Sunday, March 16, 2014

New Definitive Approach

We're just two weeks from the end of Spring Training and Mike Moustakas is hitting  .438/.513/.906. Of course, we already know that the man is in the best shape of his life. We also have been told about how impressive it is that the guy was willing to go to Venezuela to work on his swing, despite being a veteran, but Fox Sports Jeffrey Falanagan brings us word that now Moustakas heads to the plate with a "definitive plan every time he walks to the plate."

There's no doubt that Moustakas has looked good this Spring, but Royals fans will be quick to point out that the former 8th best prospect in baseball did the same last season, before torching the American League to a .233/.287/.364 line. I'd like to be optimistic, but I simply have to see results in regular season competition before I am buying in.

I'm a huge Moustakas fan. The performance he put on at Arvest Ballpark in the summer of 2010, is something that I will never forget. At the time I was convinced that one day he'd be the firey leader of the Royals, leading them to postseason glory. This could still unfold, but he's now seven plate appearances from the career 1500 mark and his wRC+ is a paltry 83.

The good news is that the Royals are much less reliant on Moustakas this season than they were in either of the preview two years. The guy will likely hit 6th or 7th in the order in 2014. If he can breakout, it is an enormous boon to the lineup. If he continues to struggle at the plate and wow in the field, he'll simply be a low cost placeholder until the Royals can fill the gap. Let's hope for the former.

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