OCTOBER 4, 2021•KANSASCITY.COM
Kansas City Royals star Sal Perez completed a historic offensive seasonKansas City Royals All-Stars Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield and manager Mike Matheny reflect on the record-setting season Perez enjoyed...
Royals look to progress made by youngsters for optimism
The Kansas City Royals can look back upon their first full post-pandemic season in one of two very different waysOCTOBER 4, 2021•ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. picks up two minor-league player of the year awardsThe Royals’ top prospect turned heads after his first full season as a professional.
OCTOBER 4, 2021•KANSASCITY.COM
Carlos Santana - Three hits in season finaleSantana went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's 7-3 loss to Minnesota.
ImpactWhile the first baseman could be counted on for solid on-base abilities in the first half of the season, he slumped badly after the All-Star break. In the end, Santana posted a .214/.319/.342 slash line, leading to a career-low .660 OPS in 158 games. Outside of a resurgent 2019, Santana's been on a noticeable downward slide since 2016. He's still under contract for 2022, but top prospect Nick Pratto could force Kansas City's hand in spring training after batting .266 across 123 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
OCTOBER 4, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Adalberto Mondesi - Records 15th stealMondesi went 0-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 loss to Minnesota.
ImpactThe 26-year-old ended 2021 with 15 steals in 16 attempts in just 35 games. Mondesi battled oblique and hamstring issues for much of the season, prompting a move to third base for much of September. He was held without a hit in six of his last 10 games, dropping his season slash line to .230/.271/.452 with six home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, a triple and eight doubles across 136 plate appearances. Mondesi may continue to log time at third base in 2022. He could also receive regular rest to help alleviate some of the toll of playing the field, although fantasy managers will obviously take notice of his speed when he's in the lineup.
OCTOBER 4, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Byron Buxton - Stays hot to close out seasonBuxton went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and two runs in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Royals.
ImpactBuxton's hot streak continued Sunday, as he closed out the season with extra-base hits in each of the final four games of the year. During that time, he went 9-for-19 with three home runs, five doubles, eight runs and four RBI. The 27-year-old missed significant time due to injuries in 2021 but slashed .306/.358/.647 with 19 homers, 50 runs, 32 RBI and nine stolen bases across 61 appearances.
OCTOBER 4, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Jorge Polanco - Homers in first inningPolanco went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Royals.
ImpactThe Twins had plenty of success at the plate in the first inning Sunday, and Polanco put the team on the board with his three-run blast with no outs in the frame. The 28-year-old closed out the year with hits in eight of his last 10 appearances, and he slashed .269/.323/.503 with 33 home runs, 98 RBI, 97 runs and 11 stolen bases during the 2021 campaign.
OCTOBER 4, 2021•ROTOWIRE
