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***Official 2021 Royals Season Repository Thread*** (https://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=336108)

Ocotillo

03-21-2021 02:09 PM

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby Witt Jr. will start the season in the minor leagues for Kansas City, as <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alec_lewis</a> said. <br><br>He shouldn’t be down for too long. Witt still hasn’t played above rookie ball. Likeliest spot for him is Double-A, where he’d play shortstop, 2B and maybe CF, too.</p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1373727139053268992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

BWillie

03-21-2021 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocotillo (Post 15596753)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Royals have demoted Bobby Witt Jr., sources tell me and <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alec_lewis</a>. Will not open season in majors.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1373723919954366469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Thank god

dallaschiefsfan

03-21-2021 02:51 PM

Assuming Rivero or Melendez emerge, Salvy will likely be DH'ing quite a bit for the last two years of that contract. I'm guessing we will not be extending Soler - which is fine. Santana can DH quite a bit next year, especially if Pratto has really turned things around at the plate.

On the Witt demotion, I think it's for the best. Truth is, we need to see if Lopez can figure things out at the plate, knowing he's going to provide fantastic defensive value in the mean time. If he doesn't figure things out, hopefully Isbel or Witt will be raking and pushing for a promotion.

Ocotillo

03-21-2021 03:03 PM

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My brain is hurting reading comments about the Royals manipulating service time by sending Bobby Witt to the minors.</p>— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) <a href="https://twitter.com/jjcoop36/status/1373738707979755522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

BWillie

03-21-2021 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocotillo (Post 15596802)

There is not one team in the MLB stupid enough to start Bobby Witt Jr at this point of his career. Besides, he needs to go to the highs and lows of Milb baseball for at least a half a season. Look how we've jerked around Mondesi and Viloria.

smithandrew051

03-21-2021 03:28 PM

Probably for the best

Sure-Oz

03-21-2021 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocotillo (Post 15596755)

Good. Call him up in a month or two if he's raking

kstater

03-21-2021 05:17 PM

I was good with either choice. Can understand both perspectives.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

dlphg9

03-21-2021 05:18 PM

There was literally no way he was starting up here. He's played a small amount of minor league games. The hype around him however is unlike any that I can remember from a Royals prospect. What was hype like online for Gordon? Was it this crazy?

Valiant

03-21-2021 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlphg9 (Post 15596918)

It was odd. I don't remember him showing that level witt did of what he could become. But I do remember the commercials and the star saying he was the next heir to brett.

tk13	03-21-2021 05:34 PM

I think Twitter doesn't help, even non-Royals fans were going wild over what Witt was doing. Gordon didn't have that really.

That said, it's hard to compare anyone to the hype around Johnny Damon. But some of that was the Royals fault for putting him in that commercial with Brett.

poolboy

03-21-2021 06:11 PM

I think we could use Bobbys offensive punch out of the gate........if he struggles, send him down

Prison Bitch

03-21-2021 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstater (Post 15596692)

This one was easy. The Royals absolutely stole Salvy for years. There's nothing wrong with this contract

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Who cares?

You’re paying for the future not the past. Don’t be dense.

I am agnostic on the deal - his bat was insane last year and looks great in Arizona. He can absolutely command that if he hits anywhere close.

But you NEVER pay on the past. See: Alex Gordon. Mike Sweeney.

kstater

03-21-2021 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15597048)

I knew you would think this, and understand your thoughts. I just disagree in some instances like this. There is value in paying the sentimental contract

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

BWillie

03-21-2021 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15597048)

Can't say I disagree. Dayton isn't really a shrewd businessman though. He just throws player friendly deals at people all the time. We are soooo lucky SD offered Hosmer a little more.I'd like to think this helps us in free agency. I'm sure if all things equal, people would want to play for the more player friendly GM.

tk13	03-21-2021 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstater (Post 15597084)

I knew you would think this, and understand your thoughts. I just disagree in some instances like this. There is value in paying the sentimental contract

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

There is a sentimental aspect to it, but to Dayton's credit he's definitely done well to establish that the Royals are not a ruthless front office. They'll take care of their players. They're never going to be the biggest spenders but it doesn't hurt when it comes to getting free agents like Santana and Mike Minor.

Prison Bitch

03-21-2021 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstater (Post 15597084)

I knew you would think this, and understand your thoughts. I just disagree in some instances like this. There is value in paying the sentimental contract
lk

Sal got this deal crushing 2020 pitching.

He’d have gotten a similar deal from someone else putting us into this iIs. (See Grandal, Realmuto)

We have little committed so I’m fine with it. But the dude really earned it in 2020, not before

Chiefspants

03-21-2021 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15597094)

He had over a 1.000 OPS going into the final game. Part of me wanted Matheny to pull him in that last game just to maintain that.

Chris Meck

03-22-2021 07:35 AM

the two weak spots in the line-up are CF and 2nd.

Start Witt and Isbell in AA and if they're raking in a few weeks/a month and either guy in KC is stinking it up, bring 'em up, with the saved year of control. Win/Win.

PHOG	03-22-2021 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Meck (Post 15597284)

This ^

duncan_idaho

03-22-2021 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Meck (Post 15597284)

If that’s the plan, I’d like to see them face AAA pitching first.

You do get a lot of crafty vets who pitch backwards there, which is valuable experience.

Prison Bitch

03-22-2021 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Meck (Post 15597284)

They aren’t bringing Witt up in “a few weeks”

Chris Meck

03-22-2021 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15597435)

They aren’t bringing Witt up in “a few weeks”

Isn't it only a few weeks to disqualify the year in service time?

dallaschiefsfan

03-22-2021 09:05 AM

I'm betting a combo of Alberto/Whit is the backup plan at 2B for now - not Witt Jr. As for Taylor, he's looked fine this Spring.

tk13	03-22-2021 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan (Post 15597445)

I'm betting a combo of Alberto/Whit is the backup plan at 2B for now - not Witt Jr. As for Taylor, he's looked fine this Spring.

Even if Taylor struggles at the plate, if he plays defense like he's capable of, he'll probably be out there. Lopez will get time because of his defense too but they can put Whit there and be fine. Dayton's always valued defense more than everyone else but with all these young pitchers coming up they'll put some solid defenders behind them.

ChiefsCountry

03-22-2021 02:49 PM

Salvy was the most popular athlete in Kansas City until Mahomes came along

Pitt Gorilla

03-22-2021 11:06 PM

Saw that Whitt will start in the minors. Makes sense to me.

Ocotillo

03-23-2021 02:20 PM

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Twins announced that Alex Kirilloff has been optioned to the alternate camp.</p>— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1374447130912321541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

cabletech94

03-23-2021 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocotillo (Post 15599997)

Whew!! We really dodged a bullet there! Wait? Wut? Whiittt?!?

/sarcasm

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 10:07 AM

Who is the 26th man? Is it a bat with O’Hearn or McBroom, or a reliever with Brach, Lovelady or Hernández?
-- @christiandr85, via Twitter

Great question. This is one of the more intriguing decisions the Royals have to make heading into Opening Day. There are a few factors involved, the biggest one being the Royals don’t need a fifth starter until April 16, which opens up a spot on the 26-man roster for an extra reliever or an extra position player. One might think because of the question of workload looming over clubs with their pitchers this year, the Royals would put another reliever on the roster to have arms at the ready. But with all the off-days baked into the schedule to start the season, Royals pitchers will be well rested, so they could choose to have an extra bat off the bench.

The names here are the most likely to break camp with the Royals as that 26th man. Ryan McBroom has fared better in Spring Training lately, hitting .306/.297/.639 with three home runs in 18 games. The strikeout rate is still high (11 strikeouts in 36 at-bats), but if he can come through in big spots like he did last year as a pinch-hitter, he’ll find a place on the roster. Ryan O’Hearn shot out of the gate this spring but has tailed off recently, so he’ll need to get back to being the hitter he was at the beginning of camp. But his left-handed bat gives him an advantage. Both players can play first base or the corner outfield, as well as serve as the designated hitter. Perhaps the Royals go with both if they decide to go with an extra position player to start the season.

