I have never understood why pitchers throw a waste pitch. Always seem that takes them out of rhythm and just increases pitch count. Bubic pitched well, but when you start to nibble, seems you go south in a hurry. Not sure if that is Cal making the call or what. I would like to see them maintain an aggressive approach and stop the finesse. Not everyone can be a Greg Maddux, sorry for the spelling.
There’s a difference between a waste pitch and a setup pitch. A high fastball that can only either be taken, likely fouled off or missed can be great to set up a low changeup, for example. Far too often, we assume the pitch is a waste but it’s intended to set up something else and is just executed poorly. Pitching is very, very simple. It’s about changing eye levels and changing timing. Which is incredibly hard too. The difference between a waste pitch and a setup pitch is often the pitcher trying to execute it.
If execution is a requirement, seems like we have pitchers lacking in that department. Is that because of coaching or talent? Other teams have a consistent staff that goes 7 or 8 innings constantly. Our pitchers either get a quick hook or high pitch counts in the middle innings. Stamina? Coaching? I'm glad to see Brady and Bubic progressing, but the pitching issues are getting old.
Again, many thanks for your words of wisdom and thought provoking insight!
I have no idea if this random YouTube creator knows what he's talking about but this short of Zack throwing a ball way off the plate to create the illusion that the next pitch (a little less off the plate) is a strike is fascinating. And I wouldn't put it past Zack. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nOj4AHeQUfk
I think the issue with our staff is lack of mental toughness and an ability to maintain focus. With the exception of Brady Singer and Greinke (and sometimes Barlow), our pitchers don't seem to be able to consistently buckle down and execute against each and every hitter. We're prone to letdowns and brain farts at key times - lack of first pitch strikes, walking the leadoff batter in an inning, failure to get the 7-8-9 hitters out are all the same issue to me. At least some of this has to be caused by poor coaching and lack of the right mental approach to pitching. I think we have the arms, but not the brains. Your thoughts?
I’m never going to be in the business of questioning mental toughness, but I think focus is a part of that, which goes back to the lack of preparation that has plagued this staff for years. And there’s generally one common denominator in that time.
It was good to see Bubic using his change-up more. We've always heard how his change was 80 grade or best in the org, etc, but usually a guy with a dominant change will use it as a primary pitch. Bubic always seems to be using his FB and curve to set up his change rather than throwing his best pitch more often, and hasn't thrown it often enough IMO. With a great change, even if you know its coming, its still hard to hit. Last night was one of the few times where his change-up lived up to its reputation. It seems like he lacked conviction in his change being a "great" pitch. Bubic like all pitchers without extreme velocity ... his success is very much dependent on location. His FB gets pounded unless its at the top of the zone and his change-up is vulnerable if its up or in the middle, and he's lacked consistency with getting strikes on his curve- which is an effective pitch for the most part. He can be a decent back of the rotation starter. At least he has shown he can stay healthy. Being awful for a month or two and serviceable for a few months isn't a recipe for long term success.
For what it's worth, he used his changeup *less* last night than his season average. I wouldn't say his changeup is an 80 pitch because there are very few of those in baseball, but it's a good one. My question as with anything is if it's good because it's good or if it's good because it's used properly. It's very easy to say the Royals are doing this wrong or that wrong, but it's not always the case. His changeup works when his fastball works. His fastball was a disaster last year and his changeup got lit up, so they work in tandem.
Bubic, Lynch and Measley waste too many pitches that aren’t even close to have a batter chase after. Too many 0-2, 1-2 ways and hits where the ball is waste high in the middle of the plate. When is Matheny going to realize that Melandez is not a lead off hitter. As much as I try to support Dozier this may be his last month in baseball, O’Hearn also has no value to the organization, too many better fielders and hitters in front of him, he shouldn’t be see playing time at all. 2023 Crowded catching role with Perez, Melendez, Rivero, Fermin and Eaton, also infield Witt, Lopez, Massey, Garcia, Mondesi, outfield, Walters, Oliveras, Taylor, Isbel, Pratto, Eaton, Melandez, Rooker, where do they cut the line. Rooker, O’Hearn, Mondesi, Dozier and maybe Isbel gone. Can’t keep Garcia
Melendez is leading the team in walks (54), second in OBP (.320) and has a 104 OPS+ as a 23-year-old rookie. He consistently puts together excellent at-bats against the best pitchers in the world. That's a pretty good leadoff hitter.
