I know better than to put full faith into this year's team. I've been a fan of the Royals for too long to make that mistake. It seems like every year for at least the past couple of years our team's roster has got better and better on paper. However, it hasn't translated into anymore success.

This year has a different feeling. It feels a little less like our players have to have career years to make a run this year. With our top four starting pitchers being players who weren't even on our team on Opening Day last year, the Royals truly are "all in".

With that being said, I still don't want to put all my faith in them only to be disappointed again. I can see the 2013 Royals being in contention with the Tigers and making a run for the playoffs, but I also can still see the usual below .500 Royals. I don't want to be too optimistic, but I just can't be pessimistic about my hometown team. With that, I am predicting a modest 85-77 record. And of course that means I am optimistically predicting the Tigers to be 84-78 and for the Royals to clinch a playoff berth! Wishful thinking....