And what about Tapia as the possible closer? I sure do hope that Dylan will end up being a great piece for us. And thank goodness that we may be able to get our money's worth out of Dozier, even if just as a utility piece once our three young (optimistically possible) stars/superstars debut next year. And as for the starter's bad first innings, I would rather have them get through 6 with that problem to solve, that be good in the first but hammered for 5 after :) .
Maybe they have and maybe it's not it, but I would hope that someone would check and make sure the bullpen mounds are identical to the field mound.
Maybe it's just some upper deck jitters still by our young pitchers. They need to figure it out though. Seems to have been a problem for ever with this team, not just these guys.
This is actually the first year since 2016 that the first has been a real problem. In 2017 and last year, they were actually pretty good in the first and in 2018 and 2019, there wasn't much of a difference between the first and the rest, so the first was a problem, but no bigger problem than other innings.
Okay thanks for fact checking me! I guess it's probably just rookie jitters or random noise. Not a fun way to start a game whatever the cause. Love the blog.
Good analysis of the first inning struggles. Actually I have felt that the Royals pitching in general has suffered from one bad inning all year (not just the 1st). It is normal to see it happen when a pitcher is running out of gas in the 5th, 6th, 7th, but it has seemed that they have had an issue with just going off the rails for one inning, then righting the ship (mixed metaphors much?). Seems we have seen not just the youngsters, but Minor and the more veteran pitchers, too, cruise through a number of batters, then give up multiple runs in an inning, then cruise through a few more. (And don't get me started on pitchers that slow way down and lose their tempo when they get in trouble).
I think a lot of it is inexperience and a lot of it is simply that they're not the best of the best. For some, they never will be. For some, they might be someday but aren't yet.
And what about Tapia as the possible closer? I sure do hope that Dylan will end up being a great piece for us. And thank goodness that we may be able to get our money's worth out of Dozier, even if just as a utility piece once our three young (optimistically possible) stars/superstars debut next year. And as for the starter's bad first innings, I would rather have them get through 6 with that problem to solve, that be good in the first but hammered for 5 after :) .
I don't think Tapia has the control to be the closer. That'll always be an issue with him in all likelihood.
Maybe they have and maybe it's not it, but I would hope that someone would check and make sure the bullpen mounds are identical to the field mound.
Maybe it's just some upper deck jitters still by our young pitchers. They need to figure it out though. Seems to have been a problem for ever with this team, not just these guys.
This is actually the first year since 2016 that the first has been a real problem. In 2017 and last year, they were actually pretty good in the first and in 2018 and 2019, there wasn't much of a difference between the first and the rest, so the first was a problem, but no bigger problem than other innings.
Okay thanks for fact checking me! I guess it's probably just rookie jitters or random noise. Not a fun way to start a game whatever the cause. Love the blog.
No, it’s not fun at all! Thanks for reading!
Good analysis of the first inning struggles. Actually I have felt that the Royals pitching in general has suffered from one bad inning all year (not just the 1st). It is normal to see it happen when a pitcher is running out of gas in the 5th, 6th, 7th, but it has seemed that they have had an issue with just going off the rails for one inning, then righting the ship (mixed metaphors much?). Seems we have seen not just the youngsters, but Minor and the more veteran pitchers, too, cruise through a number of batters, then give up multiple runs in an inning, then cruise through a few more. (And don't get me started on pitchers that slow way down and lose their tempo when they get in trouble).
I think a lot of it is inexperience and a lot of it is simply that they're not the best of the best. For some, they never will be. For some, they might be someday but aren't yet.