Thanks, Greg, for editing that. I'd like to echo Kevin in Melendez in the leadoff spot. It's maybe a bit nontraditional, but you might recall Alex Gordon in that leadoff spot. Melendez moves pretty well, gets on base as well or better than the majority of the lineup and has the ability to start the game off with a bang. No, it isn't a speedster at the top, and if they had someone who could get on base at a .350 clip and steal 50 bags, sure, throw them up there, but Melendez works up there. I don't know if that's his long-term home, but the other options are Michael A. Taylor, who has actually hit well there but it's fair to wonder if it's sustainable, Michael Massey, who doesn't really walk much but may be the best long-term option or maybe Bobby Witt Jr. with his .288 OBP.
I will say that this roster does not work heading into 2023 and I'm planning to write about that, so look for that and for a *very* interesting offseason.
Done, sorry but he frustrates me as a manager, between him and Eldred I don’t they could manage and or coach a T-Ball or whiffle ball team. Carter doesn’t prepare pitcher to start or come in to relief, and a Wilson has way too many players thrown out on the bases. I can’t believe how long KC’s front office has put up with this. I see Greinke will start his 4-5 innings tonight, what a waste of $15 million, don’t believe he has benefited the young pitchers by being in the dugout with them. Hope he isn’t back.
He frustrates me too. At this point, I don't anticipate any of the coaches you mentioned being back next year, so hopefully that comes to fruition and we don't have to think about any of them again.
Issuing my regular stance on baseball managers: We don't like Matheny, didn't like Yost, didn't like Hillman. Yankees fans want Aaron Boone (and Brian Cashman) out. Even Joe Maddon managed long enough to see himself become the villain.
Basically, I've learned to stop worrying about the figurehead sitting in the dugout to make pitching changes and call hit-and-run plays. We'll likely feel frustrated by whoever replaces Matheny regardless of how much success they have. Just the way baseball is.
Don't you guys remember your little league games, where some idiot coach or parent is yelling at the pitcher to just throw strikes because the bottom of the order is up to bat. The Royals Staff seem to have that same philosophy. Just one more example of a Royals player/pitcher being poorly prepared for his start.
I've been hospitalized for the last 6 days and haven't done much interneting although I've been lurking here and there. I know this makes life harder for the Royals and Royals fans but I really enjoyed having the opportunity to watch them play against teams who are still genuinely interested in playing and winning real baseball games! Now that I'm back home I'm ready for a 10 game winning streak. But something tells me that's not going to happen anytime soon and that's okay too.
I know what to make of the pitching. It HAS to be better next year. If it isn't, then I've lost faith in the front office. The question is what if no changes are made, and the pitching is just as bad? How long will it take management to realize they need to make significant changes? As for Dozier, it's no surprise that he's a disappointment, given how bad he was last year. He's not hitting and he's not a good defender at any position. Sure, you can say he should be playing less. But most of the young guys are hitting .250 or lower. Getting walks are great but you need someone who can consistently drive them in. The Royals scored only 8 runs in the Cleveland series and almost got swept at home. What I hope will happen is management will say: "We can't assume we're going to compete next year and we can't assume that the hitters and pitchers will play better. We need to make trades in the offseason to make this team better from here on." No one on the team is exactly setting the league on fire.
