The first baseman started slowly in the AFL, then began to heat up last week, but has slipped this week (0-for-13 in the last three games). Still, even if Hosmer’s AFL numbers aren’t jumping off the page (.184 BA and 476 OPS), he’s still been productive, driving in ten runs in 11 games. And considering he’s played a ton of ball this season (he was with Team USA for the 2011 Pan Am Games qualifying tournament), you’ve got to cut the kid some slack. Hosmer has returned to top prospect status, and has put himself within a year or two of the bigs along with a very nice wave of talent the Royals have on the way that may finally help turn this team around.