The Royals can’t hit in the clutch this year.
Anne Rogers writes the Royals continue to struggle with runners in scoring position.
Not so much this year, even with the same lineup plus leadoff hitter Jonathan India. Their team .224 average in scoring position ranks 25th in MLB, .284 OBP ranks 29th and .315 slugging percentage ranks at the very bottom.
“It just feels like you’re in one of those phases where you just kind of need, want, begging, just like, one person to just break through and do it,” first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “And to be honest, it kind of starts with me. Because that’s my job, is to drive in runs. And I’ve been terrible at it this year.”
Jaylon Thompson has more.
“It’s a volatile stat,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s not something you can pencil guys in to do over and over and over again. … Clearly, if they are cashing in all those runs, we are going to be in a better spot. They know that and some of it is trying to not do too much.”
Leo Morgenstern at Fangraphs writes how no one is trying to steal bases against the Royals.
Let that sink in. The Royals have caught prospective basestealers at the highest rate in the league, even though their opponents have been pretty much unprecedentedly cautious. To put this in context, I whipped up a stat I’m calling “adjusted stolen base attempts per inning” (SBA/Inn+). As with all of our “plus” stats, a score of 100 represents league average, while 90 would represent 10% fewer stolen base attempts per inning than league average, and 110 would represent 10% more stolen base attempts per inning than league average. Two months into the season, the Royals have an SBA/Inn+ of 30. That means opposing baserunners have attempted 70% fewer stolen bases against the Royals than they have against the average team. That’s absurd!
David Lesky has a mailbag column where he addresses whether or not hitting coach Alec Zumwalt should go.
All of this is to say that I do think they could use a new voice because I think the message just isn’t working. I think Zumwalt should stay in the organization (if he wants, of course) because he’s been an asset in a big way. And I’m fine if they want to make that move during the season, but I just wouldn’t expect much. My guess is that when this season ends, they’ll make an overhaul similar to what they did on the pitching side after 2023. People don’t want that answer because they want change right now, but this is a much more long-term issue than something that offers a short-term fix.
Public money seems to be key to the stadium deal, writes Ilana Arougheti and Chris Higgins
“The real story is just very simply this: They’re shopping around for the best economic deal. I get it. I understand it. We’re all big kids, and that’s what’s happening,” Lucas said in an interview with Pete Mundo on a KCMO radio interview on Thursday. “
That’s the entirety of the story. It’s not who’s the nicest. It’s not who’s the coolest. It’s not who has the best demographic information lately. It is purely about money and purely about money for teams.”
Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter notes Yandel Ricardo is standing out in the Arizona Complex League.
Craig Brown recaps Noah Cameron’s last start.
Ken Rosenthal thinks Cameron is a dark-horse Rookie of the Year candidate.
Pete Grathoff at the Star comes up with some alternate City Connect ideas for the Royals.
Shohei Ohtani homers twice in a Dodgers win over the Yankees.
Mookie Betts is out this weekend with a toe injury.
Mike Trout returns to the Angels lineup.
How Tarik Skubal turned into an ace.
An early look at potential trade candidates this summer.
A power ranking of next year’s free agents.
The Rockies sign former Royals reliever Nick Anderson.
The Marlins DFA Ronnie Simon days after his three-error game that left him in tears.
The Angels release Tim Anderson.
Are the Oklahoma City Thunder a dynasty in the making?
Liverpool bids a club-record $147 million to sign Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz.
Taylor Swift buys back the rights to the master recordings of her first six albums.
Ryan Reynolds has pitched an R-rated Star Wars – what would that look like?
College professors turn to good ol’ blue books to combat cheating with AI.
Your song of the day is Dwight Twilley with I’m On Fire.