I have never understood why pitchers throw a waste pitch. Always seem that takes them out of rhythm and just increases pitch count. Bubic pitched well, but when you start to nibble, seems you go south in a hurry. Not sure if that is Cal making the call or what. I would like to see them maintain an aggressive approach and stop the finesse. Not everyone can be a Greg Maddux, sorry for the spelling.
There’s a difference between a waste pitch and a setup pitch. A high fastball that can only either be taken, likely fouled off or missed can be great to set up a low changeup, for example. Far too often, we assume the pitch is a waste but it’s intended to set up something else and is just executed poorly. Pitching is very, very simple. It’s about changing eye levels and changing timing. Which is incredibly hard too. The difference between a waste pitch and a setup pitch is often the pitcher trying to execute it.
If execution is a requirement, seems like we have pitchers lacking in that department. Is that because of coaching or talent? Other teams have a consistent staff that goes 7 or 8 innings constantly. Our pitchers either get a quick hook or high pitch counts in the middle innings. Stamina? Coaching? I'm glad to see Brady and Bubic progressing, but the pitching issues are getting old.
Again, many thanks for your words of wisdom and thought provoking insight!
I have no idea if this random YouTube creator knows what he's talking about but this short of Zack throwing a ball way off the plate to create the illusion that the next pitch (a little less off the plate) is a strike is fascinating. And I wouldn't put it past Zack. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nOj4AHeQUfk
There aren't many pitchers you could sell me on that they were doing that on purpose, but Zack is absolutely one of them I believe.
I think the issue with our staff is lack of mental toughness and an ability to maintain focus. With the exception of Brady Singer and Greinke (and sometimes Barlow), our pitchers don't seem to be able to consistently buckle down and execute against each and every hitter. We're prone to letdowns and brain farts at key times - lack of first pitch strikes, walking the leadoff batter in an inning, failure to get the 7-8-9 hitters out are all the same issue to me. At least some of this has to be caused by poor coaching and lack of the right mental approach to pitching. I think we have the arms, but not the brains. Your thoughts?
I’m never going to be in the business of questioning mental toughness, but I think focus is a part of that, which goes back to the lack of preparation that has plagued this staff for years. And there’s generally one common denominator in that time.
It was good to see Bubic using his change-up more. We've always heard how his change was 80 grade or best in the org, etc, but usually a guy with a dominant change will use it as a primary pitch. Bubic always seems to be using his FB and curve to set up his change rather than throwing his best pitch more often, and hasn't thrown it often enough IMO. With a great change, even if you know its coming, its still hard to hit. Last night was one of the few times where his change-up lived up to its reputation. It seems like he lacked conviction in his change being a "great" pitch. Bubic like all pitchers without extreme velocity ... his success is very much dependent on location. His FB gets pounded unless its at the top of the zone and his change-up is vulnerable if its up or in the middle, and he's lacked consistency with getting strikes on his curve- which is an effective pitch for the most part. He can be a decent back of the rotation starter. At least he has shown he can stay healthy. Being awful for a month or two and serviceable for a few months isn't a recipe for long term success.
For what it's worth, he used his changeup *less* last night than his season average. I wouldn't say his changeup is an 80 pitch because there are very few of those in baseball, but it's a good one. My question as with anything is if it's good because it's good or if it's good because it's used properly. It's very easy to say the Royals are doing this wrong or that wrong, but it's not always the case. His changeup works when his fastball works. His fastball was a disaster last year and his changeup got lit up, so they work in tandem.
You and your pesky statistics besmirching my totally unbiased visual assessments...next you'll tell me that OPS+ is more important than "grit".
I would NEVER!
