Kevin O'Brien

Hunter Patteson struck out eight over seven innings, but Northwest Arkansas fell 6-5 to Tulsa despite Connor Scott's late two-run homer. Jose Gutierrez worked seven frames as Columbia rolled 7-3, backed by Roni Cabrera's homer and three RBI. Quad Cities fell 11-6 despite Luke Pelzer's three hits and Ramon Ramirez's home run. Omaha managed just two runs in a 21-2 loss at St. Paul, with Abraham Toro homering. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed RHP Carlos Estévez on the 60-day injured list. Left foot contusion. Kansas City Royals traded RHP Denis Samudio and cash to Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Connor Seabold. Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Mitch Spence from Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Eli Morgan to Omaha Storm Chasers. Omaha Buried Early In Lopsided Loss At St. Paul The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 21-2 to the St. Paul Saints, undone by an eight-run first inning before they ever came to bat. Starter Aaron Sanchez recorded just three outs, allowing six hits and eight earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts, and the deficit was insurmountable from there. Ethan Bosacker followed with 2 2/3 innings, surrendering six hits and six earned runs while striking out five. The offense offered little on the Storm Chasers' end. Abraham Toro provided the lone power, homering in the second inning to put Omaha on the board. Outfielder Drew Waters added two hits. Infielder Peyton Wilson singled, walked, and scored Omaha's other run in the third on a Brett Squires single. Omaha left five runners on base and never scored after the third inning. The Storm Chasers went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position against St. Paul. Position player Toro even took the mound for a scoreless inning to spare the bullpen, which shows how south the evening went for the Storm Chasers. They are now 30-39. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Peyton Wilson 3 1 1 0 1 1 Brett Squires 4 0 1 0 0 1 Matthew Lugo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Luca Tresh 4 0 0 0 0 3 Abraham Toro 4 1 1 1 0 1 Drew Waters 4 0 2 0 0 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 1 0 0 1 Kevin Newman 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 1 6 8 8 2 2 1 Ethan Bosacker 2 2/3 6 6 6 2 5 1 Anthony Gose 1 1/3 3 1 1 0 2 1 Helcris Olivárez 0 2/3 1 4 4 5 1 0 Génesis Cabrera 1 1/3 2 2 0 0 1 0 Abraham Toro 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scott's Late Homer Falls Short As Tulsa Edges Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals fell 6-5 to the Tulsa Drillers, unable to overcome a three-run top of the tenth. Patteson was excellent on the mound, working seven innings and allowing four hits and three earned runs with no walks and eight strikeouts, though two of those hits left the yard. The game was tied 3-3 entering the tenth before Tulsa pushed across three runs against the bullpen to take a 6-3 lead. Northwest Arkansas answered in the bottom of the inning when Scott homered to score zombie runner Colton Becker and cut the deficit to 6-5, but Carson Roccaforte struck out to end it. Scott finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Roccaforte led off and went 3-for-5 with a double, and his fifth-inning single scored Scott to bring the Naturals even at 2-2, though he was later picked off and caught stealing second. Northwest Arkansas left just three runners on base and went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The loss brings the Naturals' record to 27-35 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 3 1 0 2 Jack Pineda 4 0 1 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 0 0 1 0 1 Spencer Nivens 4 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 4 0 1 0 0 2 Colton Becker 4 1 1 0 0 0 Rudy Martin Jr. 4 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Scott 4 2 3 2 0 0 Canyon Brown 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Patteson 7 4 3 3 0 8 2 Brandon Johnson 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 Zachary Cawyer 2 4 3 2 0 2 0 Pelzer's Three Hits Not Enough As River Bandits Fall To Wisconsin The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped an 11-6 decision to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in their return to Modern Woodsmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, despite a productive night at the plate. The offense pushed across two runs in both the fifth and the sixth innings to stay within reach. In the fifth, Tyriq Kemp's groundout scored Pelzer and Angel Acosta's sacrifice fly brought home Kemp. The sixth saw Pelzer triple home Ramirez, then score himself on a wild pitch after Derlin Figueroa walked. The pitching could not hold, however. The staff struggled with command, and Mason Miller was charged with five earned runs across 1 2/3 innings while Kamden Edge allowed four earned runs in one inning, including a home run. Connor Rasmussen drove in a run with a ninth-inning single, but Quad Cities left three on base and could not complete the comeback. The River Bandits are now 28-33 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 3 0 0 0 1 2 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 1 0 0 2 Blake Mitchell 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 2 2 1 0 1 Luke Pelzer 4 3 3 1 0 0 Derlin Figueroa 2 0 0 0 2 0 Tyriq Kemp 4 1 0 1 0 1 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 2 1 0 1 Angel Acosta 3 0 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cory Ronan 2 1 1 1 4 2 0 Mason Miller 1 2/3 4 5 5 2 2 0 Josh Hansell 1 1/3 1 1 1 3 1 0 Kamden Edge 1 2 4 4 3 0 1 Nick Conte 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 L.P. Langevin 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Gutierrez Cruises, Eighth-Inning Rally Sends Columbia Past Hickory The Columbia Fireflies beat the Hickory Crawdads 7-3 behind a strong start from Gutierrez, who went seven innings and allowed five hits and three earned runs with no walks and four strikeouts. The game was tied 3-3 entering the eighth before Columbia broke it open with a three-run inning. Josh Hammond and Yandel Ricardo opened the eighth with singles, Stone Russell moved them up with a sacrifice bunt, and Sean Gamble doubled home both runners. JC Vanek followed with a single that scored Gamble for a 6-3 lead. Cabrera fueled the offense all night, finishing 1-for-2 with a fifth-inning home run, two RBI, two runs, and two walks. Hammond reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk and scoring twice. Gamble drove in two, and Vanek had two hits. Henson Leal closed with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out two. Columbia left five runners on base and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Fireflies improved their record to 33-31 with the victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 0 0 0 0 0 Josi Novas 0 0 0 0 0 0 Josh Hammond 3 2 2 1 1 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 1 1 1 0 0 Stone Russell 3 0 1 0 0 1 Sean Gamble 4 1 1 2 0 0 Hyungchan Um 4 0 1 0 0 1 JC Vanek 4 1 2 1 0 0 Angel Ramirez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera 2 2 1 2 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Gutierrez 7 5 3 3 0 4 2 Henson Leal 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2 K Josh Hammond: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 3-for-5, 3B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Warren Colcano: 0-for-3 Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Hopes were high for Maikel Garcia going into 2026. Last year was a dream season of sorts for the Venezuelan infielder. In 160 games and 666 plate appearances, he slashed .286/.351/.449 with an .800 OPS. Garcia also hit 16 home runs, scored 81 runs, collected 74 RBI, and stole 23 bases. He also earned his first Gold Glove award after falling just short in 2024. Those numbers and accolades helped him earn not just an appearance in the All-Star Game, but a new five-year contract extension from the Royals in the offseason. If that wasn't enough, Garcia was an absolute stud for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. In 28 plate appearances, he hit .385 with a .970 OPS, a home run, and seven RBI. As a result, he was named the WBC MVP after Venezuela beat the USA in the WBC championship game. Royals fans were expecting Garcia to continue to develop and help carry this Kansas City lineup in 2026 and beyond. Unfortunately, it hasn't quite been the banner year that Garcia and fans expected. In 66 games and 283 plate appearances, the 26-year-old third baseman is slashing .267.325/.380 with a .705 OPS. He has three home runs, 32 runs scored, 30 RBI, and five stolen bases. When looking at his Statcast profile via TJ Stats, he has a slightly subpar TJ Bat+, and many of his Statcast percentiles have been subpar so far this season. While Garcia is still not chasing, whiffing, or striking out very much, his wOBA and xwOBA are below the 40th percentile, as his LA Sweet Spot%, BB%, Pull Air%, and barrel%. The latter is actually under the 20th percentile. It's going to be tough for Garcia to be a 5.6 fWAR player again this season if the Statcast data remains as it is over the remainder of the season. As of Monday, Garcia's fWAR is 1.5, and ZiPS is projecting his fWAR to be 1.9 for the remainder of the year, and The Bat X is projecting a 2.1 mark. Thus, Garcia is projecting a total fWAR of 3.4 to 3.6, depending on the model. That's good, but it's not what he did last year, and he's not trending in the right direction either. After hitting .273 with a .785 OPS and three home runs in 109 plate appearances in April, Garcia hit .261 with a .632 OPS in May and is hitting .265 with a .677 OPS in June. He's hitting for average okay, but the power is non-existent, as he has zero home runs over the past two months and slugging marks of .324 and .353 in May and June, respectively. Therefore, is something bothering Garcia, or is this just a bad stretch for him? Or is Garcia proving that 2025 was an aberration and that his long-term self is closer to that 2024 version (71 TJ Bat+ and .613 OPS)? The Power is the Biggest Difference From Last Year When it comes to most power categories, all the metrics show that Garcia has regressed badly from a season ago. Garcia's ISO is down from .163 in 2025 to .114 this season. His barrel rate is also 5.2%, his LA Sweet-Spot% is 32.9%, and his hard-hit% is 41.3%. A year ago, those rates were 5.6%, 34.5%, and 45.1%. Furthermore, his Tj Stats Statcast profile from 2025 looks much more impressive than his 2026 version. Now, many categories have remained stable. His Whiff%, Z-Contact%, K%, and O-Swing% have either not changed (O-Swing%0, improved a little (Whiff% and Z-Contact%) or only dropped a small amount (K%). However, the walk rate ranking has declined by 32 percent. His average exit velocity ranking has dropped by 21 percent. His xwOBA has dropped by 20 percent. Lastly, his wOBA had dropped by 44 percent, one of the most significant drops. The biggest concerns, especially related to power, may be his drops in hard-hit rate and LA Sweet-Spot%. Those rankings have declined by 18 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Interestingly enough, he's pulling the ball in the air (Pull Air%) more than a year ago. His Pull Air% is 15 percent higher. That said, he has seen a steady decline in pulled balls in May and June after showing some initial progress in March and April. Below is a look at his hits spray chart from March and April, via Savant. Not only did Garcia have three home runs over that time, but he had two more that could've been homers in other parks, and he pulled the ball a lot more down the left field line. Now, let's take a look at that hits spray chart in May and June. Over this sample, he has only one hit that could've been a homer (that triple to right center). The number of pulled balls has vanished, both in terms