Game CXVII: Royals at Red Sox

Since the All-Star Break, the Royals are 11-14. They started 3-10 before a pretty unfathomable 7-game winning streak helped get them to .500 after 20 2nd half-games. While fun and a dramatic improvement, 11-14 remains unremarkable.

But it is improvement nonetheless.

Since the break Royals position players rank 5th in the American League in fWAR thanks to lots of strong defense and slightly above-average offense. Bobby Witt Jr alone has added 1.4 fWAR in these 20 games, while noted 28-year-old rookie sensation Freddy Fermin has added 1.0 fWAR with a 180 (!!) wRC+.

But along with them, you have Michael Massey’s 115 wRC+ with six homers, MJ Melendez’s 137 wRC+ with six homers, and Drew Waters’ 107 wRC+ with four homers. The Royals are kind of fun right now! They aren’t winning a terrible amount, but they are tolerable.

That is the most we can ask of them, at this point.

They look to take split this series with Boston tonight, sending Austin Cox to the mound. Salvador Perez is back at first base for the sixth time in nine games. And apparently, Kyle Isbel is being punished for breaking the Green Monster last night, as he is not in the lineup. Here’s how both teams will line up tonight.