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Kansas City Royals
Overall: 15
Title track: 47
Ownership: 55
Coaching: T47
Players: 9
Fan relations: 14
Affordability: 17
Stadium experience: 5
Bang for the buck: 47
Change from last year: +56
What a difference a year makes -- when it includes a magical postseason run to Game 7 of the World Series. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers jumped more in the rankings than the Royals, who climbed 56 spots as they recorded the highest win total since 1977 and clinched home field advantage through the AL playoffs. That crazy All-Star voting, the largest per-game attendance increase in the majors -- and now the Ultimate Standings? It's good to be Royal.
What's good
Fans love Kauffman -- a 24-spot jump in stadium experience accounted for the Royals' highest placement in any category (hosting a World Series can do that to a stadium). Their players also scored well, jumping an insane 74 places to ninth overall (second in MLB to the Giants, who beat them in the World Series). With Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon; outfielder Lorenzo Cain, one of the best all-around players in the AL; and DH Kendrys Morales, who's among the league's RBI leaders, the jump makes sense.
What's bad
The fans are all-in on the Royals' roster, but they need more convincing when it comes to management. Ned Yost still hasn't shown everyone he's an on-field genius, but his nearly 60-spot jump shows that fans recognize his success managing a pitching staff with a mediocre starting rotation. Ownership jumped 65 spots but is still just above the middle of the pack, though David Glass' trade-deadline acquisitions of Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist should further improve his ranking next year.
What's new
Of all the Royals' huge gains, the biggest came in fan relations. K.C. placed highest in MLB in "accessibility of players to fans," and with a roster as likable as this one, that makes a big difference. Social media campaigns helped (the All-Star voting showed the Royals faithful can be extremely social, when they choose to be), as did promotions and giveaways that were second behind only the Diamondbacks. If another long postseason run and good offseason is on the horizon, the Royals could be just getting started.
Next: Baltimore Orioles | Full rankings