Latest Updates

Royals manager preaches patience with Mike Moustakas

"The kid is going to be fine," Yost told the Star. "Yes, he’s fighting it right now. They’re all fighting it. They want success. They want to bring a championship to Kansas City. At times, the desire to win overwhelms them.

"I’ve been in baseball my whole life. I know which kids are going to work and which kids aren’t. He’s going to work. I’ve seen it too many times. (Being patient) with young guys works. It works."

Heading into Saturday's action, Moustakas has hit .189/.261/.331 with four home runs in 142 plate appearances.

Mike Moustakas has gone cold

Moustakas went on a hot streak prior to his mini-slump, hitting a home run in three straight games. Moustakas has since gone 0 for 13 with five strikeouts. He'll look to end the streak against Angels pitcher Jason Vargas Tuesday. Moustakas is hitting .200/.277/.348 in 115 at-bats. 

Mike Moustakas turning it around

He is still batting just .228 on the season, but with his low strikeout rate and emerging power, we should definitely expect that to improve moving forward. Moustakas has been hurt by a .226 batting average on balls in play that ranks as the 17th-lowest in the majors this season. If Moustakas' BABIP was even just .277, his career rate, he would be looking much more respectable.

Even given his power surge, I think Moustakas has room to improve moving forward. It might be too late, but Moustakas still seems like the type of player smart Fantasy owners buy low on.  

Mike Moustakas explodes with bat

Moustakas singled twice and smashed a two-run blast off Chris Tillman in the sixth inning with two outs. He's now batting .219 after entering Wednesday hitting just .196. 

Ned Yost has high hopes for Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer

While Eric Hosmer has spent a lot of time cleaning up for the Royals this year and Mike Moustakas has been lower in the order, Yost has higher hopes for both down the line when they are finally ready. 

"I still believe when it all is said and done that (Eric) Hosmer is going to be a three hitter," Yost said, "and that Moose (Moustakas) is going to be a four or five hitter. It just takes time in the big leagues to get yourself established. You’re still projecting younger players who you think are going to be really productive -- Sal (Perez), Moose, Hos and Cain. It just takes time."

Hosmer is heating up in May and already has seven hits in the month over five games to raise his average to .269 with nine RBI. He's yet to homer. Moustakas has been slow to hit all season with an average below the Mendoza line. 

Mike Moustakas gets a breather

Moustakas is off to a slow start this year, hitting just .198/.279/.286 in 91 at-bats. Miguel Tejada will play third and bat eighth. Moustakas should return to the club's lineup for Wednesday's game against Baltimore starter Chris Tillman.

Mike Moustakas ready to 'carry' Royals?

"I know there was rumblings that people wanted him on the bench and 'Why is he playing?'" manager Ned Yost said, per The Kansas City Star. "I can’t listen to that and I can’t subscribe to that, because I know what kind of a player he is. I never lost confidence in him."

Moustakas is batting .389 (7 for 18) with one home run, three doubles, five RBI and five walks in his last seven games. His batting average has surged from .148 to .203 in that span.

"He's been feeling really good," Yost said. "His last five games have been excellent. You can just see the way he's been swinging the bat. When this kid gets going, he can carry you."

Signs of life from Mike Moustakas

Moustakes more than doubled his RBI total for the season, driving in three to give him five. He is batting .195, but there are encouraging signs in his game. After putting up batting averages on balls in play of .296 and .274 in his first two seasons, Moustakas' mark sits at a low .212 on the season. He is walking at a decent clip and rarely striking out, so at least some of Moustakas' struggles are the result of bad luck. Though he does have a low line-drive rate and he hits a ton of infield flyballs, there is enough to Moustakas' game to make him difficult to give up on.

We would like him to hit for more power like he did last season, but that should come. Fantasy owners should continue to consider Moustakas a risky start on a weekly basis, but he could turn things around quickly. 

Mike Moustakas yet to get it going at the plate

Moustakas is just 2 for 20 in his last five games. He'll attempt to turn his season around in a weekend series against the Indians.

Mike Moustakas has another 0-fer

Mike Moustakas not worried about cold start

Moustakas, who is 6 for 31, was dropped to fifth in the order Friday against the Blue Jays, but is confident that he will be able to get going soon. Moustakas has struck out just four times in eight games, and believes he is making good contact and will soon begin to find holes in the defense.

“I feel good at the plate,” he told the Kansas City Star. “I feel I’m hitting the ball hard, and that I’m putting good at-bats together. I’m seeing the ball well. It’s just that things aren’t falling for me."

Last season, hitting the ball hard was no issue for Moustakas; making contact was. He finished with 55 extra-base hits in 563 at bats while striking out 124 times. He has a .222 batting average on balls in play, after posting marks of .296 and .274 in his previous two seasons. Moustakas admitted he has to remind himself that it is early in the season, and things will likely turn around for the better

“If those balls fall, I’m hitting over .300 now," he said. "That’s what I even have a hard time realizing at times -- that it’s only 35 or 40 at-bats.”

Mike Moustakas starting off slowly

Moustakas went 0 for 3 in the game with a walk to drop his average to .208. He went 3 for 5 with a double on April 5 at Philadelphia but has otherwise gone just 2 for 19 (.105) in his other five contests. 

Moustakas has yet to homer or drive in a run on the season and his slugging percentage is just .292 after six games. 

Mike Moustakas hitless in cleanup spot

Batting fourth for the Royals in the 1-0 defeat, Moustakas went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in the game as Chris Sale went 7 2/3 innings. Moustakas saw just 11 pitches in the game and was 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position. 

The 24-year-old Moustakas hit .394 this spring over 71 at-bats with five homers and 16 RBI and will hope to catch fire going forward. 

Mike Moustakas joins in offensive barrage

Mike Moustakas having big spring

I took a good amount of flack for having Moustakas ranked as the seventh-best third baseman, but there's a lot in his past that suggests he could be in for a season that pushes him past even that level, and I'm happy to say I am not alone in that line of thinking. As a 13th round pick, he could return some major value at third base.  

Mike Moustakas collects three hits and fourth homer Wednesday

Fantasy owners are hoping for a big third season from Moustakas, who hit .242/.296/.412 with 20 home runs in his sophomore campaign last season. He hit .322 with 36 home runs during his breakout 2010 performance in the minors, so a huge season wouldn't necessarily shock.

Moustakas back in Royals' lineup

Foul ball takes out Moose

Moustakas goes yard vs. Giants