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.
At least with Keller he has another year of team control. Benintendi is closing in on being one of the best free agent outfielders and also one of the youngest. The lackluster free agent class is a big reason why I wanted them to go get someone this winter. I could still see something getting done if he’s so happy in KC that he doesn’t care if he leaves a few million on the table. But his start combined with his apparent importance to the offense and the next free agent class probably prices him out of the range I think the Royals should and probably would pay.
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.
If Matheny had left Keller in and he suddenly lost it and allowed like 3 runs, we'd be all over the manager for being an idiot and leaving his guy in too long.
I agree that Matheny is in a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation. The whole pulling the pitcher concept is a very very tricky one in general for a manager. In this particular case, the starters haven't been going the distance and Keller wasn't in any sort of trouble when getting pulled.
I think some absolutely would. There's definitely a risk in keeping a guy in a third time through the order, but I just liked the swings Keller was getting from them and thought he was as good of a bet as the bullpen in that particular instance. But you're right that the majority of people wouldn't have been happy if something had gone wrong.
I think he got pulled because he wanted to give him a chance at the win and trusted in his bullpen. I trust the bullpen too, though they were a bit shaky on the trip. Still, once he got past Abreu, I liked him to keep going there.
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!
I think the starting pitching has been good, but I also wonder how much of that is due to the weather. I'm not saying they'll immediately regress once things get warmer and the wind shifts, but I'm keeping an eye on it for sure. Still, I think you're onto something about the way they're working and attacking the zone. The defense helps with that too, with them knowing that they're likely to catch just about anything.
I didn't have a big issue with pulling Snider, but I also see the thought process behind going to the best reliever. But you're right that Matheny is sort of damned either way.
The offensive issues could be related to the pitching being better, so I'm keeping an eye on that as well as the weather turns. I wouldn't be surprised if Bradshaw is let go and relatively soon, but he's still around. I maintain they brought in DeRenne to be ready to go when they make the move.
On the weather and the pitching: for sure. But it does work both ways yesterday they almost took the lead on the blast in the 8th. BUT, let's not forget that Jr got robbed of one and, if I recall correctly, Isbel did too. The night before Olivares nailed a two-runner that I thought was gone but settled in at the wall too. The weather giveth and the weather taketh away.
Speaking of Isbel, am I the only one who is happy to see us have a squatty lefty? It seems like those batters have killed us over the years and glad to have one one our team for once.
That's what I'm saying about the offense. They've been terrible, but it's not like they've been generally giving up much either, so I wonder if the pitching gets worse but the offense gets better when things get a little better for hitting.
Isbel is 100% the type of hitter who destroys the Royals. It's too bad for his career numbers that he doesn't get to face his own team.
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...
They found something with Keller after his start in Boston and adjusted him mechanically and he’s been good ever since. I give credit to the Royals staff for that, but also think it’s ridiculous that it took them pitching in a park with a camera angle that allowed them to see it because they should have been able to figure it out long before if it was that simple of a fix.
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.
At least with Keller he has another year of team control. Benintendi is closing in on being one of the best free agent outfielders and also one of the youngest. The lackluster free agent class is a big reason why I wanted them to go get someone this winter. I could still see something getting done if he’s so happy in KC that he doesn’t care if he leaves a few million on the table. But his start combined with his apparent importance to the offense and the next free agent class probably prices him out of the range I think the Royals should and probably would pay.
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.
Yep, tough break for him.
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?
Yeah, I’ve been very surprised with him. No walks either and that includes spring training.
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.
I don't think this is really fair.
If Matheny had left Keller in and he suddenly lost it and allowed like 3 runs, we'd be all over the manager for being an idiot and leaving his guy in too long.
I agree that Matheny is in a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation. The whole pulling the pitcher concept is a very very tricky one in general for a manager. In this particular case, the starters haven't been going the distance and Keller wasn't in any sort of trouble when getting pulled.
I think some absolutely would. There's definitely a risk in keeping a guy in a third time through the order, but I just liked the swings Keller was getting from them and thought he was as good of a bet as the bullpen in that particular instance. But you're right that the majority of people wouldn't have been happy if something had gone wrong.
I think he got pulled because he wanted to give him a chance at the win and trusted in his bullpen. I trust the bullpen too, though they were a bit shaky on the trip. Still, once he got past Abreu, I liked him to keep going there.
Woo hoo! Finally subbed to a non-politics 'stack. Go Royals!
Happy to have you!
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!
I think the starting pitching has been good, but I also wonder how much of that is due to the weather. I'm not saying they'll immediately regress once things get warmer and the wind shifts, but I'm keeping an eye on it for sure. Still, I think you're onto something about the way they're working and attacking the zone. The defense helps with that too, with them knowing that they're likely to catch just about anything.
I didn't have a big issue with pulling Snider, but I also see the thought process behind going to the best reliever. But you're right that Matheny is sort of damned either way.
The offensive issues could be related to the pitching being better, so I'm keeping an eye on that as well as the weather turns. I wouldn't be surprised if Bradshaw is let go and relatively soon, but he's still around. I maintain they brought in DeRenne to be ready to go when they make the move.
On the weather and the pitching: for sure. But it does work both ways yesterday they almost took the lead on the blast in the 8th. BUT, let's not forget that Jr got robbed of one and, if I recall correctly, Isbel did too. The night before Olivares nailed a two-runner that I thought was gone but settled in at the wall too. The weather giveth and the weather taketh away.
Speaking of Isbel, am I the only one who is happy to see us have a squatty lefty? It seems like those batters have killed us over the years and glad to have one one our team for once.
That's what I'm saying about the offense. They've been terrible, but it's not like they've been generally giving up much either, so I wonder if the pitching gets worse but the offense gets better when things get a little better for hitting.
Isbel is 100% the type of hitter who destroys the Royals. It's too bad for his career numbers that he doesn't get to face his own team.
lol lol - you are correct sir!
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...
They found something with Keller after his start in Boston and adjusted him mechanically and he’s been good ever since. I give credit to the Royals staff for that, but also think it’s ridiculous that it took them pitching in a park with a camera angle that allowed them to see it because they should have been able to figure it out long before if it was that simple of a fix.