Kevin O'Brien

Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Week in a Nutshell The Royals' woes on the road continued this week in their travels to Chicago and St. Louis. Kansas City went 1-5 on this Midwest road trip, bringing their road record to 7-17 (they are 13-10 at home). Their seven road wins are tied with the Tigers and Marlins for the fewest road wins in baseball, and only the Tigers have a worse road record (7-19) than the Royals. It wasn't necessarily one thing that hurt the Royals on this recent road trip, which has been the story of this frustrating season through 47 games. Against the White Sox, it was the pitching that let the team down, as they gave up 18 runs in their three losses (the Royals scored 12 runs). Against the Cardinals, it was the offense, as the pitching staff allowed only 9 runs, but the offense scored only 8. On a positive note, it felt like the Royals were in all these games, despite going 1-5. Hopefully, the positive momentum from winning the series finale in St. Louis can carry over into their upcoming nine-game homestand. Record this Week: 1-5 Run Differential for the Week: -7 Record for the Year: 20-27 Run Differential for the Year: -21 Standing: Tied for 4th in the AL Central Game 42: CHW 6, KC 5 Early solo home runs by Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez in the first inning set the tone, but a five-run fifth took away all that momentum (Stephen Kolek was cruising until that fifth inning). The Royals tied it up in the sixth thanks to RBI base hits by Nick Loftin and Maikel Garcia. Unfortunately, a pinch-hit Derek Hill home run in the bottom of the eighth ended up being the nail in the coffin for Kansas City in game one. Game 43: CHW 6, KC 5 The White Sox got off to an early lead in this one, leading 3-0 after three. However, a two RBI single by Vinnie Pasquantino tied the ball game in the 5th. Despite getting a fresh game in the fifth, Seth Lugo couldn't keep it tied, as a two-run double by Jarred Kelenic gave them a two-run lead, which was padded on by a run in the sixth. A two-run home run by Witt in the ninth made it close, but Kansas City couldn't complete the comeback. Game 44: CHW 6, KC 2 It was a Randal Grichuk revenge game as the former Royals outfielder had two hits, including a home run and four RBI. Starter Kris Bubic, who was sensational against the White Sox at Kauffman, struggled at The Rate, as he gave up five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in just four innings of work. Despite getting seven hits, just one less than the White Sox, they were 0-for-5 in RISP situations and stranded eight. Game 45: STL 5, KC 4 (11) It was a back-and-forth slugfest between the two Missouri-based ballclubs. Kansas City and St. Louis traded leads at different points in the game and actually answered one another in the 10th inning with one run each in their frame. Witt and Carter Jensen both had two hits each, while Isaac Collins had two RBI, despite not getting a hit. The Royals also got a quality start from Michael Wacha. Unfortunately, after coming up empty in the top of the 11th, the Cardinals ended the game in the bottom of the 11th, as pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo had a game-winning single that drove in Nathan Church with two outs. Game 46: STL 4, KC 2 The Royals got a much-needed bounce-back game from Noah Cameron on Saturday. The St. Joseph, Missouri, product delivered a quality start, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out four over six innings. Unfortunately, Cameron didn't get much run support, as Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy held the Royals offense to one run on five hits and three walks while striking out two in six innings of work. Jac Caglianone had a nice day with two hits and a mammoth 428-foot home run in the top of the ninth. Game 47: KC 2, STL 0 Kolek proved to be the "stopper" for the Royals on Sunday in St. Louis, as he added another quality start to his Kansas City resume. In 6.1 IP, the 29-year-old righty allowed no runs, four hits, one walk, and struck out three. Daniel Lynch IV and Lucas Erceg shut the door on the Cardinals in the final two innings, as they received the hold and save, respectively. The offense had nine hits, but went 0-for-6 in RISP situations and stranded eight. Salvy launched his seventh home run of the season. News and Notes The Royals only made one move this week, but it was a big one that affected their bullpen. Matt Strahm pitched on Friday, going 0.2 IP and allowing no runs, one hit, one walk, and striking out one. However, he was visited by manager Matt Quatraro in the middle of the inning, as they noticed him wincing. On Saturday, the Royals confirmed that he had injured his right knee and would be placed on the 15-Day IL due to right knee inflammation. Bailey Falter was recalled from Omaha as a result, where he had been on a rehab outing after suffering a minor elbow injury earlier in the year. Highlights Witt continued his solid pace this season on this road trip. In 23 at-bats, he hit .304 with a 1.016 OPS. That included two home runs, four RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. He also walked four times and struck out four times, showing excellent plate discipline and pitch recognition on this road trip. While the rest of the Royals' lineup has been inconsistent, Witt has been a rock for this Kansas City offense. The AL MVP candidate also showed some incredible baseball IQ on Saturday by deking St. Louis' Ivan Herrera on a passed ball that kept Herrera at third base (he