of the extra base variety and base hits to left field in general. He's still getting hits, especially singles up the middle, but the power is not there, as evidenced by just one other ball that has reached the warning track over the last month-and-a-half. Based on this data, he seems unlikely to match his 16-homer mark from a year ago, or even hit the double-digit homer mark, if this kind of approach continues. Are Injuries Affecting Garcia at the Plate? It's no mystery that Garcia has been less healthy this year than in 2025. On May 30th, Garcia hurt his hamstring rounding second base. While it didn't require an IL stint, he missed nearly a week's worth of games while recovering. The hamstring injury has definitely sapped his baserunning this year, though he was showing issues with his legs prior to the injury. After stealing 37 bases on 39 attempts in 2024 and 23 bases on 32 attempts in 2025, he has five on eight attempts this year. His sprint speed is also slightly down at 27.7 ft/s, a 0.2 ft/s decline. His basestealing runs numbers via Savant have been on a two-year decline, with a combined -2 baserunning runs in 2025 and 2026 after posting a +5 mark in this category in 2024. Still, with the hamstring injury, Garcia hasn't looked quite as natural running until Sunday's game, in which he had three hits and a stolen base, his first since May 3rd. One interesting injury that may be ailing him is his wrist, and that could be affecting his power production. While this wasn't talked about much because he didn't leave the game or go on the IL, Garcia was hit on April 30th against the Athletics by a line drive at 106.5 MPH while playing in the field. The ball missed his glove and hit him in the wirst/thumb area, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. As fans can determine, Garcia's power has sapped since April 30th. Even when watching games, he will be grimacing at times if he swings at a pitch in a funky way. It seems like he doesn't have the wrist or hand strength that he did back in April, and his paltry ISO numbers and singles-heavy spray chart illustrate that Garcia is not playing at 100 percent. I argued that the Royals should've put Garcia on the IL to help him fully recover from his hamstring injury a couple of weeks ago, as he sat for nearly seven days. Perhaps an IL stint would not have just helped him with his hamstring injury, but his wrist as well. Garcia at Least Still Producing With His Glove While the offense and baserunning haven't been up to the standard that Garcia or the Royals want, the defense at least has remained stellar at the hot corner. This season, Garcia has a +4 FRV and +5 OAA, with a 72% success rate on plays (70% estimated). He had a +18 OAA and +13 FRV last year, so he's been a little behind his 2025 pace in terms of defensive metrics. However, he's been less healthy than a year ago, and he flashed some solid defense on Monday night against the Nationals in Kansas City's 7-3 loss. Right now, Garcia ranks second among all third basemen in OAA, behind only Jose Ramirez, who has a +6 OAA. That said, Ramirez was placed on the IL due to a hamate bone injury. Like Vinnie Pasquantino, who suffered a similar injury, the Guardians star is expected to miss a lot of time in the field. Garcia could make up ground on Ramirez in the field, even if the offense remains stagnant for the Kansas City third baseman. That is a major reason Garcia can be a 3+ fWAR player despite issues with his bat. His defense is that good and a major strength of this Royals ballclub, especially when paired with Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop. It has been a frustrating year for Garcia in many ways. Thankfully, the defense has remained elite and should help him continue to receive at-bats high in the batting order due to his overall value to this Royals team. And that remains true even in a lost season in which they are currently 15 games under .500 at 29-44 after Monday's loss in Washington, DC. View full article

On Monday afternoon, the Royals' Player Development account announced that pitcher Kendry Chourio would be promoted to the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits. Chourio is the No. 1 Royals prospect at Royals Keep and is a Top-100 prospect according to many outlets, including Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He will join lefty David Shields, our No. 2 Royals prospect, in the River Bandits rotation. In 11 starts and 48 IP with the Columbia Fireflies this year, the 18-year-old Venezuelan-born pitcher posted a 1.88 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 23.4% K%, and 18.6% K-BB%. His 3.56 FIP in Low-A was higher than his ERA, but Chourio possesses elite stuff and showcased strong ability to generate grounders (43.8% GB%) and pop-ups (25% IFFB%). Chourio's fastball sits in the upper 90s, and many believe he could be a starter in the mold of Yordano Ventura at the MLB level. No word has been made on who will replace Chourio in the Columbia rotation or if Shields will be moving up to Northwest Arkansas soon to join fellow lefty Justin Lamkin, who was recently promoted from Quad Cities to Northwest Arkansas. Royals fans can vote on where Chourio, Shields, Lamkin, and other prospects rank in our June prospect rankings in the Tweet below. View full rumor

Week in a Nutshell The Royals came back to Kauffman this week to face the two Texas teams from the AL West: the Rangers and the Houston Astros. After a solid stretch in Cincinnati and Minnesota, Kansas City was hoping to build on that momentum and put on a good showing back home this week against two winnable opponents. While the Royals won the first and last games of the homestand, they lost four in a row in the middle, including two losses to Texas and two to Houston. However, while another losing homestand was difficult enough, the Royals were also beset by multiple injuries to key players this week, which only makes their slim playoff chances appear even bleaker. Record this Week: 2-4 Run Differential for the Week: -1 Record for the Year: 29-43 Run Differential for the Year: -49 Standing: 5th in the AL Central Game 67: KC 5, TEX 3 Game 68: TEX 6, KC 4 Game 69: TEX 4, KC 2 Game 70: HOU 10, KC 8 Game 71: HOU 8, KC 7 Game 72: KC 4, HOU 0 News and Notes In addition to the losses, the Royals' injuries piled up this week. In addition to many key players going on the IL, Kansas City also called up several players from Omaha to fill their spots. On June 9th, Stephen Kolek was activated off the Family Emergency list, and in a corresponding move, the Royals optioned Josh Rojas back to Omaha. Because Rojas has more than five years of service time, he had to accept an option to Triple-A. He decided to take the assignment back to the Storm Chasers rather than opt for free agency. Also on June 9th, pitcher Kris Bubic began a rehab assignment in Omaha. It was a rough outing for Bubic, as he gave up eight runs on nine hits in 1.2 IP. After the rehab outing, manager Matt Quatraro remarked that Bubic didn't recover well, as he was experiencing shoulder soreness. As a result, Bubic was taken off the rehab assignment and underwent further tests, which have been inconclusive so far. During the Royals' win over the Rangers on Tuesday, Kyle Isbel injured himself while rounding first base on a base hit. Tests revealed that he had a grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fasciitis. As a result, Isbel will miss quite a bit of time, as reported by Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. In his place, the Royals promoted Kameron Misner, whom the Royals acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason. Misner has gotten off to a solid start in Kansas City this past week, as he collected six hits in 12 at-bats. On Wednesday, the Royals had a major scare as Seth Lugo was hit by a line drive batted ball by former Mets teammate Brandon Nimmo. Lugo was taken out of the game and placed on the 7-Day Concussion Protocol IL. CT scans were encouraging, but he was experiencing some headaches and worsening symptoms, which explained why he was placed on the IL. The Royals called up Eli Morgan to replace Lugo's spot on the roster. That said, Morgan was optioned back to Omaha on Sunday, and it is reported that Mitch Spence will replace Morgan. Spence, a starter acquired from the Athletics this offseason, is listed as the probable starter for Monday's road game against the Washington Nationals. Lastly, the Royals got another huge injury blow on Saturday, as Vinnie Pasquantino was removed from Saturday night's game after an awkward swing. It was reported that Pasquantino suffered a hamate bone injury. On Sunday, the Royals announced that he had a right hamate bone fracture and would miss approximately 4-6 weeks. John Rave was called up on Sunday to replace Pasquantino on the active roster, but Jac Caglianone is expected to receive a majority of the at-bats at first base. He made the start on Sunday at first base in the Royals' 4-0 win in the series finale against the Astros. Rave hit .196 with a .590 OPS, four home runs, and seven stolen bases in 72 games and 175 plate appearances with the Royals last year. Highlights Even though the Royals lost four games this week, the offense actually held its own. Kansas City's .293 team batting average was the 4th-best mark in baseball over the past week (unsurprisingly, the Rockies and the Athletics were the top two thanks to the hitter-friendly conditions of Las Vegas). They also scored 30 runs and were only outscored by one run. In the Astros series alone, they outscored Houston 19-18 over the three-game series (too bad it's not an aggregate scoring like soccer). The Royals also showed some ability to come back in spots this week, especially over the weekend. They nearly tied the Astros on Friday in their 10-8 loss, despite giving up nine runs in the top of the first. Furthermore, they had a 7-5 lead on Saturday before Jose Altuve tied things up with a two-run home run in the 8th before the rain delay. Individually, Caglianone was the Royals' top offensive performer. He collected 10 hits in 23 at-bats and hit .435 with a 1.239 OPS and two home runs and five RBI. He seemed to be key with runners on base, as he had a lot of moments in this homestand where he drove in runs, something he wasn't doing earlier in the year. The only blemish for Cags was the swing-and-miss this week. The former first-round pick had eight strikeouts, which led all Royals hitters this week. While Caglianone was the Royals' top performer offensively in this homestand, Bobby Witt Jr. wasn't far behind. The Royals shortstop had 9 hits, the second-most this week by a Kansas City hitter. He also hit .360 with an .847 OPS, stole three bases, and only struck out once. Witt particularly had a good game on Sunday, which also happened to be his 26th birthday. Maikel Garcia has been beset by injuries recently, but he started to get back into form in this homestand. He hit .286 with a .747 OPS and had a three-hit performance on Sunday, which included a couple of key RBI base knocks. Misner had a great Royals debut, and he's hitting .500 with a 1.038 OPS. The former Mizzou product also stole a base and had three RBIs. He will likely get a lot of opportunities in centerfield against right-handed starting pitchers with Isbel on the shelf due to his foot injury. Lastly, after a slow start at the leadoff spot, Carter Jensen had a strong week at the K. In 21 at-bats, he hit .286 with a .794 OPS, four doubles, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Manager Matt Quatraro has opted to utilize Jensen as the Royals' leadoff hitter against right-handed starting pitchers, and it seems like he's getting more comfortable in the spot with each start. Jensen also had a clutch double on Saturday night that helped the Royals overcome a 5-4 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning. On the pitching end, it was another strong week from Stephen Kolek. He posted a 0.73 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 12.1 IP with seven strikeouts to two walks. Kolek gave up a lot of hits, with 13 hits allowed, but he was able to escape trouble with runners on base. He only allowed two runs total in his two starts and only one earned run to boot. On Sunday, he had another masterful performance at the K, allowing no runs and only five hits in 7.1 innings of work in the victory over Houston. Safe to say, Kolek has emerged as the Royals' most valuable starter since the beginning of May. After a rough start to the season, which included getting optioned to Triple-A Omaha, Steven Cruz emerged as the Royals' most dependable reliever this week. In four outings and 5.0 IP, Cruz didn't allow a run, and he posted a 0.60 WHIP and 1.75 FIP. He also produced a 29.4% K% and a 23.5% K-BB% with a 72.4% strike%. