We’re just three games into the 2024 season for the Kansas City Royals. Now just 1.85% into a very long season, there aren’t too many takeaways to be found. I wanted to get that out of the way early to ward out any of the small sample-size warriors. All of the team stats could do a complete 180 over the next week of games and mean absolutely nothing. This can be evidenced mostly by Sunday’s 11-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The Royals entered the day 0-2 with a -7 run differential. Post-victory, their run differential was +4. Regardless, baseball has started and what better way to celebrate than to talk about baseball? Here are five numbers that matter following the team’s Opening series against Minnesota.
5.
The Royals MLB rank for FIP.
The Royals’ pitching has been fantastic so far. As a team, they rank fifth in FIP, seventh in ERA, sixth for SO/9, and first in HR/9. Those are MLB rankings. If we limit the range to just starting pitching, the Royals rank even better. Royals starters have a microscopic 0.95 ERA after three games this season — the best in the entire major leagues. It’s yet to be seen if this can continue deeper into the regular season (an 0.95 ERA certainly won’t). Kansas City will get a stronger test starting on Monday as they head to Baltimore. If the rotation can maintain strong results against the Orioles’ deep lineup, then that’s an impressive sign of things to come.
14
The number of 4-seam fastballs thrown by Brady Singer on Sunday.
“Where’s the changeup!?” Let’s leave that question in 2023. The four-seam fastball is more important to Brady Singer’s success and he used it often in his first start of the season. On Sunday against Minnesota, Singer tossed seven scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits on the day. En route to his victory, Singer threw 14 four-seamers. His velocity on the pitch was right in line with his sinker (91-93mph) and it was spun very well (2345 rpm on average). Singer had a fantastic 36% CSW% on the offering. Although he garnered just one whiff on five swings, the pitch still gives hitters another wrinkle to manage.
.260
The Royals team ISO so far in 2024.
Ah. The Kansas City Royals: known power-hitting mecca. Hitting for power hasn’t often been what comes to mind when you think of the Royals. The 2015 World Series Champions ranked 24th with 139 home runs that season. By ISO, they were 21st at .144. Every season since 2015 has seen the Royals rank outside the top 20 for team ISO. More often, they’ve ranked bottom five. Since the turn of the century, the Royals’ best finish for team ISO was in 2003 when the team finished the season ranked 19th in the league. By all accounts, this team has hardly been seen as a power-hitting force since their golden era in the 1980s (they ranked top 10 often from 1980-85).
Some of that started to change last season. Post-All-Star Break last season, Kansas City’s team ISO was .170 — good for 14th in baseball in that span. I wrote for Royals Review back in December on why the Royals offense could be better than you think. Early on in 2024, that’s one of the trends I’d love to see continue. Continue it has. Thus far, the team has a .260 ISO, good for second in all of baseball. Granted, much of that .260 ISO is fueled by Sunday’s barrage of home runs. Salvador Perez, Kyle Isbel, Maikel Garcia, Nelson Velázquez, and Bobby Witt Jr. all launched homers in Sunday’s victory. Let’s see if any of that success can continue into Baltimore.
36.5%
The Royals hard hit rate so far this season.
Although ISO is impressive, it’s more of a result than the process behind it. If you’re looking for a process that can help generate offensive success, hard hit rate is a good place to start. Hitting the ball hard won’t always result in hits. However, do it often enough, and you’re bound to break through eventually. Kansas City had 19 balls hit at 90mph or harder on Sunday. By comparison, only 11 were put into play by Royals hitters with slower than 90 mph exit velocity. Royals hitters are seeing the ball well early on and hitting it hard.
17.1%
The Royals K-BB% after three games — 8th in all of baseball.
In 2023 the Royals pitching development team wanted to “Raid the Zone.” By many accounts they fell short, finishing the season with a 9.0% BB% — 21st in the major leagues. The team’s 11.7% K-BB% was even worse at 26th. Now, in 2024 the team has transitioned to “Reign the Zone.” At 8.6%, the team walk rate hasn’t improved much over the first three games. However, they’re striking out more hitters. As a result, the team has posted a respectable 17.1% K-BB% through three games this season. That mark would’ve ranked 4th in the majors last season and ranks eighth so far in 2024. If we limit the data to include only starters, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Brady Singer have combined for a 24.0% K-BB% — third best in the big leagues. That’s elevated greatly by an outstanding 30.7% K%.
Image Credit: Reed Hoffmann, Associated Press