should've scored). Perez and Jensen also had nice road trips, which is good as they were less-than-stellar in the previous homestand. In 23 at-bats this week, Salvy hit .292 with an .850 OPS. That also included two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. He also walked once and struck out four times. Perez got a lot of heat for still being in the cleanup spot despite his struggles this year. However, he helped silence the critics a bit with a big homer on Sunday. As for Jensen, he had been struggling going into this road trip, but he seemed to turn it around away from Kauffman Stadium this week. In 16 at-bats, he hit .375 with a .944 OPS, and he walked twice while striking out four times. He didn't hit a homer and had two RBI and two runs scored, which isn't a massive amount. However, he looked a lot more comfortable and locked in at the plate, something that wasn't really the case in the last homestand. Kyle Isbel has struggled on the road this year, but he had an encouraging road trip this week. In 20 at-bats, he hit .300 with an .833 OPS. That included two doubles and a triple. He struck out five times and walked only once. However, he has a .641 OPS on the road (compared to an .864 OPS at home). Thus, to see him hit well away from the K this week should be a good sign for him going forward. Isbel also flashed his signature leather, with an amazing catch in game one in the bottom of the ninth that sent the game to extra innings. On the pitching end, Lynch was absolutely nails on this road trip. In three outings and 3.2 IP, he didn't allow a single run, gave up only three hits, walked one, and struck out five batters. He's becoming the Royals' most important reliever beyond Lucas Erceg, and that role should only grow with Strahm on the IL. The Royals also got quality starts from Cameron and Kolek in St. Louis, which shouldn't be dismissed, as they were coming off rough outings in their previous starts. In his one outing this week, Cameron not only produced a quality start but also generated some solid TJ Stuff+, impressive whiff and chase rates, and induced a lot of weak contact in six innings of work. As for Kolek, he had a brutal outing against the White Sox, though that was primarily due to a nightmarish fifth inning where he gave up home runs to Drew Romo and Chase Meidroth. He was much more settled against St. Louis, throwing only 82 pitches in 6.1 IP. With six pitches, Kolek looked very Lugo-esque on Sunday. He didn't generate a ton of whiff, but he lived on the edges, generated a good amount of chase and strikes, and kept the ball on the ground. As a result, he earned another quality start for the Royals and helped get them a much-needed win. Luinder Avila also had a good week, allowing no runs on no hits in two outings and 3.1 IP. He walked three, but he also struck out four. Avila may also be pushing for more high-leverage opportunities soon, especially with Strahm's return questionable. Lowlights It was not a great road trip for the "Michaels": Maikel Garcia hit .143 with a .379 OPS in 28 at-bats, while Michael Massey hit .143 with a .286 OPS in 14 at-bats. Both hitters have struggled on the road this year. Garcia has a 57 wRC+ away from Kauffman Stadium, while Massey has a -36 mark. Unfortunately, that trend didn't change much this week. Collins has had his issues away from the K as well. His 28 wRC+ on the road is the second-worst mark among Royals hitters with five or more plate appearances this season. This week was more of the same, as he hit .158 with a .531 OPS in 19 at-bats. On a positive note, he at least walked three times and struck out just three times. Lane Thomas didn't get a whole lot of action this week, as he only received nine at-bats. Unfortunately, he struggled in his limited opportunities this week, hitting .111 with a .419 OPS. While he walked three times, he struck out five times, which was tied with Isbel for the most this week (Isbel had 11 more at-bats). On the pitching end, Bubic and Isbel had forgettable outings this week in Chicago. Not only did Bubic go four innings of work, but he also struggled with command and didn't generate a whole lot of chases or whiffs. He also was hit around hard, as illustrated below via his TJ Stuff+ summary from his Thursday outing against the White Sox. Lugo's outing felt very similar to Bubic's. The 36-year-old veteran struggled with efficiency and command, producing just a 59.8% strike% in five innings of work and 92 pitches. His zone, whiff, and chase rates were subpar, and he allowed not only a lot of hits (eight) but also hard contact, as evidenced by his xwOBACON below. Lugo and Bubic are allowed to have bad outings. On one end, Lugo has been solid on the road this season. He has a 3.00 ERA and 1.93 FIP in 24 IP away from Kauffman Stadium. Thus, this outing against the White Sox may have just been a blip on the radar. As for Bubic, he's been a much worse pitcher on the road this year. In 20.2 IP on the road, he has an 8.8% K-BB%, 5.23 ERA, and 3.68 FIP. In 29.2 IP at the K? He has a 14.7% K-BB%, 3.34 ERA, and 3.74 FIP. Thus, Bubic may be looking forward to this upcoming nine-game homestand, and hopefully, he can build some positive momentum during this stretch to carry over into his next road trip. The bullpen was fine for the most part in this series, with only John Schreiber (6.75 ERA) and Strahm (5.40 ERA) sporting ERA marks over five this week. Strahm is on the IL, so he won't be a factor for at least this upcoming homestand, maybe longer depending on how his knee heals. As for Schreiber, he's been