I have to admit that I'm fascinated by the attempt to fix Melendez's swing mid-season and while still up with the big-boy team. While the results haven't been astounding, I guess if you're only going to get two hits in a week of at-bats, making sure they are homers is going to give you some grace. While his results at the plate haven't been great, I do have to say that I continue to be impressed by Melendez's tenacity and willingness to be trained. His defense was a mess, so he spent the off-season working on it and came away an at least average defender. His batting is a mess, but instead of just tweaking a few things here and there, he tries to adopt a basically new stance while continuing to face the toughest pitchers out there. I'm just really rooting for the kid. It's tough not to. But I also hope they're not just dooming him by not doing what SEEMS to be the right thing and letting him spend some time without the stress working on things in the minors.
That pretty much echoes my thoughts on Melendez. I'm a sucker for a guy willing to put in the work. It's a total blind spot. It's why I get so amped up over adjustments that may ultimately just be a delay to the inevitable. The thing I keep hearing from people and now they're starting to say publicly is that everything looks great outside of the game and then the game comes and the results just aren't there. I sort of get the mindset of not wanting to punish the player. But also, up until the last few days, the player wasn't performing well enough and they're in a race. So I go back and forth quite a bit. But if he's going to homer every other day and actually play decent enough defense, I guess I'm fine if he's 2 for 12 in those games? I don't know. It's weird.
Melendez had two clutch homers and I hope it is the start of something better! David, I thought Freddy had the guy picked off third and that was a swing on the checked swing! The umpires did not do the Royals any favors yesterday!
I agree with your sentiment. I really like MJ and want him to succeed. I hope he can get it turned around at the big league level, but if not Omaha is not that far removed from KC. It would be a better opportunity to improve facing lesser pitching.
100% agree. Really rooting for MJ. Can't totally explain it except to say it feels he has the "it" factor of smarts with effort. Really hoping it all comes together (and if he only ever is at his best in clutch moments, I'll take that!)
I think I'd put Will Smith back in the closer's role, but hopefully only temporarily. I think McArthur has something mechanical going on that's causing him to yank things glove side and he's overcompensating for it and it is causing him to leave pitches out over the plate that get crushed. I think it's fixable, but he could probably benefit from a few lower-leverage outings and Will Smith is currently the guy I think I trust the most.
I think the actual answer is you go to a true matchup bullpen. If you've got guys that crush low velocity up, Smith isn't the answer. If you've got guys that can't handle a slider, Smith is. The plus side to their bullpen is they have a ton of different looks. Zerpa has the 96-97 now that can kill a lefty. Long looks like he might be a nice middle relief answer. Schreiber kills you with the movement from the right side, Smith from the left. Stratton gets the grounders. Klein has the power. Anderson might be getting the swing and miss back. It does allow you to play those matchups in big situations.
Edit: Hell, I forgot McArthur, who I still think is a good reliever in the end. He kind of combines a few of these guys with the breaking balls like Schreiber and some power as well.
That makes a lot of sense. I get hung up on the idea of one single closer, but this bullpen would probably benefit from a committee approach until McArthur can fix whatever is broken with him.
Y, good solution because while i think McArthur is a valuable bullpen piece, he nor anyone on staff is a lights out closer. Man I hope they can find a legit closer
I think the likelier approach is they go get someone and install them, but I feel like it's just not that big of a deal to most of these guys anymore. Still, there has to be buy-in.
Yep: Friday night was definitely the "game of the year" (so far). Kind of reminded me of the 2014 Wild Card game (which I consider to be the most exciting game in Royals history). After yesterday, I'm finally learning never to count these Royals out. They had many close calls (as outs), but that NOT called third strike for McArthur was a killer...and they still fought back!
They almost got it done in spite of all that worked against them (most of it honestly was just the ball not bouncing their way but some was umpire related). I’d hate to play this team any time, but especially in October.
