Royals Review - All Posts"A dim view of humanity" -Lee Judgehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29790/royalsreview.gif2024-03-19T08:00:00-04:00http://www.royalsreview.com/rss/current/2024-03-19T08:00:00-04:002024-03-19T08:00:00-04:00Royals Rumblings - News for March 19, 2024
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<img alt="Kansas City Royals v Chicago White Sox - Game One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3hEGhw-8odOfCSnm9UlvETsfRCI=/0x0:4783x3189/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73217344/1679546799.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>How do the Royals rank at catcher depth?</p> <p id="xuwsUU">David Lesky writes about the <a href="https://insidethecrown.substack.com/p/a-closer-look-at-royals-fifth-starter">competition for fifth starter in the rotation.</a></p>
<blockquote><p id="3nqWLQ">The thing about Lynch is the upside is there but I don’t see what I once saw. As I said before, maybe I never should have seen it, but I did and so did many others. My concern for him so far this spring is that the velocity simply hasn’t bounced back, which limits the upside even more. When I saw him live, he was 90-92 with a few 89s mixed in. Since then, it’s been more of the same, so his last appearance or two will be big on that front. But he did have one of his best outings in his last one, striking out five over four innings. He said the breaking balls felt good.</p></blockquote>
<p id="065gUw"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/royals-spring-breakout-2024-highlights">Trevor Werner stood out among Royals prospects</a> at the Spring Breakout with his home run.</p>
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<p id="rMNCuw">Werner loves hitting because of how “rewarding it is,” he says, noting it’s one of the hardest things to do in sports. And he sure felt rewarded rounding the bases in the fourth inning Sunday after he smoked a 93 mph fastball from Brewers prospect Logan Henderson.</p>
<p id="1q05yF">“A barrel on the ball sounds a lot better in that stadium, too,” Werner said with a grin.</p>
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<p id="sH0pID">The Royals rank #23 in <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2024-positional-power-rankings-catcher/">catcher positional depth at Fangraphs.</a></p>
<blockquote><p id="ESfiNc">Salvador Perez has taken a tumble since his monster 2021 campaign, during which he led the league with 48 homers. In each of the past two seasons, his indicators of impact offensive production — like barrels, exit velocity, and pull rate — have steadily declined. He also took the dubious title of most chase-happy hitter in the league from <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/javier-baez/12979/stats"><strong>Javier Báez</strong></a>, swinging at out-of-zone pitches nearly half the time. Combine this with his poor-as-always defense, and Perez’s struggles were enough to plunge him below replacement level in 2023.</p></blockquote>
<p id="OB3upw">Preston Farr at Farm to Fountains has his <a href="https://farmtofountains.com/spring-breakout-observations-royals/">observations on the Spring Breakout game.</a></p>
<p id="636tKr"><a href="https://kclibrary.org/events/stadium-tax-debate-keeping-chiefs-royals-home-sweet-home">KCPT will host a town hall debate</a> on the stadium tax tonight to air on Friday.</p>
<p id="6YjzN5">The downtown ballpark <a href="https://flatlandkc.org/news-issues/royals-ballpark-gains-some-support-in-the-crossroads/">gains some support in the Crossroads.</a></p>