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary from this week, not only did Cruz have excellent TJ Stuff+ marks, but he also flooded the strike zone, induced a lot of chases and whiffs, and limited hard contact, as evidenced by his xwOBACON. With the Royals' bullpen so shaky right now, Cruz may start to get more high-leverage opportunities in the future, especially with his ability to generate excellent stuff and a lot of whiffs, which is key in those pressure-packed situations. Another key reliever for the Royals this week was John Schreiber, who may be the Royals' best trade asset at this time. In three outings and 3.1 IP, he posted a 2.70 ERA, a 0.60 WHIP, struck out five batters, and didn't walk a single batter. The TJ Stuff+ wasn't as good as Cruz's, and his xwOBACON was slightly below average. That said, Schreiber was generating strong chase and whiff rates this week, which is encouraging. With many teams looking for bullpen help, Schreiber could be a key asset that could net the Royals some good value in return by the Trade Deadline. Lowlights While Kolek, Cruz, and Schreiber were strong contributors to the Royals pitching staff this week, it wasn't the best homestand for this group, especially the bullpen. The pitching staff gave up 10 home runs, which was the seventh-most by a pitching staff this week. The worst offender in this category was Matt Strahm. Not only did he give up three home runs this week, but he has also given up a home run in his last four outings and in six of his last eight appearances. In three outings and 2.1 IP this week, Strahm posted a 15.43 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. In addition to three home runs allowed, he gave up four earned runs and blew two save opportunities (i.e., he lost the lead for the Royals). While Strahm threw strikes this week and generated a strong chase rate, his whiff rate, xwOBACON, and TJ Stuff+ were all lackluster, as illustrated in his TJ Stuff+ summary below. The worst Royals pitching performance of the week probably belonged to Luinder Avila, who absolutely imploded in his Friday start against the Houston Astros. Avila failed to get out of the first inning, as he only went 0.2 IP. In that small sample, he allowed eight earned runs on five hits and three walks. He didn't record a strikeout, and he allowed two home runs, including a two-run bomb to Yordan Alvarez, who had two in the inning (with his other being a grand slam). In his TJ Stuff+ summary, nothing went right for Avila. He didn't throw strikes. He couldn't generate many chases. He got hit HARD. He did post a solid whiff rate, and his TJ Stuff+ wasn't bad considering the number of pitches he threw in the inning (49). That said, it was an outing to forget for the talented, but inconsistent Venezuelan pitcher. With Bubic and Cole Ragans on the IL and not a lot of reinforcements in Omaha (Ryan Bergert is also on the IL), Avila will continue to get starts. Hopefully, he can put this horrid outing behind him and bounce back in this short road trip against the Nationals (he's projected to start on Wednesday). Noah Cameron had a tough outing this week, as he allowed seven hits and four earned runs in 4.1 IP. Cameron didn't walk any batters, but he only had one strikeout, and he gave up two home runs. Looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary, it just wasn't a good day for Cameron, as his TJ Stuff+, zone rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and xwOBACON were all subpar. Lucas Erceg looked a little better this week, as he had a 3.86 ERA in three outings and 2.1 IP. However, his WHIP was 1.71, and he allowed three walks, hit a batter, and only struck out one. The chase, whiff rate, and xwOBACON were all encouraging this week, but his zone rate numbers were lackluster, and his K% was 8.3%, which resulted in a -16.7% K-BB%, not something Royals fans want to see from a pitcher who's supposed to be in high-leverage spots. On the hitting side, it was another brutal week for Salvador Perez. In 22 at-bats, he hit .182 with a .364 OPS, and he struck out five times while only walking once. All four of his hits were singles, and not only is he not producing in the power category, but he looks off-balance in the box as well. Whether it's nagging injuries or pressure from trying to break the Royals' all-time home run record, Perez just hasn't looked right in the box this year, and his Statcast percentiles only confirm that. Another Royals position player with a tough week was Nick Loftin. The former Baylor product hit .125 with a .597 OPS in eight at-bats. However, his biggest issue was a throwing error on Saturday night that gave the Astros the lead and, eventually, the win. Loftin has been atrocious in the field, especially at second base. He has a -8 OAA at second base, which is one of the worst OAA marks in all of baseball. Loftin is only hitting .221 with a .688 OPS this year in 116 plate appearances. While he can draw a walk (12.1% BB%), he doesn't provide much pop (32.9% hard-hit rate). Thus, his offensive profile is average at best, and his defense is a major liability. The Royals may be more apt to give new acquisition Matthew Lugo a chance in his spot, especially with Lugo absolutely tearing up Triple-A pitching. At 27 years old, Loftin doesn't have a whole lot of time to prove that he can be a long-term option in Kansas City. He may only have a couple of more weeks to prove himself in Kansas City, especially with the Royals 14 games under .500 and clearly building for 2027 at this point in the year. Loftin will be out of Minor League options next year, which makes him a non-tender candidate next offseason. Looking Ahead The Royals have a split week coming up with three games in Washington, D.C., against the Nationals and three games back at home against their I-70 rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Due to the World Cup game on Saturday at the Truman Sports Complex, the Royals-Cardinals series will be played on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Though expectations weren't high in the preseason, the Nationals are 37-35 and in third in the NL East. They have a dynamic offense, as they are first in runs scored, second in stolen bases, fifth in OPS, and seventh in home runs. The offense has been led by James Wood and CJ Abrams, who had wRC+ marks of 162 and 150, respectively. Wood hit his 20th home run of the season on Sunday. The pitching has been a little weaker for the Nationals, as their rotation ranks 24th in starter ERA and their bullpen ranks 26th in reliever ERA. However, the Nationals have a profile similar to that of the Astros, who just took two of three from the Royals at Kauffman Stadium this past weekend. The Cardinals took two of three from the Royals in St. Louis back in Mid-May, though the Royals only lost both games by a combined three runs. St. Louis is a balanced team with a solid offense (12th in OPS; 13th in runs scored), a strong rotation (11th in ERA), and a decent bullpen that has a mediocre ranking in reliever ERA (17th), but has one of the game's more dynamic closers. Riley O'Brien has a 3.86 ERA and 17 saves this year in 30.1 IP. However, he's been shaky in June with a 7.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, and -3.7 K-BB% in 5.0 IP. If the game is close, the Royals could perhaps get to the rattled closer at Kauffman. O'Brien has still generated chases and whiffs, but he has gotten hit hard and has struggled to find the strike zone. The Royals' approach has been much better as of late, and they are working pitchers better than a year ago, as evidenced by their 9.2% BB%, which ranks 13th in baseball. Getting to O'Brien, in front of a Kauffman crowd that will be at least half Cardinals fans, could be the momentum boost this Royals team needs. View full article

The Royals' affiliates split four games on June 14. Sam Kulasingam and Daniel Vazquez each homered in a five-run seventh as Northwest Arkansas rallied but fell short. Matthew Lugo drove in three for Omaha in a high-scoring loss. Quad Cities held on behind Max Martin and Yimi Presinal, who struck out four over two scoreless innings. Columbia stormed back as Henry Ramos homered and Andy Basora retired all seven hitters he faced to seal the win. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed 1B Vinnie Pasquantino on the 10-day injured list. Right hamate fracture. Kansas City Royals recalled RF John Rave from Omaha Storm Chasers. Lugo's Power Not Enough As Omaha Falls In Extras The Omaha Storm Chasers fell 12-7 to the Las Vegas Aviators in 11 innings. Omaha is 30-38 and sits in 8th in the International West division, ahead of only Iowa and Indianapolis. Lugo led the offense, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three runs batted in, including a solo shot in the first inning and a tying single in the tenth. Gavin Cross added two hits and scored twice, and Elih Marrero doubled and drove in a run. Omaha left six runners on base. Starter Ryan Ramsey allowed four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three. The game turned in the eleventh, when Las Vegas pushed across five runs against Dan Altavilla and Jose Cuas after the score had been tied at seven. Altavilla took the loss, allowing six runs, two earned, on four hits across 1 1/3 innings. Eric Cerantola provided two scoreless, hitless innings of relief earlier in the contest. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 5 0 1 2 0 2 Peyton Wilson 5 2 1 0 0 3 Brett Squires 5 0 0 0 0 1 Matthew Lugo 5 1 2 3 0 1 Luca Tresh 5 1 1 0 0 3 Drew Waters 4 1 0 0 1 1 Gavin Cross 4 2 2 0 0 1 Elih Marrero 4 0 1 1 1 1 Connor Kaiser 3 0 0 1 0 2 Abraham Toro 1 0 1 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 0 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan Ramsey 3 1/3 6 4 4 2 3 0 Ben Sears 1 2/3 3 2 2 1 2 0 Andrew Pérez 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 Eric Cerantola 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Dan Altavilla 1 1/3 4 6 2 0 2 0 Jose Cuas 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Naturals' Seven-Run Seventh Falls Short In Arkansas The Northwest Arkansas Naturals lost 12-7 to the Arkansas Travelers despite a furious late rally. The Naturals' record now drops to 27-34 for the season. Vazquez, the No. 18 Royals prospect at Royals Keep according to our latest rankings, led the way, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs batted in, and two walks. Kulasingam and Omar Hernandez also homered, with Hernandez collecting two hits. Northwest Arkansas left eight runners on base. The Naturals trailed early after a difficult start from No. 7 Royals prospect Drew Beam, who allowed six runs on five hits over 1 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out two before taking the loss. The Travelers built their lead with seven runs in the second inning. Northwest Arkansas answered with five runs in the seventh, when Kulasingam, Vazquez, and Hernandez all went deep, but the comeback came up short. Andrew Morones provided 1 2/3 scoreless, hitless innings out of the bullpen with two strikeouts. The Naturals stranded eight runners and went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 1 0 0 1 Jack Pineda 4 2 1 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 4 1 1 2 1 0 Spencer Nivens 3 1 0 0 2 1 Daniel Vazquez 3 1 2 3 2 0 Omar Hernandez 5 1 2 1 0 2 Rudy Martin Jr. 3 0 1 1 1 0 Alberto Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Scott 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 1 1/3 5 6 6 2 2 0 Augusto Mendieta 2 2/3 2 2 2 1 4 2 Caden Monke 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Chase Jessee 1/3 0 2 0 1 0 0 Andrew Morones 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 1 2 2 1 0 1 River Bandits Hold On For One-Run Win In Beloit The Quad Cities River Bandits edged the Beloit Sky Carp 5-4 to collect their 28th win of the season. Nolan Sailors led off and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in, while Chris Brito, Erick Torres, and Diego Guzman each collected two hits. Quad Cities left 13 runners on base and went 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. However, the River Bandits did just enough, scratching out single runs in four different innings. Starter Tanner Jones allowed three runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings, walking four and striking out two. Max Martin earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Yimi Presinal closed it out with two scoreless frames, striking out four and earning the save. The bullpen of Martin, Nick Conte, L.P. Langevin, and Presinal allowed just one run over the final 5 2/3 innings to preserve the lead. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 0 2 1 1 0 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 0 0 1 1 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 1 0 0 2 Luke Pelzer 4 1 1 1 1 0 Chris Brito 5 1 2 0 0 1 Erick Torres 5 1 2 1 0 1 Tyriq Kemp 2 0 1 0 1 0 Trevor Werner 4 0 1 0 1 2 Diego Guzman 5 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tanner Jones 3 1/3 4 3 3 4 2 0 Max Martin 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Nick Conte 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 L.P. Langevin 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 Yimi Presinal 2 0 0 0 1 4 0 Fireflies Rally Past Delmarva Behind Ramos And Basora The Columbia Fireflies came from behind to beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 8-5 in Sunday's series finale to clinch their seventh win in their last eight games. Leadoff man Ramos went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a run batted in, and a walk, scoring twice. Sean Gamble, our No. 3 Royals prospect at Royals Keep, reached three times, drawing two walks and scoring twice. Columbia left six runners on base. Starter Shane Van Dam allowed three runs on six hits over four innings, striking out two. After Delmarva built an early lead, Columbia surged ahead in the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, JC Vanek and Gabriel Silva delivered run-scoring hits, and the Fireflies added three more in the seventh on a pair of sacrifice bunts and a sacrifice fly that took advantage of two Delmarva throwing errors. Ramos capped the scoring with a home run in the eighth, his fourth of the season. The home run had an exit velocity of 104 MPH and helped seal the game for Columbia. Basora earned the win with a sterling effort on the mound, retiring all seven hitters he faced over 2 1/3 innings with two strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 3 2 2 1 1 0 Josh Hammond 4 1 0 0 0 1 Yandel Ricardo 3 1 0 0 0 1 Stone Russell 3 1 1 1 0 0 Sean Gamble 2 2 1 0 2 0 JC Vanek 2 1 1 1 1 1 Josi Novas 1 0 0 0 0 1 Angel Ramirez 3 0 0 1 0 0 Gabriel Silva 2 0 1 1 1 1 Ivan Sosa 4 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Shane Van Dam 4 6 3 3 1 2 0 Luis Valdez 2 2 1 1 0 2 0 Yeri Perez 2/3 1 1 1 3 1 0 Andy Basora 2 1/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-2, 2 BB Blake Mitchell: DNP Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, 1 K Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Drew Beam: 1 1/3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, 1 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-3, 1 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Kendry Chourio worked six innings of two-run ball for Columbia, striking out four, as the Fireflies won 9-6 behind home runs from Yandel Ricardo, Hyungchan Um, and Ivan Sosa. Trevor Werner drove in five with two homers in Quad Cities' 12-6 win, and Jack Pineda homered for a 6-4 Northwest Arkansas victory in the nightcap after a 1-0 loss in game one. Omaha fell 9-6 in extras. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Aviators Rally Past Storm Chasers In Extras Omaha jumped out early but could not hold on, falling 9-6 to the Las Vegas Aviators in ten innings. The Storm Chasers built a 5-0 lead through two innings. In the first, Matthew Lugo singled home two runs, and Drew Waters grounded into a run-scoring double play. In the second, Abraham Toro and John Rave each delivered RBI singles. Luca Tresh paced the offense with four hits, while Lugo added two hits and two RBIs. Henry Williams started and allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings. The lead slipped away in the tenth, when the Aviators plated four runs against Anthony Gose, who recorded just two outs while allowing three earned runs on two hits and three walks. Omaha stranded nine runners on the night and managed only a Brett Squires-scoring groundout in the bottom of the tenth. They went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Peyton Wilson 3 2 0 0 2 0 Abraham Toro 4 1 1 1 0 1 John Rave 3 1 2 1 0 1 Connor Kaiser 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brett Squires 1 1 1 0 0 0 Matthew Lugo 5 0 2 2 0 0 Luca Tresh 5 0 4 0 0 1 Drew Waters 5 0 0 1 0 0 Gavin Cross 5 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Maile 3 1 1 0 1 0 Elih Marrero 1 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 5 5 4 3 2 3 0 Ethan Bosacker 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luke Jackson 2 3 1 1 0 2 0 Anthony Gose 0 2/3 2 4 3 3 1 0 Jose Cuas 0 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Naturals Shut Out Despite Strong Pitching In Game One Northwest Arkansas dropped a tight game-one decision 1-0 to the Arkansas Travelers. This was a makeup game from Friday night. The lone run came in the third inning on a sacrifice fly. The Naturals managed just three hits from Jack Pineda, Spencer Nivens, and Omar Hernandez and never advanced a runner across the plate. Steven Zobac started and gave up the run, which was earned, on one hit while walking three and striking out two over 2 1/3 innings. Frank Mozzicato followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out three. Brandon Johnson and Zachary Cawyer combined for the rest of the relief work without surrendering a run. The Naturals struck out seven times and stranded five runners in the loss. Northwest Arkansas went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 0 0 0 0 1 Colton Becker 3 0 0 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jorge Alfaro 1 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Pineda 2 0 1 0 0 1 Spencer Nivens 3 0 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Omar Hernandez 2 0 1 0 0 0 Canyon Brown 2 0 0 0 0 1 Justin Johnson 2 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Steven Zobac 2 1/3 1 1 1 3 2 0 Brandon Johnson 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Frank Mozzicato 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 3 0 Zachary Cawyer 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Pineda And Scott Power Naturals To Nightcap Win Northwest Arkansas answered with a 6-4 win over the Arkansas Travelers in game two of the traditional doubleheader, scoring five runs in the seventh inning to erase a 4-1 deficit. Connor Scott started the rally with an RBI double, and Pineda capped it with a three-run homer that drove in Scott and Roccaforte. Scott finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs, and Pineda drove in three. Hunter Owen took the ball and allowed four runs, all earned, on six hits with a walk and two home runs over 5 1/3 innings. Tommy Molsky picked up the win with 2/3 of an inning, and Dennis Colleran Jr. closed it out with a scoreless inning for the save. The Naturals collected seven hits and left four runners on base. They also went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 1 0 0 1 1 Colton Becker 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Pineda 4 1 1 3 0 0 Spencer Nivens 4 0 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 3 0 1 0 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 2 1 1 0 0 1 Alberto Rodriguez 2 1 1 0 1 1 Canyon Brown 3 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Scott 3 2 2 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Owen 5 1/3 6 4 4 1 0 2 Tommy Molsky 0 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Werner's Two Homers Carry River Bandits To Blowout Quad Cities overcame an early deficit to beat the Beloit Sky Carp 12-6, scoring in four different innings on the way to a 13-hit attack. Werner did the most damage with two home runs and five RBIs, including a two-run shot in the fourth and a three-run blast in the eighth. Erick Torres added three hits and three RBIs, and Ramon Ramirez reached base, scored three runs, and drove in two. The decisive eighth inning produced seven runs, fueled by Werner's homer, a Ramon Ramirez two-run single, and a Tyriq Kemp two-run double. Blake Wolters started and was tagged for six runs, all earned, on seven hits with three walks across four innings, though he struck out seven and surrendered one home run. The bullpen trio of Kamden Edge, Josh Hansell, and Cory Ronan combined for five scoreless innings, with Hansell earning the win. The River Bandits left five runners on base and went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the six-run victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 4 1 1 0 1 2 Blake Mitchell 3 1 0 0 2 2 Ramon Ramirez 5 3 2 2 0 0 Luke Pelzer 5 1 2 0 0 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 0 1 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 1 1 1 2 0 0 Erick Torres 4 2 3 3 1 0 Trevor Werner 5 2 2 5 0 1 Angel Acosta 4 0 0 0 1 2 Diego Guzman 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Blake Wolters 4 7 6 6 3 7 1 Kamden Edge 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Josh Hansell 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Cory Ronan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Chourio And Three Homers Lift Fireflies Columbia rode a strong start and a trio of home runs to a 9-6 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds. No. 1 prospect Chourio set the tone, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts over six innings. The Fireflies built their lead across the early frames, getting a Ricardo two-run homer and an Um sacrifice fly in a three-run third, then breaking it open in the fourth on Sosa's two-run homer and a Sean Gamble RBI single. Ricardo finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, Henry Ramos collected three hits from the leadoff spot, and Um and Sosa each homered and drove in two. Chourio earned the win, and after Jhon Reyes was charged with four runs in relief, Randy Ramnarace closed out 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the save. Columbia drew eight walks and left 17 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 2 3 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 4 1 0 0 1 1 Yandel Ricardo 4 2 2 2 1 0 Stone Russell 3 1 2 1 2 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 2 1 1 0 Hyungchan Um 4 1 1 2 0 2 JC Vanek 3 0 0 0 1 0 Roni Cabrera 2 1 0 0 2 0 Ivan Sosa 4 1 1 2 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 6 4 2 2 1 4 1 Jhon Reyes 1 2/3 5 4 4 2 0 1 Randy Ramnarace 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, SB Blake Mitchell: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, R, BB, K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 K, SB Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: Game 1: 0-for-3, K. Game 2: 0-for-3, R, BB, K Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: 2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K Frank Mozzicato: 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Daniel Vazquez: Game 1: 0-for-3, K. Game 2: 1-for-3, 2B, K Warren Colcano: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