Man I like McArthur and love his nickname even more, but it's clear that he isn't a true closer, at least not yet. I've been a believer that outfield bats are the biggest problem but now I'm starting to lean towards the bullpen again...it's probably just because losing a game due to bullpen problems feels so bad. I wouldn't mind seeing Smith get some of those high-leverage opportunities going forward.
My friend who's a Dodgers fan has been lamenting their bullpen woes, so hopefully that bodes well for some potential late-inning combacks this weekend. First things first with the Yankees though.
I just struggle with a guy who doesn't get any swing and miss. McArthur did for a bit, but that's stopped. Is it mechanical? Did the league adjust? I honestly don't know. Smith in the late innings concerns me, though him being back 92-94 helps quite a bit. And yeah, the Dodgers have had their struggles too, though they still have a pretty incredible roster.
Hey, I gave Frazier his love! With Hampson, the results have been great lately offensively, but I just can't get on board with a guy sporting a .198 xBA and a .255 xSLG. Maybe he has some sort of ability to outhit the peripherals, but you know as well as I do that most players just don't.
That was quite the series! When the mariners scored 7 in the first I thought I entered a time warp and it was 2023 again. I was seriously mistaken, it’s definitely 2024 and these boys are exciting! Game 2 was a comfortable win and yesterday was unbelievable. Even though they couldn’t pull off the comeback I never really felt disappointed because they really showed what they are made of. I just don’t have any confidence in McAurther, he’s way too unpredictable. I think the “general” needs to come down in rank. I live in New York so all the Yankee fans around me are strutting around like normal and I would absolutely love to see them put in their place. Rodon has had all off season to try and forget his last start of 2023 against the Royals. What a slap in the face that was! Hopefully he feels some pressure and presses a little bit. I sure hope they can get in his head a touch. These next 7 games will show what the boys are made of. Unfortunately due to the MLB network blackout I have to watch the game on the Yankee network. UGH! I’ll surely miss Rex Hudler mangling phrases and giving us such pearls of wisdom like yesterday when he proclaimed that “for the first time in his career he’ll be making his major league debut”. Wow! Only you Rex.
I think it's funny that basically all season, the story has been "we'll know about the Royals after these next __ games" and then once those games are over, it's just recycling that. I don't mean that to sound like I'm calling you out because I do think it's accurate. It's a team people believed could maybe contend for a wild card spot if everything went right but were likely a 70 to 75-win team. Now that they're showing they're contending for more than that with everything not going right, it just changes the calculus some.
The thing about Rodon is that it isn't just the start last year. The Royals handled him the last two times he faced them in 2021 with the White Sox too. Different team and all that, but they've solved his riddle the last few times they've faced him.
the one thing I thought this team was missing to be serious contenders was a come from way behind win. I had noted that I didn't think I would ever expect the royals to make playoffs, but if they can now go find a legit closer now I am pretty sure my expectations will be there.
Was your playoff expectation day after the dodgers? Never mind - don't answer that. Looking forward to the wednesday column
I'll note that most teams don't come back from eight down. Hell, the stat that they're the fifth team in the last 50 years to come back from 7-0 or worse after one tells you how rare that is. So I'm not sure *that* is what makes them serious contenders. I think the fact that they have the sixth-best record in baseball well into June is telling us that.
And yeah, the Dodgers series was the end of the 26-game stretch that's now 25 games.
Y I didnt need that big of a comeback to believe, just a little more than the other comebacks they have mounted. That 50 year stat does put things in perspective, but if you had asked me a few weeks ago which was more likely, that or Renfroe getting back to .201/.274/.367, I probably would have gone with the half century bet.
I love that we took 2 of 3 from the Mariners, but I'm still pissed that Mac walked Moore ahead of Rodriguez. He had him 0-2, I think, and then threw 3 outside pitches trying to get him to swing. Why not bust one on the inner half of the plate and tie him up? Relief pitchers who nibble should have to watch videos on what not to do as a reliever.