<p id="jNTFWR"><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39762359/source-blake-snell-agrees-2-year-62m-deal-giants">Blake Snell signs a two-year, $62 million deal</a> with the Giants.</p>
<p id="8aLOJ9">Reynaldo López <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39759444/braves-bryce-elder-minors-reynaldo-lopez-makes-rotation">makes the Braves rotation.</a></p>
<p id="UC1oi4">Astros pitcher Jose Urquidy will <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39759677/astros-jose-urquidy-open-season-il-forearm-strain">open the season on the Injured List.</a></p>
<p id="Zli84o">Veteran infielder Josh Harrison <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/josh-harrison-opts-out-of-minors-deal-with-reds.html?utm_source=twitter">opts out of his deal with the Reds.</a></p>
<p id="iBafOq">Garrett Crochet will <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/03/18/garrett-crochet-named-white-sox-opening-day-starter">make his first MLB start on Opening Day for the White Sox.</a></p>
<p id="jMwB9L">A history of <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/dylan-cease-trade-examining-a-j-pellers-penchant-for-trading-away-padres-top-prospects-over-past-decade/">A.J. Preller’s trades of prospects.</a></p>
<p id="PPZFEw">The Giants part ways with <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/giants-trailblazing-pa-announcer-renel-brooks-moon-leaving-team-after-24-mlb-seasons-as-contract-talks-fizzle/">trailblazing PA announcer Renel Brooks-Moon</a>.</p>
<p id="l3sj5g">Shohei Ohtani merch is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-merchandise-japan-5edf76bd932f811cb184fbfe240a666d">expensive in Japan.</a></p>
<p id="rTdTPb">The Paris Olympics <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paris-olympics-2024-intimacy-ban-lifted-300000-condoms-village-athletes-no-alcohol/#:~:text=The%20intimacy%20ban%20that%20had,the%20village%2C%20told%20Sky%20News.">will let athletes shack up.</a></p>
<p id="1RVlTg">The print edition of Sports Illustrated will <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/18/media/sports-illustrated-print-edition-lives-on-after-deal-with-minute-media/">continue with a new publisher.</a></p>
<p id="H1AiG4">A wine insider may have <a href="https://www.grubstreet.com/article/omar-khan-wine-tastings-charged-with-fraud.html?origSession=D230910%252bkB%252bsdp51%252fKcru1y9DQ68C9mb5RWFIommH1tX%252bbLpCM%253d&_gl=1*1homltl*_ga*NDI2ODg5MzAuMTcwODk2NDU3NQ..*_ga_DNE38RK1HX*MTcxMDc5MTk1OS4zLjAuMTcxMDc5MTk2Mi4wLjAuMA..*_fplc*Rk0xS24lMkZlMEJtcDRFUlpsVm9sJTJGVVUwMzZvbHBqWGFqcUdoVWNUWWxPUDBjSUZGUG5wVEslMkJiSU83ZFhmJTJGdjFhZjQ2VUtSMHFsOVY3R1owMDhFTE1MMDF3OE56JTJGdXA5YzBNb0tlNE4zQ0t1bFJLazF1UEJjTVhIUlJ0SlNqZyUzRCUzRA..#_ga=2.255844299.233260721.1710713118-42688930.1708964575">scammed people out of $9.5 million.</a></p>
<p id="0YmTh5">Scientists say python meat could be a <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/python-meat-could-be-a-sustainable-nutritious-food-source-scientists-say-180983970/">sustainable and nutritious food source.</a></p>
<p id="AfOUVK">Would a TikTok ban be <a href="https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/tiktok-ban-help-or-hurt-hollywood-1235944765/">good or bad for Hollywood</a>?</p>
<p id="PUYYuu">Your song of the day is Beck with <em>E-Pro.</em></p>
<div id="0XABT8"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RIrG6xBW5Wk?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/19/24105142/royals-rumblings-news-for-march-19-2024Max Rieper2024-03-18T12:00:00-04:002024-03-18T12:00:00-04:00Want to write for Royals Review?
