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Why apply lipstick to this pig by writing an intro for an intradivisional team who have fully embraced their place in the cellar? This would be like previewing the 2008 Royals when Zack Greinke wasn’t pitching in a series.
Game times and pitching matchups are as follows:
- Friday, July 21, 7:15 PM CDT - James Shields versus Ian Kennedy
- Saturday, July 22, 6:15 PM CDT - Mike Pelfrey versus Jason Vargas (L)
- Sunday, July 23, 1:15 PM CDT - Derek Holland (L) versus Travis Wood (L)
White Sox at Royals pitching matchups
| Pitcher | G | IP | K | K% | BB | BB% | ERA | FIP | xFIP | SIERA | fWAR | rWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | G | IP | K | K% | BB | BB% | ERA | FIP | xFIP | SIERA | fWAR | rWAR |
| James Shields | 8 | 42.1 | 31 | 16.3 | 22 | 11.6 | 5.10 | 6.82 | 6.21 | 5.63 | -0.4 | 0.2 |
| Ian Kennedy | 17 | 93.2 | 82 | 21.4 | 37 | 9.7 | 4.32 | 5.27 | 5.04 | 4.68 | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| Mike Pelfrey | 17 | 73.2 | 48 | 14.8 | 33 | 10.2 | 4.64 | 5.32 | 5.29 | 5.31 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Jason Vargas (L) | 18 | 109.0 | 82 | 18.3 | 29 | 6.5 | 3.06 | 4.03 | 4.85 | 4.67 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
| Derek Holland (L) | 18 | 97.1 | 81 | 18.7 | 39 | 9.0 | 5.18 | 5.66 | 5.07 | 4.87 | 0.1 | -0.5 |
| Travis Wood (L) | 27 | 37.0 | 25 | 14.3 | 19 | 10.9 | 6.81 | 4.81 | 5.81 | 5.36 | 0.0 | -0.6 |
With José Quintana having moved north, the Royals will be pulling favorable draws throughout the weekend series against the rebuilding White Stockings. When Mike Pelfrey is the best pitcher you’re throwing out there in a three-game series, things are not going well for your rotation. To put it most simply, Travis Wood might actually be the better pitcher when his turn comes up in the rotation.
Remember when some people wanted the Royals to re-sign James Shields? Fun times.
Chicago White Sox position players
| Player | Pos | PA | HR | R | RBI | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | wRC+ | fWAR | rWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos | PA | HR | R | RBI | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | wRC+ | fWAR | rWAR |
| Avisail Garcia | RF | 341 | 13 | 44 | 54 | 4 | .313 | .358 | .508 | .366 | 130 | 2.6 | 3.0 |
| José Abreu | 1B | 396 | 16 | 54 | 59 | 0 | .291 | .343 | .508 | .358 | 124 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Yolmer Sanchez (S) | IF | 291 | 4 | 34 | 25 | 4 | .264 | .325 | .391 | .309 | 91 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Omar Narvaez (L) | C | 162 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 0 | .262 | .350 | .305 | .298 | 83 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Melky Cabrera (S) | LF | 390 | 12 | 51 | 54 | 0 | .286 | .330 | .425 | .324 | 101 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| Adam Engel | CF | 104 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 5 | .233 | .317 | .333 | .291 | 78 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Yoan Moncada (S) | 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .231 | 37 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Matt Davidson | DH/3B | 275 | 18 | 31 | 43 | 0 | .243 | .280 | .498 | .324 | 101 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| Alen Hanson (S) | 3B/OF | 59 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 2 | .245 | .322 | .340 | .294 | 80 | -0.2 | 0.1 |
| Kevan Smith | C | 151 | 1 | 12 | 14 | 0 | .268 | .289 | .345 | .274 | 66 | -0.2 | -0.6 |
| Tyler Saladino | Util | 137 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 2 | .202 | .296 | .277 | .262 | 58 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Tim Anderson | SS | 343 | 9 | 37 | 28 | 6 | .242 | .266 | .367 | .271 | 64 | -0.7 | 0.0 |
They just shipped off Todd Frazier and Leury Garcia is on the DL, so 2.7 wins of their 6.7 fWAR are not with the team this weekend. Added to the mix, of course, is arguably the game’s top prospect, Yoan Moncada, who was just called up on Wednesday. The rebuild is on, and Moncada is at the fore, but whether or not he can be a positive contributor at the major-league level this early is anyone’s guess. They have slashed .257/.315/.414 with a .313 wOBA and a 93 wRC+. While it may be less than enjoyable to preview a team that is still a far cry form being competitive, it could be worse: you could be stuck writing about them full-time right now. Their future may be bright, but that future is a ways off.
Poll
Who wins the series?
This poll is closed
-
45%
Royals sweep
(105 votes) -
46%
Royals take two of three
(108 votes) -
3%
Pale Hoes take two of three
(9 votes) -
3%
Pale Hoes sweep
(8 votes)
All stats courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference through action on Thursday, July 20.
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