Calvin Pickering

Once the Royals looked like they were out of the race, the fans all turned their attention to Pickering, who had a monster season for Triple-A Omaha, hitting 34 home runs in 87 games. The sizeable first baseman, however, was blocked from a trip to the majors by two of the Royals’ best players – Mike Sweeney and Ken Harvey. With Sweeney out with back problems and Harvey troubled by his knee, Pickering finally got the call in late August. He homered three times in his first two games then cooled. Neither Pickering, Harvey nor Sweeney can play any position other than first or designated hitter, meaning Pickering’s best chance at a major-league job is a prolonged injury to his competition or a trade. He could hit 50 home runs if given the chance, but he could also strike out 200 times and hit about .230.