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<figcaption>Photo illustration by Mairo Cinquetti/NurPhoto via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We’re hiring!</p> <p id="ZbBH2E">Ever wanted to voice your opinions on the Royals on a platform of thousands of fans? Royals Review provides fans an opportunity to write about the team they love (and love to be mad at sometimes!) and we are hiring for the upcoming season!</p>
<p id="ra1dsB">We are looking for all sorts of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, but no previous writing experience is necessary. What we are looking for is someone who:</p>
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<li id="HmUZDA">Writes clearly, with good spelling and grammar;</li>
<li id="SSHJtv">Writes from a unique or engaging perspective with interesting reactions to the team or baseball in general; and</li>
<li id="jrWkQH">Follows Royals baseball enough to know what is happening with the team and has the pulse of the fanbase</li>
</ul>
<p id="ctSpOf">Ideally, the candidate would be familiar with using stats sites such as Fangraphs, Baseball-Reference, and Baseball Savant. If you really want to wow us, you would have familiarity creating GIFs or video breakdowns of plays and/or an ability to conduct advanced data analysis. But we will consider anyone that simply has strong and interesting writing.</p>
<p id="AwOcsM">The job opening would require 3-4 articles per month on topics you wish to write about. This would not require any game threads or game recaps, simply reactions and takes to Royals and baseball news. The compensation is a minimum of $50 per month. </p>
<p id="aJUOUM">If you are interested, please email me at <a href="mailto:maxrieper1978@gmail.com">maxrieper1978@gmail.com</a>. Provide a short (2-4 sentences) description of yourself and tell us:</p>
<ul>
<li id="3JQzr6">Why do you want to write for Royals Review?</li>
<li id="msAesO">What kind of articles would you be interested in writing?</li>
</ul>
<p id="f9hG7j">Provide a link to 1-3 writing samples, or attach them to the email. The writing samples do not need to be about baseball, although it helps if you can demonstrate some knowledge of the game. I will take submissions through the end of the month.</p>
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https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/18/24100741/want-to-write-for-royals-reviewMax Rieper2024-03-18T11:00:00-04:002024-03-18T11:00:00-04:00Royals Rundown: The Royals Hall of Fame grows, setting 2024 straight
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<p>Plus this stadium stuff has to stop.</p> <p id="9b3FXL">Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are counting down the days until MLB Opening Day, so let’s talk some <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a>!</p>
<div id="vox9zM"><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/show/2lnvHFKJHYUflTZbSW382Q?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>
<p id="WZQXcj">Read Jeremy’s mailbag here: <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/16/24102507/spring-training-mailbag">https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/16/24102507/spring-training-mailbag</a></p>
<p id="7Hpa5F">Read the KCUR article here: <a href="https://www.kcur.org/sports/2024-03-15/kansas-city-royals-stadium-community-benefits-agreement-housing">https://www.kcur.org/sports/2024-03-15/kansas-city-royals-stadium-community-benefits-agreement-housing</a></p>
<p id="33MsBU">You can follow the team on X with Jeremy Greco at <a href="https://twitter.com/hokius">@hokius</a>, Jacob Milham at <a href="http://twitter.com/JacobMilhamKC">@JacobMilhamKC</a>, and Greg Walker at <a href="https://twitter.com/Gregnotcreg">@Gregnotcreg</a>. Follow the podcast itself on X at <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalRundownPod">@RoyalRundownPod</a>.</p>
<p id="jojUmq">The podcast is now on TikTok! Find breaking news and highlights <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@royalrundownpod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">there at @RoyalRundownPod</a>.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/18/24104259/royals-rundown-the-royals-hall-of-fame-grows-setting-2024-straightJacob-Milham2024-03-18T10:00:00-04:002024-03-18T10:00:00-04:00What are reasonable expectations for the Royals?
