Kansas City Royals: 3 Things to Watch for in the Opening Series with the Angels

The Kansas City Royals enter the 2012 season with much more buzz than in seasons past. This time around, the youth movement has a tighter grip on the roster with players like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Danny Duffy all now in their second year in the Major Leagues.

The Royals kick off their season tonight in Anaheim against the Angels, who some consider the favorites to represent the American League in this year’s World Series.

The Angels feature a revamped roster of guys either looking to make an impression on their new team in first baseman Albert Pujols and pitcher CJ Wilson, or coming back from injuries that have kept them out of the lineup the past couple of seasons in Kendrys Morales.

Although it is just the opening series, Kansas City is just the type of team that needs to set a tone early to establish a foundation for how their 2012 season will play out. With the expectations raised compared to seasons past, the Royals are in position take a major leap forward, not only in the eyes of their fans, but all around Major League Baseball.

Here are three things to watch for as the Royals visit the Angels this weekend.

How Will Lorenzo Cain Handle Being the Man in Centerfield?

One of the centerpieces in the trade that sent pitcher Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason, Lorenzo Cain is now patrolling center field for the Kansas City Royals.

Considered a huge upgrade defensively over Melky Cabrera, who the Royals traded to the San Francisco Giants in the offseason for pitcher Jonathan Sanchez, Cain should have no problem in the field. However, all eyes will certainly be on him at the plate.

After a monster spring at the dish, Cain will be thrust into the No.2 spot in the lineup. Coincidentally, this is the same spot in the lineup that Cabrera hit in last season, amplifying the pressure to outperform his predecessor even more.

If Cain can play an above average defensive centerfield for the Royals and produce at the plate at or near the level they got from Cabrera last season, everyone in and around the organization will be very pleased.

How Will the Starting Pitching Fair Against Pujols and Company?

It isn’t a secret around Major League Baseball that the starting pitching of the Kansas City Royals is the organization’s achilles heel.

With most of the young arms that are considered starting pitching material still a year or two away with the exception of Danny Duffy, their rotation will still be the primary focus as this team looks to improve on last season’s 71 wins.

Although the Angels only scored 4.1 runs per game last season, the addition of Albert Pujols and the return of Kendrys Morales are signs that number will increase. And opening the season against a Royals staff that is known for allowing their fair share of runs will certainly have Pujols and company chomping at the bit.

The most important objective is to not overexpose the young bullpen too early in the season. Even with a solid group of relief pitchers, it is imperative that they not get overworked. This could result in a lack of confidence in the team’s starting pitching, something that a group of pitchers trying to prove themselves can’t afford to have happen.

The Offensive Building Blocks Must Keep Improving

The Minor League system of the Royals has long been considered one of if not the best in all of baseball over the past few seasons. Now that most of the home-grown talent on offense is in its place on the Kansas City roster, it is time for them to start taking the natural progression as a unit to live up to the hype.

As general manager Dayton Moore slowly sprinkled in the youth with the veterans on the Major League club and the fans started to see what all the talk was about.

With a strong core of young players headlined by first baseman Eric Hosmer, and a group of guys that have been around for a while like Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, the Royals can now start to concentrate on simply winning games, something that is often forgotten when battling for a spot on the roster.

There are certainly questions heading into this season as the Royals make their long climb back to a respectable level. Will Hosmer endure a sophomore slump? Was Mike Moustakas’ second half surge in 2011 indicative of his 2012? Was Gordon’s breakout legit? Can Lorenzo Cain be the guy in center field?

Nobody can answer all those questions with 100 percent certainty. But the opening series in Anaheim will go a long way towards finding out what this group is made of.

Contact Jeremy at [e-mail], on Twitter @KCPopFlyBoy and read more at popflyboys.com.