Oh yeah, priorities change with kids. The difference is you are writing about this team multiple times a week and I get to shut it off or watch another game after multiple errors. Hopefully you do too. I think the view changes to entertainment over time. That’s what is a so frustrating about this organization. They can’t even be good enough to entertain me the majority of the time.
I think at this point I’d just like to see an identity established. If it’s the Rays pitching and defense….I’m in. I’ll buy that. You can keep Witt at SS for the year but quite jacking around everyone else. Dozier is not the fit at third, Melendez pick a spot, and for gods sakes stop playing Olivares in the outfield. Going forward, pitching and defense that’s what I want to hear preached. The offense sucks right now anyway….why are they compounding it with bad defense behind them. I like the opener tonight, now it’s probably more because they don’t have anyone else but still. I’ll take that over Castillo. But put the better defense you can muster on the field. Ohtani will probably carve them up…but if you can keep it 3-0…I’ll watch a bit and maybe they can surprise me. Entertain me Royals. Pitch Grienke every inning of every game please.
I mean its as if they picked some FAs knowing this team was going to be bad. My guess is they were as surprised about the starters success earlier as everyone was
I know I've said this before, but maybe in a different way. This coaching staff inherited a jumbled mess. There's talent in this mess. People want to pretend like there isn't right now because they're playing so poorly, but there's talent. This coaching staff is trying to figure out how it all fits right now, so I don't think I mind them not having an identity yet. Honestly, trying to force an identity can be a problem too, given the current roster. So I'm willing to give them a chance to figure out exactly what makes sense for them moving forward. But they need to have it figured out at some point, and yeah, they need to catch the ball better, that's for sure.
Yeah. I mean….all the venting…all the frustration still boils down to one fear. It’s the fear that this roster is such a jumbled mess and they aren’t going to turn it over and find the talent in time for next year to be competitive. And what every royals fan has seen for the majority of 20 years is the goals get moved back. And if next year isn’t the year….Bobby Witt’s time keeps on dwindling. It’s the fear of seeing this cycle keep going round and round. Maybe they have said what they want….and they just can’t implement it. That’s probably the case….but I feel like better defenses can be put on the field. It’s the contradiction of “we value defense” and then continue to run Olivares in left or right. I think some direction of what they are going for would be nice….and then follow it up on the field. It certainly doesn’t matter this year anymore…but hopefully we have by end of year.
Positive……Mondesi….trade of the year right? 2 innings out of Taylor!
Oh absolutely. And that fear is a lot easier to feel when they’ve started the way they have. But I do think they’ve been pretty clear that they’re trying to figure out exactly what they have in these guys and I appreciate them trying things instead of just assuming things are one way and not ever knowing if they’re different. I don’t think they have to compete for the playoffs next year, but they need to be roughly a .500 team. I guess that sort of is competing for the playoffs with the extra team, but you know what I mean. And while it seems like it’s a million years away right now, I have to keep on my objective hat and know that it could look very different in 19 more games and then in July and then at the end of the year.
How was I so wrong on the bullpen? A abuser is our best reliever right now. The Barlow situation has me disheartened a bit. We need him to get it back….or it was just another missed opportunity for the Royals. These were the things that were supposed to change and it is heading down the same path it always has with this group. Could you think of where this staff would be without Lyles and Chapman right now? Lol
I don’t think anyone expected Barlow and Coleman to do what they’ve done. I’m less concerned about Coleman because I think he just needed a little mechanical adjustment, but yeah, that’s rough. I still think they’ve built a nice stockpile of arms but things have snowballed on them. I keep bringing up 2012 because I think there are just a ton of parallels, but Greg Holland had an 11+ ERA at this point that year.
This is really good info, David. I don't know how you stay interested enough to do all this digging but I'm glad that you do! Problem is, with all this losing so far this season I have all the enthusiasm right now of a Ross Gload or a Jonathan Sanchez. (Quite possibly my two most hated Royals ever.)
Certainly there's some very encouraging stuff going on in the minor leagues but that's been true (or at least allegedly true) in every season in Royals history. I can't help but think of all the minor league heroes who turned out to be AAAA players at best. I'm hopeful but not particularly confident that some of these guys will become legit MLB-caliber players, ideally while they are still wearing Royals uniforms. They can't all be nothing but another Colt Griffin, can they?
Oh it certainly wasn't true last year. It was brutal in the minors. It's easy to remember the busts, but they've churned out some talent over the years. The issue hasn't been the lack of big leaguers, it's been the lack of true impact players. They need more than role players and #4 starters.