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<img alt="2024 San Diego Padres Spring Training" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xcP8r2PAwtkIX4AXSl22Dhfp0kc=/4x0:5392x3592/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73215061/2036335095.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>They look like a Major League team this year. Is that enough?</p> <p id="8RZzuf">Kansas City sports fans are in an interesting spot right now. The gap between the city’s best professional sports team and its worst team may be wider than any other city in the history of American professional sports. The Chiefs are the only NFL team that is Super Bowl or bust every season. It would be <em>unreasonable </em>to expect less at this point. That is their measurement. The Royals, on the other hand, look like they have an actual Major League roster for the first time in years and that feels like a genuine win for the city. The gap is wide. </p>
<p id="rABqwA">It’s interesting to see a city that has watched its football team win three Super Bowls in five seasons and be among the league’s final four teams in six consecutive seasons get excited about signing Seth Lugo. But here we are. </p>
<p id="ElW0a2">The question of expectations, therefore, is different for the Royals. That goes without saying, but clarifying those expectations seems important. Currently, <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings">Fangraphs projects 76 wins for the Royals</a>. The team has made legitimate improvements to get there. After losing a franchise record-tying 106 games last season thanks to a truly horrific pitching staff, Kansas City went out and signed Lugo and Michael Wacha in an attempt to right the ship. They signed Bobby Witt Jr to a <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/2/9/24063714/a-deeper-dive-into-bobby-witt-jr-s-shiny-new-contract">massive 11-year, $288 million contract</a> that is completely unprecedented for the franchise. There are legitimate reasons for hope. But what should we expect? Here are three reasonable expectations for the season</p>
<h2 id="M0H8S9">A pitching staff employing major leaguers</h2>
<p id="k1PElO">Since 2018, the Diamondbacks are the only franchise with <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&startdate=&enddate=&sortcol=20&sortdir=default&month=0&season1=2018&season=2022&pagenum=1">less fWAR from their pitchers</a> than the Royals. Their 4.83 ERA ranks 28th while their xFIP ranks 29th. During that time, Carlos Hernandez, Ian Kennedy, Jorge Lopez, and Glenn Sparkman, among others, have each gotten more than 20 starts. Scott Barlow leads the way with 239 games pitched during that stretch, but guys like Tim Hill, Kennedy, Kyle Zimmer, Jake Brentz, and Wily Peralta have appeared in at least 75 games. I’m sure all of those players are nice enough, but their performance on the field has left much to the imagination.</p>
<p id="ylofZ2">Of the 30 Royals pitchers with the most appearances since 2018, nine of them have an ERA north of 5.00. That’s 30 percent! Sixteen have an ERA over 4.50. That’s 53 percent! ERA is a sloppy stat, so let’s use fWAR. Nineteen have failed to collect at least 1 fWAR. According to Fangraphs, these players are “scrubs,” or put a nicer way, replacement-level players. In other words, since the Royals got bad again, they have given a lot of guys who weren’t performing at a Major League level a lot of innings. </p>
<p id="daOQEn">The Kansas City staff won’t blow anybody’s doors off this season, but they shouldn’t do <em>that. </em>They have Cole Ragans coming back, who was surprisingly good last season, along with Brady Singer, the only pitcher of the much-hyped 2018 draft class to have any legitimate production. In addition, they added Lugo and Michael Wacha to the rotation, two guys that, again, won’t blow the doors off, but also shouldn’t be scrubs.</p>
<p id="mDjujo">They overhauled the bullpen, adding Will Smith, John Schreiber, Chris Stratton, and Nick Anderson, who all bring resumes of not being terrible. For the first time in years, we can expect Royals pitchers to theoretically pitch like Major Leaguers and with a <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/outs_above_average?type=Fielding_Team&startYear=2023&endYear=2023&split=yes&team=&range=year&min=q&pos=&roles=&viz=hide">defense that finished fourth in Outs Above Average</a>, they might even produce like Major Leaguers. </p>
<h2 id="cRQmZC">A rebounding offense</h2>