Another position player name to think about: Bubba Starling. He’s a non-roster invitee, so the Royals would have to clear a spot for him. But his defense is something teams would love to have, especially as a late-inning replacement. If the Royals choose to go that route, he’d be an intriguing choice.

Will the Royals choose to go with a lefty and bring Richard Lovelady into the fold? He has impressed this spring, striking out eight in seven innings. So has Jake Brentz, a lefty who throws 100 mph, but he is a non-roster invitee who would have to have a 40-man spot cleared for him to make the roster. The Royals are preparing Carlos Hernández for a bullpen role, and the young right-hander has shown nasty stuff this spring. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a high-leverage role at some point this season. Veteran right-hander Brad Brach, another non-roster invitee, has struggled mightily with location in his past few outings, but he still offers a different look because of that funky delivery. The Royals value that, so if they think he can turn his location issues around, they could clear a spot for him as well.

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 10:08 AM

Are you as excited about Hunter Dozier's recent performance as I am?
-- @JacobCr32955868

I know the Royals are excited. Dozier’s situation this spring is one of those where you can say, “That’s what Spring Training is for.” It took a while for him to get his timing and rhythm down, but a ton of swings in the batting cage and a B game in which he batted second every time seemed to help.

Dozier’s swing is starting to look like it did in 2019 -- when he blasted a career-high 26 home runs -- and on Monday, he launched a three-run homer with an estimated distance of 445 feet. The Royals will take that.

Prison Bitch

03-24-2021 12:09 PM

Best shortstops: 18. Mondesi 2.5 fWAR proj

If steals are your thing, the Royals have you covered. Mondesi is the premier speed merchant in baseball; the only limit to his thievery is his inability to get on base. The .292 OBP projection you see up above would be an eight point improvement on his career line, and you can’t steal second if you don’t reach first, at least until Rob Manfred gets his hands on the major league rulebook.

Mondesi’s offensive problem is simple: he doesn’t make enough contact, so pitchers flood the zone to avoid putting him on base. That leads to huge swing rates — combine that with the aforementioned contact problems, and you get a career 19.6% swinging strike rate, second-worst in the majors behind only Jorge Alfaro.

When he does make contact, he’s totally fine. He has an average hard hit rate, average barrel rate, and hits enough opposite-field grounders to take advantage of his speed. But when you swing through one fifth of the pitches you see, average isn’t going to cut it.

He does enough on the defensive end that he’s an average player overall, but the whole package just feels like it should come out to more. And hey, if he makes more contact, it just might: you can’t teach speed, and no one has more of it than Mondesi

BWillie

03-24-2021 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15601431)

This is quite depressing read. Sounds like Mondesi needs to learn plate discipline and just swing at what he knows he can hit...

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 02:39 PM

https://theathletic.com/2472542/2021...bullpen-spots/

Royals Opening Day roster projection: The infield makeup and final bullpen spots
by
Alec Lewis

Quote:

It’s crunch time for the Royals. They head north in eight days. By then, the 26-man roster will be set. For now, decisions remain.

There’s the infield. What will the Royals do at second base? Throughout the offseason, it had seemed as if Nicky Lopez would be slotting into that role. But how about now? Then there’s the bullpen, which has been thick in competition since the players arrived in Surprise, Ariz. Royals manager Mike Matheny has said he’s not afraid to roll without a lefty, but is that the route the Royals will go?

To break it all down, here’s another roster projection for Opening Day, featuring ZiPS projections for each player.

Spring training statistics are tough to assess. If a player is performing, it’s often because they’re “just feeling good.” If they’re not, it’s often “just spring training.” And yet right here, because the catchers who will make the Royals’ Opening Day roster are obvious, we are going to highlight what Salvador Perez has done at the plate. He’s batting .400/.471/.733 with three home runs and eight RBIs.

(Only six qualified hitters have better than Perez’s 1.204 OPS this spring.)

Perez has also looked exceptional behind the plate, too, back-picking runners at first base and throwing others out at second. He’s ready to go. Behind him, Cam Gallagher will be ready as well.

This is where things get interesting. Truth be told, there are only two obvious player-position pairings, health-permitting: Carlos Santana will start at first base; Mondesi will start at shortstop. Second base and third base are wild cards, especially after the performances this spring.

Though the Royals spoke often this offseason about Merrifield playing right field, and about Dozier playing third base, it doesn’t feel as if that’s how this will go. Lopez, who had been slotted as the second baseman, has a .388 OPS in 38 plate appearances this spring. That’s not going to work for a club that wants to put together a lineup that’s going to give pitchers headaches. Instead, the Royals’ best option appears to be moving Merrifield into second, Dozier to right field and having Alberto, who has a .980 OPS this spring in 25 plate appearances, play third base.

That leaves Lopez as the odd man out, though any setback for Mondesi would mean he’d see time at shortstop.

Two bench spots seemingly remain in that scenario. Matheny likes using all of his weapons, so why not add O’Hearn and McBroom for left-handed and right-handed pinch-hitters off of the bench? The only other player who deserves a mention in this space is Emmanuel Rivera. The right-handed-hitting 24-year-old third baseman from Puerto Rico has raked this spring, posted a .922 OPS. This is coming on the back of a winter league season in Puerto Rico, where he posted an .866 OPS. He’s another potential option down the road if the Royals need assistance at the hot corner.

Here we go again with the spring training statistics: Taylor has quietly tallied one of the more impressive Royals spring training performances. In 34 plate appearances, he has a 1.357 OPS. He’s also walked five times, which is a positive sign. He’ll start in center field. Benintendi will start in left field. And, sticking with the theme of moving Merrifield into second base, Dozier then fits in right field. Dyson, who will keep the clubhouse light through the grind of 162 games, will back them all up.

Kansas City native Bubba Starling deserves a mention here given what he provides from a defensive perspective. But he’s not on the 40-man roster, so the Royals would have to clear space to make that happen. He’s also struggled at the plate this spring, striking out 10 times in 29 plate appearances.

One of the more interesting effects of Perez’s extension is what it means for Soler. He’s slated to become a free agent at season’s end. It’s hard to imagine the Royals having enough in the payroll to pay the hefty price Soler will covet. So although Soler, who is healthy, will start the season with the Royals, here’s a valid question: Will he finish the season with the Royals?

If they’re competing the way they want to maybe they’ll ride it out. If not, the Royals could pull the ripcord and make a trade at some point.

The Royals don’t need a fifth starter until April 14, so they’ll only have four set starters out of the gate. Keller, whom the Royals want to shoulder nearly 200 innings in 2021, will take the ball on Opening Day. Minor, who also appears in line for 200 innings, will follow him up. Singer and Duffy will round things out, paving the way for a question we’ll all soon be asking: Then who?

Young left-hander Kris Bubic started 10 games in 2020 and posted a 4.32 ERA in 50 innings. That’ll do, but the problem is, Bubic’s command this spring didn’t look like it had a year ago. He’ll spend the next few weeks refining his mechanics and approach. In the meantime, the Royals will assess how much of a stride Jakob Junis has truly taken, adding the cutter this offseason and working on a changeup.

If Junis is dominant, he could make sense in the fifth starter role. Then there’s another prospect: Daniel Lynch. His time is coming, especially with how good his changeup looked recently in a game against the Chicago White Sox. Any scout will tell you he has top-of-the-rotation stuff. If his repeatability and command prove right, he could make sense as an option if the Royals think he’s ready.

Before the bullpen selections, there were 17 players on the Opening Day roster. That left nine remaining spots, some of which were obvious. Holland, Barlow, Hahn, Junis and Staumont seem like shoe-ins, considering their performances a season ago and again in spring training. Four spots remain in this scenario, and although Santana has long been a starter, the Royals have used him in short stints in recent weeks.

