season. He was set to enter his fourth full season in the MLB.
The Royals didn’t do much to improve their lineup from last season, as most of the same players remain. Eric Hosmer is the team leader and coming off a 25-HR, 104-RBI season in 2016, but he hit just .266. Kendrys Morales led the 2016 squad with 30 home runs, but he is now with the Blue Jays. Catcher Salvador Perez had 22 HR and 64 RBI in 2016, but he is dealing with a knee injury he suffered in the World Baseball Classic.
Ian Kennedy is back to lead the pitching staff after going 11-11 in 2016 with a 3.68 ERA. He had 184 strikeouts with 66 walks. Edinson Volquez, who had 10 wins last year, moved on to the Marlins, but Danny Duffy is a returning starter. He went 12-3 in 2016 with a 3.51 ERA over 26 starts. Kelvin Herrera emerged as the closer last year after Wade Davis was shipped. He had 12 saves last year with a 2.75 ERA and 86 strikeouts.
After three straight winning seasons, the Royals finally stepped back a little in 2016, but that could be expected after winning a World Series in 2015. The Royals just don’t seem to have the talent to compete this year. The Red Sox have loaded up in the East and KC has to battle with Cleveland and Detroit in the Central as is. Their lineup isn’t going to produce a lot of runs and their starting pitching isn’t overpowering enough to compensate for that. Look for the Royals to take another step back this season.
2017 MLB SEASON WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: KANSAS CITY ROYALS UNDER 77