<p id="BYZGkW">The offense is the tricky one to project. The pitching staff drew most of the ire from fans, but the offense wasn’t much better, <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2023&month=0&season1=2023&ind=0&team=0%2Cts">ranking 24th in fWAR</a>. Keep in mind that Bobby Witt Jr. produced half of that fWAR and no other player was worth even 2 fWAR. To make matters worse, only two teams finished with a lower wRC+ than Kansas City. While the fWAR numbers weren’t great, they were boosted by that defense that finished fourth in OAA last season. The offense dragged them down. </p>
<p id="bwYjui">While the front office was very active in bringing in help for the pitching staff, they were less active on offense. Aside from <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/hunter-renfroe-deal-with-royals">signing Hunter Renfroe to a one-year deal</a>, every other projected starter is a returning player. With that said, there is still hope for a rebound. For starters, Renfroe is like Lugo and Wacha in the sense that he isn’t necessarily moving any needles, but he should be a league-average to slightly above-league-average bat.</p>
<p id="JN8mQJ">Further, they will get Vinnie Pasquantino back, a proven hitter with a high floor. ZiPS projects him to be a 123 wRC+ hitter with upside. A healthy Vinnie is a huge boost for the Royals offense. Salvy had a down year last season and is aging, but it isn’t unreasonable to see him bounce back after a down season last year. </p>
<p id="YWIOzQ">What Kansas City needs to see happen is a group of hitters – MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, Maikel Garcia, and Nelson Velazquez – take a step forward. Each has shown flashes, and the offense should improve by positive regression either way, but if that group can take even moderate steps, the offense could take a step in the right direction.</p>
<h2 id="eqWzvs">A direction for the franchise</h2>
<p id="gKB7YY">While this might be the most unreasonable of expectations, I think a full season of healthy performances from many of these players would help Kansas City establish a direction. Injuries have prevented the Royals from evaluating guys like Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, and even Vinnie Pasquantino. And for guys like Melendez, Pratto, Michael Massey, and Nick Pratto, we are several years into an experiment that hasn’t yielded fruit. In an ideal world, the Royals win around 75 games and are at least watchable. </p>
<p id="G1HYAj">We get to watch Bobby Witt do Bobby Witt things and enjoy the fun of Salvy and Vinny. But at the end of this year, the front office should have more than enough sample size to make decisions on a bunch of youngish players like Lynch, Melendez, Pratto, and Bubic among others. I say this might be unreasonable because we probably already have the necessary sample size. But with another year under their belts, we should at least have an idea of what needs to happen next. </p>
<p id="5ZfEtL">Considering the Royals have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, what happens next might not be fun, but the organization has lacked direction for far too long. The moves they made this offseason were more decisive in solving real problems faced by the Major League club, and hopefully that decisiveness will continue after 2024. </p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/18/24101948/what-are-reasonable-expectations-for-the-royalsRyan Heffernon2024-03-18T08:00:00-04:002024-03-18T08:00:00-04:00Royals Rumblings - News for March 18, 2024
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<figcaption>Photo by Aaron Doster/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Alec Marsh makes his case.</p> <p id="UXFFoR">Jaylon Thompson writes about <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article286783105.html">improved confidence from Alec Marsh.</a></p>
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<p id="LsXfNf">“He went from a guy that was in Double-A to making his debut and making adjustments at the major-league level,” Sweeney said. “Then, (he’s been) totally confident in every situation. … I’m completely impressed with what he has done.” </p>
<p id="4Kef0P">Marsh pitched four innings against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. He threw 59 pitches (38 strikes) and allowed two earned runs in relief. This spring, Marsh has a 1.93 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched. </p>
<p id="iYORXU">“It’s good to have that confidence going in that things we are working on are working for sure,” Marsh said. “And continue to build these outings and show that, you know, I’m reliable and can go deeper (into games).”</p>
