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]
If Bobby Witt Jr. starts at the major league level to begin the season, he will be the first player to make his major league debut with no college or minor league experience since Tim Conroy in 1978.
Coincidentally, Conroy is currently a scout with the #Royals.
If Bobby Witt Jr. starts at the major league level to begin the season, he will be the first player to make his major league debut with no college or minor league experience since Tim Conroy in 1978.
Coincidentally, Conroy is currently a scout with the #Royals.
The decision to bring Witt up sooner rather than later is a little more nuanced than the sports media guys make it out to be. From a "filling the seats." perspective it's not going to matter. Sherman will take another loss of revenue this year because we're capped at 10,000 fans initially and its going to be midseason before attendance is allowed to increase. So he doesn't really care if Witt plays or not. Dayton is likely against bringing him up early because you lose the service time and if he gets hurt early or stalls out, Dayton looks like an idiot and he would have to sign off on it. Matheny is the wildcard here, he is the type of guy to take a chance on Witt and lobby for it but I bet he won't. Cause if he calls Witt up and we lose 100 games, his ass will be close to the frying pan. So bet it's just for a couple more weeks and they send him down. If we're close to or better than .500 at the ASB, I say it's like a 50-50 proposition if he's playing well. If we make the postseason I bet he's on the roster. [Reply]
If he’s still on the team in two weeks, it’ll be interesting. For now this is nothing more than getting him experience and letting him get a feel. I’d guess there’s a less than 10% chance he actually breaks camp with the MLB club. [Reply]
If Bobby Witt Jr. starts at the major league level to begin the season, he will be the first player to make his major league debut with no college or minor league experience since Tim Conroy in 1978.
Coincidentally, Conroy is currently a scout with the #Royals.
I thought one of the knocks on Matheny was he didn't like playing rookies?
I can't see anyway in hell that Witt Jr breaks spring training in the starting lineup & that is the only way he makes the team...if he is in the starting lineup. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
I thought one of the knocks on Matheny was he didn't like playing rookies?
I can't see anyway in hell that Witt Jr breaks spring training in the starting lineup & that is the only way he makes the team...if he is in the starting lineup.
It wasn't that he didn't like them, it was that he handled young players poorly because he was overly loyal to veteran players (especially veteran players who attended a weekly meeting with him on Sundays to study a very old book - this is a rumor only, but one I heard from people who would know and have no reason to lie to me about it) and because he let his veteran nobody players haze the rookies like crazy (see Jordan Hicks). [Reply]
Inbox: When are the Royals calling up Witt?
Beat reporter Anne Rogers answers questions from fans
Originally Posted by : What are your thoughts on whether Bobby Witt Jr. looks visually ready for the big leagues or if his success is circumstantial to Spring Training pitching and his natural talent?
-- @nickwhartonkc, via Twitter
The Royals’ top prospect and the No. 8 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, has done it all this spring. He reached base and scored on an error in left field, showing his speed and good instincts. He hit at 484-foot home run, showing his power. He flashed the leather at second base, showing his strong defensive skills.
Bobby Witt Jr. has had a very good spring. But that doesn’t mean he’ll start the season on the 40-man roster.
Witt, 20, has yet to make his Major League debut since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2019, but he’s spent time in big league camp over the past two years, including Summer Camp in Kansas City last year. So, he’s faced big league pitching and the Royals’ top pitching prospects, as well as some of their big league pitching, at the alternate training site last year.
Beyond just the question of service-time that comes with bringing up a prospect, the first thing that pops into my mind when someone asks me if Witt should be in the big leagues is this: Will he get playing time? The Royals want to bring Witt up to play and play every day -- not just to be on the bench. Moreover, they want him to play and to stay. The Royals don’t have a big reason to rush Witt -- barring an injury, Adalberto Mondesí is the starting shortstop, and the club’s actions this offseason expressed its confidence in starting the season with Nicky Lopez at second base. If something happens in the middle infield before the season, Hanser Alberto has the experience to step in anywhere on the infield.
It’s hard to make judgements based on Spring Training -- both good and bad performances – because you never know what pitchers and hitters are working on that day. But it’s also hard to ignore the “wow” moments Witt has had. There’s no question that there’s something different about his presence and maturity that resonates in the clubhouse that fans don’t see in highlight videos or game broadcasts. He’s getting close to being ready, even without much Minor League experience.
But, realistically, I think Witt will start the season in Double-A or even Triple-A. From there, he can hit his way to the big leagues.
Who do you think looks best from the ‘19 Draft?
-- @tylercf
The easy answer is Witt. But I’ll say he doesn’t count for this question. Right-hander Alec Marsh was the Royals’ Competitive Balance Round pick in 2019 -- No. 70 overall -- out of Arizona State and has made significant strides in the past year, even without Minor League games. He has only had one Cactus League outing, but he flashed all his stuff and pitched a scoreless inning. Marsh has a power arm, with a fastball that runs up to 97-98 mph, two distinct breaking balls in a curveball and slider, and a changeup that is probably his most-improved pitch from when he was at ASU.
Marsh is a big guy at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, and he’s an extremely hard worker and competitor. He’s a legitimate prospect for the Royals and someone to keep an eye on in 2021.
when its for real they will crap the bed for the first 6 weeks and get buried early and then when the pressure is off they will start playing good ball as usual.
Nick Pratto hit two bombs today 6 for 13 with 3 dingers so far, its only spring but at least maybe it will build his confidence. Matias had a triple and he smoked it he was 2 for 2 with a walk today. Lynch gave up a dinger in the first inning but was lights out after that, striking out 5 in 3 innings of work with no walks. [Reply]