better recently, but he's still struggling to generate chase and whiffs, collect strikes consistently, and limit hard contact. Unless something dramatic happens, Schreiber may be pitching himself out of Kansas City sooner rather than later. Looking Ahead The Royals have a nine-game homestand, with the first two series against the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, two playoff teams from a year ago that have gotten off to disappointing starts this year as well. The Red Sox are 19-27 with a -20 run differential and are 11.5 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Boston has struggled on offense, as many of its key players have gotten off to brutal starts. Three of the 10 worst-qualified players in OPS happen to be Red Sox players, as TJ Stats shared on Twitter. The Royals will face the Mariners a second time, after sweeping them in Seattle during the first weekend in May. Unlike the Red Sox, the Mariners have a positive run differential at +11. That makes them a tougher opponent than their 22-25 record suggests, and the Royals can't afford to overlook them because they took three in Seattle. One of their hottest hitters has been Randy Arozarena, who is slashing .440/.500/.640 in his last 25 at-bats. After the weekend series against the Mariners, the Royals begin a three-game slate against the rival New York Yankees starting on Memorial Day. The Yankees swept the Royals back in April in the Bronx, and Kansas City is 0-11 against the Yankees since beating them in Game 2 of the 2024 ALDS in Yankee Stadium. The Royals will have to do a lot to avoid going 0-14 against the Yankees since that Game 2 ALDS victory. New York is one of the best teams in the league with a 28-19 record and +68 run differential, the third-best run differential in baseball (only the Atlanta Braves and Dodgers have better marks at +98 and +94, respectively). View full article

The Omaha Storm Chasers earned the lone Royals system win Saturday, holding off Toledo 6-3 behind Brett Squires' 3-for-4 night with a home run and three RBI. Ben Sears earned the win with 2 2/3 hitless innings, and Hunter Owen logged seven strikeouts over five frames in Northwest Arkansas' 9-5 loss. Frank Mozzicato gave up seven runs and David Shields six, while Hiro Wyatt took the loss in Columbia's 10-0 defeat at Hickory. Royals Transactions No Transactions Squires Powers Storm Chasers Past Mud Hens The Omaha Storm Chasers held off the Toledo Mud Hens, 6-3, behind a big day from Squires. The first baseman finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI as the cleanup hitter. Omaha jumped on Toledo in the home half of the first. Tyler Tolbert worked a leadoff walk and came around to score on a Luca Tresh RBI double. Tresh then came home when Squires followed with an RBI double of his own, giving the Storm Chasers a 2-1 lead after one. The third inning provided the decisive blow. Tolbert again drew a walk, John Rave singled, and Kameron Misner walked to load the bases. A Tresh grounder turned into a run-scoring double play that brought Tolbert in, and Squires followed by lifting a two-run home run to center field that scored Rave. Gavin Cross added an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI double that scored Squires. Starter Henry Williams labored through 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He surrendered two home runs and was charged with all of Toledo's damage. Ben Sears collected the win in relief, working 2 2/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts and no walks to improve to 2-0. Beck Way, Eli Morgan, and Jose Cuas combined to bridge the game to Mason Black, who closed it out with a clean ninth for his third save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyler Tolbert 2 2 0 0 2 1 John Rave 4 1 1 0 0 1 Kameron Misner 3 0 0 0 1 0 Luca Tresh 4 1 1 1 0 1 Brett Squires 4 2 3 3 0 1 Abraham Toro 3 0 0 0 0 1 Gavin Cross 3 0 1 1 0 0 Dustin Dickerson 3 0 1 0 0 1 Josh Rojas 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 3 1/3 6 3 3 3 3 2 Ben Sears 2 2/3 1 0 0 0 4 0 Beck Way 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Eli Morgan 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Jose Cuas 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mason Black 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mozzicato Tagged Early In Naturals' Loss To Travelers The Northwest Arkansas Naturals fell to the Arkansas Travelers, 9-5, on a day when Mozzicato struggled to keep the ball in the yard. The left-hander was charged with seven runs on six hits over three innings, walking three and striking out three, and surrendered two home runs in a four-run first. Sam Kulasingam led the offense, finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. He answered the early deficit with a solo home run in the first, then added an RBI single in the fifth. Spencer Nivens reached safely all four times he came to the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two RBI. His two-run double in the fifth, which also scored Kulasingam and Jorge Alfaro, pulled the Naturals within three. Colton Becker chipped in a 2-for-4 line with an RBI single in the second that scored Daniel Vazquez. Vazquez added a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored, and Rudy Martin Jr. also swiped a bag in his 1-for-5 night. Mozzicato exited after three innings and was tagged with the loss to fall to 0-2. Brandon Johnson allowed a two-run home run in his lone inning of work. Owen provided the staff's lone bright spot, working five innings of one-run baseball with seven