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<p id="WcGyV4">Anne Rogers talks to Alec Zumwalt about the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/bobby-witt-jr-vinnie-pasquantino-key-to-royals-success-in-2024">development of young Royals hitters</a>, including Nick Pratto.</p>
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<p id="YmlPFj"><strong>Zumwalt:</strong> “No. 1, he’s healthy. That’s the biggest factor with Pratto. What he was going through last season was really hard. Nobody can perform up to their own expectations when they’re dealing with what he dealt with. So him being healthy — he’s worked on his swing a lot, and he’s able to do things that he could physically not do during the season because he was trying to grind through it. He had a really good look in the mirror and said, ‘This is what I’ve got to do to get better.’ Taken complete ownership of it. We’re all really proud of how he’s gone about it.</p>
<p id="4QWIc0">“What I’ve seen so far is he’s taking one pitch at a time. That’s been something for us that we’ve had to talk about since 2019. Keeping Nick focused on right now, this at-bat, this pitch. We know he has such a good eye for the zone. At times, it can get him because he’s worried about the pitch he took instead of, ‘Now, get the next pitch.’”</p>
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<p id="48xB9H">John Sherman talks about <a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2024/03/15/royals-majority-owner-discusses-upcoming-election-concerns-crossroads/">ongoing negotiations on the downtown ballpark.</a></p>
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<p id="ry1eqr">The Chiefs and Royals are negotiating the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) and the lease agreement, but in a letter from White’s office yesterday, he asked the teams to pay for the estimated $1 million election.</p>
<p id="XOnMED">Royals Majority Owner John Sherman told KCTV 5 that was never a part of the deal.</p>
<p id="tnx3VK">“As it relates to the letter that went out yesterday, I read it, I would say within minutes of getting it, it was leaked to the public,” Sherman said. “If you take it at face value, there could have been some opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Clark (Hunt) and I, and talk about working together. But it was clear it was, it was motivated by other reasons.”</p>
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<p id="8vGbld">Jake Brentz left his outing yesterday with a hamstring injury.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Quatraro confirms it was a hamstring injury for Brentz. The Royals will know more later after testing. <a href="https://t.co/16mzx7bGDz">https://t.co/16mzx7bGDz</a></p>— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) <a href="https://twitter.com/anne__rogers/status/1769553831359381959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="CDbsYH">Adam Sanford at Down on the Farm <a href="https://downonthefarm.substack.com/p/under-the-radar-prospects-kansas">reviews Royals prospects.</a></p>
<p id="caSJyp">Kevin O’Brien at Farm to Fountains warns <a href="https://farmtofountains.com/james-mcarthur-shouldnt-be-forgotten-about-in-the-royals-bullpen/">not to overlook James McArthur in the bullpen</a>.</p>
<p id="ThBVYD">The Star looks at how <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article286707720.html">construction of a downtown stadium could disrupt traffic</a>.</p>
<p id="f9iYpj">Jackson County legislator Manny Abarca <a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/county-executive-white-alleges-racist-attack-jackson-county-legislator-apologizes">apologizes for a tweet directed at Frank White</a>.</p>
<p id="cbFWOb">Miles Mikolas will <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39752110/cardinals-tab-miles-mikolas-opening-day-starter">start Opening Day for the Cardinals.</a></p>
<p id="0L1o5b">The Mets were <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/15/sports/david-stearns-proves-again-hes-sticking-with-his-mets-plan/">interested in a reunion with J.D. Davis</a>, but couldn’t guarantee playing time.</p>
<p id="fcVbGl">Injuries have already <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/schumaker-everyones-on-the-table-for-marlins-opening-day-rotation.html">ravaged the Marlins starting rotation.</a></p>
<p id="2voo98">Former All-Star outfielder Yasiel Puig <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/yasiel-puig-signs-with-mexican-leagues-aguila-de-veracruz.html">signs with a Mexican League team.</a></p>
<p id="qU5kxl">Shohei Ohtani is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-korea-japan-mlb-f49f3172373dbc5257af96c488aa8cbe">even winning over Korean fans,</a> despite historical rivalries.</p>
