May: Irresponsibly early Royals predictions

May%3A+Irresponsibly+early+Royals+predictions

Well, we’ve made it through the first weekend of Major League Baseball. After stellar starts and adequate finishes to the first two games of the year, the Royals simply didn’t have enough left in the tank to come back on the White Sox for the series sweep.

I was poised to write a column on the Royals being on pace for 162 wins when back to back home runs in the fourth put the game out of reach. After all, when was the last time that a team came back from a two-run lead?

Even though the Royals still possess a winning record, we all know that, as in college football 10 years ago, it’s nearly impossible to win a World Series with a regular-season loss. With no undefeated teams left in the American League, it’s looking like the Phillies, led by the economically priced Bryce Harper, are the only team eligible for the World Series.

With this in mind, the Royals’ current pace, which will put them at 108-54, will set a franchise record for most wins. Unbelievable, for a team who’s entire budget from 1986 through 2012 was a single pack of gum.

There are some definite statistical downsides to the Royals’ current pace, however. Kansas City is on pace to shatter the 1908 Chicago White Sox record for home runs in a season. Fewest home runs, that is. In a much less power-driven era of baseball, the White Sox hit three dingers over the course of the season. Currently, the Royals have zero.

On a more positive note, the current average of zero errors per game, for a full season projection of zero (obviously), would shatter the Major League record. The next-best in MLB history belongs to the 2003 Seattle Mariners, whose 65 errors in a 162-game season put their average at 0.401 a game.

Being only three games into the 2019 season, there is little that is set in stone, unfortunately. One thing is for sure, though. The Royals are hands down, certain beyond a shadow of a doubt, going to set numerous Major League records, and definitely going to win the pennant. You can quote me on that.