Yes it was certainly brutal in the minors last year but that's not what we were told. We were told that Asa Lacy and Ben Kudrna (among others) were both the second coming of Cy Young and would be here RSN (real soon now) even though the truth could hardly have been more different. But you're absolutely right about the lack of impact players. It's been a long time since they drafted guys like Hosmer and Moose and Ventura. Yes there have been extremely rare exceptions like BWJ but not nearly enough of them.
I don't think anyone ever said Kudrna was an elite prospect. He had a good year and I like him, but that's revising history in a big way. Also, a little weird to seem to be giving up on a 19-year old who did have a solid year. Lacy has been a huge disappointment, no doubt.
I would argue that Hosmer and Moose weren't as good as they should have been. That team worked together, but their best player was Lorenzo Cain. Hos and Moose were more than role players, but they weren't stars.
That's kind of my point, though. They graduate players and often players who are quite useful, but it's just that they haven't been able to develop the impact guy. Pasquantino looks like an impact bat. Witt could still become the impact overall guy. We'll see, but I don't think it's fair to say there's significantly more flameout than other organizations. There just isn't the completed development.
It was a good night to watch minor league baseball last night. I tuned in to watch Noah Cameron at QS. He looks legit.
But the most impressive performance in the entire organization is someone you haven't even mentioned. Steven Zobac, a 4th rounder from Cal out of last years draft came in in relief for his second appearance. So far in his professional career, he has struck out 14 in 5 innings of work including 8 of the 10 batters he faced last night. He started his career striking out each of the first 10 batters he faced. 5 IP 14K 1 single allowed, 0 walks. That'll work... looked to be throwing a mid to upper nineties FB at the top of the zone with a slider that Low A hitters had zero ability to hit.
Yeah, Cameron is super interesting to me. Rarely discussed, but he's been good from the jump. I also like Zobac quite a bit and probably should have mentioned him, but I was more focused on starters because relievers are just dealing with such a tiny sample so far.
Cameron's previous start, they had a gun. He hit 95 mph 94 a bunch and averaged about 93. Paired with a good curve and change. I thought the change was the worst of the 3. I thought Cameron was like Drew Parrish, you know the smaller soft tossing LHP type. No. Cameron has good physical size and good enough velocity.
Are we sure that Zobac will be reliever? He started some at Cal I believe.
I actually think that might be the year that I first heard that young teams are sometimes better on the road. Which has also stuck with me. That's crazy though.
Why are the official scorers so reluctant to record errors? I think it was the last game where Olivares WAY missed a fly ball that Eisenberg noted had a 95% chance of being caught, but when I looked at box score he did not have an error. Is it possible that we are way worse defensively than we look on paper?
They’ve always scored it that if the ball isn’t touched, it’s not an error. The subjectivity of the official scorer is why errors aren’t even worth looking at.
wow, I had no idea - thanks for the knowledge! as I haven't actually unofficially scored a game since I was a kid (far away galaxy).
It did prompt me to look up the rules and the comment kind of conflicted itself with: "Rule 9.12(a)(1) Comment: Slow handling of the ball that does not involve mechanical misplay shall not be construed as an error." But then went on to: "It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder’s legs or a fly ball falls untouched and, in the scorer’s judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the Official Scorer shall charge such fielder with an error."
So there is your nerd post for the day as I kind of avoid the actual games lately (although I did catch Massey last night in the 5th or 6th that did seem to be a thoughtful AB, but unfortunately the umps zone was a little off. Hopefully a sign of him being a little more patient at the plate now)
So, I just can’t figure this team out. The roster ..... is just weird. Am I crazy or is MJ a legitimately good RF which completely changes his profile? Olivares needs to have his gloves burned in a sage ceremony. Witt seems to be trying and making the leap to an average SS. We have no answer at 3B. Massey looks like a kid lost on the Appalachian Trail while at the plate.
Melendez has looked very good in right field and the metrics support it too, for whatever they're worth at this point in the season. I agree that Olivares is just not going to figure it out even though he looks the part in the outfield. But yeah, Witt looks pretty solid and I'm hoping that they get Loftin or Garcia up to solidify third in some way.
As for Massey, I thought he actually looked less lost last night, but the Angels are going with a lefty tonight, so he's not in the lineup. They start a lefty tomorrow too, so we'll see if he's playing then.
