From The Fountains: Weekly Royals News Recap

Jared Perkins April 22, 2024 in News Tagged Ben Kudrna, Frank Mozzicato, Kansas City Royals, Kyle Isbel, Michael Massey, Michael Wacha, MJ Melendez, Nelson Velazquez, Nick Loftin, Seth Lugo, Vinnie Pasquantino - 7 Minutes

Here are the latest news happenings for the Royals from last week!

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Overall Team Record: 13-9 (2nd, 3 GB)

Upcoming Series (4 Games): Toronto Blue Jays (12-10 vs. Kansas City Royals (13-9)

Monday: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-1, 2.08 ERA) vs. RHP Brady Singer (2-0, 1.54 ERA)
Tuesday: RHP Kevin Gausman (0-2, 8.16 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (1-2, 3.75 ERA)
Wednesday: RHP Yariel Rodriguez (0-0, 2.35 ERA) vs. RHP Alec Marsh (3-0, 3.22 ERA)
Thursday: RHP Jose Berrios (4-0, 0.85 ERA) vs. LHP Cole Ragans (0-2, 4.32 ERA)

WEEKLY SERIES RECAP

Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago White Sox (4/15 – 4/17): The Royals faced AL Central opponent the Chicago White Sox again to start the week. They played on Monday, and then Tuesday, the game was rained out, so the Royals played a doubleheader on Wednesday. They couldn’t sweep the White Sox like they did earlier in the year but took the series 2-1. Seth Lugo was masterful again on Monday night, going seven innings while giving up just four hits and no runs. The Royals split the double-header on Wednesday, losing the second game 2-1. Michael Wacha pitched well in that one, but the Royals offense couldn’t get to Erick Fedde and the White Sox bullpen. Some offensive highlights were Vinnie Pasquantino starting his hot streak, grabbing an extra-base hit in each game against the White Sox, and having a home run on Monday. Ideally, you’d love to see another sweep against a team like this, but a series win is a series win.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Kansas City Royals (4/19 – 4/21): The Orioles and Royals played yet another tough series, and the Royals came up short again. The AL East champs came to town and showed why they were the champs last year. Despite that, the Royals played them very tough. They took game one pretty overwhelmingly in a 9-4 victory. The only real blemish in that game was Will Smith’s four-run sixth-inning blowup. They welcomed Michael Massey back, and he immediately impacted both sides of the ball that night. Cole Ragans had one of his worst starts in a Royals uniform in game 2. He gave up seven earned runs in 1.2 innings. It’s not what you want when facing off with Corbin Burnes. To the Royals’ credit, the offense scratched their way back and was only down one in the eight. This team fights and doesn’t give up too easily. Game three was the Orioles show. They ended up shutting out the Royals and taking home the series victory. Regardless of a series loss, the Royals played great against one of the best teams in major league baseball.

ROYALS NEWS

The Royals optioned INF/OF Nick Loftin to AAA (Omaha): “Loftin had flashes of success in his short stint with the big league club, showcasing a decent .276 batting average and .371 on-base percentage. He provided the Royals with a ton of versatility defensively, playing games at third base, first base, and second base. Ultimately, Loftin did enough during his time with the Royals, but with guys like Adam Frazier on the roster who don’t have a minor league option, it made the most sense to send Loftin down to Omaha so he can get everyday playing time. There wasn’t really another option present.”

ROYALS ANALYSIS

Kevin O’Brien dives into MJ Melendez’s performance at home and on the road: The most significant difference for Melendez on the road in his career is the same issue Royals fans have seen this season. He strikes out a lot more on the road. His K% is 6.7% higher on the road than at Kauffman. Consequently, his BB/K ratio is 12 points lower, and his wRC+ is 26 points lower. Thus, Melendez and the Royals hitting coaches may need to figure out what Melendez does at home that could be transitioned to a game away from the K. That could involve adjusting how he views the pitcher’s release points at different stadiums (which have different dimensions and backdrops) or pre-game routines, whether it’s at the ballpark or even leading up to arriving at the ballpark.