The data here isn't sticky in these categories either. Lugo ERA is outperforming his xERA by 1.41 points, but Mears is also outperforming his ERA by 1.15 points, and his tempo is the second-slowest of Royals pitchers this season. In terms of wOBA difference, Bubic, a slow-tempo pitcher, is outperforming his xwOBA by 40 points. Conversely, Lugo and Cameron, two fast-tempo pitchers, are also outperforming their xwOBA by 25 and 20 points, respectively. Therefore, not a ton can be concluded about whether the Royals pitchers' fast tempo benefits or hinders their pitching performance, at least this season. It does seem to help Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen limit free runners on the basepaths, though that ability to limit stolen bases seems to be more of a correlation with fast pitch tempo rather than a causation, especially when looking at those other team samples. Regardless, it's a metric where the Royals actually rank highly this season, which can't be said in many areas, unfortunately. Furthermore, Kansas City's fast-pitch tempo is at least aesthetically pleasing to fans, especially those who prefer faster-paced games. Safe to say, Royals fans won't have to worry about a lot of pitcher pitch clock violations with Kansas City pitchers this season. View full article

The Omaha Storm Chasers blanked Las Vegas behind home runs from Abraham Toro and John Rave, with the bullpen combining for nine strikeouts. Blake Mitchell launched a homer at each end of the Quad Cities' doubleheader, and David Shields struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings in the nightcap win. Columbia fell to Delmarva despite Ivan Sosa's three-run shot, as the Fireflies issued 12 walks. Northwest Arkansas was postponed due to weather, and they will play a doubleheader tomorrow. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Toro And Rave Power Storm Chasers Past Aviators The Omaha Storm Chasers rode the long ball and a strong bullpen to a 3-1 win over the Las Vegas Aviators. Omaha got everything it needed in its win early on against the Aviators. In the bottom of the second, Toro homered to right field, scoring Brett Squires for a two-run shot that put the Storm Chasers ahead 2-0. In the bottom of the third, Rave homered to right field to make it 3-0, and those runs held up the rest of the way for the Storm Chasers. Toro finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Rave went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, and Peyton Wilson added two hits. Omaha collected eight hits but left six runners on base. The pitching staff allowed just one run, which was unearned. Bailey Falter struck out four and walked one over 2 2/3 innings while allowing three hits and the lone run. Mitch Spence and Dan Altavilla each tossed a scoreless inning to open the game, Génesis Cabrera worked two scoreless frames, and Helcris Olivárez closed it out over 2 1/3 innings, striking out two and earning the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 3 0 1 0 1 0 Peyton Wilson 4 0 2 0 0 1 John Rave 3 1 1 1 1 0 Matthew Lugo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Brett Squires 3 1 0 0 1 1 Abraham Toro 4 1 2 2 0 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 2 0 0 1 Luke Maile 3 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mitch Spence 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dan Altavilla 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bailey Falter 2 2/3 3 1 0 1 4 0 Génesis Cabrera 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 Helcris Olivárez 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 2 0 River Bandits Erase Early Hole But Fall To Sky Carp In Opener The Quad Cities River Bandits jumped out early but could not hold off the Beloit Sky Carp in an 8-7 loss in the doubleheader opener. Quad Cities scored twice in the first inning, when Mitchell singled home Asbel Gonzalez and Derlin Figueroa singled home Mitchell. The River Bandits then took the lead in the second, as Angel Acosta singled home Trevor Werner, Gonzalez singled home Nolan Sailors, and Figueroa drew a bases-loaded walk to score Gonzalez, building a 5-3 advantage. Beloit answered with four runs in the fourth inning to seize control, and Quad Cities could not recover even after Mitchell tied it with a solo homer in the sixth. Mitchell led the offense at 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and a walk, while Figueroa drove in two and Gonzalez reached base three times with two stolen bases. The River Bandits drew eight walks but left nine on base. Emmanuel Reyes struggled on the mound, allowing seven runs, all earned, on 11 hits with one walk and six strikeouts over four innings, surrendering three home runs. Nick Conte, L.P. Langevin, and Max Martin followed, with Martin charged with the loss after allowing the deciding run in the eighth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 1 1 0 0 0 Asbel Gonzalez 2 2 1 1 1 0 Luke Pelzer 2 0 0 0 0 0 Blake Mitchell 4 2 3 2 1 0 Ramon Ramirez 3 0 0 0 1 1 Derlin Figueroa 2 0 1 2 2 0 Erick Torres 4 0 0 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp 2 1 0 0 2 1 Trevor Werner 3 1 1 0 1 2 Angel Acosta 3 0 1 1 0 1 Diego Guzman 0 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes 4 11 7 7 1 6 3 Nick Conte 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 L.P. Langevin 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Max Martin 0 2/3 0 1 0 0 0 0 Shields Fans 10 As River Bandits Take Nightcap The Quad Cities River Bandits took the second game of the doubleheader 3-2 over the Beloit Sky Carp, riding a dominant pitching performance from Shields. Quad Cities built its lead across the second and third innings. Figueroa homered to center field in the second to make it 1-0, and in the third, Mitchell singled home Sailors, and Ramirez singled home Mitchell for a 3-0 cushion. Beloit pushed back with two runs in the sixth inning, one of which scored on an error, but that was as close as the Sky Carp got to the River Bandits in the second leg of the doubleheader. Shields was overpowering, striking out 10 while allowing just three hits and two runs, one earned, with no walks over 5 2/3 innings to earn the win. The No. 2 prospect at Royals Keep, Shields carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. It was a nice bounce-back start for the lefty pitcher after a rough performance in his previous start. Coleman Picard recorded the final four outs over 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the save. At the plate, Sailors went 2-for-4 with a double, Mitchell singled, drove in a run, and stole a base, and Ramirez and Figueroa each added an RBI. The River Bandits managed eight hits and left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 1 2 0 0 0 Blake Mitchell 3 1 1 1 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 3 0 1 1 0 0 Luke Pelzer 2 0 1 0 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 3 1 1 1 0 1 Jose Cerice 3 0 0 0 0 1 Erick Torres 3 0 0 0 0 1 Tyriq Kemp 3 0 1 0 0 2 Diego Guzman 3 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 5 2/3 3 2 1 0 10 0 Coleman Picard 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Walks Doom Fireflies In Loss To Shorebirds The Columbia Fireflies issued 12 walks and could not overcome a big Delmarva rally in a 9-6 loss to the Shorebirds. The game turned in the seventh inning, when Delmarva scored four runs to break a 2-2 tie and pull away to a 7-2 lead. Columbia mounted a late charge in the eighth, when Sosa homered to left center field to score Roni Cabrera and Connor Rasmussen, but the deficit was too large to erase. Sosa led the way at 1-for-4 with the three-run homer, Cabrera went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Rasmussen tripled, drove in a run, and drew two walks. Columbia collected 10 hits but stranded 13 runners and struck out 12 times. Michael Lombardi turned in a steady start, striking out six while allowing two runs over 4 2/3 innings, though he walked five and took the loss. Hunter Alberini struggled in relief, allowing four runs in one inning, and the bullpen as a whole issued seven of the team's walks. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 0 0 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 5 0 1 0 0 3 Yandel Ricardo 5 0 1 0 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 2 1 1 0 0 0 Gabriel Silva 3 0 0 0 0 0 JC Vanek 4 0 1 0 0 1 Angel Ramirez 4 2 1 0 0 2 Roni Cabrera 4 1 3 2 0 1 Connor Rasmussen 3 1 1 1 2 1 Ivan Sosa 4 1 1 3 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Michael Lombardi 4 2/3 3 2 2 5 6 1 Dash Albus 1 1/3 1 1 1 3 2 0 Hunter Alberini 1 5 4 4 1 3 0 Henson Leal 1 2 2 2 1 2 0 Brandon Herbold 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (W) Sean Gamble: DNP Blake Mitchell: Game 1 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB; Game 2 1-for-3, RBI, K, SB Josh Hammond: 1-for-5, 3 K Ramon Ramirez: Game 1 0-for-3, BB, K; Game 2 1-for-3, RBI Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, 2 SB Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: DNP Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-5, K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, HR (L) Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: DNP Warren Colcano: 1-for-2, R, BB, K Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images The Royals lost the series finale to the Rangers 4-2 on Thursday, a game delayed by two hours and twenty minutes due to rain concerns (though it never rained). Kansas City dropped the series two games to one after winning the series opener on Tuesday. A primary issue in this series, especially on Wednesday, was the lackluster performance of the bullpen. After Seth Lugo was hit in the head by a line drive from Brandon Nimmo in the fourth, the Royals had to rely heavily on the bullpen for the remainder of the game. Kansas City utilized seven relievers in the game, and unfortunately, the results weren't great, as they squandered multiple leads in a 6-4 extra-innings defeat. The Royals' bullpen allowed five runs on eight hits and eight walks. Alex Lange failed to keep it tied in extra innings, and Matt Strahm allowed a game-tying home run on the first pitch to Jake Burger on a hanging slider. Thus, the bullpen was pretty spent on Thursday afternoon, which put pressure not only on Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha but also on Beck Way, the Royals' lone fresh reliever. Even though the Royals lost on Thursday, it was a solid effort from the pitching staff, especially given the circumstances of a fatigued, thin bullpen. Wacha went seven innings and allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two. Manager Matt Quatraro also utilized Way in relief, and he held the Rangers in check in his third MLB outing. In 2.0 IP, Way allowed no runs on two hits and no walks while striking out four. While Way didn't generate a ton of whiffs or chases, he did a good job of finding the edges of the strike zone and keeping Rangers hitters off balance. He generated a 38% CSW and showcased some interesting TJ Stuff+ data, as evidenced by his summary today. While the 15.4% chase% and 25% whiff% are mediocre marks, his .329 xwOBACON and 59.4% zone rate were more stellar numbers. Furthermore, he showed off some intriguing TJ Stuff+ metrics with a 104 overall TJ Stuff+ as well as 105 and 117 TJ Stuff+ on his cutter and sweeper, respectively. He was intentional with those two pitches, utilizing them 40.6% and 28.1% of the time, respectively. Way's overall numbers