<p id="NhH8Ia">Which teams <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-teams-that-made-the-best-offseason-moves-2023-24">won the off-season</a>?</p>
<p id="9EPt1C">ESPN has <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/39731888/mlb-season-preview-2024-jeff-passan-bold-predictions-breakout-stars-fantasy-tips">bold predictions for each team</a>.</p>
<p id="WNr00U">Why is <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2024/03/16/why-is-rays-payroll-record-heights-keep-this-rolling/?utm_content=%40TBTimes_Sports&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter">Rays payroll at record heights</a>?</p>
<p id="1gxTxU">A look at the time the <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/everybody-was-under-suspicion-the-day-selection-sunday-was-scooped/">brackets for Selection Sunday were leaked</a>.</p>
<p id="dTL746">How did the Steelers <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2024/3/17/24103874/justin-fields-trade-chicago-bears-pittsburgh-steelers-ryan-poles">get Justin Fields for so little</a>?</p>
<p id="SqIUNE">The scientific mysteries <a href="https://www.vox.com/unexplainable/24094267/17-scientific-mysteries-unsolved-dark-matter-life">researchers can’t yet solve.</a></p>
<p id="g6CuKx">Every subscription you can <a href="https://www.popsci.com/diy/free-services-public-library/">cancel by going to the library</a>.</p>
<p id="7bJ8hO">The <a href="https://variety.com/gallery/10-irish-movies-that-we-love/">best Irish movies of all time.</a></p>
<p id="ZafnJ1">Your song of the day is Splitsville with <em>Ponce de Leon.</em></p>
<div id="XyEPVQ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOwEUoLjTrI?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/18/24103236/royals-rumblings-news-for-march-18-2024Max Rieper2024-03-17T23:41:21-04:002024-03-17T23:41:21-04:00Cole Ragans named Royals Opening Day starter
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<img alt="MLB: FEB 22 Kansas City Royals Photo Day" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z-yYw3zq5Dlyd7bzn8HjgdX-W0Q=/0x668:5464x4311/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214392/2028536345.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Royals name their ace.</p> <p id="OE6CGZ">On Opening Day of 2023, Cole Ragans was not in the Royals organization, nor in a Major League rotation. This year, he’ll be an Opening Day starter for the Royals.</p>
<p id="h0fFu1">The Royals officially tabbed Ragans as their starter for the March 28 opener against the Twins, according to <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a> reporter Anne Rogers. He’ll be the first left-handed Opening Day starter for the Royals since Danny Duffy in 2020.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cole Ragans: “The hard work I’ve put in throughout the years, through the Tommy Johns, through the offseasons, all that. This is what I’ve worked for, to be a big league starter, to be a guy the team believes in. That I can help win each and every day. It’s an honor.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a></p>— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) <a href="https://twitter.com/anne__rogers/status/1769543940137685268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="ZWmU6O">Ragans was the <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2023&month=1000&season1=2023&ind=0&startdate=2023-08-01&enddate=2023-11-01&team=0">best pitcher in baseball, according to fWAR</a>, after the Royals acquired him at the July trade deadline from the Rangers for pitcher Aroldis Chapman. He went 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA with a 32.3 percent strikeout rate and was worth 2.3 fWAR over the final two months of the season. He earned AL Pitcher of the Month honors in August, the first Royals pitcher to earn the monthly award since Zack Greinke in 2009.</p>
<p id="F99O2O">The Royals have not officially named the rest of the starters, but the rotation is expected to include Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Brady Singer. Jordan Lyles was the favorite for the fifth spot in the rotation, but he has battled a back injury and ineffectiveness this spring, opening the door for Daniel Lynch IV, Alec Marsh or Angel Zerpa to claim a spot in the rotation.</p>
<h3 id="B8qvkY">Royals Opening Day starters:</h3>
<p id="QCgWoD">Wally Bunker 1969-1970</p>
<p id="Fm9DGG">Dick Drago 1971-1972</p>
<p id="1YzZ3L">Steve Busby 1973, 1975</p>
<p id="SNPxGN">Paul Splittorff 1974, 1976-1977</p>
<p id="fNAqty">Dennis Leonard 1978-1980, 1982</p>
<p id="Ig2G0V">Larry Gura 1981, 1983</p>
