There are a lot of reasons why the Kansas City Royals have gone from a team wondering about its future to a contender for the American League Central title. Ian Kennedy is one of them. The veteran right-hander has been brilliant in his last four starts, helping the Royals overcome a horrendous April that had everyone in baseball speculating that the Royals, with a handful of standout players coming up on free agency, would soon be breaking up the nucleus of their 2015 World Series championship team.