Kevin O'Brien

On Tuesday, the Royals signed left-handed pitcher Anthony Gose to a Minor League deal and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. Gose was playing in the Mexican League this year with Yucatan and performed well in six appearances. In 7.2 IP, Gose allowed no runs, no walks, two hits, and struck out 15 batters. Not only was Gose's ERA 0.00, but he also posted a 0.26 WHIP with Yucatan. Thus, the Royals are hoping that Gose could be a low-risk, high-upside arm that could give them much-needed bullpen depth in Omaha. The 35-year-old was a former position-player prospect ranked as a Top-100 prospect in baseball while in the Blue Jays organization. Despite elite arm strength and speed, he struggled with hitting for contact at the Minor League level. As a result, he transitioned to pitching in 2017 and found more success. Gose made the Majors as a pitcher and posted a career 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 31 appearances and 32 IP, all with the Guardians. He was known for his high-velocity fastball and strikeout ability, as illustrated by his career 11.5 K/9 with Cleveland. Unfortunately, the last time he played at the MLB level was in 2024, when he made only 3 appearances with the Guardians and posted a 10.38 ERA. The former Top-100 prospect primarily pitched in Triple-A in 2025 with the Mets and Diamondbacks organizations. In 37 IP, he posted a 4.62 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 24.3% K%. He also showed some intriguing stuff and the ability to generate whiffs in his time in Triple-A in 2025, as seen below via his TJ Stats summary. Gose isn't on the 40-man roster, so the Royals will likely keep him in Omaha for the time being. However, if any of the Royals' relievers get hurt, he could make a push for a spot on the active roster, especially if he's able to continue to throw a four-seamer in the mid to upper-90s. View full rumor

I agree that the Massey/Loftin platoon is a nice thing to see, and both players have the flexibility to play other positions, which gives Q much-needed flexibility that India doesn't have. While India has been okay to begin this year, I'm curious if the emergence of those two will eventually push India off the roster, especially if this injury becomes a long-term thing.

At home, the Royals have been surprisingly led by the bottom of their lineup. Kyle Isbel, Kansas City's No. 9 hitter, leads in home wRC+ at 178.8. Isaac Collins, who usually hits between 6 and 8, is second with a 164.1 wRC+. Maikel Garcia leads off for the Royals, but he's been their third-best hitter at home on a wRC+ end with a 157.3 mark. At home, the Royals have 12 hitters with a wRC+ over 100. The only regular hitters who do not have such wRC+ marks are Vinnie Pasquantino (54.5) and Salvador Perez (70.4). Tyler Tolbert has a -100 wRC+, but that is a skewed sample (he only has one plate appearance at home). Thus, despite all the naysays, Kansas City has been a good offensive team, and the numbers back it up. It's just that it's only been at Kauffman Stadium so far this year. The Road Numbers Have Been Bleak (Though Competition Has Been Tougher) So, we know that the Royals' offense has been awesome at the K. Unfortunately, it's been the polar opposite for this hitting group on the road through 12 games. Here's a look at MLB team metrics, as organized by wRC+, utilizing the same metrics as the table in the section above. Notice where the Royals rank in this one. As fans can see, the Royals rank dead last in road wRC+. And not just last, but last by a considerable margin. Their 57.5 wRC+ is not only 61.1 points worse than their home wRC+ but also 17.6 points worse than the second-worst team's road wRC+ (the Mariners, whom they play this weekend). Let's take a look at how the Royals hitters have fared so far this year away from Kauffman on an individual basis. While the Royals had 12 hitters who had wRC+ marks of 100 or better at home, they only have four hitters in that range. That includes Caglianone (107.3), Bobby Witt Jr. (124.3), Jensen (131.1), and Elias Diaz (370.9). That said, Diaz's numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, as he only has three plate appearances. Conversely, some Royals who have performed well at home have been brutal on the road. Collins, who has the second-best home wRC+, has the worst road wRC+ with a -75 mark (he hasn't gotten a single hit this year away from the K). Perez joins Collins in the negative wRC+ club with a -2.2 mark. Furthermore, Jonathan India (38.2), Starling Marte (35.7), Garcia (31.9), Isbel (19.8), and Michael Massey (14.1) all have wRC+ marks under 40. That's a sizeable number, and a big reason why they have performed so poorly on the road so far this year. Some have held their own on the road, much to the Royals' surprise. Cags has been just as good on the road as he is at home, based on wRC+. Loftin has a wRC+ under 100, but not by much. Vinnie's 61 wRC+ on the road isn't good, but it's better than what he's been doing at Kauffman this year. A big difference is that the road schedule has been harder for the Royals than their home slate in April. On the road this year, they've played the Braves, Guardians, Tigers, and Yankees. All four teams are at or near the top of their respective divisions. Conversely, at home this year, they've played the Twins, Brewers, White Sox, Orioles, and Angels. Of that group, only the Brewers have a winning record, and it's just 14-13. Hence, some of that context has to be taken into account given the Royals' road woes. Still, even with the boost in competition, the gap between their home and road hitting performance has been stark and needs to be addressed on this upcoming road trip. What Should We Be Looking For in This Road Trip? The Royals will face an Athletics team that is first in the AL West with a 15-13 record but a -8 run differential. The Mariners have a 14-16 record and a -1 run differential. Thus, these road opponents will be much easier than those they faced in the previous four series away from Kauffman. Still, it will be important for Kansas City to demonstrate that they can hit away from the K, especially with the pitching, especially the bullpen, regressing a bit this season. Collins, Isbel, and Massey will be key secondary hitters who need to show that they can hit well, not just at the K, but in other ballparks as well. In terms of primary hitters, Salvy and Maikel need to show that they can be much better on the road, as their struggles have weighed down the Royals at the top of the batting order. My hope is that the confidence from this past homestand will carry over to this road trip, especially in their first series at Sutter Health Park, which is the second-most hitter-friendly ballpark in baseball over the past two seasons, according to Statcast Park Factors. Thus, this is the kind of ballpark, as well as the opposing pitching staff (the Athletics rotation ranks 26th in ERA), that can help the Royals get out of their offensive funk on the road. Of course, the Royals need to actually hit and produce runs on the road in this upcoming trip, especially in Sacramento. A solid series against the Athletics could help build some much-needed momentum for a Mariners series against a Seattle team that's 6-4 in their last 10 games. A poor hitting series in the State Capital of California? Well, the Royals will have a tougher time scoring runs at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, which has the second-lowest scoring Park Factor in baseball over the past two years (only Texas' Globe Life Field is worse). Seeing Collins, Garcia, Isbel, Massey, and Salvy turning it around on the road in this upcoming series against the Athletics would not just be a good start for the Royals on this trip, but also for future trips on the road for the remainder of the 2026 season. View full article

Toledo walked off Omaha 2-1 in the eighth, while Northwest Arkansas split a doubleheader with Wichita on Rudy Martin Jr.'s walk-off homer in Game 1. Tyriq Kemp went 3-for-3 with a triple, a home run, and four runs scored as Quad Cities outslugged Lansing 9-5. Columbia split with Augusta behind Stone Russell's three-hit, one-homer Game 1 effort. Henry Williams allowed one earned run over five innings, and Max Martin tossed two scoreless innings. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Drop Pitcher's Duel In Toledo Omaha was held to five hits in a 2-1 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens, with the deciding run coming home on a triple in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Storm Chasers managed only one run in the game and were held scoreless after the second. Omaha's offense came in the second inning. Abraham Toro reached on a single, then scored when Josh Rojas tripled to right field. Rojas finished 1-for-3 with the triple and the lone RBI. Drew Waters added a single and a walk, Luca Tresh contributed a hit and a walk, and Toro and Elih Marrero each chipped in a hit. The team struck out 12 times and stranded five runners. Starter Luinder Avila worked a clean opening inning, walking one without allowing a hit. Ben Sears followed with two scoreless innings of one-hit relief, walking one and striking out one. Shane Panzini was tagged with the run that tied the game in the fifth, allowing one earned run on a hit and two walks across 1 2/3 innings while striking out one. Andrew Pérez turned in 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Chazz Martinez took the loss after 1 1/3 innings in which he allowed one earned run on a hit and a walk while striking out two, with the walk-off triple coming off him in the eighth. Eric Cerantola finished by getting two outs, walking one and striking out one. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kevin Newman 4 0 0 0 0 3 Drew Waters 3 0 1 0 1 1 Kameron Misner 4 0 0 0 0 2 Luca Tresh 3 0 1 0 1 0 Abraham Toro 4 1 1 0 0 2 Josh Rojas 3 0 1 1 0 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 0 1 Elih Marrero 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luinder Avila 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ben Sears 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 Shane Panzini 1 2/3 1 1 1 2 1 0 Andrew Pérez 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Chazz Martinez 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 2 0 Eric Cerantola 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Martin Walk-Off Homer Caps Naturals' Game 1 Comeback Northwest Arkansas trailed 5-1 entering the bottom of the fifth and rallied for a walk-off, 6-5 win over the Wichita Wind Surge in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Leadoff hitter Rudy Martin Jr. opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to right-center to end it. The Naturals broke through in the third when Dustin Dickerson doubled, advanced to third on a Canyon Brown single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin Johnson. They added two more in the fifth on a sequence that featured a Jorge Alfaro double, a Dickerson double, and a Brown single, with leadoff hitter Carson Roccaforte's sacrifice fly bringing Dickerson home and another run also crossing the plate. Alfaro then tied the game in the sixth with a two-run home run that scored Sam Kulasingam from first. Alfaro finished 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and two RBI. Dickerson went 2-for-2 with two doubles, two runs scored, and a walk. Brown added two hits, Roccaforte was 1-for-3 with a double and a sacrifice-fly RBI, and Martin Jr.'s walk-off shot capped his 1-for-4 day. Hunter Patteson started but lasted only 3 1/3 innings, surrendering four earned runs on three hits and two walks while giving up two home runs and striking out one. Caden Monke worked 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief, charged with one unearned run on two walks while striking out three. Chase Jessee added 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout, and Tommy Molsky retired one batter to earn the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 0 1 1 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 4 1 1 1 0 1 Sam Kulasingam 1 1 0 0 2 0 Brett Squires 3 0 0 0 0 1 Daniel Vazquez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jorge Alfaro 3 2 2 2 0 0 Dustin Dickerson 2 2 2 0 1 0 Canyon Brown 3 0 2 0 0 0 Justin Johnson 2 0 0 1 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Patteson 3 1/3 3 4 4 2 1 2 Caden Monke 1 2/3 0 1 0 2 3 0 Chase Jessee 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 1 0 Tommy Molsky 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Late Homer Sinks Naturals In Game 2 Northwest Arkansas dropped Game 2 of the doubleheader, 3-2, after a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning broke a 2-1 tie. The Naturals managed only five hits and were held scoreless from the third inning on. Wichita took an early lead with a solo home run in the top of the first. The Naturals answered in the bottom of the second when Dustin Dickerson doubled, and Connor Scott followed with a two-run home run to right-center. That 2-1 edge held until the seventh, when the Wind Surge connected on a two-run shot off Zachary Cawyer to take a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. Scott finished 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, and a walk. Dickerson went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, Brett Squires, Daniel Vazquez, and Canyon Brown each added a hit, and Vazquez and leadoff hitter Carson Roccaforte each drew a walk. The Naturals struck out seven times and stranded seven runners. Starter Henry Williams turned in the strongest outing of the night, working five innings while allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk, striking out three. Oscar Rayo followed with a scoreless inning of relief. Cawyer took the loss after two-thirds of an inning in which he allowed two earned runs on two hits and a walk, striking out two and giving up the deciding home run. Andrew Morones finished the seventh with a strikeout. