Royals Rumblings - News for February 20, 2023

Rustin Dodd at The Athletic writes from Royals camp, including notes on Bobby Witt’s defense at shortstop.

The Royals believe that Witt suffered most while adjusting to the speed of the game at the major-league level. When he moved around the infield, it might have slowed down his growth. But club officials also saw improvement in the metrics during the season’s final months, when Witt was more consistently playing shortstop.

“The last five or six weeks of the season, his metrics got better,” Picollo said. “They jumped pretty significantly.”

Witt says he is planning to focus on fundamentals this spring. He will spend time working with new infield coach José Alguacil, a long-time coach with the San Francisco Giants who spent last season as an infield coordinator with Washington. The drills began in the offseason when Witt and Alguacil connected via FaceTime and Witt passed along videos of him taking ground balls.

Danie Lynch talks about making simple fixes this year, writes Anne Rogers.

Lynch used what he learned to help guide his training, especially when refining his delivery.

“My external hip rotation is really good, but I wasn’t necessarily getting into it,” Lynch said. “I was getting quad dominant rather than hinging. That’s just essentially storing up energy. And then being long-limbed, my arm would be a little bit late at top speed.

“I came into the offseason saying, ‘The thing I need to do is execute pitches better. My stuff is good enough.’ So allowing my lower half to work so that my arm can be on time was a major point of emphasis. I can feel when they’re connected.”

Brady Singer is excited at the learning opportunities at the World Baseball Classic.

“Seeing the guys I’ve watched forever with [Clayton] Kershaw and [Adam] Wainwright, just being able to sit back like a little kid and watch them work. It’ll be cool to bounce ideas off them. And the position players, too, with [Team USA captain Mike] Trout and everyone. To be in the same locker room with a bunch of guys who you have watched become the face of this game will be awesome.”

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter wonders if Paul Hoover can improve catcher defense for the Royals.

The Kansas City Star editorial board salutes Ned Yost for his election to the Royals Hall of Fame.

Baseball America had a podcast episode on Royals prospects.

The Rangers sign outfielder Robbie Grossman to a one-year deal.

Elvis Andrus returns to the White Sox on a one-year deal.

White Sox prospect Anderson Comas comes out as gay.

MLB.com lists some hitters poised for a breakout this year.

Phillies owner John Middleton says he doesn’t care about payroll, he just wants to win.

The Dodgers are in unchartered territory after a very quiet off-season.

Carlos Rodón believes Yankees fans are more invested than Giants fans.

Korean outfielder Jung-hoo Lee is generating buzz in anticipation of the WBC.

Mac McClung, who has played in two NBA games, won the Slam Dunk Contest.

Former Mizzou star Keyon Dooling is sentenced to prison for fraud.

Schools are starting to cut back on phone usage by students.

Neflix’s Korean hit reality show Physical 100 features ripped athletes cheering each other on.

Was moving to the Quantum Realm a bad idea for the Ant Man franchise?

Your song of the day is Sebadoh with License to Confuse.