He’s been effective. Davis, a Royals fan favorite, hasn’t given up a run this spring. His experience could come in handy, so his spot feels secure. That leaves two.

Zimmer pitched well in 2020. He’s had an up-and-down spring, but his presence seems likely unless the Royals chose a pitcher such as Jake Newberry, who does deserve a spot. Then lastly, there’s a lefty in Brentz, who throws 100 mph. He’s posted a 4.05 ERA in 6 2/3 innings this spring and struck out 10 hitters. His stuff will play, but then again, Matheny has mentioned his openness to not carrying a lefty. So the final spots still feel up for grabs.

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocotillo (Post 15599997)

15. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award in one of the best races in league history.
Witt barely beats out Kelenic, Andrew Vaughn of the Chicago White Sox and Alex Kirilloff of the Minnesota Twins.

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 02:46 PM

19. Major League Baseball gets clarity on the uncertain stadium situations for Oakland and Tampa Bay, as both teams secure new ballparks.
The league agrees to expand to 32 teams in 2025 as part of the new CBA. (The current CBA, which expires on Dec. 1, allows MLB to add two expansion clubs, but the pandemic pushed back the timeline.)
The following cities are invited to be part of the bidding process: Las Vegas; Portland, Ore.; Charlotte, N.C.; Vancouver, Canada; Orlando, Fla.; Monterrey, Mexico; New Orleans; Nashville, Tenn.

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 02:58 PM

Mellinger Minutes: Royals’ dream season

Quote:

The Royals will play a real baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in front of real humans in eight days. There will be lemonade and popcorn and hot dogs. Kids will get foul balls. The air will fill with catchers mitts popping and bats cracking and hopefully the umpire doing some ridiculous and overproduced strike three call.

You know, all the good stuff.

I will be there, assuming I’m still breathing, and I’m too old for this but I am already excited about the day. The column I write will almost certainly have nothing to do with the specifics of the game, or any decision Mike Matheny makes, or whether Brad Keller is repeating his mechanics or effective with his slider.

So with the Chiefs offseason still incomplete and plenty below about all three local college basketball teams, Bobby Witt Jr.’s reassignment, Sal Perez’s contract and other stuff let’s do something different here at the top:

What would a Royals playoff run look like?

This is an unlikely scenario, to be sure. If the Royals are in meaningful games the last week of the season it would be one of the bigger stories in the sport. But what good is this time of year if you can’t dream on a baseball team a little?

So here we go.

The Royals’ lineup would need to jump significantly from 13th in runs last year (and 14th in 2019, if you don’t trust the shortened season).

They would do this first and most importantly by covering holes. Last year, of the nine players with the most plate appearances, five had an adjusted OPS below league average.

Nicky Lopez had the lowest OPS in the American League. If Alex Gordon had enough plate appearances to qualify, he’d have tied for third-worst.

Another way to look at it: the Royals had just two positions (right field and catcher) that produced better than league average. They had just two spots in the lineup (first and third) that produced better than league average.

Sal Perez, Adalberto Mondesi, Whit Merrifield and Jorge Soler are back and in the same position on the field as last year.

Of the other five spots, it’s reasonable to believe that none will be significantly downgraded offensively, and that three will be significantly upgraded.

So if things go well offensively, it’ll be because Whit Merrifield continues to be Whit Merrifield, and Carlos Santana proves 2020 was a one-off and not the cliff’s edge, and Hunter Dozier breaks out, and Jorge Soler provides power, and Adalberto Mondesi has a few stretches where he crushes, and Michael A. Taylor’s shortened swing provides more consistency, and Benintendi does a little of everything (but lots of line drives in gaps), and Sal Perez hits another 25 homers, and the Royals get enough from second base that it’s no longer the place where rallies go to die.

Whatever it’s worth, I do believe Bobby Witt Jr. will be in the big leagues this summer, perhaps even before the All-Star break. He’s going to be great, and he might even be good right away, but I wonder if anything less than insta-Trout is going to be a letdown to some.

Let’s stay with the position players. The Royals should be at least average at every spot, and above average everywhere up the middle — Perez at catcher, Mondesi at short, Lopez (or Witt Jr. or Merrifield) at second, and Taylor in center.

Dozier (or Witt Jr.) could be above average at third. Benintendi has been worth 22 Defensive Runs Saved in left field over the last four seasons, though most of that is from 2017 and 2018. There is enough positional versatility between Dozier, Witt. Jr. and Merrifield to help cover the inevitable injuries.

The rotation lacks a headlining Cy Young candidate like Shane Bieber, but Brad Keller remains an under appreciated breakout candidate and for the first time in a while the Royals have a real chance to roll out a rotation without an obvious hole:

Keller, Mike Minor, Brady Singer, Danny Duffy and Kris Bubic. That’s five, with Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar and maybe even Asa Lacy on the come. Jakob Junis can offer a spot start. There will be injuries and underperformance but this is a good place to start.

A steady rotation can build on itself, and help the bullpen succeed. An organization that believes deeply in intangibles also values players arriving at the ballpark everyday believing they can with their starter.

The bullpen could use some depth, and Josh Staumont’s recover from Covid-19 is at least a mild concern, and in an ideal world there would be at least one lefty. But there’s enough talent back there to get guys out, and when he’s right Staumont is virtually unhittable.

So, that’s the way this thing would happen. That’s how the 2021 Royals would look if they are lucky and good and healthy enough to threaten a postseason — diverse skills, winning with different guys doing different things on different nights, taking away more runs defensively than they let in, a balanced rotation with Keller as the anchor, and a bullpen protected by that rotation with the best and hottest arms deployed for the most dangerous spots.

But, honestly, between you and me I’ll take 70-92 right now if it means we have 162 games with fans able to watch in person.

KChiefs1

03-24-2021 03:02 PM

Remembrance of Royals’ Krispy Kreme promotion in 2000s strikes a chord with KC fans
BY PETE GRATHOFF

Quote:

Until the Royals’ playoff appearances in 2014 and 2015, there may have been no more electric time for fans born in the 1980s or later than in April 2003.

The Royals were coming off a 100-loss season, and expectations were more of the same in 2003. Instead, the Royals opened the season with nine straight wins and at one point had a 16-3 record.

That included a victory over the Tigers on April 19 that was notable for what fans were yelling at Kauffman Stadium. The Star reported Michael Tucker’s sixth-inning single was the team’s 11th hit — and that’s when Royals faithful began chanting, “donuts, donuts.”

Angel Berroa opened the eighth inning with a single for the Royals’ 12th hit of the game, and fans went nuts because it triggered perhaps the greatest promotion in franchise history.

Starting in 2003, fans who were at a Royals home game could get a dozen free donuts the following day if KC had 12 hits (ticket stub required).

Unfortunately for the Royals, that hot start didn’t result in a playoff berth and three more 100-loss seasons followed. After the 2006 season, the Krispy Kreme promotion came to an end.

Many Royals fans have fond memories of the Krispy Kreme giveaway, including Taylor Kay Phillips, a comedy writer in New York. She grew up in Kansas City and shared a Twitter thread Monday in which she recalled those sugar-infused days as a 10-year-old who attended games with her family.

“It was,” she wrote on Twitter, “the greatest summer of my life.”

Phillips wasn’t the only one with fond memories. That thread has gone viral in Kansas City and so far has exceeded 2,000 likes and more than 100 comments.

“I was very surprised and very touched (by the response),” Phillips said in a phone interview. “It was very fun reading all of these people’s stories who remember it better than I do because I was 10.”

Those trips to The K and then to Krispy Kreme are etched in Phillips’ memory.

“We would go at like 8 in the morning the next day ... but one night we went that night,” Phillips said. “My dad actually commented, and I had forgotten, but one night, we drove to Krispy Kreme and waited in the parking lot until we heard confirmation of the 12 (hits).”