Bubic, Lynch and Measley waste too many pitches that aren’t even close to have a batter chase after. Too many 0-2, 1-2 ways and hits where the ball is waste high in the middle of the plate. When is Matheny going to realize that Melandez is not a lead off hitter. As much as I try to support Dozier this may be his last month in baseball, O’Hearn also has no value to the organization, too many better fielders and hitters in front of him, he shouldn’t be see playing time at all. 2023 Crowded catching role with Perez, Melendez, Rivero, Fermin and Eaton, also infield Witt, Lopez, Massey, Garcia, Mondesi, outfield, Walters, Oliveras, Taylor, Isbel, Pratto, Eaton, Melandez, Rooker, where do they cut the line. Rooker, O’Hearn, Mondesi, Dozier and maybe Isbel gone. Can’t keep Garcia
Melendez is leading the team in walks (54), second in OBP (.320) and has a 104 OPS+ as a 23-year-old rookie. He consistently puts together excellent at-bats against the best pitchers in the world. That's a pretty good leadoff hitter.
Thanks, Greg, for editing that. I'd like to echo Kevin in Melendez in the leadoff spot. It's maybe a bit nontraditional, but you might recall Alex Gordon in that leadoff spot. Melendez moves pretty well, gets on base as well or better than the majority of the lineup and has the ability to start the game off with a bang. No, it isn't a speedster at the top, and if they had someone who could get on base at a .350 clip and steal 50 bags, sure, throw them up there, but Melendez works up there. I don't know if that's his long-term home, but the other options are Michael A. Taylor, who has actually hit well there but it's fair to wonder if it's sustainable, Michael Massey, who doesn't really walk much but may be the best long-term option or maybe Bobby Witt Jr. with his .288 OBP.
I will say that this roster does not work heading into 2023 and I'm planning to write about that, so look for that and for a *very* interesting offseason.
Done, sorry but he frustrates me as a manager, between him and Eldred I don’t they could manage and or coach a T-Ball or whiffle ball team. Carter doesn’t prepare pitcher to start or come in to relief, and a Wilson has way too many players thrown out on the bases. I can’t believe how long KC’s front office has put up with this. I see Greinke will start his 4-5 innings tonight, what a waste of $15 million, don’t believe he has benefited the young pitchers by being in the dugout with them. Hope he isn’t back.
He frustrates me too. At this point, I don't anticipate any of the coaches you mentioned being back next year, so hopefully that comes to fruition and we don't have to think about any of them again.
Issuing my regular stance on baseball managers: We don't like Matheny, didn't like Yost, didn't like Hillman. Yankees fans want Aaron Boone (and Brian Cashman) out. Even Joe Maddon managed long enough to see himself become the villain.
Basically, I've learned to stop worrying about the figurehead sitting in the dugout to make pitching changes and call hit-and-run plays. We'll likely feel frustrated by whoever replaces Matheny regardless of how much success they have. Just the way baseball is.
Don't you guys remember your little league games, where some idiot coach or parent is yelling at the pitcher to just throw strikes because the bottom of the order is up to bat. The Royals Staff seem to have that same philosophy. Just one more example of a Royals player/pitcher being poorly prepared for his start.
I've been hospitalized for the last 6 days and haven't done much interneting although I've been lurking here and there. I know this makes life harder for the Royals and Royals fans but I really enjoyed having the opportunity to watch them play against teams who are still genuinely interested in playing and winning real baseball games! Now that I'm back home I'm ready for a 10 game winning streak. But something tells me that's not going to happen anytime soon and that's okay too.
I'm sorry to hear that you've been in the hospital. I hope you're doing okay!
I know what to make of the pitching. It HAS to be better next year. If it isn't, then I've lost faith in the front office. The question is what if no changes are made, and the pitching is just as bad? How long will it take management to realize they need to make significant changes? As for Dozier, it's no surprise that he's a disappointment, given how bad he was last year. He's not hitting and he's not a good defender at any position. Sure, you can say he should be playing less. But most of the young guys are hitting .250 or lower. Getting walks are great but you need someone who can consistently drive them in. The Royals scored only 8 runs in the Cleveland series and almost got swept at home. What I hope will happen is management will say: "We can't assume we're going to compete next year and we can't assume that the hitters and pitchers will play better. We need to make trades in the offseason to make this team better from here on." No one on the team is exactly setting the league on fire.