aren't great, as he sports a 10.80 ERA and 2.10 WHIP in three outings and 3.1 IP. However, his lackluster numbers are particularly due to a disastrous June 7th outing against the Minnesota Twins. In 0.1 IP in that appearance, he allowed four runs on three hits, and he walked one. That boosted his ERA to 27.00 and WHIP to 3.75. The former Yankees draft pick didn't throw many pitches (15), but he was hit hard, struggled to find the zone, and didn't generate a whole lot of chases or whiffs, as evidenced by his TJ Stuff+ summary from his second MLB outing. Conversely, two of his three MLB performances have been solid. In his MLB debut on June 5th against the Twins, he allowed no runs on one hit and no walks while striking out two. It was a very different outing from his one against the Rangers. While the TJ Stuff+ was average and he struggled to find the zone, his chase, whiff, and xwOBACON were stellar, as illustrated below. Thus, it's tough to get a feel for what kind of pitcher Way is or could be for this Royals bullpen. Is he simply a mop-up man, a reliever with some strikeout upside who can only be utilized in low-leverage situations? Or does he have more upside and could pitch himself into a higher-leverage role later in the season? Let's break down what Way has done in the big leagues thus far and examine what his outlook could be with the Royals both this season and beyond. Way's Sweeper and Cutter Are Intriguing Offerings Way leaned on his cutter and sweeper on Thursday and for good reason: They sported the best pitch quality, based on TJ Stuff+. Here's a look at his TJ Stuff+ summary from his season so far, though it doesn't include his most recent outing in the pitch type data set. Even though he had thrown the sweeper only one time before Thursday, it had the best TJ Stuff+ of his four pitches with a 113 TJ Stuff+ and a 62 grade. Below is an example of his sweeper being utilized last Friday against Minnesota. It buckled Austin Martin and was initially called a strike, but it was overturned after an ABS challenge. Beck Way ST-June 5.mp4 On Thursday, Way generated a 25% whiff rate and 11% CSW on the sweeper. He struggled to find the zone with it, as evidenced by its 56% zone rate. That said, hitters only generated an average exit velocity of 62.7 MPH on the sweeper, which helped make up for the lackluster zone rate on the pitch against the Rangers. In Triple-A, the 26-year-old righty utilized the sweeper 14.5% of the time. Much like in the Majors, he had a solid TJ Stuff+ on the pitch. However, the zone rate and chase rate were questionable, while the whiff rate and xwOBACON were strong, as illustrated in the TJ Stuff+ summary from Omaha below. With the Storm Chasers, Way utilized the sweeper more effectively against righties than lefties. He threw the pitch 16.6% of the time against righties compared to 10.1% of the time against lefties. Against righties, his CSW was 31.5%, and his whiff rate was 41.2% with the sweeper. That was significantly better than his sweeper marks against lefties, which can be seen in the heatmap data from Triple-A. Thursday showed what Way could do when he utilized his sweeper more intentionally, while his June 7th outing demonstrated what happened when he didn't utilize it at all. In terms of the cutter, usage has not been an issue with the pitch. He's primarily utilized it in all three of his outings, and it's been solid TJ Stuff+ wise in both the Majors (103 TJ Stuff+) and Minors (106 TJ Stuff+). The offering has been a great whiff pitch for Way at both levels. It generated a 32.9% whiff rate in Omaha, and it currently has an 80% whiff rate in Kansas City. Granted, the latter whiff rate won't stay that high for much longer, but the pitch's characteristics and data are encouraging. Below is a look at his cutter heatmap data with the Royals this season via TJ Stats. The cutter has been equally effective in terms of CSW against both lefties and righties this year. Against lefties, his CSW is 66.7%, and his CSW against righties is 80%. However, he has a 100% whiff rate against righties while a 50% whiff rate against lefties. Way was using his cutter with maximum effectiveness in his MLB debut. He put away two Twins hitters with the pitch: lefty Josh Bell and righty Martin. Way Cutter-K.mp4 When he locates the pitch effectively, Way's cutter can be a premium pitch. It also profiles much better than his other fastball offerings. His sinker has a 94 TJ Stuff+, and his four-seamer has an 82 TJ Stuff+, both below-average marks. While they have above-average velocity (96.3 MPH on sinker and 97.1 MPH on four-seamer), the movement profile isn't great, as they are more horizontal offerings (16.3 HB on sinker and 13.2 HB on four-seamer) than vertical ones (5.3 iVB on sinker and 10.3 iVB on four-seamer). Way threw the four-seamer and sinker under 20% of the time on Thursday, which was less than the 33% usage he had on both pitches on June 7th. On June 5th, he threw the four-seamer and sinker 28.6% of the time each. Perhaps the righty is getting wise and realizing that his cutter and sweeper should be used more. What Could Hold Way Back? I don't question Way's stuff or his ability to generate strikeouts, which is a trait the bullpen lacks overall, especially among its veteran relievers (e.g., Strahm and Lucas Erceg). However, my biggest concern is Way's command and if he can generate enough consistent strikes while also avoiding the middle of the zone, especially with his four-seamer and sinker offerings. Here's a look at his zone chart from Thursday's outing against Texas. Way made a few mistakes in the middle of the zone, but he lived on the edges of the strike zone for the most part. That pinpoint command kept the Rangers off balance, and while they had two hits, only one was a really good one (Burger's hit was a groundball that would've been an easy out if it had not hit off Way's shoe). Now, here's a look at his zone chart from his June 7th outing. This was his worst outing, and it's easy to see why based on the pitch chart. He leaves a couple of cutters up in the zone, as well as a sinker. Bell, who struck out on his cutter on June 5th, launched a three-run home run on a Way cutter that he left up in the zone. NnlNWVdfWGw0TUFRPT1fQndsVVVBVUJBQU1BV1ZJSEF3QUhVbGNFQUZrQlVGUUFCZ05VQUZCVUJsZGNVZ3Rm.mp4 That lackluster command on the pitch and others will get Way into trouble. While he has a solid pitch mix, his stuff isn't good enough to generate a ton of in-zone whiffs just yet. Thus, he will need to be more intentional about living on the edges of the zone and mixing up his pitches to keep opposing hitters guessing. Just for comparison, let's look at his pitch chart from his MLB debut. Way was solid with his offerings. Even though he left a few in the zone, he kept the sinker down and the cutter up, which threw off Twins hitters. They adjusted, though, in his next outing against them. That was a tough lesson for Way to learn at the MLB level. Thankfully, it didn't cost him or the Royals a loss. Thursday's outing showed that Way can command effectively, especially after a rough one. However, how his command fares in back-to-back outings will be key to his ceiling as an MLB reliever. Command was a major issue for him last year in Omaha, as he produced subpar zone, chase, and whiff rates, which resulted in an inflated ERA (6.87) and FIP (6.89). It was especially disappointing since the TJ Stuff+ metrics on his pitches were actually encouraging. Way has done an admirable job of finding the strike zone more in 2026. After posting a 44% zone rate in 2025 in Omaha, it went up to 51.2% in 2026 with the Storm Chasers. His zone rate with the Royals is currently 39.3%, and a lot of his Statcast percentiles are suffering because of that. However, he does excel in a couple of categories, which is more than some current Royals relievers. Way has demonstrated an ability to adjust his mix and improve his command from one year to the next in Omaha. Can he do that over the course of the 2026 season in Kansas City? With the Royals 28-41, last in the AL Central, and clearly playing for "next season", Way should get plenty of opportunities in the Royals bullpen this year to show that he can make the same kind of adjustments in Kansas City. View full article

The Columbia Fireflies erased an eight-run deficit, scoring nine unanswered runs behind home runs from Roni Cabrera and Ivan Sosa and four scoreless innings of relief from Denis Samudio in a 9-8 win. Spencer Nivens homered and doubled in a losing effort for Northwest Arkansas, while Aaron Sanchez tossed three scoreless innings for Omaha. Josh Hammond and Hyungchan Um each drove in multiple runs to fuel Columbia's comeback. Note: The Quad Cities River Bandits' game against Beloit was postponed due to weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday, June 12th. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed CF Kyle Isbel on the 10-day injured list. Left plantar fasciitis. Kansas City Royals recalled CF Kameron Misner from Omaha Storm Chasers. Sanchez Sharp But Storm Chasers Fall Late The Omaha Storm Chasers could not solve Las Vegas in a 5-2 loss at Werner Park, managing just four hits across the afternoon on the eve of the College World Series, which is taking place at nearby Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha. Sanchez set the tone with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out three. Andrew Pérez followed and took the loss, surrendering one run on four hits over two innings with two strikeouts. Anthony Gose struggled in his two innings, giving up three runs, including a home run, on three hits and a walk while striking out three. The Omaha offense was quiet until the seventh inning, when the home side pushed across both of its runs. John Rave came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Brett Squires, and Matthew Lugo followed home on a Luca Tresh double to left. Tresh and Squires each drove in a run, and Lugo added a double of his own. Drew Waters and Abraham Toro combined for five strikeouts at the top of the order. Omaha left five runners on base and never threatened again after the seventh. They went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Thursday. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 3 0 0 0 1 0 Abraham Toro 4 0 0 0 0 2 John Rave 4 1 1 0 0 2 Matthew Lugo 4 1 1 0 0 2 Brett Squires 3 0 1 1 0 0 Luca Tresh 3 0 1 1 1 1 Drew Waters 4 0 0 0 0 3 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Kaiser 2 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 3 2 0 0 2 3 0 Andrew Pérez 2 4 1 1 0 2 0 Jose Cuas 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 Anthony Gose 2 3 3 3 1 3 1 Eric Cerantola 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Nivens Homers As Naturals Drop Decision In Arkansas The Northwest Arkansas Naturals fell 6-2 to in-state rival Arkansas, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The Naturals were undone by a rough start on the mound by the Royals' No. 12 prospect. Felix Arronde, who made his first start since returning from the IL, took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits over 1 2/3 innings with three walks, two strikeouts, and two home runs. Oscar Rayo followed and provided a steadying influence, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Caden Monke gave up two runs on one hit and three walks in his lone inning, and Chase Jessee added two scoreless frames with three strikeouts. Nivens supplied most of the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two runs batted in. His solo home run in the seventh inning cut into the deficit, and his run-scoring double in the ninth brought home Sam Kulasingam for the Naturals' final run. Kulasingam reached base twice and scored a run, while Jorge Alfaro and Omar Hernandez each collected a hit. Northwest Arkansas left four runners on base and struck out seven times as a group. They also went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jack Pineda 4 0 0 0 0 0 Colton Becker 4 0 0 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 3 1 1 0 1 1 Jorge Alfaro 4 0 1 0 0 3 Spencer Nivens 4 1 2 2 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Rudy Martin Jr. 3 0 0 0 0 1 Omar Hernandez 3 0 1 0 0 0 Justin Johnson 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Felix Arronde 1 2/3 3 4 4 3 2 2 Oscar Rayo 3 1/3 2 0 0 0 4 0 Caden Monke 1 1 2 2 3 2 0 Chase Jessee 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Fireflies Erase Eight-Run Hole In Wild Comeback The Columbia Fireflies, decked out in their special Chicharrones uniforms for the Copa de la Diversion, rallied from an 8-0 deficit to stun Delmarva 9-8. Starter Darwin Rodriguez had a night to forget, allowing eight runs on ten hits over four innings with two walks, four strikeouts, and a home run, as the Shorebirds plated five in the third and three in the fourth. The bullpen then slammed the door. Samudio earned the win with four scoreless innings, allowing no hits and two walks while striking out five, and Luis Valdez struck out three in a scoreless frame. The offense came alive in the seventh, when Columbia sent the deficit tumbling. Hammond singled home Roni Cabrera and Connor Rasmussen, Um tripled in two more runs, and Sean Gamble singled home Um on an infield single as the Fireflies pushed across six runs in the inning. Columbia completed the comeback in the eighth, when Cabrera homered, and Sosa launched a two-run home run to take the lead. Hammond finished 2-for-5 with two runs batted in, Um drove in three runs, Sosa added two, and Rasmussen reached base three times. Columbia stranded six runners and went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. That said, Columbia did just enough at the plate to earn their 30th win of the year and get back to .500. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yandel Ricardo 4 1 0 0 1 2 Josh Hammond 5 1 2 2 0 2 Stone Russell 4 1 0 0 0 1 Hyungchan Um 3 1 1 3 1 2 Sean Gamble 4 0 1 1 0 0 Angel Ramirez 3 0 0 0 1 2 Roni Cabrera 4 2 2 1 0 1 Connor Rasmussen 3 2 3 0 1 0 Ivan Sosa 4 1 2 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Darwin Rodriguez 4 10 8 8 2 4 1 Luis Valdez 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 Denis Samudio 4 0 0 0 2 5 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, RBI Blake Mitchell: DNP Josh Hammond: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 K Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: DNP Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K Felix Arronde: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 0-for-4, 2 K Warren Colcano: 0-for-4, 1 BB, 3 K Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

The Kansas City Royals system went 4-for-4 on the night. Matthew Lugo drove in four runs, including a homer, as Omaha topped Las Vegas 11-6. Derlin Figueroa erupted for six RBIs on two homers, capped by a grand slam, in Quad Cities' 16-10 slugfest. Jose Gutierrez carried Columbia with six innings of one-run, five-strikeout ball in an 8-5 win. In Arkansas, Connor Scott's tenth-inning sacrifice fly lifted Northwest Arkansas to a 5-4 extra-inning victory. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals sent LHP Kris Bubic on a rehab assignment to Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals activated RHP Stephen Kolek. Kansas City Royals optioned 3B Josh Rojas to Omaha Storm Chasers. Lugo Drives In Four As Omaha Pulls Away From Las Vegas The Omaha Storm Chasers beat the Las Vegas Aviators 11-6, scoring in five separate innings to overcome a brief deficit. Lugo led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and four RBI. Drew Waters added three hits with a home run and two RBI, John Rave reached base three times, and Peyton Wilson collected three hits, including two doubles. Rojas also homered and scored twice. Las Vegas pushed back in the seventh, plating four runs to tie the game at 5-5 entering the bottom half. Omaha answered right away. Brett Squires singled home John Rave to retake the lead, Luca Tresh singled in Lugo, and Waters singled home Squires to make it 7-5. The Storm Chasers then broke it open in the eighth: Wilson doubled home Connor Kaiser, and Lugo capped the scoring with a three-run homer that brought in Rave to push the margin to 11-5. Ben Sears opened with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Dan Altavilla earned the win after working 1 1/3 innings, allowing one hit, no runs, and two walks while striking out one. Omaha left seven runners on base and went 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 5 2 2 1 0 1 Peyton Wilson 5 2 3 1 0 2 John Rave 5 2 3 0 0 0 Matthew Lugo 3 2 2 4 1 0 Brett Squires 5 1 2 1 0 0 Luca Tresh 5 0 2 1 0 0 Drew Waters 4 1 3 2 0 1 Gavin Cross 4 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Kaiser 4 1 1 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ben Sears 3 2 0 0 0 2 0 Helcris Olivárez 2 2 1 1 2 2 0 Génesis Cabrera 1 2/3 2 4 4 2 1 0 Dan Altavilla 1 1/3 1 0 0 2 1 0 Luke Jackson 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 Scott's Tenth-Inning Sacrifice Fly Lifts Northwest Arkansas In Extras The Northwest Arkansas Naturals edged the Arkansas Travelers 5-4 in ten innings. The offense was patient, drawing several walks, with Spencer Nivens reaching twice via the walk and scoring twice while driving in a run. Jack Pineda went 2-for-4 with a walk and scored a run, Omar Hernandez added two hits, and both Alberto Rodriguez and Connor Scott drove in two runs apiece. The Naturals built their lead in the fourth, when Rodriguez singled home Nivens and Scott grounded into a force out that brought in another run for a 3-1 advantage. Arkansas tied it in the eighth on a two-run homer to force extra innings. In the tenth, with the zombie runner aboard, Omar Hernandez moved into scoring position, and Scott delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home the go-ahead run for the 5-4 final. Hunter Patteson started and worked five innings, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Dennis Colleran Jr. earned the win despite allowing two runs over two innings. Tommy Molsky closed it out with a scoreless tenth, walking three but stranding the tying run to record the save. Northwest Arkansas left eleven runners on base and went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 4 0 0 0 1 1 Jack Pineda 4 1 2 0 1 0 Sam Kulasingam 5 0 1 0 0 0 Spencer Nivens 2 2 0 1 2 0 Daniel Vazquez 2 1 0 0 2 1 Omar Hernandez 5 1 2 0 0 1 Alberto Rodriguez 5 0 1 2 0 0 Connor Scott 4 0 0 2 0 0 Canyon Brown 5 0 1 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Patteson 5 6 2 2 2 3 1 Brandon Johnson 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 Tommy Molsky 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 Figueroa's Six RBI And Grand Slam Fuel Quad Cities Slugfest The Quad Cities River Bandits outlasted the Beloit Sky Carp 16-10 in a back-and-forth slugfest. Figueroa was the centerpiece, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, three runs scored, and six RBI. Nolan Sailors led off and went 4-for-6 with a double and an RBI, Blake Mitchell homered among his two hits and drove in two, and Asbel Gonzalez reached base four times with three walks and two RBI. Tyriq Kemp scored three runs. Trailing 6-1, Quad Cities chipped away before taking the lead in the seventh on Figueroa's two-run homer, an Asbel Gonzalez sacrifice fly, and Blake Mitchell's two-run shot. After Beloit tied it back up, the Bandits blew the game open with an eight-run eighth. Kemp and Diego Guzman delivered run-scoring singles, Sailors and a bases-loaded walk to Luke Pelzer added more, and Figueroa capped the rally with a grand slam to push the lead to 16-8. Aiden Jimenez struggled in his outing, allowing six runs on eight hits over four innings with two walks and one strikeout. Kamden Edge followed with two scoreless innings, striking out four without allowing a baserunner. Cory Ronan earned the win. The Bandits left five runners on base and went 7-for-11 with runners in scoring position to earn their 25th victory of the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 6 2 4 1 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez 2 2 1 2 3 0 Blake Mitchell 6 1 2 2 0 3 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 0 0 0 3 Luke Pelzer 4 2 1 1 1 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 3 2 6 1 0 Jose Cerice 3 1 1 0 2 1 Tyriq Kemp 3 3 1 1 2 1 Diego Guzman 5 1 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aiden Jimenez 4 8 6 6 2 1 1 Kamden Edge 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Cory Ronan 1 4 2 2 0 1 0 Yimi Presinal 1 2 2 2 2 0 1 Gutierrez Dominates As Columbia Holds Off Delmarva The Columbia Fireflies beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 8-5 behind a strong start and a balanced lineup. Josh Hammond went 3-for-5 with an RBI, Yandel Ricardo reached three times with a double and two runs scored, and Jhosmmel Zue collected two hits and an RBI. Stone Russell, Sean Gamble, JC Vanek, and Angel Ramirez each contributed, with Ramirez reaching twice and adding a double. Ramirez was just recently called up from the Complex League in Arizona. Columbia jumped ahead in the second when Zue and Vanek delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles. The Fireflies extended the lead in the fifth, as Russell singled home Ricardo and Zue added a sacrifice fly to push the margin to 6-1. They tacked on two more in the eighth on a Columbia run set up by an error and a Sean Gamble sacrifice fly to reach the 8-3 mark before Delmarva's late rally fell short. Gutierrez was excellent in the Fireflies' victory. He worked six innings, allowed one run on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. That performance earned him the Quality Start. Dutch pitcher Brandon Herbold pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout in the seventh while Yeri Perez struggled in 2/3 of an inning in the 8th. Perez gave up two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one. He also gave up a home run in his relief appearance. Andy Basora gave back two runs in 1 1/3 IP, but recorded the final outs for the save. Columbia left ten runners on base and went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 0 0 0 0 3 Josh Hammond 5 1 3 1 0 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 2 2 0 1 0 Stone Russell 4 1 1 1 0 2 Sean Gamble 3 1 1 1 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 4 1 2 1 0 2 JC Vanek 3 0 1 1 2 1 Angel Ramirez 2 1 2 0 2 0 Roni Cabrera 3 1 1 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Gutierrez 6 5 1 1 0 5 1 Brandon Herbold 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Yeri Perez 2/3 2 2 2 2 1 1 Andy Basora 1 1/3 3 2 2 1 1 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-3, RBI, K Blake Mitchell: 2-for-6, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K Josh Hammond: 3-for-5, RBI Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, 3 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 3 BB Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-4, BB, K Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-4, 2B, BB Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Agreed on both ends. He's definitely bounced back better following tough stretches than he did a year ago. That's a sign that he's making the right adjustments and is in a better headspace than in 2025. Then again, there's a lot less pressure on him now than a year ago when he was expected to "rescue" this Royals offense. I think that's interesting about the swing speeds. I definitely think he has a tendency to overswing, which leads to a lot of his groundball issues. That's seemed much better this year, with the LA Sweet-Spot% so much higher than a season ago. I think that's something to watch out for as well, especially if he hits a tough stretch. Will he overswing again to get himself out of it? Or will he keep that approach that results in better swings and production?

