Since the All-Star break a week and a half ago, the Kansas City Royals’ fan base has been energized by the promotion of rookie Bubba Starling to the major leagues. The long-awaited promotion of the Gardner product took the focus momentarily off the teams’ dismal first half showing. Friends and relatives of the Starlings boosted attendance at Kauffman Stadium, and fans tuned in to see how the rookie would fare.

Nicky Lopez can relax as the spotlight is focused on his new teammate. Because it was just a few weeks ago that he was focus of such attention, the hope for a brighter future. Like the Starlings, Lopez’ family was on camera during each of his at bats, riding the highs and lows of breaking into the big leagues.

“It felt great to have the support before even playing my first game,” Lopez said, looking back on his initial days in the league. “To see all the fans come out and cheer for me just made me feel great. It was pretty special.”

Lopez’ promotion to the big leagues on May 14 signaled a much-needed change of direction in Kansas City, and came with an inordinate amount of attention. Despite being a slap-hitting middle infielder who wasn’t a highly ranked prospect, Lopez arrived with outlandish fanfare and outsized expectations.

The reason for such excitement? Much of it had to do with the success he had in the minor leagues. Lopez was an on-base machine. Some of it had to do with the miserable 14-27 record of the team. Fans were hungry for any kind of change.

But much of it was due to animosity toward the man Lopez replaced. Veteran utility man Chris Owings, signed as a free agent during the offseason, flopped out of the gate and instantly became the focus of fans’ frustration with the direction on the team. Owings’ signing made no sense and seemed only to be holding back younger prospects like Lopez. Owings failed miserably at the plate, but continued to get regular playing time. Despite having a solid track record as a major leaguer, fans weren’t about to wait for the 27-year-old to turn things around. Their displeasure quickly forced the Royals to promote Lopez, and Owings was released just a few weeks later. The Royals ate $3 million to move on from the mistake.

And just as Owings was seen as the face of the club’s ineptitude, Lopez was cast as the hope for the future. Both assumptions were unfair. But the initial frenzy has settled down, and Starling is taking most of the attention these days.

“Things are settling down, and that feels good,” said Lopez. “The first couple of weeks were a little hectic. I was riding the high of just being new to the big leagues. Having all my family and friends and relatives in town was really special. But now it’s just good that I can get into a routine and learn about the big league life.

“Being able to stay at my apartment by myself and not have to worry about all the distractions outside of baseball has been good. I’m learning a lot and developing, which is the biggest thing. I just want to keep developing.”

When the Royals jettisoned Owings, they moved Whit Merrifield to the outfield full time to create a regular role at second base for Lopez. The fact that the Royals repositioned one of their best players to make room for Lopez fueled expectations even more.

As should have been expected, Lopez has struggled to adjust to the major leagues. In April and May he posted a .353 batting average and a .457 on-base percentage at Triple-A that he was never going to be able to replicate in the big leagues. He was known for almost never striking out in the minors. But the pitching he’s facing now is a different animal. His strikeouts are up, and his walks are down.

But the 24-year-old Creighton product is adjusting. He’s weathered a couple short slumps and is currently hitting .241 – solid if not spectacular. As expected he’s providing no power, but his spray-hitting style and energy provides an occasional boost.

Since the hoopla settled down, Lopez has settled into a long-range view of personal development, which mirrors that of the team.

“We are working hard. We come in every day with a ‘Today is a new day’ mindset,” said the native of Naperville, Ill. “We’re just trying to get better each and every day. We know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If not next year, then in the next couple of years, we know that we’re going to be pretty good.”

Lopez has a firm grip on the second base position, for now. Versatile Erick Mejia may earn a utility role in Kansas City eventually. Gabe Cancel and newly acquired Kevin Merrill are prospects at Double-A who may threaten Lopez down the road. And in a few years, draftees Bobby Witt, Jr. and Brady McConnell might be slotted at second base.

Lopez himself knows that the key to the process is developing prospects to mesh with the Royals’ young core. He believes that help is on the way.

“The future is so bright. We are struggling right now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There are a lot of guys in the minors who are going to be good in the near future. We got guys down in the Single-A level that I haven’t really played with. But I hear really good things about them, particularly the pitching staff. And there are guys who I was with in Triple-A who are knocking on the door and just waiting for their opportunity.

