Blair Stover

The Kansas City Royals’ minor league system is quite a number of years away from disseminating players around the diamond. But the presence of fill-in talent like Scott Podsednik can make the team better than they were last year especially if you consider the state of the American League Central division.

While a lot has been made of Scott Podsednik’s inferior defensive statistics, his speed and ability to bat lead off will improve what the Royals experienced the previous year. While he isnt the most proficient base stealer, he will draw more attention on the base paths – attention that will move away from pitching to David DeJesus.

So will this be the year the Royals can get over .500 and even contend? Many believe it is. The Royals haven’t won anything since 1985 and they haven’t been over .500 since 2003. The American League Central is balanced but Minnesota should have the edge this year. Its probably going to be another big year for Zack Greinke with the support of Gil Meche, Brian Bannister and Joakim Soria.

The defense should be better with Chris Getz at second and Jason Kendall catching. Speed has arrived with Chris Getz. It’ll be a breakout year for Alex Gordon like Billy Butler in 2009, a career rebirth for Yuniesky Betancourt at shortstop and a David DeJesus season to get things going. .

Others are asking if Greinke can have another Cy Young-type season. That was definitely no fluke. His style and maturity have coincided with his natural talents and in-born baseball instincts so he will get better. He may not match his 2.16 ERA, but with more offensive help, Greinke could emerge as a 20-game winner. He’s a rare breed who only wants to play baseball and win. For more interesting stories, be sure to visit http://www.blairstover.com/.