Archives: Podcasts

Every season, amidst the fun and games of spring training, we set some over/under marks for particular players and judge where we think they’ll land. 

This year, our array of predictions were hit and miss, but the journey is half the fun, right? We reviewed the predictions from March, what went right, what went wrong, and what was close.

Along with the over/under judgments, we also reviewed some bold predictions from before the 2018 season. Did we miss entirely? Did we nail them? Similar to the Royals disappointing-turning-into-optimistic season, it was a little of both.

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.

For the fifth time in their history, the Royals have reached 100 losses. That’s not good, but we tried to add some perspective to the mark, in light of the Royals decent and much-more-watchable second half of the year.

Along with that is the emergence of Whit Merrifield as a consistent and dynamic star, Adalberto Mondesi as a hopeful phenom, and Ryan O’Hearn as a power-hitting giant. We focused mostly on Merrifield’s efforts this year and his consistency all season long, but Mondesi and O’Hearn have been so good that they sneak their way into any Royals discussion these days.

We also took a glance at the MLB playoff picture, including a potential chaotic finish, an easy team to root for, and some proposed changes to the playoff system. 

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.

It’s been a difficult year, but the last month hasn’t been so bad. A number of Royals have started hitting, including surprises like Ryan O’Hearn, and a couple of pitchers have been great.

It makes for a more entertaining second half and an encouraging finish to the season.

We discuss Jakob Junis, Adalberto Mondesi, Brad Keller, and O’Hearn as well as the very fun near-perfect game by Jorge Lopez. 

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.

This week we covered the end of Danny Duffy’s season and the impact his varied ailments might have on him going forward. We also talked about the shifting perception of his contract and trade value.

In other injury news, we expressed disappointment in Jorge Soler’s setback during his rehab stint. After a strong start, a flukey injury shut him down and his season is over. We speculated on his role in 2019 and beyond in light of his abbreviated season.

And then we covered some odds and ends: Ryan O’Hearn mashing, Whit Merrifield’s great year, the Drew Butera trade, what to expect from Jerry Vasto and Ben Lively, and the emergence of Brad Keller and some other rookie arms who’ve shown promise this year.

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.

On Wednesday, the Royals traded Lucas Duda for cash, opening up a roster spot just in time for September call-ups to start showing up. We discussed Duda’s storied legacy in Kansas City from Day One to now. 

With the roster spot, a whole batch of minor leaguers could be called up to the majors, including some names who’ve been waiting for their shot like Frank Schwindel and Richard Lovelady, but some other players have a shot to come up too. 

And while Duda has departed, the Royals may have to make a few other moves to bring in the new crowd. We went over a few options.

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.