Phillips said she can see Yankee Stadium from her apartment in the Harlem but remains true to the Royals. She wore a Salvador Perez shirt to her first stand-up gig to remind her to have fun.

Still, Phillips doesn’t closely follow the Royals like she did as a kid.

“I definitely know more about the early 2000 Royals than the current Royals,” she said with a laugh.

“We went to spring training in the spring of 2004, and that was just such a nice group of guys. I remember as a kid, Mike Sweeney told my sister who had a lot of freckles that his mom told him that each freckle was a kiss from God. We still remember that. ... It was just such a great time to be a baseball fan.”

Like most good things in life, the Krispy Kreme promotion eventually came to an end. It was followed by a disastrous and short-lived bagel promotion.

But Phillips’ remembrance of those Krispy Kreme days made an impact on Royals fans.

Here is what she wrote:

@TayKayPhillips

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/iXRWdtFLgY">https://t.co/iXRWdtFLgY</a><br>My contribution to the <a href="https://twitter.com/krispykreme?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krispykreme</a> hullabaloo was a twitter thread about my childhood as <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Royals</a> Fan in the 2000s. Turns out lots of people have great memories of that time + we made the paper! So if you prefer your donut discourse wholesome - here ya go.</p>— Taylor Kay Phillips (@TayKayPhillips) <a href="https://twitter.com/TayKayPhillips/status/1374771758532821002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

tk13	03-25-2021 10:41 AM

Now there's a lineup.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today's Royals lineup against D-Backs:<br><br>Whit Merrifield 2B<br>Andrew Benintendi LF<br>Adalberto Mondesi SS<br>Salvador Perez C<br>Carlos Santana 1B<br>Jorge Soler DH<br>Hunter Dozier 3B<br>Michael A. Taylor CF<br>Kyle Isbel RF<br><br>Danny Duffy P</p>— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1375109130764087298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 10:42 AM

https://www.royalsreview.com/2021/3/...-march-25-2021

Royals Rumblings
by
Max Rieper

Quote:

Jakob Junis was impressive again on Wednesday against the Angels as he makes his case to be in the rotation.

Matheny seems to be leaving all avenues in play, including one of his hybrid relievers eventually turning into a fifth starter when needed.

“We need to take our best team with us when we head out of the gate,” Matheny said. “We should have a number of guys who could be options for when we do actually need that fifth starter, which again, we’re talking a couple weeks into the season.”

“Really my approach is just whenever my name is called, just go out there and be ready and do my thing,” Junis said. “I’m not going to think about it too much and worry about it. I know I’m starting in the bullpen that first few series, and I’ll be ready to go out of the bullpen and throw my stuff and hopefully get the job done.”

In his Mellinger Minutes, Sam admits the Salvador Perez contract looks bad on paper.

If they’re overpaying for Perez, they know that will be balanced by underpaying many of his teammates.

The calculation is that the trade with be worth it because of Perez’s specific strengths, the lack of a great alternative, and continuing to actively fight the old narrative of the Royals as the place that can’t or doesn’t sign their stars.

Now, all that said, this contract will become very difficult for even the most generous to justify if Perez has to switch positions or is no longer a strong defensive catcher.

Lynn Worthy writes that Salvy just meant more to the Royals than to any other team.

He established a deep personal connection with the organization, and there’s little doubt that Perez’s presence means more to the franchise than it could to any other. The Royals declared as much with the four-year extension worth a guaranteed $82 million announced on Sunday, the richest contract in franchise history.

“In an era where it’s very difficult at times for markets like ours to sign some of their most popular players, their most successful, their most talented and their most productive players with great history — like Salvador — to long-term contracts, that’s what we’re most thrilled about as an organization,” Moore said. “... There’s a lot of different emotions and feelings with a signing of this caliber.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora had some interesting comments on the career of Andrew Benintendi in Boston.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Some very candid and interesting thoughts from Alex Cora on Andrew Benintendi's transformation between 2018 and 2019 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyMassarotti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TonyMassarotti</a>'s Baseball Hour podcast). <a href="https://t.co/qJhZ9WsRka">pic.twitter.com/qJhZ9WsRka</a></p>— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1374515239815835652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

siberian khatru

03-25-2021 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13 (Post 15602717)

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13 (Post 15602717)

Almost as good as this one:

1. Whit Merrifield, RF
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. Carlos Santana, 1B
4. Jorge Soler, DH
5. Salvy Perez, C
6. Adalberto Mondesi, SS
7. Hunter Dozier, 3B
8. Michael A Taylor, CF
9. Bobby Witt Jr, 2B

Might see this one by the All-Star game.

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 11:00 AM

https://insidethecrown.substack.com/...ld-predictions

2021 Bold Predictions
by
David Lesky

Quote:

Brady Singer Will Have Cy Young Talk Around Him

There aren’t many people who will look at the stuff of Brady Singer and put him at the top of any of the Royals young pitchers in spite of his draft position. He has all the makings of a guy who fits in the middle of a rotation and keeps you in games in as many starts as possible. But, as much as I have a hard time truly understanding this, the guy has intangibles that I believe will help him to pitch above his stuff level.

But I have reasons that aren’t just because he’s a bulldog who has all the makings of a pitcher who refuses to settle. He’s looked really good this spring. His slider is nasty. The fastball moves a lot. But his changeup has been reported to look good. We haven’t seen a ton of Singer, but what I have seen, the changeup did look pretty okay. And that’s really all it needs to be. The results this spring have been encouraging. Lots of strikeouts, and while he might always be a guy who has a bit of trouble with the home run ball, if he can keep the grounders and add a few strikeouts, that could be good.

Plus, he gets to face a lot of teams that haven’t seen him yet. He’ll likely make most of his April starts against new teams, and then the Royals will face 14 other teams this year that Singer didn’t face last season. I think at some point in the season, we’re going to look up and he’ll be among the league leaders in ERA with a ton of strikeouts and people will start talking. I don’t think it’ll end that way, but at some point, he’ll look so good that there’ll at least be a discussion.

Andrew Benintendi Will Struggle

I loved the move to acquire Benintendi from the Red Sox because acquiring talent is never a bad idea. And I think this move will work out in the end for the Royals, maybe even long-term with a deal beyond 2022. But at least at the start, it’ll look like a mistake. I don’t have anything too concrete to back this up, but new isn’t always easy. And Benintendi is sitting with two new things to worry about in 2021.

First, it’s a new team and a new set of people to impress. There is a mindset that going from Boston to Kansas City should be relaxing and actually should help a transition, but a new organization with new teammates and a new front office and management to impress is still new and that’s still stressful. Think about when you start a new job. There’s a lot going on and it takes some time to adjust in order to be successful. So that’s strike one.

Second, he’s working on a new approach. It helps that his new approach is his old approach, but it’s hard to break habits. Benintendi tried to change his game while in Boston and while he realized that and dedicated himself to changing back to what worked, it could take some time and some reps to get there. And I think it might take a little while. What my crystal ball can’t see is how long. Does he only struggle in April or does it last half the season or more? I don’t know. But I think he will struggle.

Hunter Dozier is the Team’s Best Player

Okay, so you probably guessed this one was coming after I wrote about him a few weeks ago, but I’m just totally enamored with Dozier’s game this season. Armed with a new contract that gives him security and hopefully health he didn’t have last season, I just think he breaks out in a big way in 2021. He looked a little off early in the spring, but he’s really turned it on lately and some of the swings are absolutely beautiful.

His athleticism is what people overlook a lot in Dozier, but the guy can really move. I’m worried about him defensively at third base, but I also think there’s a chance he’s a better player with an offseason to get ready for the position. Even with that worry, I think there’s a chance we see absolutely monster numbers from him.

