The Kansas City Royals have back-to-back American League pennants to their credit, making them just the third AL team to pull off that feat since the strike wiped out the 1994 regular season (New York Yankees, Texas Rangers).
They're also the defending World Series champions and have a roster which remains virtually intact heading into Spring Training. So, why exactly are the Royals getting shafted by Vegas oddsmakers??
Here's the top half of Vegas Insider's list of World Series championship odds as of 2/19/16:
1) Chicago Cubs 7/1
2) Boston Red Sox 8/1
3) San Francisco Giants 10/1
4) Houston Astros 12/1
5) New York Mets 14/1
T6) Texas Rangers 15/1
T6) Washington Nationals 15/1
T8) Los Angeles Dodgers 16/1
T8) New York Yankees 16/1
T10) Pittsburgh Pirates 18/1
T10) St. Louis Cardinals 18/1
T10) Toronto Blue Jays 18/1
T13) Arizona Diamondbacks 25/1
T13) Cleveland Indians 25/1
T13) Detroit Tigers 25/1
T13) Kansas City Royals 25/1
T13) Los Angeles Angels 25/1
For some inexplicable reason, the Royals are in the middle of the Vegas odds pack -- slotting behind teams which crashed and burned in 2015 (Boston, Washington), and in line with four teams who failed to make the playoffs last year (Arizona, Cleveland, Detroit, LAA).
All of this is pretty daffy to be honest, considering Kansas City's track record and pedigree. However, Royals player aren't letting Vegas' snub/disrespect get them down.
In fact, it's having the opposite effect.
"It makes me feel great," catcher Salvador Perez said Friday, via ESPN's SportsCenter. "We know we can win. (The disrespect) makes me play harder."
Even starting pitcher Ian Kennedy, who joined the team via free agency this winter, can feel a different energy and a communal will to win that he hasn't experience anywhere else.
"You can't put a metric on the team chemistry here," Kennedy said.
ESPN's Pedro Gomez agrees:
"A year ago this team was projected to win 78 games. That's fine. They have an incredible front office, and the clubhouse they have...they're able to get together, band together. They use all of this as motivation."
It may take a third AL pennant and second straight World Series title for the Royals to silence their critics, but they're not worried in the slightest either way.
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