Appreciate your perspective as always. Glad you touched on the approach, I have been equally confused by the amount of bad swings when we know that's not what the coaches are preaching. Your previous comment about this roster being a jumbled mess really sums up how I feel right now. What are your thoughts on the timeframe given to Dozier, Olivares, Massey, etc with Garcia, Loftin and Taylor raking in AAA? Dozier should be cut and as much as I've always liked Olivares at the plate, he's not valuable enough as a DH and he can't play outfield still. Haven't given up on Massey but at some point you have to make a change. Getting Waters back will help the outfield, but we still don't know what he really is at the plate either. A lot to figure out. A lot of patience required for this staff. Thrilled to see Mozzicato pitching well and excited to hear any insight you have on development changes. Still wish they would have made more personnel changes and additions, but seeing some early success is nice. There is talent in the mess, like you said, but finding the real talent, how it fits, and the time required to optimize it might be more difficult and depressing than I thought..
You know, it is difficult, but things have a funny way of coming together quickly when you have the right people in charge and I still believe they do. I'm incredibly encouraged not just by the numbers in the minors but in what people are saying about what they're seeing. So hopefully they can get the pipeline moving and this isn't as far off as it seems. I know I compare this to 2012 a lot, but at this time that year, people were sure it was going to be 7-10 years at a minimum before they figured it all out. That isn't to say they'll be in the race next year, in the World Series in two and win it in three, but I think things generally always seem worse (or better) than they really are.
That's great to hear. I agree that this group isnt hopeless. I do have some faith in their new processes and major league staff. We are definitely seeing some second year struggles for the young hitters (why I'd like to see Garcia, Loftin and Gentry up as soon as they're ready for their MLB learning curve) but I also still believe in Bobby, Vinnie and MJ to be contributors on the next contender. Really sucks losing Bubic and seeing Bowlan and the AAA pitchers struggle, but you've highlighted other positives to this point and it's still very early.
Oh yeah, priorities change with kids. The difference is you are writing about this team multiple times a week and I get to shut it off or watch another game after multiple errors. Hopefully you do too. I think the view changes to entertainment over time. That’s what is a so frustrating about this organization. They can’t even be good enough to entertain me the majority of the time.
I think at this point I’d just like to see an identity established. If it’s the Rays pitching and defense….I’m in. I’ll buy that. You can keep Witt at SS for the year but quite jacking around everyone else. Dozier is not the fit at third, Melendez pick a spot, and for gods sakes stop playing Olivares in the outfield. Going forward, pitching and defense that’s what I want to hear preached. The offense sucks right now anyway….why are they compounding it with bad defense behind them. I like the opener tonight, now it’s probably more because they don’t have anyone else but still. I’ll take that over Castillo. But put the better defense you can muster on the field. Ohtani will probably carve them up…but if you can keep it 3-0…I’ll watch a bit and maybe they can surprise me. Entertain me Royals. Pitch Grienke every inning of every game please.
Dear god I just called for JBJ in the outfield. What the hell is happening. I’m disgusted.
Don't mind me. Just taking a quick screenshot. For my scrapbook.
I mean its as if they picked some FAs knowing this team was going to be bad. My guess is they were as surprised about the starters success earlier as everyone was
I know I've said this before, but maybe in a different way. This coaching staff inherited a jumbled mess. There's talent in this mess. People want to pretend like there isn't right now because they're playing so poorly, but there's talent. This coaching staff is trying to figure out how it all fits right now, so I don't think I mind them not having an identity yet. Honestly, trying to force an identity can be a problem too, given the current roster. So I'm willing to give them a chance to figure out exactly what makes sense for them moving forward. But they need to have it figured out at some point, and yeah, they need to catch the ball better, that's for sure.
Yeah. I mean….all the venting…all the frustration still boils down to one fear. It’s the fear that this roster is such a jumbled mess and they aren’t going to turn it over and find the talent in time for next year to be competitive. And what every royals fan has seen for the majority of 20 years is the goals get moved back. And if next year isn’t the year….Bobby Witt’s time keeps on dwindling. It’s the fear of seeing this cycle keep going round and round. Maybe they have said what they want….and they just can’t implement it. That’s probably the case….but I feel like better defenses can be put on the field. It’s the contradiction of “we value defense” and then continue to run Olivares in left or right. I think some direction of what they are going for would be nice….and then follow it up on the field. It certainly doesn’t matter this year anymore…but hopefully we have by end of year.
Positive……Mondesi….trade of the year right? 2 innings out of Taylor!