strikeouts, no walks, and a home run allowed. Cleanup hitter Alfaro went 1-for-4 with a run scored, while Carson Roccaforte went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 0 0 0 0 3 Rudy Martin Jr. 5 1 1 0 0 1 Sam Kulasingam 5 2 2 2 0 0 Jorge Alfaro 4 1 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 3 1 0 0 1 0 Spencer Nivens 3 0 3 2 1 0 Colton Becker 4 0 2 1 0 0 Connor Scott 3 0 0 0 0 2 Canyon Brown 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Mozzicato 3 6 7 7 3 3 2 Brandon Johnson 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 Hunter Owen 5 6 1 1 0 7 1 Shields Struggles As River Bandits Fall To Lugnuts The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped an 8-2 decision to the Lansing Lugnuts, with Shields taking the loss. The left-hander allowed six runs on six hits over three innings, walking two and striking out one. He surrendered a solo home run in the second and was tagged for five more in the third on four straight hits, including a two-run double, before exiting after 65 pitches. Shields fell to 3-3. The damage piled up quickly in the third, when four consecutive one-out hits put five on the board. Quad Cities was held off the scoreboard through four innings before breaking through in the fifth, when Tyriq Kemp lined an RBI double to left that scored Derlin Figueroa. Lansing answered in the bottom half with a two-run home run off Mason Miller, who allowed two runs on two hits over 2 1/3 innings while walking three. Trevor Werner provided the final tally for the visitors in the eighth, lifting a solo home run to right. Figueroa reached three times in his 2-for-3 night, also drawing a walk and scoring a run. Asbel Gonzalez added a 2-for-4 effort with a stolen base. Top prospect Blake Mitchell went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Ramon Ramirez was held hitless in four trips. Yimi Presinal contributed an inning of hitless relief, and Kamden Edge struck out one over 1 2/3 scoreless frames to finish the game. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 0 0 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 2 0 0 1 Blake Mitchell 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Derlin Figueroa 3 1 2 0 1 1 Austin Charles 3 0 1 0 0 0 Angel Acosta 1 0 0 0 0 1 Erick Torres 3 0 0 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp 3 0 1 1 0 0 Trevor Werner 3 1 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 3 6 6 6 2 1 1 Yimi Presinal 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Mason Miller 2 1/3 2 2 2 3 1 1 Kamden Edge 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Fireflies Shut Out By Crawdads The Columbia Fireflies were blanked by the Hickory Crawdads, 10-0, mustering five hits but never crossing the plate. Brooks Bryan and Stone Russell each finished with two hits, and Connor Rasmussen added a single. The lineup combined to leave five runners on base. Hickory broke through in the second against Wyatt. The Crawdads loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch, then plated runs on a bases-loaded walk, a hit by pitch, and a two-RBI double, putting four on the board in the frame. Wyatt was charged with the loss after three innings, allowing four runs on two hits with three walks and one strikeout to fall to 1-2. The fifth inning unraveled similarly. Yeri Perez allowed a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a two-RBI single before Andy Basora entered with the bases loaded. Basora walked in a run and gave up a two-run single, completing a six-run inning. Perez was tagged with six runs in 1 2/3 innings. Basora settled in to finish his 2 1/3 innings without allowing a run, striking out two and walking three. Randy Ramnarace tossed a scoreless frame, and Max Martin closed the game with a clean ninth. Top prospects Sean Gamble, Josh Hammond, and Yandel Ricardo combined to go 0-for-12, with Gamble striking out twice. Bryan's double in the eighth accounted for Columbia's lone extra-base hit. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 3 0 0 0 0 0 Josi Novas 1 0 0 0 0 1 Yandel Ricardo 4 0 0 0 0 0 Josh Hammond 4 0 0 0 0 1 Brooks Bryan 3 0 2 0 1 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 0 0 0 2 Stone Russell 3 0 2 0 0 0 Daniel Lopez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 3 0 0 0 0 2 Connor Rasmussen 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hiro Wyatt 3 2 4 4 3 1 0 Yeri Perez 1 2/3 2 6 6 3 0 0 Andy Basora 2 1/3 1 0 0 3 2 0 Randy Ramnarace 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Max Martin 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: three IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR Sean Gamble: 0-for-4, 2 K Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, 1 K Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, 2 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-4, SB, 1 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-5, 3 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4 Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: three IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR Daniel Vazquez: 0-for-3, BB, R, SB Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

I think the blocking can be fixed too. The preparation is definitely tough, and I will be interested to see how that matures. The good thing is that he has a pretty good and experienced staff to work with. That puts less pressure on him when it comes to calling and planning games. However, it will be interesting to see how that changes as the pitching staff turns over a bit, especially with younger pitchers.