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 0 0 0 1 3 Rudy Martin Jr. 3 0 0 0 1 1 Sam Kulasingam 4 0 0 0 0 2 Brett Squires 3 0 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 2 0 1 0 1 1 Dustin Dickerson 3 1 1 0 0 0 Connor Scott 2 1 1 2 1 0 Canyon Brown 3 0 1 0 0 0 Omar Hernandez 0 0 0 0 0 0 Colton Becker 2 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 5 2 1 1 1 3 1 Oscar Rayo 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zachary Cawyer 2/3 2 2 2 1 2 1 Andrew Morones 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Kemp Powers River Bandits Past Lansing Tyriq Kemp went 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple, and four runs scored to lead Quad Cities to a 9-5 comeback win over the Lansing Lugnuts. The River Bandits scored five unanswered runs across the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings after surrendering the lead earlier in the sixth. Quad Cities scored first when Kemp homered in the third for a 2-0 lead, then stretched the advantage to 4-0 in the fifth on a Kemp run-scoring single and a Ramon Ramirez sacrifice fly. Lansing answered with five runs in the top of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead. The River Bandits responded in the bottom half: Chris Brito singled, Kemp walked, Nolan Sailors singled, Ramirez was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run, and Luke Pelzer punched a two-run single to right to put Quad Cities back in front 7-5. They tacked on two more in the seventh when Austin Charles reached on an error and Kemp tripled him home, with another run scoring on a groundout. Kemp drove in two and reached four times. Pelzer was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and a stolen base. Ramirez finished 1-for-3 with two RBI, and leadoff hitter Sailors added a hit and a run. The team finished with 11 hits and 9 runs, and stranded nine runners. Starter Josh Hansell worked three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three. Tanner Jones went four innings and was charged with five earned runs on four hits and two walks, striking out two before earning the win when his team rallied. Hunter Alberini and Nick Conte each tossed a scoreless inning of relief. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 5 1 1 0 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 3 0 1 2 0 0 Luke Pelzer 5 0 2 2 0 1 Jose Cerice 3 1 1 0 2 1 Derlin Figueroa 2 0 0 0 3 0 Austin Charles 5 1 1 1 0 0 Chris Brito 3 1 1 0 1 1 Erick Torres 4 1 1 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp 3 4 3 2 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Josh Hansell 3 2 0 0 3 3 0 Tanner Jones 4 4 5 5 2 2 0 Hunter Alberini 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Nick Conte 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Russell, Vanek Lead Fireflies Past Augusta In Game 1 Columbia opened the doubleheader with a 6-2 win over the Augusta GreenJackets, powered by an 11-hit attack and a three-hit night from Stone Russell. The Fireflies scored in five of seven innings. Columbia struck first in the bottom of the first when Sean Gamble singled and later scored on a single by cleanup hitter Brooks Bryan. Russell led off the second with a solo home run for a 2-0 lead. The Fireflies broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs as leadoff hitter Henry Ramos singled, Gamble doubled him to third, Josh Hammond brought Ramos home with a sacrifice fly, Yandel Ricardo walked, and JC Vanek lined a two-run single to right that scored Ricardo and pushed the lead to 6-2. Russell finished 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, and an RBI. Vanek went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Gamble was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and a stolen base, and Ricardo went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run. Ramos and Bryan each added a hit, with Bryan driving in a run, and Hammond drove in another on his sacrifice fly. The Fireflies struck out three times and stranded six. Starter Jose Gutierrez worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run and one unearned on a single hit while walking four and striking out four. Max Martin earned the win with two scoreless innings, walking two and striking out three. Jhon Reyes recorded the final two outs with two strikeouts and no hits allowed. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 1 1 0 0 1 Sean Gamble 4 2 2 0 0 0 Josh Hammond 2 0 0 1 1 0 Brooks Bryan 3 0 1 1 0 0 Yandel Ricardo 2 1 1 0 1 0 JC Vanek 3 1 2 1 0 1 Stone Russell 3 1 3 1 0 0 Roni Cabrera 2 0 0 0 1 0 Jhosmmel Zue 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Gutierrez 4 1/3 1 2 1 4 4 1 Max Martin 2 0 0 0 2 3 0 Jhon Reyes 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Fireflies Held To One Hit In Game 2 Loss Columbia mustered only one hit and was shut out 4-0 by the Augusta GreenJackets in Game 2 of the doubleheader. The Fireflies' lone hit came from Brooks Bryan, and the team struck out six times. Augusta took an early lead with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. The GreenJackets put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth with a three-run rally that included a fielder's choice that scored a run, a bases-loaded walk, and a sacrifice fly. Columbia threatened with a pair of walks to leadoff hitter Henry Ramos and Yandel Ricardo, who walked twice in the game, and a Daniel Lopez free pass, but the team stranded seven runners and could not push a run across. Bryan was 1-for-3 with two strikeouts. Ramos drew a walk, Ricardo walked twice, and Lopez added a walk. No other Fireflies hitter reached base safely. Starter Shane Van Dam took the loss after 3 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks while giving up a home run and striking out two. Henson Leal followed with 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out one. Andy Basora capped the night with a scoreless seventh, surrendering two hits and striking out one. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 2 0 0 0 1 0 Sean Gamble 3 0 0 0 0 1 Brooks Bryan 3 0 1 0 0 2 Hyungchan Um 3 0 0 0 0 2 Yandel Ricardo 1 0 0 0 2 0 Stone Russell 3 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Lopez 2 0 0 0 1 1 Ivan Sosa 2 0 0 0 0 0 Connor Rasmussen 2 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Shane Van Dam 3 1/3 3 4 4 2 2 1 Henson Leal 2 2/3 1 0 0 2 1 0 Andy Basora 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: DNP David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 2-for-7, 2B, 2 R, SB, K Josh Hammond: 0-for-2, RBI, BB Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-3, 2 RBI Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: DNP Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-3, R, 3 BB Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-5, BB, 2 K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-6, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images It's been a rough start for Cole Ragans to begin the 2026 season, and that's putting it kindly. After posting a 4.67 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in just 13 starts and 61.2 IP, the 28-year-old Royals lefty was determined to show that he was not just healthy, but could once again show the profile that made him a Cy Young finalist in 2024 (he finished 4th in AL Cy Young voting). Overall, this season, the results haven't quite been there for Ragans. In six starts and 27 IP, he has a 5.00 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 6.03 FIP, and 13% K-BB%. He's still striking out batters at a good clip (28.7% K%), but his walk rate has been brutal (15.7% BB%). In addition, he has struggled with hard contact allowed, as illustrated by his Statcast percentiles via TJ Stats, as shown below. In addition to ranking in the 2nd percentile in BB%, he also ranks in the 5th percentile in barrel rate allowed and 21st in groundball rate. While the whiffs (94th percentile), strikeouts (88th percentile K%), and strike-generating (80th percentile CSW%) have been strong, hitters have hit the ball hard and in the air when they've made contact, and that's not a recipe for success. However, despite the slow start, Ragans finally showed signs of life on Saturday in the Royals' 12-1 victory over the Angels. In six innings of work, Ragans struck out 11, allowed only five hits, one run, and had no walks. The lone hit was a home run by Jo Adell. However, beyond the Adell home run, the Angels struggled against Ragans, as evidenced by not just the strikeouts, but the 27 whiffs Ragans induced, which tied a career-high. For the Royals to get back into the postseason race, especially in the AL Central, they will need a healthy and locked-in Ragans for the remainder of the season. Was Saturday's start a step in the right direction? Or was it an outlier against an Angels team that has struggled with offensive consistency this season? (They rank 4th in home runs and 8th in runs scored, but 27th in batting average.) The Four-Seamer Was in Full Force Against the Angels When looking at Ragans' performance, I figured it would be good to look at his TJ Stuff+ summary from Saturday's game. Here's what it looked like below. There's a lot to like from this Ragans TJ Stuff+ summary. First off, the stuff looked amazing from Ragans in his most recent outing. Not only did he post a 104 overall TJ Stuff+, but all four of his pitches had TJ Stuff+ over 100 and grades over 50 (three over 60). As a result, he not only generated a ton of whiffs (46.6% whiff rate) but also chases (40.8%). The chase rate has been a struggle for him this year, as his 27% O-Swing% ranks in the 23rd percentile. Thus, to see some improvement in this area on Saturday was encouraging. However, what stuck out most from this pitching performance was that Ragans relied heavily on the four-seamer, and it worked for him. It was a "bully ball" performance in which he challenged Angels hitters with his four-seamer, dared them to hit it, and simply overwhelmed them with the offering for six innings. Ragans not only threw the four-seamer 53.5% of the time, but he threw it in the zone a lot (54.7%) and generated a lot of whiffs with it, as evidenced by his 51.4% whiff rate on the four-seamer. What's even more impressive is that he produced a lot of whiffs and strikes in the zone, as illustrated in his four-seam pitch description chart via Savant. It's interesting to see that Ragans wasn't particularly pinpoint with his four-seamer command on Saturday. While he definitely had an approach to locate it up, he also left a lot of four-seamers in the strike zone, especially in areas where they could've been belted for base hits. However, Ragans' "flood the zone" approach with the four-seamer seemed to be productive, as illustrated by not just his high whiff and chase rates, but solid .351 xwOBACON allowed on the pitch. That showed that Ragans' four-seamer had the Angels off balance. They not only whiffed on the pitch but also didn't make good contact when they connected. The latter aspect is something that we haven't seen much from Ragans this year with his four-seamer. That is demonstrated in the four-seam heatmap below from this year, via TJ Stats. For the year, Ragans is actually producing strong whiff rates against lefties (22.5%) and righties (34.6%), as well as excellent CSW rates against lefties (29.6%) and righties (32.1%). That said, he has been a bit subpar in chase against both sides of the plate, with a 24% O-Swing% against lefties and 25.9% O-Swing% against righties. His xwOBACON marks are even worse, with a .482 xwOBACON allowed against lefties and .396 xwOBACON against righties. For comparison, let's look at his four-seamer heatmap data from 2025. His four-seam command was less erratic a season ago, as illustrated by the heatmap that is centered around the upper edges of the strike zone against both lefties and righties. He's generating better CSW and whiff rates against lefties this year than in 2025, but lefties are hitting the four-seamer much better. Conversely, the CSW and whiff rates against righties with the four-seamer are around the same, but Ragans is doing a better job limiting hard contact this year than a season ago (.517 xwOBACON). When Ragans is able to flood the strike zone with the four-seamer, positive results have followed this year. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary from his start against the Yankees, the zone rate was far lower on the four-seamer than the one he showed against the Angels. Against the Yankees, Ragans had a 104 TJ Stuff+ on the four-seamer, but his zone rate was 42.6%. That was 12.1% worse than his four-seam zone rate against the Angels. Hence, while Ragans was able to generate decent whiffs with the four-seamer (27.3%), the lack of control and command with the four-seamer resulted in a low amount of chase (22.9%) and a lot of walks (eight) as a result. I would expect that Ragans will make it a priority in his upcoming starts to ensure that he's flooding the strike zone with his four-seamer. Better Extension on the Knuckle Curve? The knuckle curve has been an interesting breaking offering this season for Ragans. He utilizes it (8.9% usage) more than his slider (14%). That said, he didn't throw the slider AT ALL in his last start and threw the curveball 12.1% against the Angels. That is eight percent higher than his knuckle curve usage against the Yankees. What's interesting about the pitch is that it isn't necessarily a "plus" pitch by any means. It's one of his lowest-rated pitches on a TJ Stuff+ end, as seen below via his TJ Stuff+ season summary for the season. Ragans' knuckle curve has a 100 TJ Stuff+ and 45 grade with a 16% chase rate, 16.7% whiff rate, and 1.076 xwOBACON allowed. Even against the Angels, he had only a 25 percent chase and whiff rate, as well as a 2.032 xwOBACON allowed. In fact, his home run allowed to Adell came on a poorly commanded knuckle curve. Still, the knuckle curve seems to be an offering that can be useful when commanded effectively. Last year, Ragans generated a 32.4% whiff rate, 22.2% put-away rate, and .284 xwOBA allowed on the knuckle curve. Here's how it looked last season, based on his TJ Stats heatmap data. Here's Ragans last May, inducing a strikeout of Trevor Story on a knuckle curve in an 0-2 count. R0I2TGpfWGw0TUFRPT1fQndjRFVGY0FVZ01BWEZzTFZ3QUhWd1ZXQUFNRVZRTUFCQU1IQmdkUkFWSlZCZ1Jm.mp4 This year, the metrics on his knuckle curve have trended in the wrong direction. His knuckle curve is generating a 16.7% whiff rate, a 0.0% put-away rate, and a 1.093 xwOBA. Not only is Ragans' knuckle curve not generating the strikes needed, but it's also getting mashed. In addition to Addell's home run, Aaron Judge also smoked a home run off Ragans on a first-pitch knuckle curve that was located poorly as well. ek13R1pfVjBZQUhRPT1fRHdGWFYxWlJVd0lBREFCV0J3QUhWd1JmQUFOUlVRQUFDbFVIQUZjTlVnUlhCd3NB.mp4 Judge absolutely jumped on it and launched it over the center field wall. Thus, one has to ask the question: How is Ragans locating his knuckle curve this year? Based on the heatmap data below, it hasn't been good, as he's been leaving it far too often in the middle of the zone. He's locating it in a similar and ideal area to lefties, though he's only thrown it 3.7% of the time against southpaw hitters. Against righties, the CSW% is strong at 32.4%, but he has only generated a 16.7% whiff rate, 20% O-Swing%, and is allowing a 1.076 xwOBACON with the curve. Thus, the command of the curve has been poor this year, especially against righties. What could be contributing to that? Extension could be the difference between this year and last. For those unfamiliar with extension, it is how far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the pitch. It is important for the following reasons, per Google's AI overview: Ragans' extension this year on the knuckle curve is 5.9 feet, which is 0.2 feet less than his extension on the pitch a season ago. While that seems like a minute difference, that subtle change in extension could be why he's not locating the knuckle curve down like he wants, especially against righties. That said, his extension has been much better in recent starts, especially against the Angels, which had a 6.0 mark. Furthermore, he's been trending up in extension with each start after an initial decline, as illustrated in his extension rolling chart via Savant. Thus, with better extension, Ragans may develop a better feel for the knuckle curve. If that happens, not only will he miss less in the middle of the zone, but he will also generate more swing-and-miss on the pitch, something he did in 2025 and 2024 with the breaking offering. Final Thoughts On Ragans It's just one start, but on Saturday, Ragans demonstrated why he has been the Royals' Opening Day starter for the last three years. When his command and velocity are clicking, as they were on Saturday, there's not a better starting pitcher in the Royals' rotation, which says something considering this starting pitching staff ranks sixth in ERA and ninth in WHIP (though that may go up after Seth Lugo's rough outing on Sunday). For Ragans to build on this promising start, he will need to focus on two things: his four-seam command and knuckle curve extension. The four-seamer has all the characteristics of a premier pitch, and he throws it more than enough (53.6% usage). However, when he's missing on the edges or up, hitters don't chase, which forces him to rely on other pitches that aren't as effective or as impressive. On Saturday, he didn't worry about being too fine with the pitch. He just threw it hard and in the zone, and the approach paid off. In terms of the extension, it's obvious that his decline in extension on the knuckle curve is negatively affecting his command on the pitch. When he got back to his normal knuckle curve extension, the results were much better. A 0.1 foot difference in knuckle curve extension from the Yankees to the Angels start resulted in a three-point improvement in TJ Stuff+ and 25% increase in chase and whiff rate. Thus, keeping a consistent extension on his knuckle curve should be a priority for Ragans in order to improve his knuckle curve command, which hasn't been good this year. Ragans can't gain better command of the curve if the extension isn't there. If those two things happen, Ragans will once again look like his "ace" self, regardless of the competition. Hopefully, he can continue to make progress in those two areas in his next scheduled start in Seattle, which profiles more as a pitcher's park, and against a Mariners lineup that is dangerous but has been inconsistent to begin 2026 (they rank 21st in average, 20th in runs scored, and 15th in home runs). View full article

Justin Lamkin tossed six shutout innings with six strikeouts as Quad Cities walked off Lansing 3-2 in ten innings, with Austin Charles scoring the tying run and Nolan Sailors delivering the winning sacrifice fly. Yimi Presinal picked up the win in relief. In Toledo, Mitch Spence took the loss across five innings as Omaha was shut out 2-0 despite Josh Rojas's 2-for-4 day with a double. Northwest Arkansas (Double-A) and Columbia (Single-A) did not play due to weather. They will both have doubleheaders scheduled for Sunday, April 26th. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Bats Silenced In 2-0 Shutout Loss At Toledo Omaha was held without a run in a 2-0 loss in Toledo, mustering five hits and three walks across nine innings. Josh Rojas led the way, going 2-for-4 with a double. Tyler Tolbert, Drew Waters, and Luke Maile each added a single. Leadoff hitter John Rave went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, while Kameron Misner also struck out twice in four at-bats. Luca Tresh drew a walk and struck out twice, and Gavin Cross drew a walk in two trips. Abraham Toro went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The Storm Chasers stranded seven runners and committed one error. Right-hander Mitch Spence was tagged with the loss after working five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits, walking three, and striking out five. The Mud Hens broke through in the bottom of the third for the only runs of the game. Spence allowed a leadoff double, struck out the next batter, then issued a walk before a flyout brought the inning to two outs. A two-run double to right field plated both runners and pushed Toledo ahead 2-0. The bullpen kept Omaha in striking distance, but the offense could not respond. Bailey Falter followed with two innings of one-hit ball, walking none and striking out two. Steven Cruz closed the eighth on one hit, no walks, and two more strikeouts. The Storm Chasers put runners on base in several frames, but could not push one across. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 4 0 0 0 0 2 Tyler Tolbert 4 0 1 0 0 1 Kameron Misner 4 0 0 0 0 2 Drew Waters 4 0 1 0 0 0 Luca Tresh 3 0 0 0 1 2 Josh Rojas 4 0 2 0 0 0 Abraham Toro 4 0 0 0 0 2 Gavin Cross 2 0 0 0 1 0 Luke Maile 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mitch Spence 5 3 2 2 3 5 0 Bailey Falter 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Steven Cruz 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 River Bandits Walk Off Lansing 3-2 In Ten Innings Quad Cities erased a one-run deficit in the bottom of the tenth to walk off Lansing 3-2. Austin Charles went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base, including the tying run in the tenth. Asbel Gonzalez singled, Trevor Werner singled and laid down a sacrifice bunt, Tyriq Kemp singled, and Derlin Figueroa added a hit. Leadoff man Nolan Sailors finished 0-for-4 but delivered the walk-off sacrifice fly. Blake Mitchell drew two walks and stole a base, while Ramon Ramirez drew a walk. The River Bandits stranded seven runners and committed two errors. Left-hander Justin Lamkin turned in a quality start, working six innings of shutout ball on four hits, walking three, and striking out six. Kamden Edge followed with two perfect innings, striking out two for a hold. Yimi Presinal entered for the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk and a single, then a sacrifice bunt produced a tying run when Presinal's throwing error allowed the runner home. Presinal worked around the damage to retire the next three batters and pitched two innings overall, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three. Both runs charged to him were unearned. Quad Cities had taken a 1-0 lead in the second when Charles singled and scored on a Lansing throwing error during Erick Torres's at-bat. The Lugnuts pushed across an unearned run on a Presinal error in the tenth on a Riemer fielder's choice with the zombie runner aboard. In the bottom half, zombie runner Charles scored on Torres's sacrifice bunt that drew another throwing error, and the Sailors' sacrifice fly to left brought home Torres for the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 0 0 1 0 2 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Blake Mitchell 2 0 0 0 2 1 Ramon Ramirez 3 0 0 0 1 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 0 1 0 0 2 Austin Charles 4 2 1 0 0 1 Erick Torres 3 1 0 0 0 0 Trevor Werner 3 0 1 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Justin Lamkin 6 4 0 0 3 6 0 Kamden Edge 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Yimi Presinal 2 1 2 0 1 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 0-for-2, 2 BB, SB, K David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: DNP Josh Hammond: DNP Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-3, BB, K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, K Yandel Ricardo: DNP Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vazquez: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article

