A special post series I am going to do this offseason is the Royals Pitcher Profile series.

These posts are glimpses of a pitcher’s stuff and ability, based on what is seen via TJ Stats metrics, heatmaps, and GIF compilations. The point of these posts is not to provide individual analysis from me, but rather to serve as a resource for Royals fans to gain more information and perspective on various pitchers in the Royals organization who pitched in Kansas City in 2025.

In this first edition of the Royals Pitcher Profile series, I am going to look at lefty Sam Long, who will be entering his first year of arbitration this offseason.

These posts will be more image and GIF-heavy rather than text-heavy. Thus, let’s take a look at Long’s profile as a pitcher, based on his 2025 metrics via TJ Stats. (Subscribe to TJ Stats to get full access to the resources I use in these posts. It’s totally worth the Subscription on Patreon.)

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Long’s Season Summary Profile

Strengths as a pitcher:

• Good zone rate.
• Strong curveball chase.
• Minimizes productive contact on curveball and splitter.
• Decent stuff grades on four-seamer, sinker, splitter, and sweeper.

Weaknesses as a pitcher:

• Lackluster overall chase rate.
• Lackluster whiff rate.
• Below-average velocity on three primary pitches (four-seamer, slider, curveball).
• Below-average stuff grades on slider and curveball.

Roster situation for 2026

• Will be entering the first year of arbitration (will be a free agent after 2028).
• Out of Minor League options.
• 2.80 ERA in the second half of last season.
• Made $950K last season.
• Competing with other arbitration-eligible left-handed pitchers like Daniel Lynch IV, Angel Zerpa, and Bailey Falter for a spot in the bullpen next year.

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Four-Seamer, 35.5% Usage

GIF Compilation of Four-Seamer

Quick Analysis on Pitch

• His primary fastball and pitch overall.
• It profiles better in terms of whiffs against lefties, but better in terms of contact against righties.
• He throws eight percent more on 0-0 counts against righties than lefties.
• Throws it more in the heart of the strike zone against lefties, which could explain the higher xwOBACON by left-handed hitters.

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Slider, 25.7% Usage

GIF Compilation of Slider

Quick Analysis on Pitch

• His primary breaking offering.
• It is a compelling whiff pitch against both lefties and righties (above 30% whiff rate).
• It does get hit hard, with a .389 xwOBACON against lefties and .392 xwOBACON against righties.
• Thrown more in the chase area against righties than lefties.

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Curveball, 18.6% Usage

GIF Compilation of Curveball

Quick Analysis on Pitch

• Thrown much more against righties.
• It is more effective against righties as well, especially on a contact end (131-point difference in xwOABCON).
• Great CSW (31.5%) against righties.
• The offering sits more in the shadow area of the zone against righties, but more in the heart zone against lefties.

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Sinker, 10.6% Usage

GIF Compilation of Sinker

Quick Analysis on Pitch

• His secondary fastball offering.
• Thrown 11.4% more against lefties.
• It has a 26.4% CSW against lefties (compared to a 16.7% CSW against righties).
• Often thrown in 2-ball and 3-ball counts against lefties.

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Splitter, 9.3% Usage

GIF Compilation of Splitter

Quick Analysis on Pitch

• Essentially, his offspeed offering.
• Only thrown against righties (no recorded splitters against lefties last year).
• Located primarily on the armside edge of the shadow zone against righties and utilizes a 3/4 delivery with it sometimes.
• Utilized heavily in 1-2 and 2-2 counts.

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Sweeper, 0.4% Usage

GIF Compilation of Sweeper

Quick Analysis on Pitch

• Only thrown three times last year.
• Seems to utilize a 3/4 delivery with the pitch (as with the sinker).
• Primarily utilized it against the Phillies.
• Has a strong CSW and Whiff rate with the pitch (but a small sample).

Photo Credit: Ed Zurga/Getty Images