Division races in April usually aren’t intriguing. There’s a lack of importance when 145 games remain. But there hasn’t been a series this relevant between the Indians and Royals in a long time.
The two teams — in the middle of a four-game series — have the top records in the AL Central despite having a payroll that combined is $20 million less than any of the other teams in the division.
For Cleveland, Travis Hafner is hitting like it’s 2006, and Asdrubal Cabrera has already surpassed his home run mark of last season.
For Kansas City, former first-round picks Billy Butler and Alex Gordon are hitting above .350.
It would not be surprising if these two ballclubs are back to their losing ways by the All-Star break, but the future could be promising. The small-market teams have two of the top farm systems in the league.
The importance of drafting well is magnified when teams can’t afford to spend big bucks in free agency.
Over the past three years, the Rays and Rangers have proven that an elite farm system can lead to a World Series berth.
If the highly regarded prospects of the Indians and Royals live up to expectations, we will become more interested when these teams face off in September rather than April.
