Record: 34-26
Place: 2nd in the Central Division (4.5 GB), 1st in the Wild Card (0.5 Game Lead)
Team Pitching (League Ranking Listed in Parenthesis): ERA: 3.94 (4), Strikeouts: 484 (2), WHIP: 1.39 (5)
Team Batting (League Ranking Listed in Parenthesis): Average: .259 (8), Home Runs: 68 (2), Slugging: .403 (5), Stolen Bases: 35 (11)

Kansas City T-Bones First Half Recap

When Joe Calfapietra left the New Jersey Jackals to take over the Kansas City T-Bones, expectations were high that he could turn the team’s fortunes around and that is exactly what he has done. The T-Bones find themselves trailing the red-hot Lincoln Saltdogs, but they have had hot spurts of their own this season, and have spent time in first as well. They are currently in first in the Wild Card race.

It was a tough start for Kansas City, as they began the season 1-5, dropping two to division rival Lincoln before being swept by Gary Southshore. The team was 2-6 when a four-game winning streak left them heading to June at .500.

The change in the calendar proved to be a big event in Kansas City as the T-Bones went 16-11 in June. That included a 4-2 homestand where they won two of three from both St. Paul and Wichita, both division leaders at the time. As the month moved forward, the pitching staff got better and better, and the team weathered a big loss when Zac Walters signed with the Royals organization. Joe Calfapietra added Kyle Petty and Tyler Horan, both of whom have been scorching the ball.

Kansas City would win six straight from June 28-July 3 and looked like they were the team to beat in the Central, especially after taking three of four from Sioux City to start July 6, however, the T-Bones lost two of three to both Lincoln and Winnipeg before rebounding by taking two of three from Winnipeg at home.

The Good

When Walters was signed, a lot of pressure fell on Kevin Keyes and he has delivered. He entered the break tied for the American Association lead in home runs and is third in RBI. He has raised his average to .308 and earned a place on the American Association All-Star team.

The pitching staff has also been exceptional for the T-bones. Starter Scott Carroll enters the second half of the season 5-3 with a 3.19 ERA, and Cody Winiarski has been one of the best closers in the league, posting 12 saves and a 2.43 ERA. The bullpen has been unbelievable, making it difficult for teams to mount late rallies against Kansas City.

The Bad

Consistency has been a huge problem for the Kansas City T-Bones this season. It is true that they have posted three winning streaks of at least four games in a row, but they have the same number of losing streaks that were at least three. Kansas City will likely be in it until the end, but a more consistent run by the team would give them a real good shot at the Central Division title.

The Ugly

The T-Bones are one of the best power hitting teams in the American Association, but they are ranked 11th in the league in stolen bases. That may not be a big deal now, but in close games down the stretch and in the playoffs a team needs to be able to scratch out runs, and Kansas City clearly doesn’t have that capability right now. They have just 35 stolen bases and 12 of those are from a player who isn’t even on the roster any longer.

1^st Half Most Valuable Player: Kevin Keyes

Keyes has been the primary catalyst for this Kansas City offense, entering the break hitting .308 with 16-homer and 51-RBI. The loss of Zac Walters earlier in the season to the Kansas City Royals organization could have been a crippler, but Keyes has been at the top of his game ever since. He is a stabilizing force on the diamond and in the locker room.

1^st Half Top Pitcher: Scott Carroll

So far this season the Kansas City starting rotation has been acceptable but not spectacular. Carroll has been the one exception. He is 5-3 with a 3.19 ERA in 12-starts and leads the team in innings pitched (76.0) while only issuing 14 walks.

The Prognosis

With Lincoln getting hot just before the break, Kansas City is going to have to start taking opportunities to move ahead in the standings right off. These two teams face two of the hotter teams in the league to start the second half, as the Saltdogs take on Sioux Falls and the T-Bones welcome the AirHogs. We’re going to learn a lot about where Kansas City stands after this weekend, but they are still in prime position to earn the wild card. It’s likely the Wild Card is coming out of the Central, so don’t rule out the T-Bones as the team to beat.

By Robert Pannier