The Royals Will Make a Big Trade (Or Two)

This is a weird team because if the Royals are contending around the deadline, they probably don’t have many holes to fill. In order to win, they’re going to need contributions from almost every spot on the field and where they’re unlikely to get it could be filled by prospects by mid-summer. The rotation will have to pitch well to compete and even if there are struggles, there are a handful of guys who will be ready to go to see if they can’t do better. The bullpen is a place where teams can always add, but even there, the Royals appear to have some serious depth with their cavalry of arms.

But they also have those 40-man issues I talked about a bit ago. Someone’s gotta go. They already traded Khalil Lee to get Benintendi. But there’ll be more. And this organization really lacks a long-term answer in center field unless you believe Kyle Isbel can handle it for more than a couple years (I’m not sure I do). I guess maybe Bobby Witt, Jr. could be that guy, but I see him more on the infield somewhere than center.

So that’s a possibility for a move, center field. But I just think they do something big that ends up clearing some of the logjam of pitching prospects and bringing in some pieces that can help them win in 2022 and 2023 and I think it happens at the deadline this season when teams are scrambling for pitching depth because of the short 2020. I wouldn’t be too surprised either if Jorge Soler is moved at the deadline if they don’t make any progress on a long-term deal for him. A lot of that will depend on where they are in the standings and also how a guy like Nick Pratto looks in the minors, but Soler could very easily be on the move.

The Royals Will Not Make the Playoffs

I know, I know. I said bold, not crazy. But I don’t think this team makes the playoffs. Hard to believe. I do think we’ll be a lot more optimistic about 2022 at the end of the day on October 3rd than we are today, and I think a lot of people are pretty optimistic about 2022 already. The American League Central has two very good to great teams and one team that churns out pitching like it’s nothing. I don’t think the Tigers will be slouches either this season.

So it’ll be a tough go for them playing 57 games against the Twins, White Sox and Indians and then another 34-40 games against teams likely to contend. But I think they’ll be better at the end of the year than at the beginning and we’ll see debuts of the players a lot of people are counting on to be part of the next great Royals team.

I think I’m about to give my official 2021 record prediction (that is subject to change with any injuries the last few days of spring training). And it’s going to be...76-86. The team won 58 games in 2018 and 59 in 2019. Then last year, they won 26, which roughly works out to 70 wins in a full season. This is a step up and I think, with the right moves, could get them to the postseason in 2022. But just not in 2021.

Chris Meck

03-25-2021 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KChiefs1 (Post 15602726)

Or:
1. Whit Merrifield, 2B
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. Carlos Santana, 1B
4. Jorge Soler, DH
5. Salvy Perez, C
6. Adalberto Mondesi, SS
7. Hunter Dozier, RF
8. Michael A Taylor, CF
9. Bobby Witt Jr, 3B

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Meck (Post 15602744)

Also a strong possibility! :thumb:

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 11:15 AM

https://royalsreporter.com/2021/03/2...n-opening-day/

Could Hanser Alberto actually be the Royals’ starting second baseman on Opening Day?
by
Kevin O’Brien

Quote:

This off-season Royals signed former Orioles second-baseman Hanser Alberto on a Minor League deal and invited him to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. The deal seemed to be a pretty clear cut one for both Alberto and the Royals. For Alberto, it gave him a shot to make a Major League roster after being non-tendered by the Baltimore Orioles at the conclusion of the 2020 season. For the Royals, it gave them a possible veteran utility infielder off the bench who could also provide some production against left-handed pitching. In fact, it seemed plausible at the beginning of Spring Training that Alberto and Nicky Lopez, the Royals’ starting second baseman last year, could platoon at second base over the full course of the 2021 season.

However, with roughly a week left in Spring Training, Alberto has proven that he should not be seen solely as a platoon option for the Royals off the bench. Rather, Alberto has made an argument that he could be a candidate for the Royals’ starting second base position on Opening Day, especially amidst Lopez’s struggles at the plate last year and this Spring.

Thus, will Lopez still be the Royals starting second baseman on April 1st at Kauffman Stadium? Or will Alberto continue his torrid Spring and earn the starting nod at the keystone in Kansas City in nearly a week?

Let’s take a look at what Alberto and Lopez have done, and what the outlook could be for the Royals at second base not just for the remainder of Spring Training, but in 2021 as well.

Alberto found new life in Baltimore in 2019 after only playing 89 games over three seasons in the Rangers organization from 2016-2018. Two seasons ago with the Orioles, Alberto posted a slash of .305/.329/.422, a wRC+ of 97 and a 2.0 WAR, according to Fangraphs. Unfortunately, the former Oriole regressed a bit in year two in Baltimore during the shortened 2020 season, as his batting average fell to .283, and wRC+ and WAR also fell to 89 and 0.6, respectively. Furthermore, his defense also struggled over his 54-game stint in 2020, as his OAA (outs above average) went from seven outs above average to three runs BELOW average, according to Baseball Savant. Thus, with little to no pop, and some question marks defensively last year, it’s not a surprise that Baltimore non-tendered him last year, especially considering he’s 28-years-old this season.

That being said, even though on paper it makes sense that the rebuilding Orioles would non-tender a player of Alberto’s status this Winter, it seems like the infielder from the Dominican Republic took it personally. He is using the Orioles’ decision as motivation to make the Royals roster.

Alberto’s offense and defense as a Royal this Spring has been impressive, and he has also showed some improved plate discipline as well, as he is posting a BB/K ratio of 1.5, which is nearly 1.3 points higher than his career BB/K ratio (0.21). While it’s unlikely that Alberto is not a 1.5 ratio hitter, it could be a sign that Alberto is honing his batting eye at the plate, which would only complement his supreme contact skills as a hitter nicely.

That being said, as typical with any players’ Spring Training numbers, Alberto’s stats should also be taken with a grain of salt. According to Baseball Reference, his opponent quality score this Spring is 7.6, which is fourth-highest of Royals infielders, but still translates to roughly Triple-A competition, if not slightly below. Therefore, while Alberto is looking impressive now, it will be interesting to see how his stat line would fare if given the full-time position at second base in Kansas City in 2021.

It’s tough to tell whether Alberto is ready for the Royals’ starting second base position just yet. At the very least though, he has earned a spot on the 26-man roster, and should at the very least be seen as a utility infielder off the Royals bench for Mike Matheny to use in 2021.

While Alberto’s strong Spring has warranted him consideration for the Royals’ starting second base position, this possibility wouldn’t be a discussion if Lopez was raking this Spring. Unfortunately, after posting a 56 and 55 wRC+ in his first two seasons in the Majors (2019 and 2020), things have been pretty bad for the light-hitting, glove-first middle infielder in Cactus League play.

In 15 games and 38 plate appearances, Lopez is posting a .121/.237/.152 slash with a .388 OPS. Considering Lopez has a career .586 OPS in 548 plate appearances, this current stat line this Spring is not necessarily a promising sign that Lopez is on the upswing offensively for 2021.

What has been particularly alarming about Lopez in Cactus League play has been the extraordinary amount of strikeouts at this dish. Lopez currently has struck out 13 times, which leads all Royals infielders, and is the third-highest total for Royals hitters. In fact, Lopez is only behind Jorge Soler (15) and Ryan O’Hearn (14), who are two Royals hitters known for swinging and whiffing at the plate the past couple of seasons. However, Soler and O’Hearn have power to make up for the swing and miss tendencies, as they have combined for seven home runs this Spring.

Lopez on the other hand has only one extra base hit this Spring (a double).

Unfortunately, this has been a trend for Lopez, who increased his whiffs significantly in his sophomore season in Kansas City. Known for being a high-contact hitter in the Minors, Lopez posted a 21.4 percent strikeout rate in 2020, a nearly nine point jump from his 12.7 percent mark in 2019. Furthermore, the highest strikeout rate Lopez posted in the Minors, according to Fangraphs, was 11.5 percent in 2017 during his first stint in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. While an adjustment period to Major League hitters was to be expected for Lopez, a strikeout rate above 20 percent last year, and little improvements made in that area this Spring, should have Royals fans worried about the outlook at second. Hence, it’s not surprising that Alberto is being considered for the position, in addition to Bobby Witt, Jr., who may be a August or September call-up and take over at second as well, should he tear up Double-A pitching in 2021.