I have to admit that I'm fascinated by the attempt to fix Melendez's swing mid-season and while still up with the big-boy team. While the results haven't been astounding, I guess if you're only going to get two hits in a week of at-bats, making sure they are homers is going to give you some grace. While his results at the plate haven't been great, I do have to say that I continue to be impressed by Melendez's tenacity and willingness to be trained. His defense was a mess, so he spent the off-season working on it and came away an at least average defender. His batting is a mess, but instead of just tweaking a few things here and there, he tries to adopt a basically new stance while continuing to face the toughest pitchers out there. I'm just really rooting for the kid. It's tough not to. But I also hope they're not just dooming him by not doing what SEEMS to be the right thing and letting him spend some time without the stress working on things in the minors.
That pretty much echoes my thoughts on Melendez. I'm a sucker for a guy willing to put in the work. It's a total blind spot. It's why I get so amped up over adjustments that may ultimately just be a delay to the inevitable. The thing I keep hearing from people and now they're starting to say publicly is that everything looks great outside of the game and then the game comes and the results just aren't there. I sort of get the mindset of not wanting to punish the player. But also, up until the last few days, the player wasn't performing well enough and they're in a race. So I go back and forth quite a bit. But if he's going to homer every other day and actually play decent enough defense, I guess I'm fine if he's 2 for 12 in those games? I don't know. It's weird.
Melendez had two clutch homers and I hope it is the start of something better! David, I thought Freddy had the guy picked off third and that was a swing on the checked swing! The umpires did not do the Royals any favors yesterday!
They certainly didn’t. All were close, but yeah, it was a rough series for them all around.
I agree with your sentiment. I really like MJ and want him to succeed. I hope he can get it turned around at the big league level, but if not Omaha is not that far removed from KC. It would be a better opportunity to improve facing lesser pitching.
100% agree. Really rooting for MJ. Can't totally explain it except to say it feels he has the "it" factor of smarts with effort. Really hoping it all comes together (and if he only ever is at his best in clutch moments, I'll take that!)
I think I'd put Will Smith back in the closer's role, but hopefully only temporarily. I think McArthur has something mechanical going on that's causing him to yank things glove side and he's overcompensating for it and it is causing him to leave pitches out over the plate that get crushed. I think it's fixable, but he could probably benefit from a few lower-leverage outings and Will Smith is currently the guy I think I trust the most.
I think the actual answer is you go to a true matchup bullpen. If you've got guys that crush low velocity up, Smith isn't the answer. If you've got guys that can't handle a slider, Smith is. The plus side to their bullpen is they have a ton of different looks. Zerpa has the 96-97 now that can kill a lefty. Long looks like he might be a nice middle relief answer. Schreiber kills you with the movement from the right side, Smith from the left. Stratton gets the grounders. Klein has the power. Anderson might be getting the swing and miss back. It does allow you to play those matchups in big situations.
Edit: Hell, I forgot McArthur, who I still think is a good reliever in the end. He kind of combines a few of these guys with the breaking balls like Schreiber and some power as well.
That makes a lot of sense. I get hung up on the idea of one single closer, but this bullpen would probably benefit from a committee approach until McArthur can fix whatever is broken with him.
Y, good solution because while i think McArthur is a valuable bullpen piece, he nor anyone on staff is a lights out closer. Man I hope they can find a legit closer
I think the likelier approach is they go get someone and install them, but I feel like it's just not that big of a deal to most of these guys anymore. Still, there has to be buy-in.
Yep: Friday night was definitely the "game of the year" (so far). Kind of reminded me of the 2014 Wild Card game (which I consider to be the most exciting game in Royals history). After yesterday, I'm finally learning never to count these Royals out. They had many close calls (as outs), but that NOT called third strike for McArthur was a killer...and they still fought back!
They almost got it done in spite of all that worked against them (most of it honestly was just the ball not bouncing their way but some was umpire related). I’d hate to play this team any time, but especially in October.