Oh absolutely. And that fear is a lot easier to feel when they’ve started the way they have. But I do think they’ve been pretty clear that they’re trying to figure out exactly what they have in these guys and I appreciate them trying things instead of just assuming things are one way and not ever knowing if they’re different. I don’t think they have to compete for the playoffs next year, but they need to be roughly a .500 team. I guess that sort of is competing for the playoffs with the extra team, but you know what I mean. And while it seems like it’s a million years away right now, I have to keep on my objective hat and know that it could look very different in 19 more games and then in July and then at the end of the year.
How was I so wrong on the bullpen? A abuser is our best reliever right now. The Barlow situation has me disheartened a bit. We need him to get it back….or it was just another missed opportunity for the Royals. These were the things that were supposed to change and it is heading down the same path it always has with this group. Could you think of where this staff would be without Lyles and Chapman right now? Lol
I don’t think anyone expected Barlow and Coleman to do what they’ve done. I’m less concerned about Coleman because I think he just needed a little mechanical adjustment, but yeah, that’s rough. I still think they’ve built a nice stockpile of arms but things have snowballed on them. I keep bringing up 2012 because I think there are just a ton of parallels, but Greg Holland had an 11+ ERA at this point that year.
This is really good info, David. I don't know how you stay interested enough to do all this digging but I'm glad that you do! Problem is, with all this losing so far this season I have all the enthusiasm right now of a Ross Gload or a Jonathan Sanchez. (Quite possibly my two most hated Royals ever.)
Certainly there's some very encouraging stuff going on in the minor leagues but that's been true (or at least allegedly true) in every season in Royals history. I can't help but think of all the minor league heroes who turned out to be AAAA players at best. I'm hopeful but not particularly confident that some of these guys will become legit MLB-caliber players, ideally while they are still wearing Royals uniforms. They can't all be nothing but another Colt Griffin, can they?
Oh it certainly wasn't true last year. It was brutal in the minors. It's easy to remember the busts, but they've churned out some talent over the years. The issue hasn't been the lack of big leaguers, it's been the lack of true impact players. They need more than role players and #4 starters.
Yes it was certainly brutal in the minors last year but that's not what we were told. We were told that Asa Lacy and Ben Kudrna (among others) were both the second coming of Cy Young and would be here RSN (real soon now) even though the truth could hardly have been more different. But you're absolutely right about the lack of impact players. It's been a long time since they drafted guys like Hosmer and Moose and Ventura. Yes there have been extremely rare exceptions like BWJ but not nearly enough of them.
I don't think anyone ever said Kudrna was an elite prospect. He had a good year and I like him, but that's revising history in a big way. Also, a little weird to seem to be giving up on a 19-year old who did have a solid year. Lacy has been a huge disappointment, no doubt.
I would argue that Hosmer and Moose weren't as good as they should have been. That team worked together, but their best player was Lorenzo Cain. Hos and Moose were more than role players, but they weren't stars.
I was going to add Lorenzo Cain to that list but then I remembered that they didn't draft him and weren't much involved in his development.
That's kind of my point, though. They graduate players and often players who are quite useful, but it's just that they haven't been able to develop the impact guy. Pasquantino looks like an impact bat. Witt could still become the impact overall guy. We'll see, but I don't think it's fair to say there's significantly more flameout than other organizations. There just isn't the completed development.
It was a good night to watch minor league baseball last night. I tuned in to watch Noah Cameron at QS. He looks legit.
But the most impressive performance in the entire organization is someone you haven't even mentioned. Steven Zobac, a 4th rounder from Cal out of last years draft came in in relief for his second appearance. So far in his professional career, he has struck out 14 in 5 innings of work including 8 of the 10 batters he faced last night. He started his career striking out each of the first 10 batters he faced. 5 IP 14K 1 single allowed, 0 walks. That'll work... looked to be throwing a mid to upper nineties FB at the top of the zone with a slider that Low A hitters had zero ability to hit.
Yeah, Cameron is super interesting to me. Rarely discussed, but he's been good from the jump. I also like Zobac quite a bit and probably should have mentioned him, but I was more focused on starters because relievers are just dealing with such a tiny sample so far.
Cameron's previous start, they had a gun. He hit 95 mph 94 a bunch and averaged about 93. Paired with a good curve and change. I thought the change was the worst of the 3. I thought Cameron was like Drew Parrish, you know the smaller soft tossing LHP type. No. Cameron has good physical size and good enough velocity.
Are we sure that Zobac will be reliever? He started some at Cal I believe.
Yeah, Cameron needs to be mentioned more. That's definitely a good call.