I have talked about this before, but it will be interesting to see if Lopez will find a way to cut down on his swing and utilize that “oppo” approach that made him so effective at Creighton University and in the Minors. With the hype about gaining weight and strength, it seemed like Lopez tried add more power behind his swing in 2020, and it proved to be fruitless: his ISO actually regressed from .084 in 2019 to .065 in 2020. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Lopez could focus more on contact and plate discipline in 2021, and less on a “power” approach, which only hurt him at the plate last season.

That being said, it seems like Lopez has been in his head this Spring, unable to shake the “ghosts” that have haunted him at the plate since debuting in 2019. Lopez certainly has the potential to be a better hitter, and his glove is legitimately Gold Glove worthy. If all things click, it’s possible that Lopez could be a Kolten Wong-lite kind of player. However, with Whit Merrifield having the ability to play second base, and Alberto lurking, Lopez will have to prove quickly in 2021 that he can hit well enough at the MLB level to be not only a starting infielder, but even a utility one as well.

As Spring Training comes to a close, all signs point that Lopez is still slightly in the lead, especially in the midst of the demotion of Kyle Isbel, who was absolutely raking this Spring. Matheny and Dayton Moore value defense, and Lopez is significantly better defensively than not only Alberto, but even Whit as well.

That being said, the bat has to come through for Lopez to keep the position, and he has to be able to show significant improvement within the first month of play. A slow start in April could not only mean a lost starting position for Lopez, but perhaps a demotion to Triple-A Omaha, as the Minor League season begins in May.

And if Lopez is demoted, it will be interesting to see then if Alberto will get a full-time shot at second.

siberian khatru

03-25-2021 11:37 AM

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Matheny on Kyle Isbel, who is starting today in RF for the second straight game: "He's another guy who is in the mix and conversation (for the Opening Day roster). We're trying to get as many looks as we can before we make our final decision."</p>— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/alec_lewis/status/1375139473533636621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

tk13	03-25-2021 11:44 AM

That was good timing. I was about to say everyone's talking about Witt, but I think they're discounting Isbel. Then Matheny said that.

tk13	03-25-2021 12:11 PM

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">White Sox general manager Rick Hahn says Eloy Jiménez suffered a rupture of his left pectoral tendon. He needs surgery, and Hahn says the recovery timeline is typically 5-6 months</p>— James Fegan (@JRFegan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRFegan/status/1375146717306363907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

cabletech94

03-25-2021 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13 (Post 15602859)

That’s got to be worth 3 to 4 wins for the boys in blue right there, AMIRITE?!

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13 (Post 15602859)

Damn.

I just spent $3000 for one of his rookie cards. :cuss:

dallaschiefsfan

03-25-2021 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siberian khatru (Post 15602799)

Whit has played more 2B as of late...and with Isbel's performance, we would actually see an uptick in RF defense over time (I think he's more used to CF and LF) and slight drop-off in 2B defense. I'm down for this. Isbel has "it" in terms of attitude and all-out effort to win a game. That will play if he holds his own at the plate.

DeepSouth

03-25-2021 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan (Post 15603254)

What do you do with Nicky Lopez?

Great Expectations

03-25-2021 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth (Post 15603286)

What do you do with Nicky Lopez?

Utility guy to give Whit rest.

DeepSouth

03-25-2021 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations (Post 15603302)

Utility guy to give Whit rest.

What do you do with Hanser Alberto?

Prison Bitch

03-25-2021 03:01 PM

CENTERFILDERS 25. Royals 0.7fWar

No matter how closely you follow offseason transactions, there are always a few players in the “oh that’s where this guy ended up” bucket come spring training. That makes for a good segue into Taylor and Dyson.

Taylor figures to get the majority of reps in center. At this point, it’s clear that 2017’s three-win season was the anomaly for a player who hasn’t mustered a .300 wOBA since. I’m getting tired of pretending to make something of last year’s statistics, but for what it’s worth, Taylor actually hit for decent power while striking out less than normal in 2020. That doesn’t do much for me, personally, but rational people can plausibly forecast a one-win season here.

Dyson’s speed and defense have aged remarkably well, but there will come a point when the bat deteriorates too much for it to matter, and he’s been testing those waters recently. He has a 54 wRC+ since the start of 2018 and, surprisingly for a fast guy who hits the ball on the ground a lot, a .251 BABIP. Hopefully he hits at least a little because he’s still magic on the bases.

Merrifield is obviously the best player on this list; I imagine his time in center will be dictated in part by how well others play and whether Kansas City keeps afloat in the standings. Olivares is interesting on paper, but the tools will likely play down due to an awful approach.

MAHOMO 4 LIFE!

03-25-2021 03:02 PM

Does Matheny know this was 3 days ago

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RHP Jackson Kowar, LHP Daniel Lynch, INF Bobby Witt Jr. and OF Kyle Isbel have been reassigned to Minor League Camp. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1374023200426897419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Prison Bitch

03-25-2021 03:11 PM

Inbox: Wander or Witt Jr.?

By Jim Callis | March 24, 2021

No prospect is generating more buzz right now in Spring Training than Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. or in college baseball than Vanderbilt right-hander Jack Leiter. So naturally, the Pipeline Inbox has questions about both of them.

There has been the Witt vs. Abrams debate, but let me pose the Witt vs. Franco debate -- if you had to take one shortstop right now to build your franchise around, who would it be? And while it was a small sample size, would Witt's spring have impacted his Top 100 Prospects placement at all?
-- Joe L., Easton, Md.

I tackled the under-21 shortstop debate of Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) vs. CJ Abrams (Padres) vs. Marco Luciano (Giants) in a Pipeline Inbox last month, and I'm game for breaking down the top two shortstop prospects in baseball. Wander Franco (Rays) ranks No. 1 on our Top 100 Prospects list, six spots ahead of Witt.

Franco is nine months younger and already has excelled in High Class A, while Witt had a so-so pro debut in Rookie ball, but this is still a tough call. I'll go with Franco because when two prospects are close, I'm going to bet on the superior hitter, and Franco has an 80-grade bat. He'll get every bit out of his plus raw power, he has solid speed and arm strength and he's a capable shortstop, even if he'll probably move to a different position because Tampa Bay has better defensive options there.

All that said, it's hard to pass on Witt, who has the best all-around shortstop tools to come out of the Draft since Alex Rodriguez. Beyond his hitting ability, which is at least solid, his tools are all better than Franco's. He has well above-average raw power; his speed, arm and defense all grade as plus; and he's not moving off shortstop.

As impressive as Witt was in big league camp, where he hit three home runs (including a 484-foot shot off Yusmeiro Petit), I don't read much of anything into Spring Training statistics because of the widely variant levels of competition and the small sample sizes. So if we were doing the Top 100 today instead of in January, he'd still rank seventh.

dallaschiefsfan

03-25-2021 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth (Post 15603286)

What do you do with Nicky Lopez?

Lopez has minor league options and is still a player that you want to see develop into a major league hitter (even if he's eventually a trade candidate). To relegate him to utility status this early would be foolish. He plays every day Omaha. Alberto is out of options. But while he was signed to a minor league deal, I'm guessing he's the best option to play the utility role, despite the fact it costs us a 40 man roster spot. We'll see.

Titty Meat

03-25-2021 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15603317)

War is a stupid metric

KChiefs1

03-25-2021 03:42 PM

Brentz has looked good.

dlphg9

03-25-2021 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titty Meat (Post 15603381)

War is a stupid metric

Trollin the master

duncan_idaho

03-25-2021 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15603342)

It moved.

^ To not just be immediately dismissed when compared to Wander Franco is high praise.