David Shields struck out six over five innings of one-run ball, but Quad Cities saw its lead vanish in a six-run, ninth-inning collapse, falling 7-6 to Lansing. Drew Beam fanned six in 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball as Northwest Arkansas dropped a 5-1 decision to Wichita despite Brandon Johnson's hitless 2 1/3 frames in relief. JC Vanek reached base five times in Columbia's 11-10 loss to Augusta, and Omaha fell 4-3 in a rain-shortened game in Toledo. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Drop Rain-Shortened 4-3 Decision In Toledo Omaha could not finish what it started, falling 4-3 in Toledo, with the game called after the bottom of the fifth due to rain. Gavin Cross stayed busy on the bases, going 1-for-2 with a run scored, three stolen bases, and a strikeout. Tyler Tolbert finished 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI, and a walk. Drew Waters drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI, while leadoff hitter Kevin Newman went 1-for-2 with a walk. Kameron Misner walked, scored, stole a base, and struck out once. Luca Tresh, Josh Rojas, and Elih Marrero each chipped in a hit, with Rojas and Marrero adding doubles. The Storm Chasers stranded nine and committed two errors. Right-hander Stephen Kolek opened on the mound and worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out four. The damage came on a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth that pulled the Mud Hens within 3-2. Beck Way relieved Kolek with two outs in the fourth and was tagged with the loss across 1 1/3 innings, scattering two hits and striking out three without surrendering an earned run. Omaha's three runs came in the third and fourth. Misner walked, swiped second, and scored on a fielding error during Abraham Toro's at-bat. The next inning, Cross was hit by a pitch, advanced on Tolbert's RBI single, then came around on Waters's bases-loaded walk for a 3-0 lead. Toledo answered with the home run in the fourth and pushed across two unearned runs in the fifth on a center-field throwing error during a strikeout. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kevin Newman 2 0 1 0 1 0 Drew Waters 2 0 0 1 1 0 Kameron Misner 2 1 0 0 1 1 Abraham Toro 3 0 0 0 0 0 Luca Tresh 3 0 1 0 0 0 Josh Rojas 3 0 1 0 0 1 Gavin Cross 2 1 1 0 0 1 Tyler Tolbert 2 1 1 1 1 0 Elih Marrero 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Stephen Kolek 3 2/3 4 2 2 2 4 1 Beck Way 1 1/3 2 2 0 0 3 0 Beam's Six Strikeouts Wasted As Naturals Fall To Wichita 5-1 Northwest Arkansas managed just one run on six hits in a 5-1 home loss to Wichita. Justin Johnson led the way, going 2-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts. Cleanup hitter Brett Squires doubled, scored the lone Naturals run, and finished 1-for-4. Leadoff man Carson Roccaforte drew two walks, while Daniel Vazquez also walked twice and added a stolen base. Sam Kulasingam reached twice on a hit and a walk, and Connor Scott matched that line with a single and a walk. Dustin Dickerson added a hit, and Rudy Martin Jr. drew two walks. The Naturals stranded ten runners and committed one error. Right-hander Drew Beam turned in a sharp start, working 4 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run on four hits, walking one, and striking out six. Beam exited with two outs in the fifth after a leadoff double, and the bullpen could not contain the rally. Dennis Colleran Jr. was charged with two earned runs in 1/3 of an inning, and Wichita pushed across three runs in the frame. Brandon Johnson then steadied the relief crew with 2 1/3 hitless innings, walking none and striking out four. Christian Chamberlain surrendered a leadoff home run in the eighth, and an unearned run scored later in the inning on a passed ball. Squires answered in the bottom of the eighth with a double, advanced to third on a flyout, and scored on a fielding error during Dickerson's at-bat. Tommy Molsky closed out the ninth on one hit and a strikeout, but the offense could not muster a comeback. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 3 0 0 0 2 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 3 0 0 0 2 2 Sam Kulasingam 3 0 1 0 1 0 Brett Squires 4 1 1 0 0 1 Daniel Vazquez 2 0 0 0 2 1 Dustin Dickerson 4 0 1 0 0 0 Connor Scott 3 0 1 0 1 0 Canyon Brown 4 0 0 0 0 2 Justin Johnson 4 0 2 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 4 1/3 4 1 1 1 6 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1/3 2 2 2 1 0 0 Brandon Johnson 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 4 0 Christian Chamberlain 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 Tommy Molsky 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 River Bandits' Lead Evaporates In Six-Run Ninth-Inning Collapse Quad Cities took a four-run lead into the ninth and could not hold it, falling 7-6 to Lansing. Leadoff man Asbel Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a walk, and two stolen bases. Blake Mitchell singled, walked twice, scored two runs, stole a base, and struck out twice. Erick Torres finished 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, while Jose Cerice was 2-for-2 with a run, an RBI, and two walks. Austin Charles added a 2-for-5 day with an RBI and a stolen base. Luke Pelzer drove in a run, Ramon Ramirez scored once, and the River Bandits stranded eleven runners. Right-hander David Shields was sharp on the mound across five innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, walking three, and striking out six, with a solo home run as the only damage. L.P. Langevin followed with two hitless innings, walking two and striking out four. The bullpen unraveled in the ninth. Cory Ronan opened the inning with a walk, struck out the next batter, then walked two more to load the bases. Dash Albus relieved with one out and surrendered a bases-loaded walk, an RBI single, another walk, a wild pitch, and a two-run single, allowing the Lugnuts to plate six runs and seize a 7-5 lead. Quad Cities had built its lead by manufacturing runs across the early innings. Mitchell singled and scored on a Lansing throwing error during Ramirez's at-bat in the first, then Cerice singled in Ramirez. Pelzer's groundout drove in Mitchell in the third, Gonzalez singled in Torres in the fourth, and Charles singled home Pelzer in the fifth. Torres added a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 2 1 1 0 Blake Mitchell 3 2 1 0 2 2 Ramon Ramirez 5 1 1 0 0 0 Luke Pelzer 5 1 1 1 0 2 Jose Cerice 2 1 2 1 2 0 Austin Charles 5 0 2 1 0 0 Erick Torres 3 1 2 1 1 1 Trevor Werner 5 0 0 0 0 1 Angel Acosta 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 5 4 1 1 3 6 1 L.P. Langevin 2 0 0 0 2 4 0 Cory Ronan 1 1/3 0 3 3 4 1 0 Dash Albus 2/3 2 3 3 2 0 0 Fireflies' Comeback Falls Just Short In 11-10 Loss To Augusta Columbia rallied twice but could not protect a late lead, dropping an 11-10 decision to Augusta. Roni Cabrera went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. JC Vanek reached base five times on a 2-for-2 day with three walks, two RBI, a run, and a stolen base. Yandel Ricardo finished 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a walk, and a strikeout. Cleanup hitter Brooks Bryan went 1-for-4 with a run, a walk, a strikeout, and a steal of home in the first. Daniel Lopez added a hit, two runs, an RBI, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Connor Rasmussen went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI, and two walks. Josi Novas chipped in a hit, two RBI, and a walk, while leadoff hitter Henry Ramos tripled and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. The Fireflies left seven on base and committed one error. Right-hander Michael Lombardi started and worked two innings, allowing one earned run on a hit while walking four and striking out four. Brandon Herbold was tagged with three earned runs on four hits, including a two-run home run, in one inning of relief. Darwin Rodriguez followed with four innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. Randy Ramnarace took the loss after surrendering a three-run double in the ninth. Columbia tied the game at seven in the seventh on Vanek's RBI single, fell behind 8-7 in the eighth, and answered with three in the bottom of the eighth on RBI singles from Rasmussen, Novas, and Ricardo to take a 10-8 lead. Augusta walked the bases full to begin the ninth, walked in a run, and a three-run double broke the tie for good. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 3 1 1 1 0 1 Yandel Ricardo 4 2 2 1 1 1 Josh Hammond 5 0 0 0 0 1 Brooks Bryan 4 1 1 0 1 1 JC Vanek 2 1 2 2 3 0 Roni Cabrera 5 2 3 0 0 1 Daniel Lopez 3 2 1 1 0 1 Connor Rasmussen 3 1 1 1 2 0 Josi Novas 2 0 1 2 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Michael Lombardi 2 1 1 1 4 4 0 Brandon Herbold 1 4 3 3 0 1 1 Darwin Rodriguez 4 5 3 3 1 5 0 Yeri Perez 1 1 3 2 2 1 0 Randy Ramnarace 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB, 2 K David Shields: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HR Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: DNP Josh Hammond: 0-for-5, K Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-5, R Drew Beam: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, BB, 2 SB Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, BB, K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vázquez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, SB, K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-3, 2 BB, K Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article

Garcia improved his Pull Air% from 16.2% to 19%, which is a step in the right direction. However, the other three have seen declines in Pull Air% from 2025 to 2026. Salvy has dropped 11.5% in Pull Air% since 2025. Cags has dropped 3.8%, and Witt has dropped 1.3%. Perez's is the most alarming, since an 11.5% drop at age 36 signifies that Father Time has finally come for Salvy and his MLB career. It's disappointing, but it's somewhat expected at his age. Conversely, Cags and Bobby seeing regression at their ages and career points is a major concern, as they should be trending up, not down. For Witt and Cags to be a "bash brothers" combo in the middle of the lineup, they need to pull the ball more to take advantage of their incredible bat speed and exit velocity ability. What to Take Away From This Pull Air% Data? The issue with the Royals' hitters and their Pull Air% isn't just the rate itself. They rate pretty well in this category compared to the rest of the league. Thus, one would think that with that being the case, the Royals would be a productive offense, right? However, while the overall Pull Air% is solid, they are getting poor Pull Air% from their key hitters, especially Perez, Witt, and Caglianone. It's hard for a Royals offense to be productive when three of their most important hitters rank below-average in Pull Air%, despite skills that should suggest otherwise (high EV, hard-hit rates, and bat speeds). On a positive note, I think Vinnie could snap out of his streak at some point, because he pulls the ball effectively. That approach will become more apparent when the weather gets hotter, a trend in Pasquantino's career. According to his career splits, his best HR/FB rates came in July (10.9%) and August (21.4%). Thus, when the weather gets hotter and the ball flies more (especially at Kauffman), then Vinnie will start to see more production, especially since he pulls the ball in the air so effectively. As for Perez, Cags, and Witt, though? That's a tougher question. Perez has at least demonstrated he can pull the ball in the air effectively in his career, with his 26.6% Pull Air% last year being a prime example. Cags hasn't pulled the ball much in the Majors so far, but he was much better at doing so in the Minors. Thus, he just may need more time to adapt to Major League pitching and get his timing and pitch recognition down. As for Bobby? His Pull Air% has gone from 17.1% in 2024, which is above the league average of 16.7%, to 15.8% last year and now 14.5% this season. Thus, it's not a surprise that Witt's home run total went from 32 in 2024 to 23 in 2025. He has yet to hit a home run this year. If this Pull Air% trend continues, he'll be lucky to surpass the 20 HR mark. Witt is hitting the ball way too much to the middle of the field, which isn't a recipe for home run success, especially at Kauffman, even with the updated dimensions. Witt may be the biggest key to the Royals' offensive turnaround. For the Royals to be a playoff team, they need him to be a MVP-caliber hitter. That means a 300+ batting average, a 1.000+ OPS, and at least 30+ home runs. It's a lot to ask, but Witt has done it before, and he can do it again. That is, if he gets his Pull Air% back up to at least slightly above league-average levels. Can he do it? There's still plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments to his mechanics and recognition, but he needs to figure something out quickly. View full article

