The best pictures of Spring Training photo day

There's a lot of excitement about Spring Training. Some of it is because baseball is back--well, not back, but back. It's the first time the new team is together for the year, and there is eternal optimism. The Royals are the reigning World Series champions, and in Spring Training they will even hope for another championship. That might be true this year, but the hope could also be dashed. In Spring Training, the likelihood is irrelevant; what matters is that optimism abounds.

Another great part of Spring Training is seeing the new guys, the prospects, the fringe guys who we will think years later, "oh yeah I remember he worked out with the Royals once." Most of these guys will never have success or even make the team, but again, it's cool to see them with the entrenched stars. They might fail, sure, but it's all potential right here.

Finally, Spring Training is when new pictures begin to roll in. For those of us at Royals Review who have access to the USA Today and Getty image databases, we are ecstatic to use new, shiny pictures. But in a batch of Spring Training photos, there are winners and there are losers. The best pictures will live on for years. These are the best pictures of 2016.

Image Credits: Christian Peterson/Getty Images for the blue backgrounds, Mark J. Reblias/USA Today for the white backgrounds

This is great on so many levels. Why is Hochevar in the background? Why did he decide to make that face? Why did Kennedy let him? Did Kennedy know Hochevar was there? If he did, was that why he looks largely unhappy about it all? Is this picture itself photoshopped?

INITIATE SMILE.EXE

There are medieval castles that don't have portraits this regal. Nobody else in the entire set has a perspective like this. We can only assume that Kennedy had his own watercolour artiste working furiously as Kennedy held the pose for an hour, holding up the entire photo process. That, or he digs chivalrous aesthetics.

It's not that Hosmer and Gordon shouldn't be buddies, because they are, and it's not like they shouldn't show their buddiness, because they do, but nobody taught Alex Gordon how to smile in a normal way with another person. Gordon is either SO HAPPY or he is NOT HAPPY AT ALL BUT I SUPPOSE I SHOULD TRY REALLY HARD.

Terrance Gore, fastest man in baseball, knows when to slow down and smell the beautiful, beautiful roses.

Mike Moustakas: Say, Kris, what do you say we go get some food?

Kris Medlen: Gee whiz, Mikey, that's a great idea.

Mike Moustakas: No mis-steak about it; I'm starved!

*Moose and Medlen theme song begins*

Edinson Volquez knows how to look suave. By jove, does he do it here.

Look, I wouldn't know what to do if someone shrunk my favorite trophy either. Admiring its cuteness seems like a decent response.

Wait. I didn't leave the lights on, did I?

I left the lights on.

Salvador Perez knows what's up.