IDK what you do with Keller and Benentendi going forward actually. They are good enough you want them around….but also walk a tight enough line that the risk seems a little higher there as well. The offense struggling give Benentendi more leverage as well. But maybe that doesn’t matter in the season at this point.
And Mondesi has a torn left ACL--which will probably keep him out the rest of the year. Poor guy. But David, you called it: Isbel came up and I think that was the right thing for the team to do.
I've been very impressed with Taylor Clarke. He doesn't look anything like his career stats. Nearly every pitch he's thrown this year was thrown with "intent". He's very consistently made pitches in particular locations that get hitters out, something that Bubic, Hernanzez, Kowar, etc struggle to do, and something that Lynch has started to get much better at. Its the major leagues... Its not enough to have a great changeup (Bubic). You have to have a whole repertoire which keeps a hitter off balance and off timing. Everything Clarke throws has movement and he stays out of the middle of the plate while using the entire strike zone, inside/outside, top/bottom. Fastball is above avg velocity at 95 mph. When he misses, its been just off the plate, not wasted pitches that a hitter doesn't have to worry about. How does he have a career 5ish ERA?
Was planning to ask a question about keeping Keller in and then read the article and you wrote about it--nice!
Why do you think he got pulled? Just trying to slowly stretch him out? Belief in the bullpen? Lack of belief in his ability to continue getting hitters out with more times through the order?
Seems like the bullpen needed a break, had a chance to get one, and Matheny passed up on it. Disappointing.
Also I'm camp trade Benny, especially if he keeps producing like this, but you know Moore/JJ would never.
Is it just me or is this some of the best starting pitching we've seen from the Royals to start the year? In how long???
Yes, we had the Bubic and Hernandez starts, but Keller, Greinke and Lynch have been dealing! And without the three pitches from Lynch vs. StL I think they'd all have quality starts thus far. Also, the Greinke effect seems real. Both Lynch and Keller seem to be working at improved paces (of course this could be the even numbered year syndrome for Keller lol), but they're just straight shoving and doing it like they're double-parked!
As for pulling Keller; yeah, what's a manager to do? I personally disliked him pulling Snider the day before with 2 outs and 1st and 3rd more than I did pulling Keller yesterday. Yes, they did put two good swings on Snider, but he also retired the first 2 with ease and he's a groundball pitcher, so no real threat of the dinger that Barlow gave up. And I want to be clear, it's not that I don't trust Barlow, it's that I want to see how much I can trust Snider. Worst case he gives up 1 on a base knock, not three on a dinger.
Man, Beni is raking! I mean extend him or trade him before the break for real! If we walk away empty-handed on this deal that would be a tough pill to swallow to say the least!
Now, where are the freaking bats??? Has TB been fired yet? I do think I read in RR the other day that the league average was like .234, but please tell me TB is gone and you've been celebrating so much you haven't had a chance to write about it yet!
yo Dave, with Kellers improvement, is it the pitching coach or player that have adjusted. I know what you have written about both. Goodbye Mondesi...addition by subtraction. The one time i assume i can watch the boys in blue against the eveil empire and MLB doesnt have it on tonight...UGH...we fans in NM LOVE OUR ROYALS...
IDK what you do with Keller and Benentendi going forward actually. They are good enough you want them around….but also walk a tight enough line that the risk seems a little higher there as well. The offense struggling give Benentendi more leverage as well. But maybe that doesn’t matter in the season at this point.
And Mondesi has a torn left ACL--which will probably keep him out the rest of the year. Poor guy. But David, you called it: Isbel came up and I think that was the right thing for the team to do.
I've been very impressed with Taylor Clarke. He doesn't look anything like his career stats. Nearly every pitch he's thrown this year was thrown with "intent". He's very consistently made pitches in particular locations that get hitters out, something that Bubic, Hernanzez, Kowar, etc struggle to do, and something that Lynch has started to get much better at. Its the major leagues... Its not enough to have a great changeup (Bubic). You have to have a whole repertoire which keeps a hitter off balance and off timing. Everything Clarke throws has movement and he stays out of the middle of the plate while using the entire strike zone, inside/outside, top/bottom. Fastball is above avg velocity at 95 mph. When he misses, its been just off the plate, not wasted pitches that a hitter doesn't have to worry about. How does he have a career 5ish ERA?
Was planning to ask a question about keeping Keller in and then read the article and you wrote about it--nice!
Why do you think he got pulled? Just trying to slowly stretch him out? Belief in the bullpen? Lack of belief in his ability to continue getting hitters out with more times through the order?
Seems like the bullpen needed a break, had a chance to get one, and Matheny passed up on it. Disappointing.
Also I'm camp trade Benny, especially if he keeps producing like this, but you know Moore/JJ would never.
Woo hoo! Finally subbed to a non-politics 'stack. Go Royals!
Is it just me or is this some of the best starting pitching we've seen from the Royals to start the year? In how long???
Yes, we had the Bubic and Hernandez starts, but Keller, Greinke and Lynch have been dealing! And without the three pitches from Lynch vs. StL I think they'd all have quality starts thus far. Also, the Greinke effect seems real. Both Lynch and Keller seem to be working at improved paces (of course this could be the even numbered year syndrome for Keller lol), but they're just straight shoving and doing it like they're double-parked!
As for pulling Keller; yeah, what's a manager to do? I personally disliked him pulling Snider the day before with 2 outs and 1st and 3rd more than I did pulling Keller yesterday. Yes, they did put two good swings on Snider, but he also retired the first 2 with ease and he's a groundball pitcher, so no real threat of the dinger that Barlow gave up. And I want to be clear, it's not that I don't trust Barlow, it's that I want to see how much I can trust Snider. Worst case he gives up 1 on a base knock, not three on a dinger.
Man, Beni is raking! I mean extend him or trade him before the break for real! If we walk away empty-handed on this deal that would be a tough pill to swallow to say the least!
Now, where are the freaking bats??? Has TB been fired yet? I do think I read in RR the other day that the league average was like .234, but please tell me TB is gone and you've been celebrating so much you haven't had a chance to write about it yet!
yo Dave, with Kellers improvement, is it the pitching coach or player that have adjusted. I know what you have written about both. Goodbye Mondesi...addition by subtraction. The one time i assume i can watch the boys in blue against the eveil empire and MLB doesnt have it on tonight...UGH...we fans in NM LOVE OUR ROYALS...