Image courtesy of Denny Medley-Imagn Images There have been plenty of problems with the 2026 Kansas City Royals. After all, they wouldn't be 8-17, tied for the worst record in baseball, if they didn't have flaws. That said, the Royals' bullpen has been a glaring weakness, significantly contributing to Kansas City's struggles through its first 25 games this season. According to Fangraphs, the Royals' relievers rank 30th in ERA, 29th in WHIP, 28th in H/9, and 27th in BB/9 and HR/9. On a positive note, they rank 14th in K/9, which is better than a season ago (they ranked 29th in 2025). Unfortunately, they have seen major declines in every other statistical category. On an individual basis, many important Royals relievers have struggled in the above-listed categories, including SIERA, which is the acronym for Skill Independent Earned Run Average. Here are the definition and formula for SIERA, according to MLB.com. SIERA can be a good indicator of a pitcher's skills this year, like FIP. However, SIERA does a much better job of accounting for grounders and pop-ups, which are more favorable for a pitcher. Here's a list of Royals relievers and their advanced metrics this season, as organized by SIERA. Some Royals relievers have been solid this year, based on SIERA. Daniel Lynch IV and Alex Lange have SIERA marks under three, which is encouraging. Matt Strahm has a SIERA of 3.63. That's not great for his standards, but it's much better than his 5.19 ERA and 5.57 FIP. Conversely, one reliever who has struggled this season is Lucas Erceg, who has taken over closer duties in Kansas City since Carlos Estevez landed on the IL after his lone appearance in Atlanta during Opening Weekend. Erceg ranks 10th of 12 qualified Royals relievers in SIERA with a 5.95 mark. That is much worse than his 5.79 ERA and 4.32 FIP. Only John Schreiber (6.16) and Mitch Spence (7.05) have been worse this season in SIERA (and Spence has only made one appearance at the MLB level). When looking at Erceg's numbers this year, he's been pretty poor across the board. His 4.82 K/9 ranks 11th, his 6.75 BB/9 is 4th-highest, and his 0.71 K/BB ranks 10th. He hasn't given up a home run this season, but that's been the lone positive for Erceg on the mound this season. So what has been the issue with Erceg this season, especially after being so locked down in the closer role in 2024 when he came over at the Trade Deadline? That season, Erceg posted an 11.16 K/9, 1.08 BB/9, 10.33 K/BB, and 2.26 SIERA in 25 IP. He also had 11 saves that season and was a key part of their bullpen in the postseason. Erceg does have five saves this season, but he's already blown two games in 10 appearances, the same number he blew in 23 appearances in 2024. Thus, let's look more deeply into Erceg's profile, what the issue has been, and whether he will be able to correct it at all this season to help improve this struggling bullpen unit. Examining Erceg's Statcast Percentiles from 2024 to 2026 A good place to start with Erceg is looking at his TJ Stats Statcast summary from the past three seasons. That could give us a full picture of Erceg, not just in terms of his ability to generate strikes, but also his stuff and ability to avoid hard-hit batted balls. Here's a look at his 2026 TJ Stats Stacast summary through 10 games. When looking at his Statcast percentiles this year, Erceg is a bit of a conundrum. On one end, he's still flooding the strike zone and generating groundballs. His 44.9% zone rate ranks in the 73rd percentile, and his GB% of 51.8% ranks in the 79th percentile. Additionally, his fastball ranks in the 92nd percentile at 97.5 MPH, and he doesn't have a pitch under the 101 TJ Stuff+ mark. However, when it comes to batted-ball metrics and strike data, Erceg has been incredibly lackluster. The 30-year-old reliever ranks in the 15th percentile with a 91.1 MPH average EV, 35th percentile in hard-hit rate with a 44,4% rate allowed, and in the 49th percentile in barrel rate at 7.4%. Thus, while he's producing a good number of groundballs, he's also allowing a fair number of hard-batted balls that are doing damage. That is evidenced by his .362 xwOBA (25th percentile) and .356 xwOBA (23rd percentile). The strike metrics are even more concerning. Erceg ranks in the 7th percentile in K% and BB%, 6th percentile in whiff%, 4th percentile in O-Swing%, and 1st percentile in CSW%. He's also allowing a ton of contact in the zone, as evidenced by his 87.7% Z-Contact%, which ranks in the 23rd percentile. Erceg is not just failing to generate strikes or swing-and-miss, but inducing chase. All those characteristics have made him a mediocre reliever in 2026, Now, let's take a look at what he did in 2024, when he was with the Athletics and Royals. In 61.2 IP with the A's and Royals, Erceg pretty much excelled in every category. That includes K% (87th percentile), BB% (81st percentile), CSW% (89th percentile), O-Swing% (76th percentile) and Z-Contact% (85th percentile). Those were all categories where Erceg ranks below the 10th percentile this season. One could argue that Erceg was one of the most talented and underrated relievers in baseball in 2024, and it makes sense, given that, why the Royals acquired him at the Trade Deadline. That said, his Statcast percentiles looked a little different in 2025 in his first season with the Royals. The fastball velo, GB%, and BB% remained table last season. However, he began to show signs of regression across many key areas. His CSW dropped to the 33rd percentile, his K% dropped to the 35th percentile, and his Z-Contact% dropped to the 43rd percentile. The O-Swing% was still solid, ranking in the 66th percentile. The same could also be said for his barrel% allowed (61st percentile) and hard-hit% allowed (70th percentile). That said, Erceg began to show flaws last season across so many Statcast metrics, and perhaps this regression was to be expected given that trend (though maybe not as dramatic or as soon). What's the Deal With the Swing and Miss? For a reliever to succeed in the ninth, they have to be able to generate swing-and-miss, especially in those high-leverage situations. It's hard for a closer to be successful long-term if they're not able to produce whiffs and strikeouts in the ninth. In 2024, Erceg had a 31% whiff rate and 28.7% K%. In 2025? That whiff rate fell to 24.7%, and K% regressed to 19.4%. This year, he's really bottomed out in those two categories, with a 16% whiff rate and 12.8% K%. Below is a trend of Erceg's swing-and-miss% over his career. Notice how it dropped sharply last season, especially after a decent start to 2025. After finishing with a Swing-And-Miss% in the 32.5% range, he bottomed out last year, with his Swing-And-Miss% even dropping to under 10% just past the 600th swing mark. This year, his Swing-And-Miss% is hovering around the 17.5% mark. While that's not as bad as what it got to at the end of 2025, it's not a promising sign, especially so early in the season. To understand Erceg's whiff problem, it may be helpful to look at his overall repertoire and how each pitch has fared this season. Here's a glimpse of Erceg's arsenal profile, via TJ Stats. It doesn't seem to be a stuff problem for Erceg, at least according to TJ Stuff+. He has an overall mark of 103 with two of his pitches (sinker and changeup) sporting 60+ grades. His four-seamer, his most thrown pitch, has a 101 TJ Stuff+ and a 56 grade. However, despite those encouraging metrics, he just isn't able to get hitters to miss. His overall whiff rate is 16%, and he's generating a 13.3% whiff rate on the four-seamer (as well as a 14.3% chase, which isn't good either). Now, let's look at his TJ Stats season summary from 2024. The four-seamer and overall stuff profiled better in 2024 with a 104 TJ Stuff+ on the four-seamer and 106 TJ Stuff+ overall. That said, his whiff rate in 2024 absolutely blew away his 2026 mark. In 2024, he had a 31.2% overall whiff% and a 28.6% whiff% on the four-seamer. Those elite metrics explain why Erceg was utilized as a closer and fireman down the stretch in 2024 for the Royals. Now, let's take a look at his 2025 TJ Stats summary. A lot regressed for Erceg last season. The TJ Stuff+ was 102 overall, and his four-seamer actually had a TJ Stuff+ mark under 100. However, he still generated a 28.2% whiff rate with the four-seamer, only a 0.4% difference from his 2024 four-seamer whiff rate. Thus, it may be that Erceg's four-seamer is the difference this year. However, if it's not a stuff problem (his four-seamer TJ Stuff+ is better this year), it must be a command issue, which may be a tougher fix. The Four-Seam Location Hasn't Been Good This season, not only is Erceg just generating a 13.3% whiff rate, but he is allowing a .595 xwOBACON on the four-seamer this year. That has contributed to only poor fastball results (zero run value, according to Savant), but lackluster overall numbers as well. That said, I don't think it's a "stuff" issue with his four-seamer. His 101 TJ Stuff+ on the four-seamer this year is actually two points better than what he did last year. And yet, his whiff rate on the pitch is 14.9% lower than a year ago. Thus, the problem is likely due to his inability to command the four-seamer effectively. A good way to test this hypothesis is to examine his heatmap data on TJ Stats. That could give a sense not just of the heatmaps for lefties and righties on the pitch, but also of the metrics. Here's Erceg's four-seam heatmap this season. Erceg has thrown the four-seamer a fair amount against lefties (38.9%) and righties (31.9%). It has also gotten hit around by both sides of the plate. Against lefties, Erceg's four-seamer is producing only an 18.9% CSW% and allowing a .601 xwOBACON. Against righties, he's generating a 13% CSW% and .571 xwOBACON. When looking at his heatmap, it's easy to see why Erceg is failing to generate strikes and allowing a lot of hard hits: he's throwing the pitch way too much in the strike zone. For context, let's look at his four-seam heatmap data a season ago. Erceg seemed to elevate the four-seamer better last year, especially against lefties. Notice how the bright orange circle is closer to the top of the strike zone than the one in 2025 against lefties. Closer to the top of the zone is good for four-seamers, especially ones with Erceg's velocity. As a result, the former Cal product generated a 33% CSW% and .379 xwOBACON against lefties and a 28.2% CSW and .393 xwOBACON against righties. The numbers weren't as good against righties, but he also didn't elevate the ball as consistently against righties as he did against lefties last season. Here's an example of Erceg elevating the four-seamer effectively last season against Cleveland's CJ Kayfus to generate the swing and miss. akQ5S0FfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVZVRVZGWUhVRkVBWGxGV0FBQUhDRkFEQUFBQ1dnSUFCMWRSVkZjSEFBY0JBRkJR.mp4 Erceg not only throws it 98 MPH, but he locates it up and away in the zone, even in a 2-1 count, which tends to favor the hitter. That shows the confidence and feel Erceg had for the fastball last year. Now, let's take a look at a fastball thrown by Erceg to Baltimore's Samuel Basallo. Erceg grooves this in the middle of the zone on a 1-2 count (which favors the pitcher), and the Rookie Orioles catcher hits in the gap to help Baltimore tie the game (they later relinquished the lead). ZFh2bHpfWGw0TUFRPT1fQndkWFUxQlNVd1VBRGxSUkFnQUhBd1ZXQUZrTlZBTUFCVklFVXdVREFnWlFBd0FE.mp4 In order for Erceg to generate whiff and effectiveness with the four-seamer, he has to get command of the pitch again. A start would not just be to throw it for strikes, but get to throwing it up in the zone, especially against lefties, which he was effective at doing last season. Final Thoughts on Erceg Right now, Erceg isn't pitching well by any stretch of the imagination. His ERA, BB/K ratio, and SIERA demonstrate that. However, with Estevez on the shelf, Erceg continues to be the Royals' best option in the ninth. I say that not because of the results, but because the TJ Stuff+ numbers remain promising for Erceg. When looking at the TJ Stuff+ leaderboard for Royals pitchers via TJ Stats, Erceg ranks third in overall TJ Stuff+ with a 103 mark. He's behind only Steven Cruz (109) and Nick Mears (105). There are many issues that Erceg needs to correct. His 24.4% zone rate on the slider has to improve, as it is 15% lower than it was a season ago. It's easy for opposing hitters to lay off Erceg's primary breaking pitch when he's not even locating it in the strike zone 25% of the time. However, the four-seam command needs to be priority number one for Erceg and Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney. If Erceg keeps grooving it in the middle of the zone, it's going to continue to get hit hard. If he's able to locate it more up in the zone, he can keep hitters honest, which could open up his other offerings, especially his changeup and slider (if the latter can be controlled more effectively). Sweeney has been lauded for his staff's work with the Royals pitchers over the past couple of years. Now, the Royals' bullpen, especially Erceg, needs to understand and correct these issues soon in order to turn around the club's fortunes for the remainder of the season. If Sweeney can't help Erceg, or any other members of this bullpen, not only will wins become tough to acquire, but Sweeney may find himself in a hotter seat than expected by the conclusion of the season. View full article

I'm curious if they will make a move with Collins sometime soon. He's been pretty poor offensively and defensively and is just not offering much, even at the bottom of the lineup. I wonder if they would call up Rave or Misner and send Collins to Omaha to work on his fielding and approach.

