“KC Chase to the Pennant”: Early Royals Spring Training Thoughts

It has been a few days since we went live, but I wanted to share our most recent episode of “KC Chase to the Pennant” here on the blog.

In this episode, we talk mostly about the first week of Spring Training and point out who’s been “hot” and who’s frankly been “not” so far in Cactus League play (shout out to all those who went to high school in the early 2000s who know what I’m referring to).

Here are a few additional thoughts on what Cristian and I discussed in last Thursday’s hour-long podcast.

  • We both really like what Cole Ragans has done this spring on the mound. Furthermore, this was before his most recent start against the A’s last Friday. We both predict that Ragans will be the Opening Day starter. After Seth Lugo’s rough outing, the starting spot on March 28th at Kauffman could likely come between Ragans and Michael Wacha.
  • We dove into a lot of pitchers right off the bat. The bullpen will be worth paying attention to in Cactus League play. Carlos Hernandez and Christian Chamberlain’s injuries should open things up for some guys to earn a spot in the bullpen with a strong spring. One guy we haven’t been impressed with thus far is Jake Brentz. It’s hard to justify him right now over other lefties like Josh Taylor, Sam Long, Walter Pennington, and perhaps even Evan Sisk, who was recently just added to the NRI roster.
  • Jordan Lyles was a talking point for us. He’s got the last spot in the rotation right now, mainly because Daniel Lynch has been okay, not great. Jared Perkins of “Farm to Fountains” had a fascinating interview today with Lynch, and the former Virginia pitcher mentioned that it takes him a while in Spring Training to get his velocity back up to normal levels. If that velocity does bump up near the end of the spring, Lynch could somehow snag that last spot or at least force Matt Quatraro to consider Lynch or Lyles as a “5th-6th” combo.
  • As I mentioned yesterday, we haven’t been impressed with Garrett Hampson and his slow start at the plate. On the flip side, we both really liked what Nick Loftin was doing at the plate. Due to Loftin having a Minor League option, Loftin may likely be the odd man out (especially with Hampson having none remaining). However, a strong spring and April could mean a Loftin call-up by May or June at the latest.
  • We both recognize that MJ Melendez is off to a great start in Spring Training and could be due for a big season in 2024. We have been on the fence with MJ when talking about him on the podcast, though I think Cristian is a little more skeptical than I am. That said, Melendez looks much more confident this spring and is certainly producing in Cactus League play, as evidenced by his .357 average, 1.081 OPS, and one home run in 14 at-bats. One has to wonder if the stance adjustments, as pointed out by “Locked on Royals” podcast host Jack Johnson, may have something to do with Melendez’s performance.

Listen to the episode for more analysis from Cristian and me of what the Royals are doing this spring, and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episodes and updates!

Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

5 thoughts on ““KC Chase to the Pennant”: Early Royals Spring Training Thoughts”

  1. Mr. O’B, Have you heard anything re: Nick Pratto’s status? I just don’t see anywhere where he fits on theopening day roster. I believe he has options left, but unless “Pasqwatch”goes down I still don’t seem him being left tostew in Omaha. Your thoughts? BTW, really enjoyed this pod.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Thanks for listening and glad you enjoyed the pod! Any feedback or comments are greatly appreciated!

    Without a doubt, Pratto is probably on the outside-looking-in when it comes to making the Opening Day roster. That said, while I think Vinnie is set at first, I could see a situation where Pratto would get more regular playing time at first due to his glove and Vinnie would see more DH. That was thought about as a plan in 2023 until Vinnie got hurt. Pratto’s glove has always rated more highly than Vinnie in the Minors and don’t think the outfield experiment worked too well with Pratto last year.

    I think this becomes an option if something should happen injury-wise in the OF or one of them gets off to a slow start. Nelson Velazquez to me is one to pay attention to. He hasn’t done well this spring and he has a history of high strikeout rates. The power is legit, but so many of his numbers were fluky in 2023. I could see Nelson going down if he has a cold start to the year and if Pratto gets off to a hot start. Pratto and Vinnie would then slide into that 1B/DH combo and Renfroe would be the regular RF.

    Like

  3. Brentz is still “recovering”, so it is not really expected for him to break camp with KC, but they probably want to see how he pitches at less than 100% capability.

    Given the number of “orphan” free agents, the Royals may consider gambling on high ceiling/moderate risk free agents for veteran depth. Preferably those who may still be getting paid. At the very worst, they can help coach in the minors.

    Like

    1. I agree with you on Brentz. I kinda felt that the predictions he would make the Opening Day roster were rash, especially considering his history of control issues. I still think he could be in play for a call up in June or July if he can get that together.

      I’m not sure adding any more free agents would help. Right now, I’m not sure there’s much available that would be worth booting a guy off the 40-man roster for, or wouldn’t give us anything that we couldn’t get from Luis Cessa, Tyler Duffey, or Sam Long. Think any of those three could be in play to help the bullpen at either Major or Minor League level.

      Like

      1. well… That’s the advantage of signing them this late. They can be signed as minor leaguers, not taking up a spot on the 40 man roster, with the almost certainty that they’ll get called up. There may be a couple of grains among all the chaff.

        Like

Leave a comment