Bullpen blues blow Kansas City’s series against Cincinnati Reds.
At Into the Fountains, Craig Brown talks about Royals prospect Jac Caglianone’s timeline after Monday’s loss.
Again, it’s about things like pitch recognition, in-game adjustments, and making contact. It’s also about putting the work into becoming a competent outfielder. These are decidedly unsexy baseball things—at least compared to launching baseballs into the thermosphere—but it’s the smaller things that have to be addressed to ensure future success. While I have no doubt that Caglianone will be successful at the major league level, it’s important that the Royals get the timeline right. The Storm Chasers are at home the next two weeks. I’ll be interested to see how he does on this upcoming homestand.
The Kansas City Royals hold at 16th in The Athletic’s power rankings. Writer Johnny Flores Jr. names the team’s early-season MVP, and it isn’t Bobby Witt Jr. [$]
Bobby Witt Jr. continues to be arguably the Royals’ only source of offense, but it’s the breakout of Bubic that is most deserving of this imaginary MVP award. In his sixth season in the bigs, Bubic has emerged as a legitimate AL Cy Young Award candidate (5-2, 1.45 ERA, 282 ERA+, 3.1 bWAR). Back in 2018, the Royals used each of their first four first-round picks on pitchers (Bubic, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch and Brady Singer). Of that group, only Bubic has remained a starter, with Lynch being the only other to remain with the organization, though as a reliever. In other words, starting pitching development hasn’t necessarily been Kansas City’s strong suit in recent years, but the emergence of Bubic is a step in the right direction.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle’s updated awards watch has Royals southpaw Kris Bubic leading the AL Cy Young pack.
Bubic’s emergence hasn’t exactly come out of nowhere, but he has validated anyone who pegged him as a breakout player for 2025. Bubic is a cerebral lefty who has shaped and reshaped his arsenal during his career, which was interrupted by elbow surgery and rehab. Bubic has sparkled by being aggressive in the zone and has succeeded doing that without top-shelf velocity. It’s not a fluke, though he probably won’t finish with the 1.45 ERA he has posted through 11 outings. Still, this race is just getting started, and the leaderboard is likely to change every time one of these hurlers takes the mound.
Rookie outfielder John Rave nearly recorded his first MLB hit in his debut, but an overturned call took that away from the former fifth-round pick. [$]
While he didn’t get a hit, Rave was credited with a sacrifice bunt that moved Maikel Garcia to third. Garcia later scored on a sacrifice fly. “It’s one of those things. I knew it was a bang-bang play,” Rave said. “Felt like I got a pretty good bunt down, and the pitcher made a better play. So it’s all right, move the runner over and just trying to play winning baseball.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe special session focused on keeping the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. But what happens now? [$]
Decades of academic research have consistently found that stadiums and arenas are not major drivers of economic development. But many elected officials often embrace them, portraying stadiums as significant economic development projects. Kehoe’s plan marked the most ambitious public effort by Missouri to keep the teams in the state since the Jackson County vote. It relies on bonds and tax credits that could pay for up to half the costs of upgrading or building new stadiums. “The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are Missouri’s teams,” Kehoe said Tuesday. “And they drive billions of dollars in economic activity through tourism, job creation and small business, including hotels, restaurants and retail.”
Witt makes All-MLB predicted team, Bubic snubbed completely by MLB.com.
Cleveland Guardians reliever Nic Enright battled from a Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in 2022 to his MLB debut in 2025.
Should MLB or NCAA step in when it comes to pitching usage limits on collegiate baseball?
Los Angeles Angels reliever Kenley Jansen talks about chasing 500 saves.
The Washington Nationals are a modern case study in that not every rebuild has the fruitful ending teams hope for.
Learn what an Elephant Butt Changeup is at Pebble Hunting.
Lance Brozdowski says the New York Yankees’ “pitch lab is cookin’” with former Royals pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.
The Chiefs started Organized Team Activities (OTA) this week, proving the NFL season never really ends.
WNBA’s Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks after a quad strain.
Trying to make reading a priority this summer? There are plenty of area libraries trying to help literacy efforts in the Kansas City metro.
Some people haven’t known a life without smartphones, and a Dutch social movement is helping create screen-free experiences and spaces.
Royal Navy sailors in Bahrain rescued some kittens from the blistering heat.
Is AI consciousness already a thing? If not, the Dreamachine may make that possible.
Your song of the day is The Nixons with Dreams of.