Hosmer's 2016 hitting pace has been distinctly George Brett-like
There's a lot of baseball yet to be played, but Eric Hosmer's 2016 hitting pace has been reminiscent of Hall of Famer George Brett.
The Royals' All-Star first baseman is batting .328 this season, ranking seventh in the American League. In Royals history, only one left-handed batter has posted a mark that high over a full season -- Brett, who did it five times.
ROYALS ALL-TIME HIGHEST SINGLE-SEASON BATTING AVERAGES BY A LEFT-HANDED BATTER*
| Player |
Season | Batting average |
| George Brett | 1980 | .390 |
| George Brett | 1985 | .335 |
| George Brett | 1976 | .333 |
| George Brett | 1990 | .329 |
| George Brett | 1979 | .329 |
| Eric Hosmer | 2016 (so far) |
.328 |
| * Qualifiers only |
Center fielder Lorenzo Cain also has been an offensive force of late for the Royals. Since the start of May, he's been particularly effective on the road.
HIGHEST ROAD ON-BASE PLUS SLUGGING PERCENTAGE, MAY 1 TO PRESENT*
| Player |
Team | OPS |
| Robinson Cano | Seattle Mariners | 1.204 |
| Kyle Seager | Seattle Mariners | 1.195 |
| Daniel Murphy |
Washington Nationals |
1.195 |
| Lorenzo Cain | Kansas City Royals | 1.191 |
| Matt Carpenter | St. Louis Cardinals |
1.191 |
| * Minimum 40 plate appearances |
Yordano Ventura, the Royals' starter in their series-opening game against the Indians on Thursday night, looks to return to the form he displayed in his first four starts of 2016. The hard-throwing right-hander's last six outings haven't gone as well.
YORDANO VENTURA'S 2016 SEASON BREAKDOWN
| Statistic | First four starts | Last six starts |
| W-L | 2-0 | 2-3 |
| ERA | 2.35 | 7.16 |
| Opponents average | .179 |
.282 |
| Homers allowed | 1 | 7 |
The Royals have been on a tear since the middle of May, winning 13 of 16 games.
ROYALS STATISTICS FROM MAY 15 TO PRESENT
| Statistic | Number | MLB rank |
| W-L | 13-3 | 1st |
| ERA | 3.33 | 6th (1st in AL) |
| Bullpen ERA | 1.48 | 1st |
| Runs scored per game | 5.56 | 4th |
| Batting average | .314 | 1st |
The Royals open a 10-game road trip Thursday night with four games in Cleveland, where the Indians hit much better than when they're on the road.
INDIANS OFFENSE, HOME VS. AWAY, IN 2016
| Statistic | Home | Away |
| Runs per game | 5.28 | 4.27 |
| Batting average | .281 | .230 |
| Batting average with RISP | .290 | .223 |
| On-base plus slugging percentage | .784 | .688 |
MOST STOLEN BASES, MAY 13 TO PRESENT
| Team | Stolen bases |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 22 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates |
18 |
| Cleveland Indians | 16 |
| Kansas City Royals | 15 |
| Houston Astros | 15 |