Abraham Toro's grand slam capped a three-homer attack as Omaha cruised 11-3 in a rain-shortened win over Toledo, with Brett Squires and Luke Maile also going deep. Emmanuel Reyes spun a six-inning, no-earned-run gem with eight strikeouts to lead Quad Cities to an 8-2 victory. Northwest Arkansas was shut out 4-0 despite a sharp 4 1/3-inning, no-run effort from Hunter Patteson. Jhosmmel Zue's two-run double walked off Columbia's 8-7 win over Hickory in 11 innings. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed LHP Matt Strahm on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation. Kansas City Royals activated LHP Bailey Falter from the 15-day injured list. Toro's Grand Slam Caps Three-Homer Rout In Rain-Shortened Win The Omaha Storm Chasers cruised to an 11-3 win over the Toledo Mud Hens in a game called by rain after the top of the eighth inning. Cleanup hitter Brett Squires went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, and Abraham Toro added a grand slam, finishing 1-for-2 with four RBI and two walks. Luke Maile also went deep, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Gavin Cross had two hits and a stolen base. The Storm Chasers turned the game on its head in the bottom of the first, scoring six runs after Toledo had taken a 1-0 lead in the top half. Leadoff hitter Tyler Tolbert reached on an error, John Rave singled, and Squires followed with a three-run homer to right center, scoring Tolbert and Rave. Two batters later, with Cross and Dustin Dickerson aboard via walks, Maile launched a three-run shot to left field to make it 6-1. Omaha widened the gap in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded on a Kevin Newman double and walks to John Rave and Drew Waters, Toro crushed a grand slam to right center, extending the lead to 11-3. Starter Aaron Sanchez allowed three earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking out four across 3 2/3 innings. Ethan Bosacker and Anthony Gose combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief before rain forced the early conclusion. Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyler Tolbert (CF) 5 1 0 0 0 1 John Rave (RF) 3 2 1 0 1 0 Drew Waters (DH) 3 1 0 0 1 1 Brett Squires (1B) 4 1 3 3 0 1 Abraham Toro (3B) 2 2 1 4 2 0 Gavin Cross (LF) 4 1 2 0 0 0 Dustin Dickerson (2B) 2 1 1 1 1 0 Luke Maile (C) 4 1 2 3 0 1 Kevin Newman (SS) 4 1 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 3 2/3 5 3 3 3 4 1 Ethan Bosacker 2 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Anthony Gose 2 3 0 0 1 1 0 Patteson Sharp, But Bullpen Falters In Seventh As Naturals Get Shut Out The Northwest Arkansas Naturals were shut out 4-0 by the Arkansas Travelers, who broke open a scoreless game with a four-run seventh inning. The Naturals managed only five hits, with Jack Pineda leading the way at 2-for-4. Leadoff hitter Rudy Martin Jr. added a double, and Carson Roccaforte and Connor Scott each drew walks. For six innings, the game was a pitcher's duel. Starter Hunter Patteson worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out four. Oscar Rayo followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of his own, walking two and striking out three. Things unraveled in the top of the seventh. Dennis Colleran Jr. issued back-to-back walks to begin the inning, threw a wild pitch, and then surrendered an RBI double. The next batter launched a three-run homer to left center to put Arkansas up 4-0. Colleran walked two more before Augusto Mendieta entered with the bases loaded. Mendieta allowed a single but induced a flyout to escape further damage without surrendering a run. Colleran was charged with four earned runs in only 1/3 of an inning, walking four and giving up the home run. Mendieta finished with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. The Naturals' bats could not generate a rally, leaving six runners on base across the night. Player AB R H RBI BB K Rudy Martin Jr. (LF) 4 0 1 0 0 1 Colton Becker (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 3 Sam Kulasingam (1B) 4 0 1 0 0 1 Carson Roccaforte (CF) 3 0 0 0 1 2 Jack Pineda (SS) 4 0 2 0 0 0 Omar Hernandez (C) 2 0 0 0 0 1 Canyon Brown (DH) 3 0 1 0 0 1 Connor Scott (RF) 2 0 0 0 1 1 Justin Johnson (2B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Patteson 4 1/3 4 0 0 4 4 0 Oscar Rayo 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1/3 2 4 4 4 0 1 Augusto Mendieta 2 2/3 2 0 0 0 3 0 Reyes' Quality Start, Figueroa's Three-Run Homer Lead River Bandits Past Lansing The Quad Cities River Bandits notched an 8-2 road win over the Lansing Lugnuts behind a quality start from Emmanuel Reyes and a three-run homer from Derlin Figueroa. Catcher Blake Mitchell led the hitting attack, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Leadoff hitter Nolan Sailors also went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Figueroa finished with four RBI on his home run, and cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer added a triple and an RBI. The River Bandits jumped on Lansing in the top of the third. With one out, Sailors singled, Asbel Gonzalez walked, and Mitchell ripped an RBI single to right to score Sailors. After Pelzer reached, Figueroa unloaded a three-run home run to center field, giving Quad Cities a 4-0 lead. The Bandits kept adding on. Gonzalez delivered an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth, and an unearned run in the seventh scored Figueroa on a throwing error. In the ninth, Pelzer tripled home Mitchell and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Figueroa. Reyes turned in a quality start, going six innings and