Image courtesy of Denny Medley-Imagn Images On Wednesday morning, owner John Sherman and the Kansas City Royals made an important announcement about the future ballpark. Sherman had been forthright about not staying at Kauffman Stadium and the Truman Sports Complex after the lease expired in 2031. However, on Wednesday, after years of keeping things close to the chest and working with city and state officials, the Royals shared their future plans following their tenure at Kauffman. The full press conference aired around 10 a.m. and is available in its entirety on the Royals' YouTube channel. The stadium announcement took place at The American restaurant in Crown Center. There were rumblings that the Royals were looking to build a ballpark around Washington Square Park, which is right across the street from the iconic Union Station. However, a new report, based on rumors from city officials on Tuesday, stated that the stadium wouldn't be in Washington Park, sparking speculation that it would take over the Crown Center area. In the press conference, Sherman announced that the new stadium would take over the Hallmark headquarters located just south of Crown Center and east of the Liberty WWI Memorial. The Royals and the Hall family, who run Hallmark Cards, reached a deal that would allow the Royals to overtake that space, with Hallmark relocating its headquarters. The Royals' new ballpark project would preserve not just Crown Center (and allow for possible revitalization), but also keep Washington Square Park as a space for mixed-use development. Despite rumors of possibly moving to North Kansas City or to Kansas (like the Kansas City Chiefs), the Royals have committed to staying in Kansas City, Missouri, for the long term. Thus, let's take a look at three takeaways from the new Royals stadium renderings and plan, as well as the future of Kauffman Stadium. The Royals' Stadium Plan Is a Win-Win For the Team and City Listen, I know there's controversy with any stadium that takes public funds. It's definitely a lose-lose situation in many ways. If a city says no to supporting a stadium with tax dollars (or bonds), it risks losing the team to another city that's more than willing to offer those incentives. As someone who grew up in Northern California, I saw how multiple teams in Oakland were ripped away from the city because they couldn't come up with something quickly enough. Do I believe tax dollars should go to more important public resources? Absolutely. But it's no fun losing a sports team that means so much to a city and a community. I don't think the Royals were ever in danger of moving under Sherman. After all, Sherman grew up in the metro and is a lifelong Kansas Citian. That said, failure to come up with something could've perhaps encouraged him to sell, which could've left the future of the Royals in Kansas City in doubt. With this deal with the city and state of Missouri, Sherman and the Royals ownership group get what they need to build a state-of-the-art 21st-century ballpark in the heart of the city. Additionally, businesses or homes do not need to be displaced in order to make this a reality. That was the main issue with the East Crossroads plan a couple of years ago when the tax went to a vote. It wasn't necessarily the tax that was the issue; it was the plan that seemed ill-conceived and unfavorable to local businesses, especially as some would've been displaced by eminent domain. The Dodgers Stadium history in Chavez Ravine should serve as a precedent for what a team and city should NOT do to build a ballpark. Lastly, the Royals will invest to make this ballpark a reality. According to reports, the Royals will put in $2 billion in private investment for this $3 billion ballpark project. Thus, this move, on a financial front, is not just a win for the Royals in upgrading their home ballpark, but also for downtown Kansas City, giving the area the attraction that has been missing without being a total drain on public resources. The Stadium Could Make Kansas City a Hub for Baseball Fans When visiting Chicago, one common sight is many out-of-town fans arriving by train, whether it's Amtrak or the South Shore Line, to watch a Cubs game (or a White Sox game if you want to make the trek south on the L Train). The same could be said for fans in New York, Boston, or San Francisco. For many downtown stadiums, baseball is the magnet for travelers who want to visit and spend time in a metropolis. As great as Kauffman Stadium is, its remote location on the outskirts of Kansas City and Jackson County makes it one of the farthest from its respective downtown. Only the Braves and Rangers were farther away than the Royals. However, the Rangers and Braves had developments around their respective ballparks, unlike the Royals, whose ballpark is surrounded by industrial buildings and a highway. If you were visiting from out of town and you wanted to go to a baseball game? You will need a car or be prepared to pay a sizeable amount for an Uber/Lyft, especially if you are staying in the downtown Kansas City area. It's worth it for a one-time visit, but it definitely deters visitors without vehicles from going to multiple games in a series. In its proposed location? Fans can get to the ballpark on the Streetcar, whether from the UMKC area or the River Market. Furthermore, fans can take the Amtrak from out of town to Union Station and go immediately to a baseball game. Not a lot of ballparks have that luxury. That should entice baseball fans from Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa to take the train and watch a game within walking distance of the stadium. This trend would make Kansas City not just a hub for baseball, but for visitors who want to watch baseball and experience everything Kansas City has to offer, especially downtown and along the Streetcar route. This "train trip" appeal is not limited to St. Louis for baseball fans in the Midwest. Enjoy the Tailgating at Kauffman While You Can The reality is that parking will look different at the new Crown Center stadium than at the Truman Sports Complex. That's not a bad thing. Public transportation is easier downtown. Patronizing restaurants and bars before a game is easier as well. Downtown ballparks like Oracle Park in San Francisco, Target Field in Minneapolis, Coors Field in Denver, and Busch Stadium in St. Louis offer plenty of attractions for baseball fans of all ages and interests that do not require entrance into the stadium. Many downtown Kansas City businesses will benefit from the new stadium. Furthermore, patrons will also benefit from more choices than they are used to, especially if they're willing to go a little farther on the Streetcar line. That said, some time-honored traditions will be lost for Royals fans who grew up going to baseball games at the Truman Sports Complex. Tailgating in the parking lot will be one of those traditions lost. Now, tailgating at a baseball game is a much different affair from tailgating at an NFL or College Football game. Tailgating at a football game is a no-holds-barred affair that pretty much takes a whole day and then some (it was common for many Chiefs fans to camp in their cars in a line outside the parking lot the night before a Chiefs game). It requires a plethora of food, beverages, and yard games to pass the time (and technology if you're a fantasy football fan). Conversely, tailgating at a baseball game is a much tamer affair. It's a smaller get-together that depends on the day of the week and the time of year. Yes, grills are involved, but they are Weber Smokey Joes, much smaller than the massive smokers and drums seen on a Sunday gameday outside of Arrowhead Stadium. Instead of brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, it's typically burgers and dogs. In terms of beverages, it's only 2-3 before heading into the park (unless one is a college student or a raging alcoholic), and it's a more laid-back vibe. If going to an NFL tailgate is a Frat-House kegger, an MLB tailgate, especially at Kauffman Stadium, is like a backyard BBQ on a Friday after work. Some of the appeal of those kinds of tailgates will be lost with the move to the new ballpark in 2030 or 2031 (the projected dates, as the Royals' lease with the Truman Sports Complex expires after 2031). From the renderings, gameday parking will not be in lots but on the streets and in parking garages. One can't do the current TSC tailgating experience in such environments, unfortunately. Thus, for the time being, Royals fans should enjoy their tailgating experience outside of Kauffman Stadium while they can. Because by the time the new ballpark opens by 2030 or 2031, the Kansas City baseball tailgate will have gone the way of the dodo. View full article

I figure that after attending in-person games, I would share a recap of my experience as a fan at Kauffman Stadium. They aren't worth a note or an article, but I want to be able to express what the game was like from the seat of a fan. I may not post this at every game I attend, but I will try to do so when I can post the topic before the game the next day. Result: KC 6, BAL 5 (Walkoff) WP: Lucas Erceg (1-1) LP: Ryan Helsely (0-2) Kansas City improves to 8-16 and snaps an eight-game losing streak. Highlights The Royals snapped an eight-game losing streak and seemed to be locked in after a gut-punch of a loss on Monday. While the Royals were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position tonight and stranded eight runners, they did have some clutch hits throughout the night, something that evaded them in their last road trip and in game one of the series. Michael Masey, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Bobby Witt Jr. all had big sacrifice flies. Maikel Garcia had a huge RBI single that drove in Kyle Isbel, who had three hits himself on Tuesday against the Orioles. Carter Jensen and Massey had two hits, with both players collecting doubles. Massey also added a home run, only adding to his big day at the plate. The biggest highlight of the game was Garcia scoring on a wild pitch by Orioles closer Ryan Helsley. In the crowd, I thought Helsely initially hesitated. When watching the replay of the play, however, it was a premium baserunning play by Garcia who got halfway down on his secondary and didn't hesitate after seeing the ball get away from Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. The Royals' baserunning really was a key in their victory tonight. They tagged up and smartly advanced in some long fly balls, and they also had some opportunistic stolen bases. Garcia was particularly good tonight, with not just the play in the bottom of the ninth, but also a steal of third in the bottom of the fifth that helped him score on a sacrifice fly by Vinnie, which tied the game. For as maligned as the baserunning is this year, it was nice to see them in prime form. On the pitching end, Kris Bubic made a big mistake against Coby Mayo, giving up a three-run bomb in the second that gave Baltimore an early lead. Honestly, the vibes in Kauffman Stadium weren't great after that homer. To Bubic's credit, he grinded out six total innings and didn't allow a run after that homer. He gave up five hits, walked three, and struck out three in his quality start. Nick Mears and Lucas Erceg pitched out of the bullpen for the Royals and did fine in a combined two innings of work. They allowed no hits and no runs. Erceg allowed a walk, and neither the Royals closer nor Mears struck out a batter. The lack of strikeouts and chase are concerns from this pair, but it was nice to see them hold a disciplined Orioles lineup in check in their respective appearances tonight. The velocity and stuff looked good from both of them, even if the command wasn't quite there for either guy. It was also a beautiful night for baseball, though it got a bit windy, especially once the sun set. Lowlights The bullpen remains a problem, as Matt Strahm was the latest Royals reliever to blow a lead. The stuff wasn't great from Strahm tonight; he posted only 100 TJ Stuff+, according to his TJ Stats summary below. He also struggled to generate whiff, and his changeup got hit hard. His fastball wasn't all that impressive either. While it had a 100 TJ Stuff+, 55 grade, and 60% chase, it also failed to generate a whiff, and it was the pitch that was launched by Rutschman to give the Orioles the lead again in the 8th inning. After so many blown saves and leads by the bullpen, it seemed like this was the dagger that would clinch loss number nine for the Royals. Thankfully, Massey and the Royals hitters had a different plan, much to the enjoyment of the 15,164 in attendance. On the hitting side, Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins went a combined 0-for-8 with five strikeouts. With the other seven hitters in the lineup, you could find some positives in their overall games. Cags and Collins? Not a single one, unfortunately. They not only went hitless, but they also failed to come through in the clutch on multiple occasions. With Cags, Royals fans can live with the growing pains (though Cags' body language wasn't that great to witness). As for Collins, I'm growing less optimistic about his outlook. His .519 OPS in 67 PA is bad enough. However, his Statcast profile is brutal, as illustrated below via TJ Stats. With two home runs tonight and a .978 OPS in 68 at-bats, John Rave is proving that he may be too good for Omaha and deserves a call-up to Kansas City. Collins has all of his Minor League options remaining, so this wouldn't be an issue for the Royals, though it would be a major blow to Collins' confidence, especially after his strong rookie season in Milwaukee in 2025. A downside of the game was that the "boo birds" were out again today at the K. A good number of fans booed manager Matt Quatraro during the pregame introductions. There were boos when Strahm struggled in the 8th, especially after he allowed that go-ahead home run. Booing typically isn't the MO with Royals fans, but it's been such a frustrating start to the year that it's understandable. Hopefully, after this win, the Royals can get on a winning streak (or positive stretch of play) and help silence these Royals critics in the stands. Scorebook from the Game