<p id="Oazl72">Bud Black 1984-1986</p>
<p id="D9y84c">Danny Jackson 1987</p>
<p id="I0W7Ib">Bret Saberhagen 1988, 1990-1991</p>
<p id="74pkdb">Mark Gubicza 1989</p>
<p id="xG53Ky">Kevin Appier 1992-1997, 1999</p>
<p id="ILTAN9">Tim Belcher 1998</p>
<p id="UfK1av">Jeff Suppan 2000-2002</p>
<p id="FA0c5n">Runelvys Hernandez 2003</p>
<p id="eHHScc">Brian Anderson 2004</p>
<p id="yBb3eL">Jose Lima 2005</p>
<p id="iB856B">Scott Elarton 2006</p>
<p id="7fQvJP">Gil Meche 2007-2009</p>
<p id="wPvvwc">Zack Greinke 2010, 2022, 2023</p>
<p id="pNQnfF">Luke Hochevar 2011</p>
<p id="pnB4Hv">Bruce Chen 2012</p>
<p id="hVKbkS">James Shields 2013-2014</p>
<p id="BV4S1v">Yordano Ventura 2015</p>
<p id="6NfMHw">Edinson Volquez 2016</p>
<p id="GP3nu7">Danny Duffy 2017-2018, 2020</p>
<p id="bG5G4u">Brad Keller 2019, 2021</p>
<p id="bdvWkz"></p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/17/24104520/cole-ragans-named-royals-opening-day-starterMax Rieper2024-03-17T16:05:27-04:002024-03-17T16:05:27-04:00Royals Spring Breakout Game open thread
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<img alt="Texas Rangers v Kansas City Royals minor leaguers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JU45-g26DDZDXKHqz4D6zAUqQPU=/0x508:3423x2790/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213608/1252047055.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The prospects get a chance to shine.</p> <p id="kr622l">Royals prospects get their showcase this afternoon as they take on Brewers prospects in the Spring Breakout. Mason Barnett gets the start with top prospects Gavin Cross, Blake Mitchell, and Tyler Gentry in the lineup.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Spring Breakout Sunday. <a href="https://t.co/hsNWtNbPhr">pic.twitter.com/hsNWtNbPhr</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1769409725211259168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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<p id="d5T8j7">You can watch the game on <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>.</p>
<p id="taApf7">The big leaguers take on the big league Brewers tonight at 6:05 CT.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sunday night under the lights! <a href="https://t.co/wfb04xjVBj">pic.twitter.com/wfb04xjVBj</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1769440736217387147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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<p id="OIb4iw">You can watch that on Bally Sports Kansas City.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/17/24104182/royals-spring-breakout-game-open-threadMax Rieper2024-03-16T15:35:00-04:002024-03-16T15:35:00-04:00Saturday Spring Training thread
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<img alt="Cam Devanney #99 of the Kansas City Royals poses for a photo during the Kansas City Royals Photo Day at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, February 22, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hLHjNpRVCJcyTMDX2dgVNjMtUGQ=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73212108/2076709597.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Cam Devanney #99 of the Kansas City Royals poses for a photo during the Kansas City Royals Photo Day at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, February 22, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona. | Photo by Adam Glanzman/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We’re still doing this?</p> <p id="mTekm4">Why isn’t it the regular season yet? It definitely should be. Here’s your spring training lineup.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Spending our Saturday at Sloan Park. <a href="https://t.co/6l6NF5E0Or">pic.twitter.com/6l6NF5E0Or</a></p>— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1769024596836045265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2024</a>
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<p id="N20bV1">I hope nobody going to the game was counting on watching the best of the best the Royals have to offer.</p>
<p id="dPIxQA">Jordan Lyles finally retakes the mound after suffering from some back tightness earlier in Spring Training. It’s anyone’s guess if he will have enough time to finish stretching out before the season starts. Nick Pratto, meanwhile, gets another opportunity to make his case for the Opening Day roster. His is probably the most interesting case in camp, except for potentially Alec Marsh who himself last pitched March 10. Hopefully, he’ll pitch today or tomorrow.</p>
https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/16/24103057/saturday-spring-training-threadJeremy Greco