Trey Donovan does a deep dive into Nelson Velazquez’s success: “Nelson Velazquez is off to a hot start with a ton of conflicting numbers, and he is a case where he might post a very odd analytical season if this continues. Even with a weird data set, Nelly Nukes is producing for the Royals. He is also making JJ Picollo look smart for the Jose Cuas trade.”

Jacob Milham looks at three struggling Royals who need to find their groove: “Isbel is near the bottom in every Royals batting metric, but his expected stats aren’t saving him either. His plate approach seems rushed, he is not making quality contact, and 15 total bases in 17 games is not acceptable. Unlike Garcia, there are several players that can supplant Isbel on the Royals 40-man roster. His roster spot is not in jeopardy right now, but Isbel’s situation feels fluid so far in 2024.”

David Lesky dives into the Royals’ hot start on offense: “Taking a look at one of the double-digit run games and there are an awful lot of familiar names that spanned that lineup and the one we see most nights in 2024. That’s when it hit me. This was a legitimately good offense in the last month of the season and the names are largely the same. They hit .266/.333/.442 in September with 146 runs scored (5.4/game), 35 home runs (1.3/game), an 8.4 percent walk rate and a 23.7 percent strikeout rate. Compare that to what they’ve done through 16 games this year: .254/.317/.424 with a 108 wRC+. They’ve been a top-10 offense.”

Jaylon Thompson dove into the return of Michael Massey: “He is still one of those players in a developmental phase in the major leagues, but we believe in his bat,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “He can provide a spark. He’s got some power. He does a good job defensively as well. … We just want him to be himself. We like what he did last year.”

FARM SYSTEM

Preston Farr takes a closer look at Frank Mozzicatio for the 2024 season: “That’s impressive all on its own. Drew Thorpe led all qualified pitchers in High-A with a 17.9% swinging strike rate. No one else finished above 14%. With so much success now, it’s easy to see why the ceiling is so high for Frank Mozzicato. Should he take steps forward this season with his command and eventually improve his velocity, there’s the potential for a true ace. That’s exactly why the Royals continue to think so highly of the young lefty.”

Zac Miller discusses five Omaha Storm Chasers off to a hot start: “Waters has not been able to solidify a spot on the Royals’ roster despite plenty of opportunities over the past two seasons. He has been serviceable, especially with the glove, but has not been able to get the bat going consistently. He seems to be the no-brainer pick as the next man up in Kansas City should the need arise, given his major league experience and strong track record in Omaha. For the time being, he will continue to be a huge piece of the Storm Chasers’ success.”

Zac Miller touches on the three Royals prospects to win a weekly award: “Ben Kudrna, the No. 3 prospect for the Royals, also had an impressive start last week: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Just absolute dominance from Kudrna and Patteson. Kudrna has been notably steady throughout his minor league career, holding a career 3.82 ERA in 190.2 IP. His hot start to 2024 is encouraging, as the Royals would like to see their top prospects having their way in the lower levels of the minor leagues. If Kudrna has a few more starts looking close to this, he will likely be heading to NW Arkansas sooner rather than later.”

Royals Weekly does a deep dive into Royals pitching prospect Noah Cameron: “Noah Cameron grabbed the attention of Royals prospect hounds in his professional debut season when he mowed through the Complex League, low-A, and high-A all in 2022. He posted a 3.56 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 65.1 IP led by a nasty curveball and plenty of feel to pitch.”

FORMER ROYALS IN THE NEWS

Yuneisky Betancourt Faces Insurance Fraud Charges: “Yuniesky Betancourt, the former MLB shortstop who hasn’t played in the league since 2013, is one of four people who have been arrested and charged with insurance fraud for allegedly staging a car crash in Miami in order to collect the payout. Abel Vera, Nancy Mercedes Pena and Maura Perez were arrested along with Betancourt last week.”