Baseball Prospectus Kansas City

Shifting Patterns (Episode 130)

We recorded this episode on a pretty darn good day for Royals baseball, just after they swept a double header against Tampa Bay. That performance really helped out the numbers of the starting rotation, which had been faltering more than the bullpen for a change. Much of this season has seen the Royals bullpen blow leads or be more gas on the fire than fireman, but the script was flipped up until Jakob Junis and Glenn Sparkman dominated the Rays.

But that’s the micro level. On a bigger scale, the Royals are walking and hitting for power, a shift from the organization’s usual offensive profile. After a month, they’re in the middle of the pack in walks and homers (when usually they’re at the bottom of the list). Hunter Dozier is leading the charge, but others are chipping in, and it definitely seems like most of the lineup has a good plan at the plate so far.

We discussed walks, some minor leaguers, Adalberto Mondesi continuing being awesome, Bubba Starling, Kelvin Gutierrez debuting, and a lot more.

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Episode 129)

The 2019 season hasn’t gone quite as hoped for the Kansas City Royals. They’ve missed opportunities, blown leads, and generally, haven’t played well.

But there are bright spots. The key parts of the lineup have been productive, and there are even a few very fun surprises. The starters have generally been effective (which has limited the bullpen).

But despite a recent strong run, the bullpen has been rough with a couple of exceptions. The bottom of the lineup has struggled. It hasn’t been fun.

Slowly, though, we’re seeing some relievers develop into trustworthy options. Some batters are coming around. And, as we discuss in this episode, the Royals are getting Danny Duffy back in the rotation, which should help.

SPOILER ALERT: In the last 10 minutes or so, we get on a tangent talking about Game of Thrones and the MCU. There are spoilers. We do warn you when that part comes up. Once that part starts, we don’t talk baseball, so you can tune out and we won’t be angry.

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KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com

And remember to rate and subscribe on iTunes or any other podcast app you like.

We’re Going Streaking (Episode 128)

Since our last episode, the Royals haven’t won a game and the bullpen continues to be an issue.

The Royals made a number of moves, including sending Kyle Zimmer to Triple-A and calling up Richard Lovelady. But the veterans in the bullpen have struggled while the starting rotation and offense have been mostly okay.

We discussed what might be next for this struggling group and how it lines up with the big picture.

Of course, it’s not all gloom. Lovelady dealt in his debut. Ryan O’Hearn and Hunter Dozier are hitting the ball hard. Adalberto Mondesi has adjusted after a bad road trip, and the big story is Whit Merrifield’s hitting streak, which reached a franchise-record 31 games after we went off air.

Will the Royals win a game by next week’s episode? Let’s hope so.

Email us!
KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com

And remember to rate and subscribe on iTunes or any other podcast app you like.

And They’re Off (Episode 127)

The 2019 Royals season is officially underway and it’s – so far – a little exciting and a little underwhelming.

They won two games but the bullpen has been shaky, and the Royals have missed a couple of early opportunities for wins. Nonetheless, some, like Brad Keller, Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler, and others have stepped up early.

Are the Royals doomed? Is this a brief glitch? Will Kyle Zimmer get a shot to shut down games?

Well, it’s too early to tell, but we’ll find out over the next 157 games.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com.
And remember to rate us and subscribe on iTunes.

The 5th Annual Over-Under Cavalcade of Stars (Episode 126)

The Royals found a replacement for Salvador Perez and did some juggling of the pitching staff as Opening Day approaches.

After catching up on the news of the day, we made some predictions. Using Baseball Prospectus’s PECOTA projections, we picked a few players and stats and guessed at if a player would surpass or fall short of the mark. It’s one of our favorite shows to record every year, and this time was no exception.

Hear our thoughts on Adalberto Mondesi, Brad Keller, Whit Merrifield, Jakob Junis, and more.

And also, a programming note…at the top of the show we made the announcement that the 2019 season will be the final season of the Kansas City Baseball Vault podcast. We started this ride in March of 2011, but the time comes for everyone. We’ll spend 2019 catching up with old friends and going out having a blast talking baseball. We plan on doing a few events this year to celebrate, and keep an eye on our Twitter account for information about such gatherings.

Bullpen Bargains (Episode 124)

The baseball free agency market is finally shaking loose. Manny Machado is getting his big payday. Mike Moustakas landed another one-year deal. Alcides Escobar will be an Oriole.

The Royals snagged some free agents as well, all to bolster the 2019 pitching staff.

After an AL-worst bullpen in 2018, how will the additions of Brad Boxberger, Jake Diekman, and Drew Storen shake out? Is there anything left in the tank for Homer Bailey? How strange will future offseasons become?

We discuss it all this week on the Vault.

Whit’s Payday (Episode 123)

So far this offseason has been very quiet, but one of the milestones each winter is the publication of prospect rankings. Two of the big ones – Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America – recognized some Royals prospects, though, interestingly different groups.

In the here and now, we also discussed the new contract for Whit Merrifield, including what it means for the roster, the minor league rising stars, and the Royals contention window. Mostly, it’s a nice payday for Whit and allows him to avoid the arbitration process. The Royals, in return, get to bank on a young player but have some cost certainty in place.

Timelines (Episode 122)

It’s been quiet this offseason with a lot of attention in Kansas City going to the Royals’ next-door neighbors, but we took time this week to talk about an old friend who’ll be back in 2019.

And since everyone is looking to the past these days, we looked at the up and down journey of Kyle Zimmer, who’s back with the Royals after signing a one-year MLB deal.

Speaking of big names who had injury problems…15 years ago this month the Royals signed slugger Juan Gonzalez in hopes of keeping the belief alive and taking the AL Central. It didn’t go well, but the look back can be fun!

Picking the Royals Hall of Fame (Episode 121)

After a couple weeks off for the holidays, the Vault is back.

And during that break, the Royals signed Terrance Gore. We discuss the Royals focus on adding team speed and his likely role within the organization. While we’re hesitant to say that he will play much of a role, he’s definitely got speed, as we’ve seen ourselves over the years.

The Royals also acquired two players during the Rule 5 draft, selecting Sam McWilliams out of Tampa Bay’s organization and trading for Chris Ellis (drafted by Texas in the Rule 5 draft out of the St. Louis Cardinals organization). Both hope to follow in the footsteps of last year’s breakout Rule 5 pick Brad Keller, and the Royals have innings to spare.

We also took a look at the list of Royals Hall of Fame candidates who are on the ballot. There are some significant names this year, including Bo Jackson and Johnny Damon, but we also discussed the legacy of David DeJesus and the what if of Yordano Ventura as candidates.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com.

Young, Scrappy, and Hungry (BP Kansas City Episode 120)

Is the Royals outfield wide enough? Are the Royals throwing away their shot? Kansas City sure didn’t wait for it and went out and signed center fielder Billy Hamilton. It might be nice to have Hamilton on our side.

On top of that move, the Royals signed utility man Chris Owings, and carved out some space on the 40 man roster to make room for likely Rule 5 picks as they finish up a somewhat busy but curious Winter Meetings.

Programming note: While what you’ve known as BP Kansas City is being absorbed into the larger Baseball Prospectus site, if you’re subscribed to our podcast through iTunes or another app, you should still continue to receive new episodes as they’re published just like you always have.

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com.

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and BlogTalkRadio. You can also download this episode here (mp3).