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2020 MLB Kansas City Royals World Series Odds & Picks

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

The Future Can’t Get Here Fast
Enough for the Kansas City Royals

The coronavirus will keep the Kansas City Royals from losing 100 games for the third straight season, but this will still be one of the worst teams in baseball. Kansas City is in a rough spot entering the 2020 campaign.

The Royals are in for an extended rebuild after trying to keep their window open after winning the 2015 World Series, and they won’t be competitive any time soon. All Kansas City fans can do is watch the young players come up and think back fondly on that World Series winning team.

2020 Kansas City Royals World Series
Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: +50000

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

2020 Kansas City Royals
Season World Series Odds Overview

Kansas City is tied with several other clubs as the teams with the longest odds to win the World Series. The Royals and others have 500-1 World Series odds at FanDuel, showing that no one expects this team to contend in 2020.

American League Central

The Royals are pegged to contend with Detroit for the cellar of the AL Central. Kansas City and the Tigers are both 150-1 to win the division, making them substantial longshots behind the top contenders. Minnesota is the odds-on favorite, while Cleveland and Chicago are seen as potential challengers to the Twins.

On the Hill

Brad Keller has shown promise during his two seasons with the Royals. He has a 3.68 ERA and a 1.332 WHIP in over 305 innings of work the last two years, overcoming a subpar 6.4 K/9 in that stretch. His success is rather incredible given his underwhelming numbers in the minors, and that’s largely been due to a slider that has been superb. Keller is just 24 years old, so there is plenty of room for growth, especially if he improves his strikeout rate.

After peaking in 2016, we haven’t seen much from Danny Duffy the last few years. Duffy has become a league average pitcher, and he has yet to throw more than 180 innings during his nine seasons in the majors. Multiple surgeries to his left arm have robbed him of some of his speed, and the southpaw is now throwing in the low 90s. His sinker is superb, and his changeup is a good pitch, but his fastball and slider have not been good.

Although Ian Kennedy has been a disappointment since coming to Kansas City, he has been more valuable after moving to the bullpen in 2019. Kennedy racked up 30 saves to become a shut the door closer for the Royals, posting a 10.4 K/9 and a 1.279 WHIP in 63.1 innings of work. This is a contract year for Kennedy, so he could be in line for his best season yet in Kansas City.

At the Plate

Whit Merrifield has been one of the bright spots on the Royals these last few years. The late bloomer was an Iron Man with 162 games played in 2019, and he hit better than .300 for the second straight season. His speed led to him leading the AL in steals in 2017 and 2018, but he was caught stealing on a third of his attempts in 2019. Merrifield improved against southpaws last season, but his power is on the decline, so his main strength is his ability to hit for average.

Jorge Soler had a fantastic season in Kansas City. Soler cranked 48 home runs to lead the American League in that category and he led the Royals with a .922 OPS. That power spike was completely unexpected. He hit a total of 38 home runs in 1,132 plate appearances in his previous five seasons in the big leagues, so regression is very likely in 2020.

Hunter Dozier’s first full season in the majors was a successful one. Dozier posted a .870 OPS as the second-best power hitter on the Royals, providing protection for Merrifield and Soler with his bat. He is the latest in a string of successful late bloomers to emerge in Kansas City, and he could be even better in 2020 if he improves his approach at the plate.

2020 Kansas City Royals World Series Projection

While the Royals do have some solid bats in the lineup, the absence of good arms in the rotation means it’s going to be another year of losing baseball in Kansas City.

2020 Kansas City Royals World Series Free Pick:
Not a Chance

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

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