Great article, thanks David! Along these lines, I read an NFL article a while back that convinced me that it is more important to have no negative spots (weak links) than it is to have a bunch of elite spots filled. This may be a little less true in baseball (because the other side cannot continue to just throw to your weak cornerback's spot for big gains every play, but I think there is some wisdom there.
Which brings me to agree with you that the Royals had four (or was if five?) below average hitters last year and that really hurts. The good news is the our Big 3 coming up can reasonably be expected to fill 3 of those 4 spots. Yay! When will the Royals ever again (or ever in the past did) had 3 such promising position players (all above average or better on defense as well!) com up to help fill 3 of our 4 below average spots! A wonderful solution, even though it may take most of 2022 for them to settle in, and even though one (hopefully only one) of them will turn into fool's gold for us.
Which brings me to point out an obvious failure in the Royal's system - especially with them being (rightfully or wrongfully) devoted to drafting so many "great athlete" guys who could be expected to successfully patrol CF, at least one of whom should have been an average hitter - big whiff! To the point where we have no obvious candidates at any level in our organization - and have to settle for an aging great defender who can't hit.
I know you recently gave me the example of Mookie Betts - a drafted infielder who ended up becoming an outfield superstar - and I would be very happy if the Royals had one of those. But who is it? Of all the Royals fixation to draft the "best available player" for a plethora (excess?) of SS/2B, since they are typically the "best players" on their teams, where is our Mookie Betts in there? And, if there is one, why have they not been converted to the outfield (especially CF, but corner outfield as well so we do not have to overpay Benny), and are now at AA or AAA now and ready/almost ready to go? It just seems like a massive failure by Dayton to draft all those "can't hit" outfielders, with all those "haven't successfully converted" infielders to the outfield. A massive miss in drafting and development. And one that led to this article, how we can hopefully be successful with an outside no hit CF, because we could not develop even one of those, which would still not be good enough. Our scouts and draft selection and development people need to properly prioritize drafting a pipeline of legitimate CF hitting/fielding prospects, be they current infielders or not, and get them up here.
Great points! And to hit on 3 big ones already is a great sign. If they can add Seuly and one or two of the ones you mention to the list in having a breakout year in the minors this year, like the Big 3 did last year, they could, if all goes very well, move Taylor to a reserve role next year where he better belongs, be ready when we need someone better than an aging Whit in RF, and perhaps Isbel could hold the fort long enough (or even be one of our 3 outfield success stories?) to not overpay Benny to stick around. With the terrific young infield we expect to have, things could get very good.
Thanks David - I think the problem for me with Taylor is this. He should be the last piece to a team. You get Taylor and resign him when the rest of your team is already in place and you can hide him with the bat. Taylor should not be a go get piece/resign piece on a .500 to sub .500 team that isn’t ready to compete yet. By the time the Royals are “ready” which seems to be getting pushed back every year…lol…….he may be gone. So while I’m sure the pitchers love the defense he helps them out with what exactly are we A.) Finding out about anyone else who might be able to play the position and B.) Solving here with him hitting in the middle of the lineup? I always remember Soren Petro saying “if not him, then who?” But in this case we actually can find out if Isbel or Mondesi can play the position. Taylor is a fine player….he provides something to a good team. I’m just not sure the Royals are there yet to actually utilize that value if that makes sense as wins between 70-80 don’t really mean anything besides entertainment over the summer. If the argument is we are a .500 team now and he will push us to 83 wins and in an actual race….ok. I’d argue that they aren’t a .500 team if Taylor is hitting 6th or 7th….but I’d understand the reasoning. Thanks for all the great work!
I thought the Taylor signing at the time was a mistake, and I still think it is a mistake. We don't have enough hitting to cover the hole he leaves in a lineup. Maybe when when we know what the big 3 will provide you could withstand his weak bat. The big 3 will probably have some growing pains though. Thanks as always for great material David. By the way GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jan 24, 2022·edited Jan 24, 2022Liked by David Lesky
David, well thought out article. I agree with your points. MAT is a good fit for this Royals team but he needs to bat in the nine spot and he needs to get rest against power RHP. The Royals have no one else who can play 140 games in center for them considering Kaufman stadium. I think there are only two minor leaguers who can give them what MAT does and those are Dairon Blanco and John Rave. Bottom line is the Royals need to draft a couple of center fielders this summer to get some life in the pipeline at this position. I see the best OF prospects - Isbel, Olivares, Gentry, Matias, Bradley, Collins, Pena - as corner outfielders. I do wish to see Mondesi get some reps out in CF. If he could play 25 to 40 games out there (and 80 - 100 at 3b) I think it would be great to evaluate him. Clearly he has the tools to excel there, but as you said in the article the FO may fear his hamstrings wont hold up as an OF. My view is if he can't stay healthy then we need to move on from him anyway so at least we try and learn what the outcome is.
All I hope for MAT from an offensive standpoint is a slash line of .250/.300/.380 or better which should give him a wRC+ of 85 or higher. It is the rest of the team's job to be the better hitters so he can stay hitting in the nine hole. MAT leads the D and gets by at the plate until we can find our next Otis/Wilson/Beltran/Cain.
