The Best of Royals Review 2022

It was an eventful year for Royals fans with a team again at the bottom of the standings, but all that losing finally came to a head with a change at the top of the organization. The team also brought in a new manager, brought back an old friend, welcomed the debut of exciting new rookies, and signaled an intent to move downtown.

That certainly gave us a lot to talk about! Here is the best of what Royals Review had to offer in 2022.

Best opinion articles

Max Rieper called for the firing of pitching coach Cal Eldred in May.

Matthew LaMar went over how the Royals front office was making the same mistakes.

He was also ready to clean house at the end of May.

And Dayton Moore’s comments about developing champions off the field only added fuel to the fire.

He also blasted the coaches and players for the vaccination mess.

Jeremy Greco explained that being ahead of the curve in analytics was harder than ever.

Max also liked what he heard from John Sherman’s press conference firing Dayton Moore.

Best analytical articles

Matthew LaMar imagined what an MLB salary cap and floor would look like.

He also noted that Royals pitchers not only walk too many batters, but can’t strike anyone out.

Greg Walker detailed how the Royals’ international pipeline has dried up in recent years.

He also made the case against banning the shift.

Cullen Jekel looked for a way to dump Hunter Dozier’s contract.

Max Rieper noted the Royals have been screwed by umpires this year.

Best history articles

Cullen Jekel looked back at the saddest departures in Royals history.

He also reviewed the best pitching seasons in Royals history.

Max Rieper looked back at the 1995 Royals and the 2012 Royals.

Bradford Lee remembered former Royals pitcher Mark Littell, who passed away this year.

He argued for why former general manager Cedric Tallis should be in the Royals Hall of Fame.

He also wrote about how some players were left out of the MLBPA pension plan.

Bradford also looked back at old ballparks in a series with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Best humor articles

Jeremy Greco pointed the blame for the lockout to....J.J. Picollo?

Matthew LaMar gave a humorous visual aide at how much more wealthy owners are than players.

He also showed his wit in differentiating Witt vs. Whit.

Greg Walker gave a tribute to Nicky Lopez home runs.

Best game recaps

Matthew LaMar broke down Daniel Lynch’s 6-0 blanking of the White Sox in April with the main storylines.

Ryan Landreth was ready to burn it to the ground after a loss in May.

Ryan Heffernon recapped a depleted Royals squad of youngsters defeating the Blue Jays north of the border.

Jeremy Greco wrapped up a 6-3 rollercoaster of emotions against the Rays.

Greg Walker wrote about how the Royals stepped on those “Sneks” in a 5-3 win over Arizona.

Best fanposts

kcstengel imagined a true Royals fire sale.

RoyalTreatment wanted to know which was the real Nicky Lopez.

gprescott made the case that MJ Melendez should not lead off and found Nate Eaton to be the most valuable rookie.

focs had some trade ideas for the deadline.

ThunderStreetWorkshop saw hope for a pitching turnaround in 2023.

Best GIFs/videos/photoshops/social media

After Dayton Moore’s comments about developing champions off the field, there was a change at the K.

There were a few heroes this year, like the kid that ate a hot dog each inning at the K.

Royals social media was pretty good this year, showing that Vinnie Pasquantino is going to be a fan favorite.

Luke Weaver and Robbie Ray had an ol’ fashioned national anthem stand off.

Teams had very different off-season approaches from each other.

Thanks again for another great year, and here’s hoping for a greater 2023!