In Tuesday show featuring the Royals, MLB Network’s Dan Plesac says KC is legit
In Wall Street parlance, Dan Plesac is bullish on the Royals.
“I’m buying Royals stock,” quipped Plesac, the former major-league closer who is now with the MLB Network.
Plesac is taking part in the MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in 30 Days,” where one major league team is featured daily. Tuesday at 6 p.m., the Royals are in the spotlight, and Plesac likes what he’s seen.
“I’ve been on the Royals bandwagon for a couple of seasons,” Plesac said in a phone interview. “I thought 2013 was really the beginning of them being legitimate.”
During his road trip in Arizona, Plesac also visited the White Sox and Indians camps. While Cleveland finished ahead of the Royals in 2013, Plesac believes the Royals are now the more complete team.
“I don’t think right now you can compare the White Sox or the Indians to the Royals,” Plesac said. “Lineup, rotation, bullpen, too many questions on the White Sox and Indians. There aren’t that many questions on the Royals.
“If you look at that Royals team, the big question is (third baseman Mike) Moustakas. Was last year what he’s going to be? I don’t think it is, that’s just my personal opinion. The guy’s a good player.”
Moustakas had a miserable 2013, with a slash line of .233/.287/.364 and an OPS+ of 77, the worst of any third baseman last year with 500 or more plate appearances.
“Moustakas had a down year, and I’m a Moustakas fan,” Plesac said. “I’m not going to give up on him, because there are a lot of similarities between the beginning of his career and Alex Gordon’s. It’s sometimes difficult to be patient, and the Royals were patient with Alex Gordon. They’re reaping the fruits of that patience right now.
“If he has trouble in 2014, then you have to have some serious questions. But Mike Moustakas’ track record tells you that he’s going to hit. He may never be George Brett, but there’s never going to be another George Brett. I think he still has a chance to be a good major-league player.”
Plesac had praise for every Royals position player from Hosmer to Cain to Escobar; loves James Shields (he thinks the trade with the Rays was great), Jeremy Guthrie, Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura; and thinks the bullpen is loaded with young power arms that is comparable to the Cardinals.
“The teams with the best arms out of the bullpen are on either side of Missouri,” Plesac said.
Not surprisingly, Plesac doesn’t believe the Royals are quite at the level of the Tigers just yet. Detroit has won three straight AL Central titles and are the favorite to make it four in 2014.
However, there are other avenues to the postseason.
“There are two wild-card spots,” he said, “and I think without question the Royals are one of a small handful of teams that have a legitimate shot at one of the two wild-card spots.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2014 at 10:55 PM with the headline "In Tuesday show featuring the Royals, MLB Network’s Dan Plesac says KC is legit."