For just a second, I’m gonna say some nice things about Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy. In back-to-back days, Kennedy and Hammel pitched a combined 12 innings. They allowed seven combined hits and no runs to the Cleveland Indians, a very good team with the deepest lineup the other side of Houston. That is not […]
Tag: Jorge Soler
The Alex Gordon Conundrum
He’s a World Series hero, one of the best players in franchise history and remains one of the best defenders in left field in all of baseball. And yet, Alex Gordon was nearly unplayable for a good portion of the 2017 season because his bat was so anemic. He finished the season hitting .208/.293/.315 with […]
So Much Needs to Go Right for 2018 Royals
Every team in baseball has a few keys that need to happen in order for them to compete for a playoff spot. Some teams like the Astros and Yankees just need most of their players to be healthy and not be total disasters. It’s pretty easy to see their path. Other teams like the Marlins […]
Friday Notes
Let’s hear it for baseball, everyone. Welcome back. And hey, the Royals are hot out the gates, so it appears the talk of them losing 90-100 games was a little premature. If there’s anything we know is true, it’s that spring training results always portend future success. I kid, of course, because I love. This […]
PECOTA and You!
Hi kids. Let’s talk about predictive analytics and the 2018 Royals! First things first. Hide all the sharp objects. If you have brown liquor in your house, lock it up and give your spouse/dog/neighbor/priest your key. Plan to go on a brisk stroll and enjoy a soothing shower after this is over with. Craig and […]
Two Jorges Remain
No matter how this Eric Hosmer saga plays out—I’m personally of the opinion that he has no contract offers whatsoever and Scott Boras is just stringing us along, no different than George RR Martin continually claiming, “I have pages!” for the next Game of Thrones installment—the balance of power is shifting at Kauffman Stadium. Not […]
Soler’s Redo
A little over a year ago, the Royals agreed to a deal with the Cubs to send them Wade Davis in exchange for Jorge Soler. The return was underwhelming at the time after what we saw relievers were traded for during the 2016 season, but I thought that in terms of pure value, it could […]
Hard Hittin’ – 10 Hardest Hit Balls by the Royals in 2017
This may surprise you, but the Royals actually hit the ball relatively hard in 2017. They weren’t the best. That distinction belonged to Oakland. But they found themselved nestled at 11th in baseball in exit velocity right between the offensive powerhouse that was the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, who finished fifth in […]
The Dynasty That Wasn’t?
Here we are, at the end of the Royals’ championship window for this group of players. I know, the Royals have made some noise about re-signing their impending free agents, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Odds are, the key players are going to be too expensive, and at any rate there is […]
Hindsight and Wade Davis
You have seen the tweets or simply thought of it yourself: What if the Royals had not traded Wade Davis for Jorge Soler? What IF? Full disclosure, I speculated during the off-season that Davis might be approaching the end of the line. He had, after all, missed time due to injury twice during 2016 and […]