Royals have depth at first base, starting with Gold Glover Hosmer
The Royals know Eric Hosmer will be at first base for them. Which Hosmer appears, though, is anyone's guess.
It could be the middling first baseman who showed up in 2012 and 2014, or it could be the baseball-bashing offensive force who played in 2013 and last year's postseason. Hosmer could build on his torrid October from a year ago and become the cleanup hitter the Royals envisioned when they drafted him in the first round in 2008. Or, the 25-year-old could regress to his inconsistent regular-season numbers.
Either way, Hosmer will be Kansas City's man at first base. Here's a look at the position.
THE STARTER: Eric Hosmer
Since he debuted with Kansas City in May 2011, Hosmer has been a rock at first base, winning two Gold Gloves and playing in 570 of the Royals' 611 regular-season games. He missed his first extended time last season, when a stress fracture in his hand allowed him just one at-bat in August.
In September, though, Hosmer caught fire. In 26 games, he slashed .290/.347/.495 with three of his nine homers to help Kansas City clinch a playoff berth. His season-ending numbers of nine home runs and 58 RBIs were both career lows.
The October weather couldn't cool down Hosmer as he thrived under the bright lights of the postseason, racking up 12 RBIs in Kansas City's 15 playoff games. His OPS flirted with 1.000. He reached base in 13 games. He had six multi-hit performances. The challenge for Hosmer becomes carrying that hot streak (and the confidence that comes from it) into a 162-game season.
Some players have cited how essential confidence is to success, and Hosmer's October could definitely have an impact on his season this year.
THE BACKUP: Kendrys Morales
Morales, signed as a free agent in the offseason, will serve primarily as the Royals' designated hitter but should also see some time at first base. The 31-year-old appeared in 27 games at first base last season, and has 370 career games manning first.
When Morales is in the field, the Royals will miss Hosmer's athleticism and Gold Glove ability at first. In his eight-year career, Morales has played 300-plus innings at first only three times, and not since 2010. Don't expect to see Morales at first for extended periods, though, as long Hosmer is healthy.
WHO'S NEXT? Cheslor Cuthbert, Matt Fields
Royals fans should recognize Cuthbert and Fields' names; the pair have seen a significant portion of the reps behind Hosmer during spring training, going a combined 3 for 15 in the preseason.
Cuthbert, a 22-year-old Nicaraguan, spent most of last season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas but finished the year at Triple-A Omaha. Cuthbert can play both second and third base but saw significant playing time at first in July and August as insurance if Hosmer's injury was worse than predicted. He's listed as Kansas City's No. 8 prospect by MLB.com, and is on the Royals' 40-man roster.
Fields, meanwhile, is past prospect status. The 29-year-old has spent 10 years in the minors and reached Triple A for the first time in 2014. He bashed 28 home runs with Omaha last season and posted an .840 OPS.
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
