Free Agent Signings:
Carlos Santana
Mike Minor
Michael Taylor
Ervin Santana
Top 10 Prospects:
1 Bobby Witt Jr., SS
2 Asa Lacy, LHP
3 Daniel Lynch, LHP
4 Jackson Kowar, RHP
5 Erick Pena, OF
6 Nick Loftin, SS
7 Kyle Isbel, OF
8 Khali Lee, OF
9 Jonathan Bowlan, RHP
10 Carlos Hernedez, RHP [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
To have the 2nd highest swing and miss rate in all of the majors since 2018?
I think you meant: most SBs since 2018 (99), and easily the best baserunning rating on fangraphs. Did you know speed and baserunning contributes to scoring? [Reply]
As the Royals drew praise last offseason for aggressively trying to improve, a consistent theme emerged in many of their acquisitions. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi, first baseman Carlos Santana and outfielder Michael A. Taylor all had played in a World Series, as had three previous Royals who were rejoining the club, outfielder Jarrod Dyson and relievers Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Another addition, left-hander Mike Minor, also had postseason experience.
So, while the Royals have their share of young players, general manager Dayton Moore says of the veterans, “It’s a group that knows how to win.” Catcher Sal Pérez and lefty Danny Duffy, two holdovers from the Royals’ Series teams in 2014 and ’15, also are part of the group. Manager Mike Matheny, who led the Cardinals to the playoffs in his first four seasons, including three straight appearances in the NLCS and one in the World Series, brings the intangible, too.
It’s impossible to know how much any of this contributed to the Royals’ 14-8 start, but other than their league-leading 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts, it’s not as if the team stands out statistically in any one area. As one opposing manager said, “KC is more solid than good,” adding the Royals likely will benefit from playing in the relatively weak AL Central.
Moore has two primary concerns – the infield defense without shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, who likely will be out 3 to 4 more weeks with a strained right oblique, and the team’s chase rate, which at 34.7 percent is the highest in the majors. The stability of the rotation is another question.
For all the talk of promoting infielder Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals first might turn to their top pitching prospect, left-hander Daniel Lynch, who looked good in the second half of spring training and carried his momentum to the alternate site, where he pitched 5 1/3 innings in a game on Saturday, striking out five and allowing only one hit. [Reply]
The Royals have been playing Bobby Witt Jr. all over the diamond — at shortstop, second base and in center field — and they’re confident he’ll be able to play all of those positions at an above-average level. It’s only a matter of time before he gets the call as he is already close to being major-league ready. Witt is a tremendous athlete with a high baseball IQ and instincts. He plays the game with passion and intensity. He has quick feet and hands with powerful wrists and forearms. Witt has advanced pitch-recognition skills and a simple, clean approach at the plate. His power is off the charts. He is a great learner who can adjust on the fly. He is a future All-Star, and I’m not afraid to also predict he’ll win an MVP Award at some point — he has that type of upside. [Reply]
Georgia prep slugger Brady House‘s name is bouncing around a lot, with chatter that the Royals are targeting him at pick 7, while the Orioles and Diamondbacks (5 and 6, respectively) might consider him for under-slot deals. … Florida State catcher Mat Nelson was undrafted last year as an age-eligible sophomore, but he’s hitting himself into a Day 1 spot, leading Division I with 18 homers and getting raves for his makeup. He’s never hit like this before, though, and it’s power over hit, which probably puts him more in the third-round range on merit … UC-Santa Barbara right-hander Matt McGreevy is also moving up into supplemental/early second-round range, a young junior with strong command of a four-pitch mix and a fastball up to 96. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
As one opposing manager said, “KC is more solid than good,” adding the Royals likely will benefit from playing in the relatively weak AL Central.
I think that is valid for this team. Pretty solid all around. [Reply]
With still one more game to go, the Royals ensure they will finish April with a .600+ record. Since 2000, 85% of teams with a .600+ April finished with a winning record. Teams with a .600+ April averaged 90 wins.