Minor League Week in Nutshell Things were pretty rough at the Major League level for the Royals this past week, as they went winless in Detroit and the Bronx. However, things were a bit more positive with the affiliates in the Royals' farm system. Omaha went 4-2 against Indianapolis, improving their record to over .500 for the season, a big turnaround from a year ago. Northwest Arkansas had a rougher week, going 1-5 against Corpus Christi. The losing week brought their record to one game under .500. In the lower levels, Quad Cities had a 4-2 week in Cedar Rapids, despite a game getting rained out on Wednesday. They split a doubleheader on Thursday and then pulled out the series finale on Sunday. As for the Fireflies in Columbia, they split with Charleston, going 3-3 last week on the road. They led in the series finale on Sunday but were unable to close out the victory or the series. They still have a record above .500. Here are the records of the four Royals Minor League affiliates, as of April 20th. Omaha: 11-9 Northwest Arkansas: 7-8 Quad Cities: 6-6 Columbia: 8-7 Omaha Highlights I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but Kameron Misner continues to show the Royals organization that he may deserve a shot in Kansas City at some point, especially considering the Royals' offensive woes to begin the season. This week, in 19 at-bats, he hit .368 with a 1.192 OPS. That included two home runs, seven RBI, a double, three walks, and six strikeouts. Misner is not only showing power in Triple-A, but a sound approach at the plate as well. This season with the Storm Chasers, he is posting a 15.8% BB% and 0.71 BB/K ratio. While it's Triple-A, that's the kind of approach that's needed in this Royals lineup. On the pitching end, Chazz Martinez had a solid week, allowing no runs on two hits and three walks while striking out six in three innings of work. For the season, Martinez is posting a 41.7% K% and 20.8% K-BB% in six innings of work. While the TJ Stuff+ metrics aren't great (98 overall), he's done an excellent job limiting hard contact while generating solid whiff and chase rates, as seen below. The four-seamer is an interesting pitch with crazy horizontal break (18.3 HB), and it generates a decent amount of chase (26.9%) and whiff (31.8%) as well as weak contact (.241 xwOBACON). As a result, the four-seamer has a 102 TJ Stuff+ and a 57 grade. Unfortunately, his other offerings don't rate as well stuff-wise, with his sweeper having a 30 grade and changeup sporting a 47 grade. Still, Martinez could be an Evan Sisk type who simply can generate chase and whiff effectively due to his arm angles, even if he may not have the most overpowering stuff profile. Northwest Arkansas Highlights While some of the Nautrals' top hitters cooled off this week (Carson Roccaforte had a .733 OPS, and Sam Kulasingam had a .550 OPS), Brett Squires continued to be locked in. In 24 at-bats, the Oklahoma product hit .417 with a 1.083 OPS. That included a home run and seven RBI as well as four walks to five strikeouts. In 67 plate appearances this year, Squires is hitting .333 with a 1.047 OPS. He also has four home runs, 18 RBI, and four stolen bases. Without a doubt, Squires has been the Naturals' most consistent offensive performer to begin the 2026 season. The pitching end was more of a mixed bag for the Naturals, with many starters posting ERA marks in the double digits this week. However, one arm that continues to impress is lefty reliever Oscar Rayo. In two appearances and 4.2 IP this week, he allowed only one hit, zero runs, no walks, and struck out six batters. Not only did Rayo have a 0.00 ERA, but also a 0.21 WHIP. For the season, Rayo is posting a 1.35 ERA and 0.45 WHIP in 13.1 IP. He hasn't allowed a single walk and has a 27.7% K%. When looking at his percentiles this year, there is a lot to like from the Nicaraguan lefty. With a 31.3% whiff rate and 34.3% CSW with the Naturals this year, Rayo could be a reliever who could sneakily move through the Royals system and make a case for a roster spot this offseason. Quad Cities River Bandits One prospect who needed to make some gains this year was Austin Charles. Charles has been known for his lanky frame and raw athleticism. However, he struggled in his first exposure to High-A ball as a 21-year-old last season. In 59 games and 232 plate appearances, Charles hit .200 with a .469 OPS. He didn't hit for much power, as evidenced by his 0.093 ISO. Furthermore, he struck out a lot, as illustrated by his 25.9% K%. As a result, his prospect stock dropped a lot this offseason, as he barely made many Top 30 lists and was omitted on some, due to his poor performance in Quad Cities in 2025. This year, it's been a different story for Charles in his second go-around in Quad Cities. Over the past week, he hit .563 with a 1.463 OPS. He had a home run, six RBI, three stolen bases, and three walks to three strikeouts. For the year, he's hitting .353 with a 1.035 OPS in 43 plate appearances. He also has a home run, eight RBI, and five stolen bases. The most impressive stat? He has seven walks to six strikeouts. The plate approach is really coming around for Charles to begin 2026. In terms of pitching, Justin Lamkin continues to impress, even with a rotation that includes the Royals' top pitching prospect, David Shields. In two starts and 7.2 IP, Lamkin posted a 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and struck out 12 batters. In three starts this year, he has a 1.54 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.93 FIP, 39.1% K%, and 26.1% K-BB%. While the former Texas A&M product doesn't have elite velocity, he is deceptive in his delivery, which helps his stuff play up against hitters. We could be looking at a Kris Bubic or Noah Cameron 2.0 in Lamkin. Columbia Fireflies Highlights Roni Cabrera was an intriguing name when he came over from Texas with Cole Ragans in the Aroldis Chapman trade in 2023. While Ragans has gotten all the spotlight, Cabrera has gone under the radar, though the 20-year-old hasn't quite accomplished a whole lot yet in affiliated ball before this year. This past week was a memorable one for the 20-year-old Fireflies outfielder. In 17 at-bats, he hit .353 with a 1.028 OPS. Cabrera also had a double, two triples, five RBI, a stolen base, and two walks to three strikeouts. In 48 plate appearances this season, he is hitting .270 with an .889 OPS with a homer, 12 RBI, four stolen bases, eight walks, and 11 strikeouts. The former Rangers signing can be a little erratic, especially on the basepaths (he's been caught three times). However, he's the kind of dynamic player that could provide a spark at the MLB level. On the pitching side for Columbia, Michael Lombardi only made one appearance, but it was a sensational one. In four innings of work, the former Tulane product struck out 11 while allowing three walks, three hits, and no runs. A two-way player in college, it seems like Kansas City is having Lombardi focus on pitching, which explains why he's only pitched 10.1 innings this year. It's about development, not results, this year for Lombardi. However, the results have been pretty impressive so far. In three appearances, Lombardi has a 2.61 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 1.94 FIP, 46.5% K%, and 34.9% K-BB%. He's also sported impressive whiff and CSW rates, as illustrated below via his TJ Stats summary. The stuff is absolutely electric, and it isn't out of the question to believe that Lombardi could end up as the third-best pitcher in the Royals system and a Top-10 prospect by the end of the 2026 season. View full article

Image courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Week in a Nutshell After going 3-4 last week, the Royals needed at least a respectable showing in this road trip to Detroit and the Bronx this week. Thinking they were going to win the week was going to be a tough challenge, especially considering their offensive woes. However, it was entirely plausible that the Royals could've gone 3-3, or at least 2-4, and kept their head above water before returning home to Kauffman Stadium. Unfortunately, the optimism proved to be for naught. The Royals went 0-6 this week and were outscored by the Tigers and Yankees by a combined 21 runs. As a result, the Chicago White Sox are ahead in the standings. For those who can't read between the lines, that means the Royals are in last place in the American League Central. It's one thing to have a slow start to the season. But even with 140 games remaining, it seems like the Royals are in the midst of not just a disappointing campaign, but perhaps a nightmarish one, especially considering all the negative vibes from the Salvador Perez drama surrounding his benching on Saturday. 'The Royals have a bad offense, bad bullpen, bad record, and honestly, bad vibes right now in the clubhouse, with the Salvy and Carter Jensen "sleeping in" incidents being the prime examples. One has to wonder when and how the Royals will turn around the momentum after such an awful week of play in Detroit and New York. Record this Week: 0-6 Run Differential for the Week: -21 Record for the Year: 7-15 Run Differential for the Year: -32 Standing: 5th in the AL Central Game 17: DET 2, KC 1 It wasn't the prettiest Cole Ragans start, as he walked four and only struck out one in six innings of work. However, he allowed only one hit and zero runs, and Matt Strahm held the lead in the seventh. Unfortunately, Nick Mears allowed two runs in the eighth. Game 18: DET 2, KC 1 Seth Lugo and Jack Flaherty both battled in this one, with Lugo going 6.2 innings and striking out seven, while Flaherty also struck out seven in six innings. The Royals tied it up in the fifth after relinquishing an early lead. However, Eli Morgan was unable to keep the game tied in the eighth. Game 19: DET 10, KC 9 Kris Bubic had a tough start, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks in 4.2 innings of work. Even though the Royals were down 6-1, they scored six runs in the top of the seventh before the rain hit and caused a delay. Despite getting some insurance in the top of the ninth on a Vinnie Pasquantino home run, Lucas Erceg was unable to hold a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. Game 20: NYY 4, KC 2 Michael Wacha gave the Royals six strong innings and only allowed two runs on three hits and three hits while striking out six. Pasquantino hit his second home run of the year and had two hits. However, like the Detroit series, the Royals were unable to keep the game tied, as Alex Lange allowed a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Ryan McMahon. Game 21: NYY 13, KC 4 Noah Cameron struggled in the Bronx, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings of work. Mitch Spence wasn't much better, as he allowed six runs on four hits and five walks in four innings of work. Carter Jensen hit his fifth home run of the year. Game 22: NYY 7, KC 0 The Royals' bullpen didn't allow a run in 3.2 innings of work. Also, Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits. However, it was a brutal game otherwise. Ragans did his best "Nuke Laloosh" impression, walking eight, striking out six, and allowing seven runs in 4.2 innings of work. News and Notes Early in the week, Stephen Kolek started a rehab assignment with Omaha. He's had a couple of outings and has a 2.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 8.1 IP. On April 15th, Bailey Falter began his own rehab assignment. He had a 6.