It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me, which explains the infrequency of posts recently. I hope to change that, especially once the postseason nears completion. I have been rooting for a Brewers-Mariners World Series, but that has gone out the window, especially with the Dodgers sweeping the Brewers thanks to a Herculean effort in both hitting and pitching by Shohei Ohtani.
The Mariners took a step in the right direction toward securing their first World Series appearance in franchise history. On Friday, they beat Toronto 6-2 to take a 3-2 series lead. The last two games will be in Toronto.
I hope to have a more thorough post this weekend, sharing some thoughts about what the Royals need this offseason. However, I am going to share a few quick thoughts on some recent Royals-related developments in this edition of the “Reporter Jottings.”
Witt, Garcia, and Isbel Are Gold Glove Finalists
On Wednesday, Rawlings announced their Gold Glove Finalists, and three Royals players were listed: shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., third baseman Maikel Garcia, and center fielder Kyle Isbel.
When breaking down the three Royals’ chances, Garcia and Witt probably have the best shots to win, though Isbel shouldn’t be dismissed either, even with odds lower than his two infield teammates.
Based on Fangraphs data, Garcia has the best case of the three. He leads Toronto’s Ernie Clement and Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez, the other two finalists, in major advanced categories such as DRS, OAA, FRV, and Def (and by considerable margins as well).
The only issue with Garcia’s candidacy is that he doesn’t have Ramirez’s star power. Thus, it will be interesting to see if voters were more “statistically inclined” in the Gold Glove process or decided to award the star player on the playoff-bound team.
If voters were more “superstar inclined”, then Witt should easily win the award, and maybe a Platinum Glove. He stood out especially in OAA, FRV, and Def categories.
Surprisingly, Texas’ Corey Seager and Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls fared much better in DRS, with marks that were 13 and 14 runs better than Witt, respectively. Conversely, Bobby’s OAA was 20 outs better than Seager’s and 23 runs better than Walls’. Additionally, Witt played over 500 more innings at shortstop than Seager and Walls. I think that will matter more to voters, especially considering the grueling demands of shortstop, arguably the second-hardest defensive position after catcher.
When it comes to Isbel, he doesn’t lead in any of the three finalists’ categories, which makes his candidacy a little more challenging.
Isbel fares well in OAA (12), FRV (10), DRS (9), and Def (7.7). However, he lags behind Ceddanne Rafaela in all three categories and by significant margins. He does rank ahead of Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez in OAA and Def. Thus, Isbel could be a runner-up for the center field Gold Glove.
This is Isbel’s first nomination. If he continues to grow as a hitter, not only will he solidify himself as the Royals’ long-term center fielder, but he could earn himself a Gold Glove or two in the future as well.
Vazquez Heating Up in Arizona Fall League
The Royals have big-name prospects like catcher Blake Mitchell and outfielder Carson Roccaforte playing in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros. However, the one who has been standing out the most may be Daniel Vazquez, a shortstop prospect who primarily played in High-A Quad Cities last year.
In 105 games and 463 plate appearances with the River Bandits, Vazquez slashed .260/.336/.349 with a .685 OPS and 98 wRC+. He only hit one home run and posted an ISO of .089, both of which are paltry marks. That said, the Dominican-born infielder scored 55 runs, collected 42 RBI, and stole 26 bases.
At 21 years old, the Royals are probably hoping Vazquez can get some much-needed work in Arizona in the AFL, especially with the bat. Vazquez leads all Saguaros in at-bats with 23, and he’s slashing .304/.429/.478 with a .907 OPS. He also has six RBI, scored two runs, five walks to eight strikeouts (0.63 BB/K ratio), and a grand slam, which came on Thursday night against Salt River, as seen below.
When looking at his metrics in Quad Cities this past season via TJ Stats, Vazquez did a good job of making contact in the strike zone and demonstrated solid plate discipline with the River Bandits. Conversely, he did whiff more than he should have (28.3% whiff rate) and his contact didn’t exactly translate into production, as illustrated by his .331 xwOBACON.
Vazquez will be 22 years old in 2026, which is still pretty young. He likely will make the transition to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he should get primary time as the Naturals’ shortstop. The defense and speed are MLB-caliber. However, the contact and power need some work, so hopefully, this AFL stint can help him develop those tools this offseason and in preparation for next spring.
Bregman Heading to Kansas City?
The Hot Stove season is still pretty cold, which makes sense with the playoffs still going on. That said, Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote a piece that talked about Alex Bregman, who opted out of his deal and will be a free agent this offseason.
The Royals are mentioned as the possible surprise suitor for Bregman, according to this quote in the Heyman article.
“Word is the Royals, who’ve become a decent spender for a small-market club, seek extra offense and could be one. Maikel Garcia was a revelation at 3B for them this year, but he’s seen as versatile enough to move to the outfield or (second base).”
Now, knowing JJ Picollo and John Sherman, I do not doubt that the Royals have inquired about Bregman. Unlike Moore, who seemed to be a little more on the conservative end when it came to free agency, Picollo has been known for kicking the tires on all kinds of free agents in his three years as GM, even if it’s an unrealistic target.
Last year, there were reports that the Royals inquired about Juan Soto, who eventually signed a mega deal with the Mets.
Now, just because the Royals have checked in on Bregman doesn’t mean that they’re a realistic destination for the former Red Sox and Astros third baseman.
First off, if the Royals are serious about Garcia and his long-term outlook, then bringing Bregman doesn’t make sense.
Yes, Garcia can play multiple positions, as he has played center field and second base in the past. However, he has a career -5 OAA at second base and 0 OAA in the outfield. Garcia just hasn’t proven to be all that effective on the right side of the infield, and he has proven that he is a Gold Glove-caliber player at third base. The Royals learned the hard way last year with Jonathan India that moving around a veteran player from their preferred position can have a counterintuitive effect. I think they learned that lesson and won’t make the same mistake with Garcia.
Furthermore, while Bregman has demonstrated elite plate discipline skills, his batted-ball and exit velocity metrics were questionable, as seen below via TJ Stats.
A 5.2% barrel rate, 34.5% Sweet-Spot%, and 102.8 MPH 90th EV don’t bode well for Bregman to find guaranteed success in Kauffman Stadium’s spacious yard. India had a similar problem, as his questionable batted-ball skills didn’t translate well in his first season in Kansas City. To make matters worse, Bregman will cost a lot more than India, with the Royals needing to give him a mega deal of the seven-to-ten-year variety to bring him from Boston or Detroit (he has connections to AJ Hinch from his days in Houston).
I believe that Picollo is kicking the tires and seeing what it would take to bring Bregman to Kansas City, salary-wise. Does that mean he’s going to be at third base on Opening Day? Highly unlikely.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images