“We just gotta get through this year and keep building.”

“He could do for the Kansas City Royals what Patrick Mahomes has done for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Those words, spoken by MLB commentator Jim Callis, were his way of hyping the Royals selection of Bobby Witt, Jr. in the first round of the amateur draft last Monday. Regardless whether Callis’ comment excited, or merely confused, Royals fans, he couldn’t have set the bar much higher.

To elaborate on Callis’ comment, he was essentially saying that Witt, a high school shortstop from Texas, would not just become a great baseball player. He would be lovable and larger than life. He would be must-see TV. He would become not just the face of a franchise, but of a city.

Believe it or not, that wasn’t the only thing that happened in the draft for the Royals. It only seemed like it.

Shortstops aren’t quarterbacks: The comment by Callis is an odd one to say the least. In fact, comparing a player drafted in baseball to one drafted in just about any other sport doesn’t make sense. NFL and NBA players are immediately added to the team’s roster, brought to camp and offered a chance to make a difference immediately. What they do will be observed from day one by the entire fan base. Baseball players are drafted mid-season, and then placed on the roster of some minor league team. In Witt’s case, it will be to a team whose games are watched by just a handful of people in person and a few others on video. It might be three years or longer before Witt is seen in Kauffman Stadium. In fact, there is a chance he will never reach the major leagues. That’s just how baseball works.

Can a baseball position player who bats only four times a game on average have anywhere near the impact on a franchise that a quarterback who touches the ball on every offensive play has? Not likely. But rather than criticize Callis for excessive hyperbole, let’s appreciate that a veteran analyst thinks that highly of Witt.

Where will Witt play?: The question has two responses. What position will he play, and at what level will he start?

It’s taken a little longer than expected, but Adalberto Mondesi is establishing himself as one of the most dynamic shortstops in all of baseball. His combination of speed and power is almost unmatched. He might very well be a fixture at shortstop in Kansas City for the next decade or longer.

So what does drafting a shortstop in Witt mean for the future? Royals fans need not worry about that for quite some time. It will take at least two years before Witt is considered ready for the big leagues. Probably longer.

At that point, there would be options. Mondesi, who is under contract through 2023, has played second base, and could move there. Witt could probably shift to third base pretty seamlessly. There is a chance the Royals would trade Mondesi rather than try to resign him. There are too many possible scenarios to necessitate worrying about the problem now. Besides having too many superstar shortstops is a fine problem to have.

As for where the Royals will place Witt, it will most likely be with one of the short-season teams at Burlington (North Carolina) or Idaho Falls. Both those teams’ seasons begin in mid-June and run for about 10 weeks, leaving a little time for a late-season promotion. Witt will turn 19 next week, so the Royals probably would like to see him move quickly through the lower levels.

Another shortstop?: As if there wasn’t already some concern that Mondesi and Witt will someday compete for the same position, the Royals also used their second pick on a shortstop, Brady McConnell from the University of Florida. McConnell played only one full season at Florida, so the Royals drafted him more based on his tools. Kansas City scouting director Lonnie Goldberg actually likened McConnell’s skills to those of Witt.

McConnell just turned 21, and could probably begin the season at least two levels above Witt, perhaps at high-A. Depending upon how quickly the two move through the system, one shouldn’t impede the other’s progress anytime soon. Again, you can never have too many elite shortstops.

The old college try: The Royals made 41 total selections in the draft. The 15 picks immediately following Witt were all college players. After using their first 11 picks on college players last year, this is definitely a trend. Some have wondered if the Royals are trying to speed up their rebuild by drafting older players. Others have speculated that the Royals believe scouting college players requires less projection and is therefore a more exact science. Some have even called it a mere coincidence. Whatever it is, the Royals seem to be stocking up on players more prepared to play at the higher levels of the farm system.

The Royals are really going heavy on college pitchers specifically. Last year their first 22 pitchers selected were all from colleges. This year, their first 23 pitchers were from the college ranks.

A local product: Four times, the Royals passed on Seaman product Ryan Zeferjahn, who was chosen by the Boston Red Sox with the 107^th pick. But the Royals did take Gardner Edgerton product Jake Means with the 649^th selection. The younger brother of Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means, Jake is a third baseman at Indiana State.