Great article, thanks David! Along these lines, I read an NFL article a while back that convinced me that it is more important to have no negative spots (weak links) than it is to have a bunch of elite spots filled. This may be a little less true in baseball (because the other side cannot continue to just throw to your weak cornerback's spot for big gains every play, but I think there is some wisdom there.
Which brings me to agree with you that the Royals had four (or was if five?) below average hitters last year and that really hurts. The good news is the our Big 3 coming up can reasonably be expected to fill 3 of those 4 spots. Yay! When will the Royals ever again (or ever in the past did) had 3 such promising position players (all above average or better on defense as well!) com up to help fill 3 of our 4 below average spots! A wonderful solution, even though it may take most of 2022 for them to settle in, and even though one (hopefully only one) of them will turn into fool's gold for us.
Which brings me to point out an obvious failure in the Royal's system - especially with them being (rightfully or wrongfully) devoted to drafting so many "great athlete" guys who could be expected to successfully patrol CF, at least one of whom should have been an average hitter - big whiff! To the point where we have no obvious candidates at any level in our organization - and have to settle for an aging great defender who can't hit.
I know you recently gave me the example of Mookie Betts - a drafted infielder who ended up becoming an outfield superstar - and I would be very happy if the Royals had one of those. But who is it? Of all the Royals fixation to draft the "best available player" for a plethora (excess?) of SS/2B, since they are typically the "best players" on their teams, where is our Mookie Betts in there? And, if there is one, why have they not been converted to the outfield (especially CF, but corner outfield as well so we do not have to overpay Benny), and are now at AA or AAA now and ready/almost ready to go? It just seems like a massive failure by Dayton to draft all those "can't hit" outfielders, with all those "haven't successfully converted" infielders to the outfield. A massive miss in drafting and development. And one that led to this article, how we can hopefully be successful with an outside no hit CF, because we could not develop even one of those, which would still not be good enough. Our scouts and draft selection and development people need to properly prioritize drafting a pipeline of legitimate CF hitting/fielding prospects, be they current infielders or not, and get them up here.
Great points! And to hit on 3 big ones already is a great sign. If they can add Seuly and one or two of the ones you mention to the list in having a breakout year in the minors this year, like the Big 3 did last year, they could, if all goes very well, move Taylor to a reserve role next year where he better belongs, be ready when we need someone better than an aging Whit in RF, and perhaps Isbel could hold the fort long enough (or even be one of our 3 outfield success stories?) to not overpay Benny to stick around. With the terrific young infield we expect to have, things could get very good.
Thanks David - I think the problem for me with Taylor is this. He should be the last piece to a team. You get Taylor and resign him when the rest of your team is already in place and you can hide him with the bat. Taylor should not be a go get piece/resign piece on a .500 to sub .500 team that isn’t ready to compete yet. By the time the Royals are “ready” which seems to be getting pushed back every year…lol…….he may be gone. So while I’m sure the pitchers love the defense he helps them out with what exactly are we A.) Finding out about anyone else who might be able to play the position and B.) Solving here with him hitting in the middle of the lineup? I always remember Soren Petro saying “if not him, then who?” But in this case we actually can find out if Isbel or Mondesi can play the position. Taylor is a fine player….he provides something to a good team. I’m just not sure the Royals are there yet to actually utilize that value if that makes sense as wins between 70-80 don’t really mean anything besides entertainment over the summer. If the argument is we are a .500 team now and he will push us to 83 wins and in an actual race….ok. I’d argue that they aren’t a .500 team if Taylor is hitting 6th or 7th….but I’d understand the reasoning. Thanks for all the great work!
I thought the Taylor signing at the time was a mistake, and I still think it is a mistake. We don't have enough hitting to cover the hole he leaves in a lineup. Maybe when when we know what the big 3 will provide you could withstand his weak bat. The big 3 will probably have some growing pains though. Thanks as always for great material David. By the way GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!
David, well thought out article. I agree with your points. MAT is a good fit for this Royals team but he needs to bat in the nine spot and he needs to get rest against power RHP. The Royals have no one else who can play 140 games in center for them considering Kaufman stadium. I think there are only two minor leaguers who can give them what MAT does and those are Dairon Blanco and John Rave. Bottom line is the Royals need to draft a couple of center fielders this summer to get some life in the pipeline at this position. I see the best OF prospects - Isbel, Olivares, Gentry, Matias, Bradley, Collins, Pena - as corner outfielders. I do wish to see Mondesi get some reps out in CF. If he could play 25 to 40 games out there (and 80 - 100 at 3b) I think it would be great to evaluate him. Clearly he has the tools to excel there, but as you said in the article the FO may fear his hamstrings wont hold up as an OF. My view is if he can't stay healthy then we need to move on from him anyway so at least we try and learn what the outcome is.
All I hope for MAT from an offensive standpoint is a slash line of .250/.300/.380 or better which should give him a wRC+ of 85 or higher. It is the rest of the team's job to be the better hitters so he can stay hitting in the nine hole. MAT leads the D and gets by at the plate until we can find our next Otis/Wilson/Beltran/Cain.