allowing four hits and one unearned run while walking one and striking out eight. Aiden Jimenez followed with three innings, allowing two hits and one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors (RF) 4 2 3 0 1 0 Asbel Gonzalez (CF) 3 1 0 1 0 1 Blake Mitchell (C) 4 1 3 1 1 0 Luke Pelzer (LF) 5 2 1 1 0 1 Derlin Figueroa (3B) 4 2 1 4 0 1 Jose Cerice (1B) 4 0 2 0 1 1 Tyriq Kemp (SS) 5 0 0 0 0 1 Erick Torres (DH) 3 0 0 0 1 0 Angel Acosta (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes 6 4 1 0 1 8 0 Aiden Jimenez 3 2 1 1 2 2 0 Jhosmmel Zue Walks Off Fireflies' 8-7 Win Over Hickory In 11 The Columbia Fireflies outlasted the Hickory Crawdads 8-7 in 11 innings, walking off on a two-run double by Jhosmmel Zue. Leadoff hitter Henry Ramos paced the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and a walk. Stone Russell added two hits, a double, and two RBI, and Connor Rasmussen reached base five times on a 2-for-2 day with a double, three walks, and two runs scored. Zue finished with three RBI on his game-winning double. Hickory took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before Columbia answered with two runs in the third on an RBI double by Ramos and an RBI single by Russell. The Fireflies added two more in the fourth on RBI singles by Ramos and Josh Hammond to lead 4-1. The lead held until the seventh, when Hickory cut it to 4-3 with a two-run double. In the ninth, a solo home run tied the game at 4-4 and forced extra innings. Hickory pushed across its zombie runner in the top of the 10th, but Zue's sacrifice fly plated Columbia zombie runner Daniel Lopez to tie the game again at 5-5. Hickory scored two more in the top of the 11th to take a 7-5 lead. In the bottom half, Russell doubled home zombie runner Josh Hammond to make it 7-6. Two more baserunners reached on walks, and with two outs, Zue laced a two-run double down the right-field line, scoring Russell and pinch runner Josi Novas to walk off the win. Starter Jordan Woods worked four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with one walk and three strikeouts. Henson Leal followed with three innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts. Jhon Reyes gave up the game-tying solo homer in the ninth across two innings of work, and Dash Albus earned the win with two innings, allowing three runs but only one earned with three strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos (LF) 5 1 3 2 1 0 Josh Hammond (SS) 6 1 1 1 0 2 Stone Russell (1B) 6 1 2 2 0 1 Hyungchan Um (C) 4 0 1 0 2 0 Josi Novas (PR) 0 1 0 0 0 0 Sean Gamble (CF) 5 0 2 0 0 1 JC Vanek (1B) 3 0 0 0 1 1 Daniel Lopez (PR) 0 1 0 0 0 0 Yandel Ricardo (2B) 0 0 0 0 1 0 Roni Cabrera (RF) 4 1 1 0 0 0 Jhosmmel Zue (DH) 5 0 1 3 0 0 Connor Rasmussen (3B) 2 2 2 0 3 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Woods 4 3 1 1 1 3 0 Henson Leal 3 3 2 2 2 2 0 Jhon Reyes 2 3 1 1 0 2 1 Dash Albus 2 3 3 1 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 2-for-5, K Blake Mitchell: 3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, BB, SB Josh Hammond: 1-for-6, RBI, 2 K, SB Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-3, RBI, K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-0, BB Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: DNP Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals lost their sixth-straight game on Saturday, falling to their I-70 rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2. The Royals now have a 19-27 record and not only sit in last place in the AL Central but are also 5.5 games behind the division-leading Cleveland Guardians. There are many issues with the Royals right now. The starting pitching has regressed heavily in May (they rank 24th in SP ERA this month, according to Fangraphs). The bullpen has been better, but remains inconsistent (they rank 22nd in bullpen ERA). Lastly, they have not seen much stability in the lineup beyond Bobby Witt Jr., who is making his case for an AL MVP bid despite the Royals' struggles. Unfortunately, one of the biggest issues related to the Royals' lineup has been the performance of their regular No. 3 hitter, Vinnie Pasquantino. There's a lot to be said about Pasquantino, who launched 32 home runs, collected 113 RBI, hit .264, posted a 116 wRC+, and accumulated a 1.5 fWAR in 682 plate appearances last year, a career-high. The Royals agreed to a modest extension with him for the 2026-2027 seasons ($11.1 million), and it seemed like Pasquantino was going to continue to be a force in the Royals lineup this year. Unfortunately, that's been far from the case for Pasquantino. In 189 plate appearances, Vinnie is hitting .201 with a .627 OPS. He also has five home runs, 18 runs scored, 22 RBI, and a wOBA of .278. When it comes to his Statcast percentiles, they haven't been impressive, though he has been walking more (10.8%) than he did a season ago. When looking at Pasquantino's Statcast percentiles via TJ Stats, there's not much to be encouraged by. The good thing is that he's making a good amount of contact, drawing a decent amount of walks, and pulling the ball in the air quite a bit. However, the bat speed and exit velocity metrics aren't great, and while the barrel rate is okay (53rd percentile), the hard-hit rate (29th percentile) and launch angle sweet spot percentage (33.6%) have not been. Thus, Pasquantino's outlook for the remainder of 2026 looks hazy based on these factors, though his xwOBA trend seems to hint that he's on the upswing after a brutal start to the season. Therefore, what should Royals fans expect from Vinnie, hitting-wise, for the remainder of 2026? While he's trending positively, will