The Royals won the first game of a four-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman on Thursday evening. Even though it was a weekday night game, almost 24,000 attended the K, making it feel more like a late-season contest between two teams competing for a postseason berth. For a team that has hit a… Read More Freddy Fermin Is Breaking Out This Season for the Royals (But Is It Sustainable?)
Royals fans certainly know about Salvador Perez’s bat this season. Even though he will turn 34 in a few weeks (May 10th, to be specific), Salvy is having one of the best seasons of his career at the plate thus far. In 21 games and 86 plate appearances, he is hitting .333 with a .428… Read More Salvy is Having a Renaissance Defensively for the Royals This Season (Will It Last?)
Just when Royals fans think that JJ Picollo and the Royals front office are done building the roster for the offseason, they got out and made a surprising move the evening before their first Cactus League game of the 2024 season. Nola originally signed a Minor League deal with the Brewers back in January. However,… Read More How Does Austin Nola Fit Into the Royals’ Roster Equation?
After being rumored as a possible trade candidate to the Marlins and White Sox last Trade Deadline and early this offseason, it seems like JJ Picollo and the Royals are set on keeping Salvy for at least one more Opening Day. That also seemed to be confirmed back in December at the Winter Meetings in… Read More What Can the Royals Expect from Salvador Perez in 2024?
Though the Royals lost 4-3 in the series finale against the Angels, MJ Melendez had a solid game of sorts, as he hit his second home run of the year in the top of the first inning off of left-handed starter Reid Detmers. Unfortunately, while Melendez’s home run was a positive step in the right… Read More Will the Royals Shift MJ Melendez to the Outfield for the Remainder of the Season?
This edition of the “Reporter Jottings” is going to have some international flair, which makes sense with the World Baseball Classic starting this week. I am going to take a look at some Royals players in the WBC (specifically Nicky Lopez for team Italy and MJ Melendez for team Puerto Rico), and quickly examine a… Read More “Reporter Jottings”: Lopez Thriving With Italy; MJ in Three-Hole for Puerto Rico; Could Korean Catcher Thrive in Royals System?
It’s not a surprise that the Royals were one of the worst defensive teams under former manager Mike Matheny from 2020 to 2022, especially on a framing end. Last season, the Royals ranked dead last in framing with a -21 mark, 10 runs worse than the second-worst club in baseball (the Padres), according to Baseball… Read More Can Bench Coach Paul Hoover Help the Royals’ Catchers Improve Defensively?
It’s been a while since I’ve touched base on the Top 50 Royals’ “Prospects to Watch” for the upcoming 2023 season. With Spring Training games starting soon, I figured it would be good to catch up on these prospect posts, especially since it appears that the Royals’ “hot stove” season may be done after Kansas… Read More Examining the Tier Four Prospects (Royals 2023 “Top 50 Prospects to Watch” Rankings)
It is easy to forget about the catching position in Kansas City, especially since Salvador Perez has been firmly entrenched behind the plate for the Royals since the 2012 season. After all, Salvy signed a four-year extension prior to the 2021 season, and he has been the face of the Royals’ franchise ever since popular… Read More Are Royals Fans Sleeping on Catcher Freddy Fermin?
By all means, MJ Melendez had a solid rookie campaign, especially on the offensive end. Melendez didn’t hit for a high average, as he only hit .217 in 129 games and 534 plate appearances in his rookie debut. However, he did hit 18 home runs, garnered 62 RBI, and posted a 99 wRC+, which is… Read More What Could MJ Melendez’s Defensive Outlook Be in the Outfield for the Royals?