An easy way to spot a liar: find someone who claims they predicted before the season that the Kansas City Royals would win the American League pennant. The organization last played postseason baseball in 1985 when it won the franchise’s only World Series, and despite an encouraging year last season, there was no one picking the Royals to make it to the Fall Classic.
But everyone has jumped on the bandwagon this October, as the Royals' previous futility qualifies them as the perfect postseason underdog story. Rather than shying away and folding under the pressure of the late fall spotlight, the Royals have shined, sweeping their way through the American League playoffs and into the World Series, making their manager Ned Yost the first to ever win his first eight playoff games.
The Royals seem to have caught lightning in a bottle. But what is it that has gotten them this far? It certainly hasn't been flashy home runs or superstar players. More than anything, the Royals are playing great fundamental baseball. In this case, that includes smart baserunning, small ball, impressive defense and a lockdown bullpen.
Part of what makes this Royals team so intriguing then, is the departure from the high-octane offense brand of baseball.In the playoffs they have hit for a little more power than in the regular season, including a couple game-changing home runs, but this is still not an offensive juggernaut. The Royals ranked a pedestrian 14th during the season in runs per game, were dead last in home runs and isolated power and 19th in slugging percentage (according to TeamRankings). Instead, they won games by relying on their speed far more than their power.
“That’s our game — we’re going to run,” outfielder Jarrod Dyson said. “We’re going to run until the wheels come off, man.”
Instead of relying on homers, which, fortunately for the Royals, have also come this postseason, they excel at manufacturing runs.Through stolen bases, bunts and sacrifice flies, the Royals have managed this postseason to continually get enough runs across the plate.
And on the other side of the ball, the Royals have kept up their stalwart defense from the regular season.Utilizing their impressive speed, the outfield corps seems capable of running down every fly ball hit their way -- Lorenzo Cain and Dyson seem to be good for one diving play per game. Left fielder Alex Gordon has also made multiple spectacular plays during these playoff games and, according to FanGraphs, had the highest Ultimate Zone Rating (a number that quantifies how many runs a player saved or gave up based on his fielding) among all outfielders in baseball this season.
But probably the most impressive and skilled part of the Royals’ team is their bullpen. If they have a lead through six innings, the game might as well be over. The 7-8-9 inning trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland has proven nearly unhittable through the ALCS. Across 25.2 innings so far this postseason, those three have recorded a combined 30 strikeouts -- an average of 10 K’s per pitcher -- while posting a 1.05 ERA.
Excellence in these fundamental areas of baseball has helped propel the Royals to the AL pennant, one series away from a World Series title. Their run has been far from expected and greatly exciting to watch. Four of their eight wins have come in extra innings and two more were one run games. As the World Series begins, baseball fans wonder if they can continue their magical run.