it be enough to come close to what he did a season ago? A lot will depend on his performance against lefties and whether that improves anytime soon this year. Vinnie's Brutal Splits Against Lefties This Year One of the big issues with Pasquantino is that he just isn't hitting left-handed pitchers well in 2026. In 53 plate appearances, Vinnie is slashing .120/.170/.160 with a .330 OPS against left-handed pitchers. He has zero home runs, just six hits overall, and two walks to 16 strikeouts. He is also posting a -10 wRC+ against lefties, according to Fangraphs. Of Royals hitters with five or more plate appearances this year, only Michael Massey has been worse against lefties (-12). Furthermore, Jac Caglianone (59 wRC+) and Carter Jensen (49 wRC+), two hitters who have seen the bench against left-handed starting pitchers, have been considerably better against southpaws than Pasquantino. On a positive note, his performance against righties has been productive. In 136 plate appearances, he is slashing .237/.331/.421 with a .752 OPS. All five of his home runs have come against righties, and he has 18 walks to 20 strikeouts. That 0.90 BB/K ratio is significantly better than the 0.13 BB/K ratio he is producing against lefties this season, which shows his approach and plate discipline are much better against righties. Lastly, here's what his Statcast splits look like against lefties and righties this year, according to TJ Stats. As Royals fans can see above, Pasquantino has been brutal against lefties, especially in the exit velocity, hard-hit, xwOBA, and LA Sweet-Spot% categories. All those rank in the 1st percentile this year, which is as bad as it gets. His barrel rate against lefties ranks in the 10th percentile at 3.0%. That's not great either, though not as putrid as his other Statcast categories. Another big concern against lefties is that he's just not making contact against them, either, the opposite of what we're seeing from Vinnie against righties. Against righties, his whiff% ranks in the 92nd percentile, his Z-Contact% ranks in the 94th percentile, and his K% ranks in the 82nd percentile. Conversely, against lefties, his whiff% ranks in the 44th percentile, his Z-Contact% ranks in the 14th percentile, and his K% ranks in the 7th percentile. It's one thing not to hit the ball with pop against lefties. However, to not even hit the ball at all? That's a huge red flag, especially for a hitter who was expected to be key at the top of the batting order. Now, is this a trend for Vinnie or just the product of a slow start? The career data doesn't suggest a major turnaround is to be expected anytime soon. In 478 plate appearances against lefties over his career, Pasquantino is slashing .231/.286/.357 with a .644 OPS and 76 wRC+. That is a far cry from his career .269/.339/.475 slash and .813 OPS and 123 wRC+ against righties. Even when comparing this season against lefties to 2025 in terms of Statcast percentiles, while he was better against lefties a year ago, it wasn't dramatically different. The main difference is that the Whiff% (70th percentile) and Z-Contact% (71st percentile) were much better in 2025 than in 2026. However, the barrel (37th percentile), hard-hit rate (46th percentile), and LA Sweet-Spot% (5th percentile) were only marginally better. Thus, I don't predict a big enough turnaround from Vinnie against lefties this year that would justify everyday at-bats from him, especially in the No. 3 spot in the batting order, from now on. What's the Solution With Vinnie? (And What's the Domino Effect On the Lineup?) The reality is that manager Matt Quatraro probably has to start limiting Pasquantino's at-bats against lefties, which means that he's a guy who may be sitting against southpaw starting pitchers. While that's a tough pill to swallow, it's necessary, especially since his overall Statcast percentiles this year just aren't where they were a season ago, as shown below by TJ Stats. Vinnie isn't hitting the ball as hard and launching the ball less this year. For that to improve, he needs more at-bats against pitchers he succeeds against. Unfortunately, that's righties, not lefties. A solution for the Royals would be to maybe platoon Vinnie at first with Salvador Perez. While Perez's .195 average and .560 OPS are pretty brutal, he's actually been better against lefties than righties this year. In 50 plate appearances against lefties, Perez is slashing .227/.300/.409 with a .709 OPS and two home runs. He also has three walks to nine strikeouts against southpaws. In 135 plate appearances against righties, he's slashing .185/.207/.300 with a .507 OPS and four home runs. Yes, he's hitting more home runs, but his plate approach has been far worse, as evidenced by his three walks to 32 strikeouts. The Statcast percentiles also support that Salvy is making better contact and showing better plate discipline and swing decisions against lefties as well. Against righties, Salvy's xwOBA is .258, which ranks in the 4th percentile. Against lefties? His xwOBA is .389, which ranks in the 85th percentile. He is also launching the ball considerably better against lefties (40%) than righties (30.9%), hitting the ball harder (51.4% hard-hit rate against lefties; 37.1% against righties), and barreling more balls as well (11.4% barrel rate against lefties; 8.2% against righties). Thus, Quatraro could bench Vinnie against lefties and let Salvy play first in those scenarios, with Elias Diaz or Jensen getting the starts behind the plate in those situations. Against righties, Salvy may need to concede some games to Jensen, especially since Jensen has been