Kansas City Royals Receive Early Season Grades

I think its about time for some early analysis of the Kansas City Royals' 2008 campaign.

For starters, the '08 club is a slight upgrade compared to the last four Royals teams from 2004-2007, mainly because KC is still in the division race and we are now in May. As a lifelong Royals fan, I know how frustrating it is to watch in horror as the boys in blue stumble out of the blocks time and time again.

Who knows, maybe this could be the year. I know we've heard it many times before, but hey—Tony Pena got this organization going with his "We Believe" slogan in 2003. Who's to say that Trey Hillman can't work some of his own magic on this club? Time will tell.

Now its time to get down to it. That's right, it's gut-check time. Here are my grades so far for the 2008 version of the Kansas City Royals.

Lineup (in no particular order)

David Dejesus: B+; Ever since his bizarre opening day injury, DDJ has shown an ability to get on base, and hit for power as well.

Joey Gathright: B-; Joey has shown good speed on the bases and in the outfield, but still lacks the offensive productivity needed from an everyday outfielder.

Mark Teahan: C+; Teahan has hit for a decent average and played some solid defense in the outfield, but has yet to show an ability to drive runners in when needed.

Jose Guillen: D; Although he has a strong arm, Guillen has been seen failing to run down fly balls, and has had multiple misplays in the outfield. Also, his .207 average and 36 Ks in his first 35 games hasn't exactly helped his stock either.

Alex Gordon: B+; Alex is starting to show why he has been compared by so many to the great George Brett. All he needs to work on is shortening his swing more and cutting down on his excessive amount of Ks.

Tony Pena: C; TPJ has been awful to watch at the plate this year with his .160 average, but his spectacular play at short has made some people forget about his offensive struggles for a little while.

Billy Butler: B; "Big Donkey" has had some big hits on offense, but needs to continue to be patient at the plate. His glovework at first has been a pleasant surprise.

John Buck: B-; JB has shown some occasional power, and has done well with the pitching staff thus far.

Miguel Olivo: B; A strong-armed catcher who has shown that he can hit for average and power at the dish.

Alberto Callaspo: B+; Callaspo has done well on the field and at the plate thus far, showing that he is close to replacing incumbent second basemen Mark Grudzielanek.

Mark Grudzielanek: A; Even though Grud is getting older, he's still playing very solid baseball. With a .300 average and great range, he could possibly go another couple of years.

Esteban German: D; Esty has shown why he is a utility player—at best. He is the odd man out on this team, and will probably be shipped somewhere else.

Overall Hitting Grade: C+

I know its a little harsh, but the offense needs to produce more than this. You're not gonna win any championships by averaging two to three runs per game.

Overall Defense Grade: B+

I think this team has shown shades of spectacular defense and great communication with each other on the field. We will see if this keeps up through the rest of the season.

Those are my grades so far. You can like them, love them, or hate them.