Man I like McArthur and love his nickname even more, but it's clear that he isn't a true closer, at least not yet. I've been a believer that outfield bats are the biggest problem but now I'm starting to lean towards the bullpen again...it's probably just because losing a game due to bullpen problems feels so bad. I wouldn't mind seeing Smith get some of those high-leverage opportunities going forward.
My friend who's a Dodgers fan has been lamenting their bullpen woes, so hopefully that bodes well for some potential late-inning combacks this weekend. First things first with the Yankees though.
I just struggle with a guy who doesn't get any swing and miss. McArthur did for a bit, but that's stopped. Is it mechanical? Did the league adjust? I honestly don't know. Smith in the late innings concerns me, though him being back 92-94 helps quite a bit. And yeah, the Dodgers have had their struggles too, though they still have a pretty incredible roster.
Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson, much as I don't like to admit it, are also hitting well the last few weeks after slow starts.
Hey, I gave Frazier his love! With Hampson, the results have been great lately offensively, but I just can't get on board with a guy sporting a .198 xBA and a .255 xSLG. Maybe he has some sort of ability to outhit the peripherals, but you know as well as I do that most players just don't.
That was quite the series! When the mariners scored 7 in the first I thought I entered a time warp and it was 2023 again. I was seriously mistaken, it’s definitely 2024 and these boys are exciting! Game 2 was a comfortable win and yesterday was unbelievable. Even though they couldn’t pull off the comeback I never really felt disappointed because they really showed what they are made of. I just don’t have any confidence in McAurther, he’s way too unpredictable. I think the “general” needs to come down in rank. I live in New York so all the Yankee fans around me are strutting around like normal and I would absolutely love to see them put in their place. Rodon has had all off season to try and forget his last start of 2023 against the Royals. What a slap in the face that was! Hopefully he feels some pressure and presses a little bit. I sure hope they can get in his head a touch. These next 7 games will show what the boys are made of. Unfortunately due to the MLB network blackout I have to watch the game on the Yankee network. UGH! I’ll surely miss Rex Hudler mangling phrases and giving us such pearls of wisdom like yesterday when he proclaimed that “for the first time in his career he’ll be making his major league debut”. Wow! Only you Rex.
I think it's funny that basically all season, the story has been "we'll know about the Royals after these next __ games" and then once those games are over, it's just recycling that. I don't mean that to sound like I'm calling you out because I do think it's accurate. It's a team people believed could maybe contend for a wild card spot if everything went right but were likely a 70 to 75-win team. Now that they're showing they're contending for more than that with everything not going right, it just changes the calculus some.
The thing about Rodon is that it isn't just the start last year. The Royals handled him the last two times he faced them in 2021 with the White Sox too. Different team and all that, but they've solved his riddle the last few times they've faced him.
the one thing I thought this team was missing to be serious contenders was a come from way behind win. I had noted that I didn't think I would ever expect the royals to make playoffs, but if they can now go find a legit closer now I am pretty sure my expectations will be there.
Was your playoff expectation day after the dodgers? Never mind - don't answer that. Looking forward to the wednesday column
I'll note that most teams don't come back from eight down. Hell, the stat that they're the fifth team in the last 50 years to come back from 7-0 or worse after one tells you how rare that is. So I'm not sure *that* is what makes them serious contenders. I think the fact that they have the sixth-best record in baseball well into June is telling us that.
And yeah, the Dodgers series was the end of the 26-game stretch that's now 25 games.
Y I didnt need that big of a comeback to believe, just a little more than the other comebacks they have mounted. That 50 year stat does put things in perspective, but if you had asked me a few weeks ago which was more likely, that or Renfroe getting back to .201/.274/.367, I probably would have gone with the half century bet.
thanks as always for the great info
Ha that’s definitely true!
I love that we took 2 of 3 from the Mariners, but I'm still pissed that Mac walked Moore ahead of Rodriguez. He had him 0-2, I think, and then threw 3 outside pitches trying to get him to swing. Why not bust one on the inner half of the plate and tie him up? Relief pitchers who nibble should have to watch videos on what not to do as a reliever.