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 3.0 IP with the Storm Chasers. He looked much stronger in his most recent outing on Sunday against Indianapolis. The biggest move the Royals made was on Sunday. They called up catcher Elias Diaz and pitcher Mason Black from Omaha and sent down Spence and utility player Tyler Tolbert to Triple-A. Furthermore, they added James McArthur to the 60-Day IL to make room for Diaz on the 40-man roster. Highlights Some of the Royals' struggling hitters showed some life at the plate this past week, which should help fans feel encouraged about their outlook for the remainder of the season. In 15 at-bats, Jac Caglianone hit .400 with a .971 OPS. That included six hits, a triple, and an RBI. Pasquantino only hit .167, but he launched his first two home runs of the season and posted a .700 OPS in 24 plate appearances. Jensen continued to show strong discipline at the plate this week, with his power on display in the Bronx. In 17 at-bats, he hit .235, walked three times, and posted an OBP of .350 and an OPS of .762. He also launched his fifth home run of the year on Saturday, which leads the team. On the pitching end, Lugo had the strongest performance of the rotation this past week, striking out seven and allowing only one run, five hits, and no walks. In four starts this year, Lugo is posting a 1.48 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 21 strikeouts in 24.1 IP. Despite the Royals' struggles, the 36-year-old is looking more like his 2024 self. A reliever who had a nice week and didn't melt down was Daniel Lynch IV. In two appearances, he struck out two and didn't allow a hit, walk, or run in 1.1 IP. The TJ Stuff+ is still a bit below-average (99 overall TJ Stuff+), but he's been producing excellent chase, whiff, and xwOBACON metrics so far this season, as illustrated below. Lowlights To be frank, there are a lot more lowlights than highlights for the Royals this week, which isn't surprising for a team that went 0-6 this week. Here are some of the team stats from this week for Kansas City. Their .581 was the second-worst mark in baseball. Only the New York Mets, who have lost 11 times in a row, had a worse OPS at .534. Their .208 average was the fifth-worst mark in baseball this week, and their .256 OBP was the second-worst mark as well. The Royals' pitching staff's 6.66 ERA was the worst mark in baseball over the past week (somewhere, Dayton Moore is cringing). Their 1.66 WHIP was the second-worst mark in baseball this past week. They also issued 33 walks, the third-most walks over the same time period. Lastly, the pitching staff allowed 11 home runs, tied for fifth-most in baseball over the past seven days. Yep. That's rough. In terms of individual performances, Maikel Garcia had a brutal week at the plate. In 24 at-bats, he hit .125 with a .327 OPS. He also struck out seven times and walked only once. On April 11th, Maikel was hitting .328 with a .911 OPS. After his lackluster week, he is now hitting .256 with a .718 OPS. On the pitching end, Ragans struggled immensely, with some wondering if he'll ever match that 2024 form again. In two starts and 10.1 IP, Ragans posted a 6.10 ERA and 1.65 WHIP. He also walked an astonishing 12 batters while allowing just five hits and striking out seven. Frankly, Ragans' control has been a problem this year, and his inability to find the zone has led to a drop in chase and lackluster xwOBACON metrics. This is despite strong overall TJ Stuff+ numbers and whiff rates, as seen below. In 21 IP this year, Ragans has a 6.00 ERA, 7.34 FIP, and 1.67 WHIP. He's generating a 23.9% K%, which isn't as good as years past, but is still solid. However, his K-BB% is 4.3%, thanks to his 19.6% BB%. Those poor numbers explain his high FIP metrics. Furthermore, a decline in extension (down 0.2 feet from a year ago) could also be a reason why he's struggling to find the strike zone (45.5% zone rate) this season. Looking Ahead On a positive note, the Royals return to Kauffman Stadium for a weeklong homestand against the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels. The Royals are 5-5 this year at home, much better than their 2-10 record on the road. Baltimore should be an easier matchup on paper. The Orioles are 10-12 and have had issues with starting pitching this season. They rank 18th in starter ERA and 25th in WHIP. Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt, whom the Royals are supposed to face this week, have ERA marks of 4.91 and 6.19. Thus, if the Royals want to win this series against the Orioles, they will have to chase Baltimore's pitching early. Gunnar Henderson (119 wRC+) and Taylor Ward (136 wRC+) are two hitters who will lead the Orioles on the offensive end. "Los Angeles" (come on, they're in Anaheim, which is in Orange County) will be a tougher challenge, though it has its flaws. The Angels are 11-12 and have lost two in a row after taking three of four in the Bronx earlier last week. They have a lot of guys who can mash, as Mike Trout (171 wRC+), Zach Neto (138 wRC+), Jo Adell (115 wRC+), and former Royals Jorge Soler (136 wRC+) and Adam Frazier (171 wRC+) are off to great starts. In fact, the Angels have the second-most home runs in Major League Baseball. However, the pitching is a bit shakier. The Angels rank 17th in ERA at 4.17, but their 5.14 BB/9 is the third-worst mark in baseball. The Royals also miss ace Jose Soriano in the weekend series at Kauffman, and Yusei Kikuchi, who likely will face Kansas City on Friday, has struggled this year with a 5.63 ERA. If they can set the tone against Kikuchi, the Royals could have a good shot against rookie Walbert Urena on Saturday and Reid Detmers on Sunday night (they play a national game on NBC). View full article

Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images It's been a nightmare start for a Kansas City Royals team that was looking to improve upon its 82-80 record in 2025. After a 13-4 loss on Saturday, the Royals fell to 7-14 for the season, tied for last in the AL Central with the Chicago White Sox. Their -25 run differential is the second-worst mark in the AL Central and the third-worst in the American League overall (the Blue Jays are the only other team with a worse run differential). Furthermore, the offense and bullpen have been an abject disaster through 21 games. In terms of offense, the Royals rank 26th in batting average and OBP and 28th in OPS and runs scored. The bullpen has arguably been even worse. They rank 30th in ERA and WHIP, 29th in BB/9 and H/9 allowed, and 27th in HR/9. Safe to say, Kansas City Royals baseball has not been a lot of fun this year. Unfortunately, after Saturday's sixth-straight loss, the bad vibes seemed to spill into the clubhouse with comments from manager Matt Quatraro and Royals captain Salvador Perez. So What Happened With Quatraro and Salvy? On Saturday, the Royals gave Perez his first day off of the 2026 season. Before the game, the Royals manager talked to the media, and this is what he shared with MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers. Later that evening, after the Royals' nine-run loss to the Bronx Bombers, Salvy took to Twitter to share this "indirect" response to his manager's comment. As expected, Royals fans on social media automatically went into panic mode, pointing fingers at Quatraro and the Royals organization in general. Things didn't look good at the surface either, with Salvy's comment coming shortly after news broke from Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base that Kansas City would be calling up catcher Elias Diaz from Omaha. Thus, all kinds of theories and drama were shared on social media last night (I am not going to share them, but just type in "Salvy," and you'll see the damage). Some theorized that the clubhouse was fractured, especially when compounded by the Carter Jensen incident a couple of weeks ago. Some said that Salvy had lost trust in the organization and the manager. Some said it was being over-exaggerated, and it was more of a venting from the captain about his lackluster start to this season. Regardless, the Salvy "drama" was a distraction that a team already floundering didn't need at this point in the season. Things Looking Slightly Better on Sunday Before Sunday's series finale, Quatraro talked to the media, and Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star shared this comment from Quatraro about the comments from Salvy (as well as the manager's own comments and discussions with the captain). Quatraro also confirmed, via Joel Goldberg of Royals.TV, that he and Salvy had talked about the day off and the incident "multiple times" and that they were in a good place, both ready to move on. He also pointed out that whenever Salvy doesn't play, it becomes a big story. It doesn't seem like there are any lingering issues from the incident, at least on a lineup perspective. Today, Perez will be batting cleanup in the final game of the road trip. Furthermore, Salvy addressed the media regarding his comments. While he didn't necessarily agree with the characterization of needing a "mental breather", he did say that he understood Quatraro's decision and was ready to move on from it. He also mentioned that he had a sore hip and would need more time at DH, which explains the Diaz promotion. It's not the situation the Royals would like to deal with as they prepare to avoid a winless road trip. However, at least it seems like the Royals are moving on from this misunderstanding between Quatraro and Salvy. Is This Something to Worry About? With the Royals seven games under.500, it's easy for Royals fans to search for anything to explain their struggles, especially on the offensive end. While Salvy is a franchise icon, he hasn't been good this year, especially offensively. In 81 plate appearances, he has a .169 average, 36 wRC+, and -0.3 fWAR. Furthermore, his -29 wRC+ in RISP situations is the sixth-worst mark of qualified hitters this season, according to Fangraphs. Granted, Salvy isn't the lone problem of this Royals offense. However, Royals fans who constantly point the finger at Quatraro, hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, Vinnie Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr., or secondary players like Lane Thomas or Isaac Collins also need to understand that Salvy has been part of the problem in the Royals' first 21 games. He can't avoid criticism just because he's the captain and a fan favorite. That helps, but it isn't an excuse, especially if "winning" is what matters most to Royals fans. I don't think Salvy is trying to avoid criticism here, either. Salvy is aware of his struggles, and that probably fuels his desire to stay in the lineup, so he can overcome this bad start and get back on track. My guess is that's where the miscommunication stemmed from. He wants to stay in to overcome his struggles. However, as a manager, Quatraro has to figure out when to let a player work through it and when to override that desire and give a player a needed reset. Quatraro and Salvy talked about it before, according to Quatraro. However, why did Salvy react the way he did on social media? My guess is that he didn't appreciate Quatraro's "mental breather" comment. At the end of the day, English is not Salvy's first language, and in different cultures, anything "mental" can be seen as a "weakness." It's not true, but that's just the impression some people and cultures can have with anything tied to the word "mental." I believe that if Quatraro had just said, "He needs a day off after playing in so many games back-to-back," this would not have been an issue. For Royals fans thinking this is the ammunition that JJ Picollo or owner John Sherman needs to fire Quatraro, you can forget it. He signed a two-year extension this offseason. There are still 141 games remaining this season. Zumwalt may be a different story, especially after they hired two new assistant coaches this offseason. He may be "reassigned" if the Royals head into Memorial Day with a bottom-five offense. He's been with the Royals since 2019, and he's had plenty of time to show whether or not he's the right lead voice for this group. However, Quatraro has only one fewer winning season than the previous manager, Ned Yost, in six fewer seasons. The Royals have a good thing with Q, and that shouldn't be overlooked because of a tough start and a weird misunderstanding between him and the captain. Does this mean Royals fans need to overlook this situation? Absolutely not. It's something to monitor over the course of the year, especially if things do not improve on the record. However, this incident is likely being amplified more than it actually is due to Royals fans' frustration with the start the club is going through. If the Royals had a better record, it would be dismissed as not a big deal. Hopefully, the Royals can begin that turnaround soon to help put this incident behind them. View full article