Baseball Prospectus Kansas City

Strikeouts and Homers and Hits, Oh My (BP Kansas City Episode 102)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2018/06/01/strikeouts-and-homers-and-hits-oh-my-bp-kansas-city-episode-102.mp3 The Royals had some success this week, including some solid pitching performances by Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, and Jason Hammel. We covered some of the recent DL moves and the way it’s shifted the pitching staff. We also discussed Jon Jay’s successful May, Hunter Dozier’s adjustment to the big leagues, and took another look […]

Bright Spots and a Draft Preview With Clint Scoles (BP Kansas City 101)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2018/05/25/bright-spots-and-a-draft-preview-with-clint-scoles-bp-kansas-city-101.mp3 After a week off, we got caught up and despite a poor record, we sought out some bright spots through the first two months of the season, including a few emerging bullpen arms, some developing trade value, “hacking” baseball strategy, and the optimism of baseball’s annual draft. To help prepare for this year’s draft, we […]

Remembering the 2002 Royals (BP Kansas City Episode 100)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2018/05/11/remembering-the-2002-royals-bp-kansas-city-episode-100.mp3 This week is pretty special. One hundred episodes ago, we joined up with Baseball Prospectus Kansas City, so to commemorate the occasion, we dove into the vault and dug out some info on another notable 100: the 100-loss 2002 Royals. We discussed the plight of that injury-riddled, pitching-starved, manager-changing team and how it fits […]

That Almost Counts As a Good Week (BP Kansas City Episode 99)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2018/05/03/that-almost-counts-as-a-good-week-bp-kansas-city-episode-99.mp3 Over the past week, the Royals went through a stretch that saw them win three out of four games. For this year’s team, that’s momentous. They’ve seen a few things settle down as the year has gone on. The bullpen is a little more stable, the starting pitching has been mostly good still, and […]

Looking For Moments (BP Kansas City Episode 98)

The Royals haven’t gotten into a groove yet, but help arrived this week, as Sal Perez and Alex Gordon both returned from the DL. That overlapped with a special return from old friend Lorenzo Cain, and, on the subject of returns, Ned Yost may return next year, and the next, and next…

We discussed those topics in light of using this season to look for special moments and progress on the field, including a Royals walkrate that’s way better than their franchise norm, and the potential, possible, maybe-it’s-coming-but-we’ll-have-to-wait-and-see breakout of Jorge Soler.

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Race to the Bottom (BP Kansas City Episode 97)

The Royals lost every game since our last episode. Some by blowout, some by blown save. Shaky offense, shaky bullpen, and not enough starting pitching.

It’s rough.

Is there help on the way? Well, things can probably only get better, right? There are some players performing in the minor leagues who could help and even Salvador Perez may be closer to returning than we had figured three weeks ago – or even last week!

Will a couple of bullpen moves and the return of Salvy be enough to take the Royals from dreadful to at least watchable? Are the Dark Days back? Or, to paraphrase Buddy Bell, could it get even worse?

Race to the Bottom (BP Kansas City Episode 97)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2018/04/19/race-to-the-bottom-bp-kansas-city-episode-97.mp3 The Royals lost every game since our last episode. Some by blowout, some by blown save. Shaky offense, shaky bullpen, and not enough starting pitching. It’s rough. Is there help on the way? Well, things can probably only get better, right? There are some players performing in the minor leagues who could help and […]

Injury Updates and Pitching Chatter (BP Kansas City Episode 96)

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2018/04/13/injury-updates-and-pitching-chatter-bp-kansas-city-episode-96.mp3 Alex Gordon will miss some time with a torn labrum in his hip, and while he hasn’t been hitting this season so far, it still injects more uncertainty into the Royals lineup. Meanwhile, Salvador Perez might be returning sooner than expected? We discuss the lineup and the impact of these injuries, plus a potential […]

So It Begins (BP Kansas City Episode 95)

Despite the weather, the Royals actually managed to get a couple games in during the first week of the MLB season.

Now, the results? Not that great. We discussed the meaning of early-season stats – that is, that there isn’t much meaning yet – and what stood out from four chilly games.

We also talked about the roster moves that lead to the opening day roster and since game 1, including the curious DFA and trade of Miguel Almonte, and the DFA waiving of Kyle Zimmer.

Finally, we talked about the Royals early approach of increasing defensive shifts and if it’s something that’s here to stay or if shifts might be actually bad.

We Made It: Opening Day (BP Kansas City Episode 94)

That was a long offseason, and finally, after all the contract talks, trades, and other nonsense…the 2018 season begins.

Of course, the Royals just learned that they’ll be without Salvador Perez after a torn MCL. The initial timeline is 4 to 6 weeks of recovery, so we discussed how the Royals may approach the next month and a half.

We also discussed the first lineup, Danny Duffy, and the final moves to make up the opening day roster.