This is it, friends. Once this weekend is over, the regular season is upon us, which means real baseball every day, which means I’m happy. Hopefully you are, too. All that’s left is a post-Cactus League, pre-regular season series in Texas and then we go. I’ve mentioned this before, but when I left for Arizona, […]
Tag: Whit Merrifield
Roster Math, Spring Training Edition
Let’s be honest. This spring has been one long exercise in boredom. Yeah, the crack of the bat and the snap of the ball hitting the glove is welcome. But through Sunday the Royals have played 29 Cactus League games. They have five more before they break for Minnesota and the regular season. Seriously, 34 […]
Spring Training Diaries: Vargas, Roster Spots and Soler Power
I’ve said a few times that spring training doesn’t mean much until it maybe means a little bit more than nothing. As we embark on the final couple weeks of games, this is when it starts to mean a little bit more. It’s still not that vital, but the games begin to resemble real baseball games a […]
Sizing Up Royals Spring Training Battles (BP Kansas City Episode 46)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kansascitybaseballvault/2017/03/03/sizing-up-royals-spring-training-battles-bp-kansas-city-episode-46.mp3 This week, we looked at the first week of spring training and the early signs regarding some spring training position battles. There aren’t many, but second base has a trio (a quartet!?) of players who could see time there in 2017. We discuss Raul Mondesi, Christian Colon, Whit Merrifield, and – hey, it could […]
Royals Have Good Options In Second Base Battle
It’s a good spot to be in. The Royals don’t have many questions about the starting lineup as spring training begins. The rotation is more or less set. The key bullpen roles are penciled in. But second base is definitely a battle to be resolved over the next five weeks or so. While there are […]
Friday Notes
You know, in a way I don’t want the baseball season to end because I obviously love baseball. I wouldn’t be writing here and on Twitter and all that talking baseball if I didn’t. I’d be in favor of a 45-game World Series this season just to keep the game rolling for as long as […]
One Week Left
I had forgotten this feeling. It’s a weird one. At the end of a season without the postseason, it’s always sort of a relief that the year is over. If you’re like me, you can’t look away even though there’s not a ton to look toward. But at the same time, while it’s a relief […]
The 2018 Royals: Probably Better Than You Think
I told a few people the other day that the Royals are “logically eliminated, not mathematically eliminated” from postseason contention; sure, there is a path to the playoffs, but it involves so many what-ifs and need-this-and-thats that it is only a slightly better bet than a lottery ticket. There will be plenty of time to […]
Whit Had to Be New: Merrifield’s Necessary Adjustments
The 2016 season has not been a great story for the Kansas City Royals as a whole. They’ve had injuries, poor performances, and insecticide. Barring a crazy finish, they’ll be watching the playoffs from home for the first time in three years. However, there have been a few good stories for individual Royals. Cheslor Cuthbert […]
Wake Me Up When September Begins
I’m not actually going to sleep all day or anything, but September has a chance to be a really fun month for the Royals. For one thing, you may have heard that they’re actually in the race, so rather than watching prospects prepare for the 2017 season, the final month is going to matter for […]