Yes, he's a top 10 prospect, but Franco stands out among No. 1 overall prospects (as we have discussed in weeks past).

Prison Bitch

03-25-2021 06:15 PM

I mean, Callis isn’t exactly a mouth breather, or an unknown. That’s some serious praise given who he is.

BWillie

03-25-2021 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15603581)

I mean, Callis isn’t exactly a mouth breather, or an unknown. That’s some serious praise given who he is.

I usually see kids of great players exceed expectations. Mahomes, Currys, Klay, etc. Mondesi kinda doesn't fit the mold as he was highly touted but I expect him to finally break thru this year. Woud be awesome if BWJ became the next real star for the Royals. As far as REAL stars Id say offensively we've only had a few since Brett. Damon, Dye, Sweendog (injured tho). Lets go.

Prison Bitch

03-25-2021 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie (Post 15603603)

Always felt the Vegas 73.5 was about 8-10 short. But I was wrong the 18-19 when I called low 70s and we went high 50s(!)

I never spent any time worrying about Mondesi because his glove and speed automatically make him above replacement. Hes a 1-2 WAR guy floor. His bat is always gravy. Yes a great defensive SS (something I wanted to evaluate Witt on this spring but he didnt play there? That said he’s the 10-yr solution at SS - Ripken style - the day he arrives here)

Singer and Dozier are the stars this year. 83-79. I’m pounding Vegas by 10 full.

dlphg9

03-26-2021 11:44 AM

The hype around Bobby Witt Jr. is just totally insane to me. It reminds me of everything we were hearing about Mahomes before he became a starter. I have never been this excited about a Royals prospect. Back when we had the best farm system in the league and all kinds of highly regarded prospects, guys that absolutely lit up the minors too, I never thought any of them would turn into the type of star I think BWJ is gonna be. I just have this feeling that he is gonna be in a league with Tatis and Soto.

duncan_idaho

03-26-2021 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlphg9 (Post 15604252)

I thought Wil Myers was going to be Ryan Braun. Other than that, I've not seen this type of upside from a Royals prospect.

He's got all the tools Mondesi did but the makeup, the adjustments, etc. set him so far apart.

Titty Meat

03-26-2021 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15603847)

You are terrible at gambling though.

dlphg9

03-26-2021 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 15604271)

Imagine him hitting full potential and Mondesi doing what he did at the end of last season for the whole season.

tk13	03-26-2021 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlphg9 (Post 15604252)

I agree there's something special. Only thing that makes me pause is Royals hitting prospects always seem to be slow to get up to speed.

duncan_idaho

03-26-2021 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlphg9 (Post 15604389)

Imagine him hitting full potential and Mondesi doing what he did at the end of last season for the whole season.

That would be an effect similar to Jose Ramirez putting it together and Francisco Lindor debuting.

I think that worked out pretty well for Cleveland, even though they wasted it.

Prison Bitch

03-26-2021 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titty Meat (Post 15604321)

You are terrible at gambling though.

I’ve never gambled.

louie aguiar

03-26-2021 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KChiefs1 (Post 15603400)

Brentz has looked good.

This has the potential of being a real nice find. We could use a LHP in the bullpen- especially one that throws as hard as Brentz.

Prison Bitch

03-26-2021 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 15604271)

Gordon was BB America minor league POY and the 2007 #2 overall prospect to Dice-K.

poolboy

03-26-2021 06:01 PM

Singer and Dozier are the stars this year.

yess sirr...

KChiefs1

03-26-2021 06:54 PM

https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/roya...raining-review

Royals confident after successful spring
by
Anne Rogers

Quote:

The buzz around Royals camp was all anybody could talk about in the early part of Spring Training. After an offseason full of moves that signaled Kansas City's desire to contend over the next few years, players and coaches took that momentum into spring.

As of Friday morning, the Royals are 14-7 in the Cactus League, where records don’t matter but certain performances do. And Kansas City has seen its lineup start to mesh, its rotation solidify and its bullpen come together through those performances.

“You can put as much or as little value in Spring Training -- I put value on good baseball,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “We’ve been playing good baseball. Guys have been doing their job, putting together good at-bats. We’ve watched a number of pitchers throw good stuff. You can’t convince these guys, just like you can’t convince me, that those things don’t have value to what we’re trying to do over the long haul. There’s no carryover once we start into April -- we get that. Except for the belief that you have.”

Here’s a sampling of what the Royals have learned throughout camp:

Best development: The Royals have seen what Adalberto Mondesi can do to their lineup when he’s healthy and has his swing in a good place. In September of last year, he hit .356/.408/.667 across 100 plate appearances with six home runs and 20 RBIs. And the Royals were hoping that Mondesi would bring that momentum, along with good health, into the offseason and Spring Training. Despite a slow start because of a pitch that hit his foot in live batting practice, Mondesi seems to be comfortable and free at the plate, hitting .308/.357/.577 this spring. The Royals have put him at the top of the lineup to maximize his at-bats and see how he fits among their other top-of-the-order hitters.

“I think what we’ve seen is a continuation from what we saw at the end of the season,” Matheny said. “Anybody that watched this club and watched Mondi at the end of last season can say that’s one of the best baseball performances they’ve ever seen in their life, so you know that’s there. And when that’s there, he can hurt you in so many different ways. He’s in a good spot right now, and when he’s in a good place, we want to see him up there as often as possible.”

Heading into the regular season, Mondesi and the Royals are focused on keeping his health intact and him in a good place.

Unfortunate events: The Royals stayed relatively healthy throughout Spring Training, with only a few days off for hitters like Andrew Benintendi and Michael A. Taylor because of sore backs. Reliever Josh Staumont was delayed getting into camp because of a COVID-19 infection. It has caused him to take it slow as his strength increases, but he’s been flashing higher velocity recently and is on track for Opening Day.

Performance-wise, it’s worth keeping an eye on second baseman Nicky Lopez, who has hit .118/.231/.147 as of Friday morning. He acknowledged Monday that it has been hard to not see results and production when he comes to the plate, but he’s confident in the plan that he and hitting coaches John Mabry and Terry Bradshaw have put in place. But Lopez will have to execute once the regular season rolls around since the Royals have other options to use at second base if more production is needed there.

Player who opened eyes: The Royals knew they had a special talent on their hands when they drafted Bobby Witt Jr. second overall in the 2019 Draft, and he backed it up last year at the alternate training site. Then, he put it on full display this spring, hitting .289/.325/.526 across 40 plate appearances. He has power, speed and above-average defensive skills to play shortstop and second base. Having only played 37 professional games -- none above Rookie-level -- the Royals pumped the brakes on Witt’s debut and will have him start the season in the Minor Leagues. But what he showed this spring on the field and in the clubhouse, earning the respect of his older and veteran teammates, only confirmed to the Royals that Witt will fit in and be able to help the club when he’s ready -- and that could come soon.

Wow moment: Which 484-foot home run should we choose? Witt’s on March 8 or Jorge Soler's on Sunday? Or maybe we could look at Seuly Matias' near 500-foot (the estimated distance wasn’t clear at Goodyear Ballpark) home run that hit palm trees.

Regardless, the Royals showed serious power this spring. Perhaps you can credit the Arizona air for the distance, but there’s no denying that the balls Witt, Soler and Matias hit were crushed. And the Royals were pleased with the hard-hit rates they saw all spring from their hitters.

In case you missed it: Jakob Junis has added a cutter. Whatever role he ends up in for the Royals this year, the pitch was needed and will be useful for him to keep hitters off balance instead of relying so much on his slider. And the pitch is a legit weapon.

Top outfield prospect Kyle Isbel has started in right field in the past two games for the Royals, including Thursday’s 10-1 win over the D-backs at Surprise Stadium. The club’s No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Isbel singled and went from second to home on an infield hit, part of his .933 OPS this spring. The 24-year-old has earned the trust of Kansas City’s coaching staff with his fielding, and his name has stayed in the conversation for a big league roster spot.