Image courtesy of Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Royals returned to Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday to begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, and Jac Caglianone was back in the lineup after nursing a sore shoulder for the last two games. Safe to say, he didn't look at all injured against the Rangers in the first game of their six-game homestand. Against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi and the Rangers bullpen, Cags went 3-for-3 with two home runs and a walk. Below is a look at his batted-ball chart from Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers, courtesy of TJ Stats. He got lucky on the single, as Texas second baseman Ezequiel Duran was playing back and couldn't quite make the play. However, his other two batted balls, both home runs, were absolutely smoked, generating average exit velocities of 107.9 MPH and 105 MPH, respectively. As the Royals' social media team pointed out, Caglianone generated 852 feet of batted-ball distance on his home runs in just two innings. After Tuesday's game, Cags is slashing .261/.338/.442 with a .780 OPS in 222 plate appearances. The former Florida Gator has eight home runs, 23 runs scored, 18 RBI, 3 stolen bases, and a 104 TJ Bat+. Suddenly, Cags has become one of the Royals' most productive hitters in the Royals lineup. According to TJ Stats, his .358 xwOBA is the second-best mark among Royals hitters with 50 or more plate appearances, and his .321 wOBA ranks second as well. Has Jac finally arrived as an established hitter after so much hope and prospect hype since being drafted in 2024? Or is this just a hot streak for Cags that will fade soon enough? Furthermore, what does the former first-round pick need to do to continue to grow his profile as a possible star in Kansas City? Let's break down those questions regarding the talented Royals slugger. Caglianone Has Been On Fire in June In April, Cags slashed .256/.341/.410 with a .751 OPS in 78 at-bats. He also hit two home runs and scored 11 runs in that first full month of play. Thus, it looked like Cags was on his way to having a productive season in 2026 after a strong start. Unfortunately, he took a big step back in May. In 90 at-bats, the 23-year-old slashed .222/.271/.367 with a .638 OPS. He hit one more home run in May (3) than in April (2), stole a base, but overall things regressed for Cags in his second full month. Thus, there was some concern that he might be only a semi-regular player or that he needed more seasoning, especially as pitchers adjusted to him. (I talked about three things that Cags needed to work on to solidify his spot in the Royals lineup on May 21st.) Well, it seems like Cags has made those adjustments and then some in June. In 21 at-bats this month, he's slashing .476/.593/.952 with a 1.545 OPS. Cags also has three home runs, five runs scored, seven RBI, and two stolen bases. However, the most impressive development he may have had this month is walking five times and only striking out five times. For context, he had only six walks to 27 strikeouts in May and eight walks to 29 strikeouts in April. That's a 0.22 BB/K ratio in May and a 0.28 BB/K ratio in April compared to a 1.00 BB/K ratio in June. Lastly, when it comes to Statcast percentiles this month, he's been in the upper percentiles in nearly every category, especially when it comes to hard-hit rate, barrels, exit velocity, and launch-angle sweet-spot%, just to name a few. Cags ranks in the 100th percentile in three categories this month (wOBA, hard-hit rate, and LA sweet-spot rate) and is above the 96th percentile in six others (BB%, Swing%, Z-Swing%, 90th EV, average EV, and xwOBA). Those are characteristics of an elite power hitter, even with the lackluster rankings in O-Swing% (13th percentile) and Z-Contact% (20th percentile). The Numbers Overall Are Still Solid While it's easy to focus solely on Cags' performance in June, it's important to look at the bigger sample when it comes to his performance so far in 2026. Thankfully, one can say that the Royals outfielder is doing well overall, even with the boost of this hot June at the plate. In addition to a 104 TJ Bat+, he is also performing very well in many important batted-ball categories. Much like his Statcast percentiles in June, Cags is thriving in categories such as bat speed, exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate. That can be seen in his TJ Statcast summary below. Overall, the top half of his Statcast summary looks quite similar to the top half of his June Statcast summary. The bottom half, unfortunately, looks vastly different. While Cags has shown improvement in his BB% and K% this month, his BB% ranks in the 40th percentile, and his K% ranks in the 11th percentile this season. Furthermore, his whiff% and Z-Contact%, his lone issues in June, have been poor the whole season. They rank in the 11th and 19th percentiles, respectively. Cags was criticized for an overeager, free-swinging approach at Florida, and it seems that hasn't improved much at the Major League level. That said, it's not as if he hasn't made any changes since his disastrous rookie campaign in 2025. Two important adjustments Cags has made this year are his improvements in launch angle and pulling the ball in the air. Below is his TJ Statcast summary from a season ago. Notice what his percentiles looked like in those two categories. Last season, Cags' 30.4% LA Sweet-Spot% ranked in the 5th percentile, and his 12% PullAir% ranked in the 30th percentile. This season? His LA Sweet-Spot% is 38.2%, ranking in the 65th percentile, and his PullAir% is 16%, ranking in the 60th percentile. Furthermore, his spray chart shows many more balls pulled this year, especially on home runs. It's not like Cags is a hitter without flaws. He strikes out a lot, chases too much, and isn't consistent when it comes to making contact on balls in the zone. That will likely prevent him from being a .300+ average hitter in his career. However, he's showing a decent eye with a penchant for being aggressive on balls that he can launch for home runs. That has been particularly evident in June, not just with his two home runs on Thursday against the Rangers, but also against the Reds last week. Even if this is what Caglianone is long-term, that's a profile the Royals can be satisfied with. He's finally showing that 25-30+ HR power, which is much needed with this Royals lineup, especially with the sharp regression of Salvador Perez and his offensive production this season (62 TJ Bat+). What Are Some Other Concerns? Offensively, Cags is trending in the right direction, which is a positive development for a franchise that's currently 28-39 and doing whatever they can to escape the AL Central basement. That said, the outfielder has some other areas that he needs to work on, with outfield defense being the primary one. Now, Cags has demonstrated one of the best outfield arms in the game in his short career. His +1 arm value ranks in the 83rd percentile, and his 97.6 MPH arm strength ranks in the 100th percentile. That's elite arm strength, which is nice to have in right field regularly. Unfortunately, Cags' range in the outfield has declined significantly after a strong start to the season. According to Savant, he has a -3 OAA in right field and -4 OAA overall (he is -1 at 1B). His success rate is 86%, two percentage points below his estimated success rate of 88%. When looking at his OAA box plot data, Cags has done better on plays going to his right and behind. However, he's performed much worse on plays to his left and when he has to come in. The big light-blue box shows that he struggles on plays where he has to decide whether to play it conservatively off the bounce or aggressively by diving. He struggled on such a play on Tuesday, as he misplayed a ball in front of him hit by Joc Pederson, and the slow third baseman ended up getting a triple (anyone else may have gotten an inside-the-park HR). Cags has the athleticism to be at least an average defensive right fielder, especially with his arm strength. However, his defensive form and instincts need polishing. Today's misplay against Pederson's batted ball didn't hurt Daniel Lynch IV or the Royals too much. That said, it could be different in the future, especially with Cags' sloppy form on many flyball outs he gets to. Tonight was an example of that poor form coming to bite him and the Royals in the butt. Granted, it's not like he has to be a Gold Glove out there in right field. If he stays a below-average right fielder defensively, Royals fans can live with that as long as he is hitting the ball hard and mashing home runs. On the flip side, Cags has the potential to be a special player. He's running more on the basepaths than he did a year ago, and he's shown the ability to make sensational defensive plays in right field over the past two years. He's not Hunter Renfroe or Edward Olivares out there by any means. Thus, let's hope that Cags can continue to work on his form and instincts in the outfield, with the goal of becoming an average defensive outfielder by 2027. That will only improve his chances of becoming an All-Star next year and beyond. View full article