I've been told they're leaving him in the bullpen, but yeah, he did start a little, so I suppose that could change.
FWIW, Zobac threw 53 pitches and 3 innings last night.
Good to know. I hadn't seen that. Maybe they've changed their tune a bit. I'll keep an eye on that for sure.
A not-so-fun fact that's stuck with me for 25 years: The 1998 Royals had a 29-51 record at home ... but a 43-38 record on the road.
I actually think that might be the year that I first heard that young teams are sometimes better on the road. Which has also stuck with me. That's crazy though.
Why are the official scorers so reluctant to record errors? I think it was the last game where Olivares WAY missed a fly ball that Eisenberg noted had a 95% chance of being caught, but when I looked at box score he did not have an error. Is it possible that we are way worse defensively than we look on paper?
They’ve always scored it that if the ball isn’t touched, it’s not an error. The subjectivity of the official scorer is why errors aren’t even worth looking at.
wow, I had no idea - thanks for the knowledge! as I haven't actually unofficially scored a game since I was a kid (far away galaxy).
It did prompt me to look up the rules and the comment kind of conflicted itself with: "Rule 9.12(a)(1) Comment: Slow handling of the ball that does not involve mechanical misplay shall not be construed as an error." But then went on to: "It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder’s legs or a fly ball falls untouched and, in the scorer’s judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the Official Scorer shall charge such fielder with an error."
So there is your nerd post for the day as I kind of avoid the actual games lately (although I did catch Massey last night in the 5th or 6th that did seem to be a thoughtful AB, but unfortunately the umps zone was a little off. Hopefully a sign of him being a little more patient at the plate now)
correction on Massey "PA"
So, I just can’t figure this team out. The roster ..... is just weird. Am I crazy or is MJ a legitimately good RF which completely changes his profile? Olivares needs to have his gloves burned in a sage ceremony. Witt seems to be trying and making the leap to an average SS. We have no answer at 3B. Massey looks like a kid lost on the Appalachian Trail while at the plate.
Melendez has looked very good in right field and the metrics support it too, for whatever they're worth at this point in the season. I agree that Olivares is just not going to figure it out even though he looks the part in the outfield. But yeah, Witt looks pretty solid and I'm hoping that they get Loftin or Garcia up to solidify third in some way.
As for Massey, I thought he actually looked less lost last night, but the Angels are going with a lefty tonight, so he's not in the lineup. They start a lefty tomorrow too, so we'll see if he's playing then.
I was going to ask what you thought, seems like the last handful of ABs for Massey look much better! Fingers crossed
Sage Ceremony lol
Appreciate your perspective as always. Glad you touched on the approach, I have been equally confused by the amount of bad swings when we know that's not what the coaches are preaching. Your previous comment about this roster being a jumbled mess really sums up how I feel right now. What are your thoughts on the timeframe given to Dozier, Olivares, Massey, etc with Garcia, Loftin and Taylor raking in AAA? Dozier should be cut and as much as I've always liked Olivares at the plate, he's not valuable enough as a DH and he can't play outfield still. Haven't given up on Massey but at some point you have to make a change. Getting Waters back will help the outfield, but we still don't know what he really is at the plate either. A lot to figure out. A lot of patience required for this staff. Thrilled to see Mozzicato pitching well and excited to hear any insight you have on development changes. Still wish they would have made more personnel changes and additions, but seeing some early success is nice. There is talent in the mess, like you said, but finding the real talent, how it fits, and the time required to optimize it might be more difficult and depressing than I thought..
You know, it is difficult, but things have a funny way of coming together quickly when you have the right people in charge and I still believe they do. I'm incredibly encouraged not just by the numbers in the minors but in what people are saying about what they're seeing. So hopefully they can get the pipeline moving and this isn't as far off as it seems. I know I compare this to 2012 a lot, but at this time that year, people were sure it was going to be 7-10 years at a minimum before they figured it all out. That isn't to say they'll be in the race next year, in the World Series in two and win it in three, but I think things generally always seem worse (or better) than they really are.
That's great to hear. I agree that this group isnt hopeless. I do have some faith in their new processes and major league staff. We are definitely seeing some second year struggles for the young hitters (why I'd like to see Garcia, Loftin and Gentry up as soon as they're ready for their MLB learning curve) but I also still believe in Bobby, Vinnie and MJ to be contributors on the next contender. Really sucks losing Bubic and seeing Bowlan and the AAA pitchers struggle, but you've highlighted other positives to this point and it's still very early.