"He's another guy who is in the mix,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “We're trying to get as many looks as we can before we make our final decision."

Typically, Spring Training lineups aren’t worth overthinking because of how teams try to maximize at-bats and attempt different combinations. But as Cactus League games wind down, lineups start to come together the way they might look on Opening Day. Here’s what the Royals’ lineup looked like on Thursday:

1. Whit Merrifield, 2B
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. Adalberto Mondesi, SS
4. Salvador Perez, C
5. Carlos Santana, 1B
6. Jorge Soler, DH
7. Hunter Dozier, 3B
8. Michael A. Taylor, CF
9. Kyle Isbel, RF

That looks like an Opening Day lineup. Though the Royals often spoke this offseason about Merrifield playing right field, the trend lately has been to put him at second base so that he might be able to take over if the position falters offensively. Nicky Lopez, who had been pegged as the second baseman, has a .378 OPS in 39 plate appearances this spring, which could make Merrifield the club’s best option in the infield as Lopez makes adjustments.

If Hunter Dozier stays at third base -- where he has played the majority of Spring Training games -- instead of moving to right field, that opens a starting spot for Isbel or Jarrod Dyson, who the Royals signed to be their fourth outfielder early in camp.

“We got Dyson for a reason,” Matheny said. “He can be a guy that brings us a couple things, that’s why his value is so big to us. Play him anywhere in the outfield. Elite runner. A guy who has won. So he fills a lot of the things that we knew going in that we’d like to have from our bench.”

The Royals' bats were hot in Thursday’s Minor League game against the Dodgers, too, which featured a home run from Bobby Witt Jr., a double from Dyson, a double from Erick Pena, an RBI double from Nick Pratto and a three-run homer from Heath in their 9-2 win.

KChiefs1

03-26-2021 07:03 PM

https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/roya...pring-training

Witt raked; what about other KC prospects?
by
Anne Rogers

Quote:

1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
For most of camp, Witt was forcing the question of if he should make the roster. He was showing everything the Royals wanted to see offensively and defensively, hitting .289/.325/.526 across 40 plate appearances. He launched a 484-foot home run. He flashed his speed. He showcased his skill at shortstop and showed he could learn quickly at second base. Having only played 37 professional games after being drafted No. 2 overall in 2019, the Royals thought it was best for Witt to start the season in the Minor Leagues -- either at Double-A or Triple-A -- and allow him to hit his way to the Majors, likely at some point in 2021.

What he showed this spring, though, proved that the Royals’ faith in him is well-placed.

“Just getting the opportunity to play and be in big league camp is truly just an honor and I’m truly grateful for it,” Witt said early in camp. “I’m trying not to take [for granted] any of it.”

2. Daniel Lynch, LHP
Lynch made his final Cactus League start on Wednesday, allowing one run in two innings with one strikeout. The tall lefty had a high ERA (7.71 across 11 2/3 innings) but went up against Major League hitters and saw some innings get away from him due to pitch selection or location. The pitch he showed the most improvement with was his changeup -- the same pitch he focused on the most at the alternate training site. It’s a weapon that will help him out long-term, and Lynch will continue to get stretched out for when the Royals need him this year.

3. Asa Lacy, LHP
The Royals’ first-round Draft pick last year, Lacy was invited to his first Major League camp for the atmosphere, getting him in the clubhouse with other prospects, Major League players the Royals coaching staff. The Royals were intentionally slow with him because of the gap between big league camp and the Minor League season, so Lacy has been limited to bullpen sessions for the last few weeks. The 21-year-old will begin his progression in the next week or so, with facing hitters in live batting practice the next step for him.

4. Jackson Kowar, RHP
Kowar put together his best start on Sunday, throwing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts. He’ll get one more Cactus League start on Friday, further building him up to be ready to help the Royals at some point in 2021. Kowar has allowed eight runs in 10 1/3 innings, and he’s shown this spring that when his two offspeed pitches are on, he can be dangerous. He’ll continue to focus on his curveball and fastball command to make sure he’s ready when the Royals need him.

“He’s had a couple outings now where he’s just showing who he can be,” manager Mike Matheny said Sunday. “You have that kind of velocity and that kind of changeup, if you’re controlling the strike zone at all with your fastball, you’re going to have success. [The curveball] has come a long way, especially in a year’s time.”

5. Kyle Isbel, OF
Isbel has gained the trust of the Royals’ coaching staff to cover any outfield spot, which is high praise for when he gets to Kauffman Stadium’s expansive outfield. The 24-year-old takes quality at-bats, with hard-hit balls and improving plate discipline. Before Wednesday’s start in right field, Isbel posted a 1.049 OPS across 29 at-bats, showcasing his power and speed. The Royals have been impressed with the way he’s matured as a well-rounded player, and he could be used as a depth piece this season when needed.

6. Erick Pena, OF
A late non-roster invitee to Royals big league camp, Pena has been used mainly in B games and as a late-inning replacement. The 18-year-old has yet to get a hit in seven Cactus League at-bats, striking out five times, but he’s been soaking up the big league experience after the Royals signed him during the 2019-20 international signing period. He still has a long way to go but is someone to keep an eye on over the next few years.

7. Nick Loftin, SS
Loftin had one of the highest floors in the 2020 college Draft class, and he’s shown that this spring. He’s only seen 13 at-bats in Cactus League play, but the 22-year-old flashed some solid instincts at shortstop and received praise from the coaching staff about his ability to take feedback and apply it quickly.

“He just looks like a shortstop,” Matheny said. “Threw him into some games that he had tough plays out of the gate and did a nice job. Excited to watch him to continue to show his visibility.”

8. Jonathan Bowlan, RHP
One of the pitchers in the vaunted 2018 Draft class, Bowlan made strides on par with Lynch and Kowar last season and could see his debut come this year, too. The big right-hander got most of his work in on the backfields at the Royals’ Spring Training complex, but he pitched an inning on Wednesday against the Angels, giving up a three-run home run to Justin Upton but then settling down to get Albert Pujols to ground out to end the inning. Bowlan has flashed an improving changeup that was a major focus of his work in 2020. Given his command, durability and makeup, Bowlan figures to be a workhorse starter in the future. But his physicality and fastball-slider combination would fit well in a big league bullpen, too. If the Royals need more arms sometime this season, Bowlan could be one to turn to.

9. Nick Pratto, 1B
As someone who Matheny recently called “the most improved player in camp,” Pratto just looks comfortable in the box -- and the results prove it. Pratto has swatted four home runs this spring, hitting .360/.429/.960 across 25 at-bats. The 22-year-old still needs some more time to develop in the Minors -- and the Royals are covered at first base for the next two years with Carlos Santana -- but Pratto’s bat is starting to match his defense as the Royals continue to view him as their future first baseman.

10. Austin Cox, LHP
Another pitcher in the 2018 Draft, Cox struggled at the alternate training site in 2020 but came into Spring Training back on track. In 4 1/3 Cactus League innings, Cox struck out six without allowing a run. He’s on the same path as Bowlan; Cox is being stretched out as a starter, but his big arm wouldn’t be out of place in the back end of the bullpen, especially if he’s needed this year.

“You watch him pitch, and you watch his repertoire as far as an explosive fastball, and he does a real nice job at the bottom of the zone,” Matheny said. “Good changeup, control of the breaking ball, and just a good rhythm and good disposition. Everything that you’re kind of looking for. … He’s in that conversation as we start talking about what we’re going to need for this season. I think Austin Cox is going to have to be in that conversation of some potential help at some particular point.”

duncan_idaho

03-26-2021 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15604759)

Gordon was BB America minor league POY and the 2007 #2 overall prospect to Dice-K.

Yeah, I was working at SN then and he was our National minor league player of the year. But even then, the buzz was not the same. He didn’t have “best player in baseball” skills.

BWillie

03-27-2021 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 15604558)

I’ve never gambled.

That is very sad.

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