Royals Rumblings - News for January 3, 2022

Royals Rumblings - News for January 3, 2022

Lynn Worthy writes that Carlos Santana is looking to bounce back in 2022.

Santana remained in KC for another month and a half after the season ended. In part, he stayed because his two daughters enjoyed the area and where they were going to school.

The other part was it allowed him to rehab and stay in contact with the Royals after he received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment on his left quad. The method uses injections of the patient’s own platelets to help accelerate the healing.

“Now, I feel 100 percent,” Santana said. “I keep working on my body, but right now I feel 100 percent.”

Alec Lewis has five predictions for the Royals in 2022.

It feels fair to predict that Witt, Melendez and Pratto will make their debuts in the season’s first half. Then comes the question of: Will they produce? Hitting prospects across Major League Baseball, such as Dylan Carlson and Jarred Kelenic, are examples of players who have floundered a bit at first. Mega prospect Wander Franco is the antithesis. It makes sense to think a talent such as Witt could hit the ground running. Some might say the same for Melendez or Pratto. But predictions require realism. Expecting slow starts for these three feels right.

Sam Dykstra at milb.com looks back at the 2021 minor league season with good memories of Bobby Witt, Jr. and MJ Melendez.

Sticking with Royals prospects, Bobby Witt Jr. came so very close to joining an elite group of Minor League performers. The Kansas City shortstop finished with 33 homers and 29 steals between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. That left him one theft shy of becoming the Minors’ only 30-30 player in 2021 and the fifth since 2010, joining Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert and George Springer on that list.

Then again, you could make the case he did earn steal No. 30. Witt swiped his 30th bag on Sept. 30 at Iowa, only for the game to be canceled due to rain in the bottom of the third.

David Laurila at Fangraphs collects his favorite quotes from 2021.

“Numbers are your best friend, but also your worst enemy at times. Realistically, they have nothing to do with baseball; they’re just a way of measuring baseball in a different light.” — Josh Staumont, Kansas City Royals pitcher, February 2021

Mark Simon at Sports Info Solutions gives out season awards, and gives Nicky Lopez the “Flat Bat Award” for best bunter.

Eric Hosmer got married over the weekend.

Could Freddie Freeman leave the Braves?

CBS Sports writers discuss rule changes they’d like to see in a new labor deal.

Can some of 2021’s most disappointing players bounce back?

Pitcher Tyler Chatwood is heading to Japan.

Is MLB ready for climate change?

Terry Francona will manage the Cleveland Guardians next year despite some health issues.

Some of the unexpected stadiums some teams have called home over the years.

The Yankees were embarrassed by a Staten Island pizza rat promotion.

A look back at how the Pirates acquired Roberto Clemente in the Rule 5 draft.

Chiefs fans were a bit upset at the referees after a loss to the Bengals.

Kirk Herbstreit criticizes this era of football players for opting out of bowl games.

A truck driver shortage is adding to supply chain issues.

Winnie the Pooh enters the public domain.

A documentary celebrating Betty White’s 100th birthday will be released despite her death.

Your song of the day is John Lennon with (Just Like) Starting Over.