Bob Lutz: Royals have been the best team in baseball for a while now
On July 23 of last season, the Kansas City Royals were plodding along at 50-50. Their fans were growing restless and relatively few of them were showing up at Kauffman Stadium.
Another season’s promise was spinning its wheels and the Royals appeared destined to miss another postseason.
Then somebody dropped a match in a gas tank.
Nothing has been the same since. The Royals, of course, went on the win an American League wild card playoff spot and proceeded to zip through the playoffs, winning their first eight games before finally being stopped by the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series with the tying run at third base.
And Kansas City has picked up where it left off, playing the best baseball in the American League for most of the 2015 season. This team jelled behind great defense, timely hitting and a lock-down bullpen.
If anything, the Royals are better than the team that blitzed Oakland, the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore in the AL playoffs last season. Their hitting has been more consistent and trade-deadline acquisitions Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist have filled the holes the Royals might have had.
Since July 23, 2014, Kansas City has the best record in baseball, just ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals look like the team to beat in the American League, although that club in Toronto is making some folks nervous.
It’s interesting to see how other teams in MLB have fared since July 23 of last season, especially those who are battling the Royals in the American League Central. Here’s a ranking of the 30 teams from best to worst, including the 2014 postseason.
1. Kansas City Royals 118-71 .624
2. St. Louis Cardinals 110-69 .615
3. Los Angeles Dodgers 102-74 .580
4. Pittsburgh Pirates 99-73 .576
5. Washington Nationals 100-79 .559
6. Baltimore Orioles 101-80 .558
7. Los Angeles Angels 97-80 .548
8. Chicago Cubs 95-79 .546
9. New York Yankees 93-80 .538
10. San Francisco Giants 98-86 .533
11. Toronto Blue Jays 92-82 .529
11. New York Mets 92-82 .529
13. Houston Astros 89-86 .509
14. Cleveland Indians 86-86 .500
15. Seattle Mariners 87-88 .497
16. San Diego Padres 87-89 .494
17. Tampa Bay Rays 85-88 .491
18. Detroit Tigers 88-92 .489
19. Texas Rangers 82-90 .477
20. Minnesota Twins 80-94 .460
21. Chicago White Sox 78-93 .456
22. Arizona Diamondbacks 76-96 .442
23. Oakland Athetlics 77-100 .435
24. Atlanta Braves 75-99 .431
25. Cincinnati Reds 74-98 .430
26. Miami Marlins 75-100 .429
26. Philadelphia Phillies 75-100 .429
28. Boston Red Sox 74-100 .425
29. Colorado Rockies 72-99 .421
30. Milwaukee Brewers 73-101 .420