The Cinderella story during last year's playoffs, the Royals unbeaten record through seven games is evidence that they are contenders this season.
The Royals shocked the baseball world after winning the AL pennant last October, and Kansas City's unbeaten start to the 2015 season has the club's World Series run looking like anything but a fluke.
With a 12-3 rout of the Twins on Monday afternoon, the Royals moved to 7-0 on the young season, and they now sit atop the league as MLB's last undefeated team. Perhaps even more impressive has been the performance of the much-maligned Kansas City offense. After struggling at the plate for much of 2014, the Royals are averaging 7.4 runs per game this season and have outscored their opponents 52-18.
Salvador Perez has started the season on a tear after slumping in the second half last year, and Mike Moustakas is starting to resemble the type of impact bat that scouts believed he would become as a prospect. At the same time, Kansas City's bullpen remains a dominant force late in games.
The small-sample size caveats still apply to these Royals, of course. Moustakas found little success against MLB pitching prior to last October, and Kansas City will feel the effects of James Shields' departure at some point. The division-rival Tigers, meanwhile, have started out hot and sit just one game back with a 6-1 record.
But the Royals have demonstrated they are not prepared to simply bow out of the spotlight after just one postseason run. The White Sox and Indians received far more attention and praise this offseason, yet it's the Royals off to the best start and looking stronger than ever.
Kansas City has a long way to go, and is surely headed for its first loss sooner rather than later. Still, the club picked up right where it left off last offseason and looks like it has the makings for another postseason run this year.
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