a much better hitter against righties this year than Salvy. I am not saying that Salvy shouldn't play against righties at all. Though it may not be enough to help him match what he did in 2025 or 2024, I think a positive swing could be on the way. Perez's presence is still important both at the plate and behind the plate. However, it should at the very least be a 50-50 split with Jensen and Perez against righties, and I think Perez should cede at-bats at DH against righties to Starling Marte, who's actually proven to be much better against righties this year than lefties, according to the Statcast percentile data via TJ Stats. Marte doesn't offer much upside, especially at 37 years old. However, with a .356 wOBA and .339 xwOBA against righties, I think he deserves more at-bats than what he's getting currently. At designated hitter, his age and defense are less of a liability. The problem offensively with the Royals goes beyond Vinnie, and, as Royals fans can see, benching Pasquantino has a domino effect on the rest of this lineup. However, the writing is on the wall: Vinnie isn't good against lefties, and he needs more days off against them, much to the chagrin of "Pasquatch" fans. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch benches Colt Keith and Kerry Carpenter, both very good and important players, against lefties, and it's produced encouraging overall results over the past couple of seasons. It's time for Quatraro to apply a similar approach with Pasquantino. View full article

All four Kansas City Royals affiliates fell on Friday night despite individual standouts across the system. Mitch Spence turned in a Quality Start for the Omaha Storm Chasers in a 3-2 loss, and Kendry Chourio fired 4 1/3 strong innings for the Columbia Fireflies. Jack Pineda went 4-for-4 with a triple for Northwest Arkansas, Derlin Figueroa went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run for Quad Cities, and Josh Hammond homered for Columbia. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Edged 3-2 Despite Spence's Quality Start The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Toledo Mud Hens at home, falling just short despite a Quality Start from Mitch Spence. Omaha opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when John Rave doubled to left field with one out. Kameron Misner followed with a sharp groundout to second base, allowing Rave to score and giving the Storm Chasers an early 1-0 lead. Toledo answered in the top of the second with an RBI single to tie the game at one, and the Mud Hens took the lead for good in the fifth on a two-run home run that made it 3-1. The Storm Chasers had one final rally in the bottom of the seventh. Misner singled, Drew Waters drew a walk, and a flyout to right field by Brett Squires moved Misner to third. Dustin Dickerson then flied into a sacrifice double play, scoring Misner from third to pull Omaha within 3-2. The Storm Chasers could not push another runner across in the final two frames. Spence (1-3) took the loss, working six innings and allowing three runs on five hits with two walks, four strikeouts, and one home run allowed across 85 pitches. Jose Cuas, Helcris Olivárez, and Eli Morgan combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief. Rave paced the offense with a 2-for-4 night that included a double and a stolen base. Misner scored a run and drove in another, going 1-for-4. Kevin Newman and Josh Rojas added singles, and the Storm Chasers stranded just two runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 0 1 0 0 1 John Rave 4 1 2 0 0 0 Kameron Misner 4 1 1 1 0 1 Drew Waters 3 0 0 0 1 1 Brett Squires 3 0 0 0 0 0 Dustin Dickerson 2 0 0 1 0 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 0 1 Luke Maile 3 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 3 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mitch Spence (L, 1-3) 6 5 3 3 2 4 1 Jose Cuas 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Helcris Olivárez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eli Morgan 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Naturals Comeback Falls Short In 11-8 Loss To Travelers The Northwest Arkansas Naturals dropped an 11-8 decision to the Arkansas Travelers at home, falling after surrendering the lead in the late innings. The Naturals broke through with a five-run bottom of the fourth. Colton Becker doubled to right, Spencer Nivens followed with a single to put runners at second and third, and Jorge Alfaro singled to drive in the first run. Daniel Vazquez grounded into a force out that plated Nivens, and Omar Hernandez capped the rally with a three-run home run to center field for a 5-1 lead. Arkansas answered with a seven-run top of the fifth that included a three-run home run, sending the Travelers ahead 8-5. The Naturals rallied back in the seventh, when Carson Roccaforte ripped a two-run double to score Canyon Brown and Justin Johnson, and another run scored on the at-bat that followed to even the game at 8. Arkansas plated three more in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach. Drew Beam took the start and worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Tommy Molsky followed with 1 1/3 innings. Zachary Cawyer fired two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts. Brandon Johnson (0-1) took the loss after surrendering three runs in the ninth. Jack Pineda led the way with a 4-for-4 night that included a triple. Hernandez drove in three on the home run, Roccaforte plated two with his double, and Becker added two hits with a double and a run scored. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 2 2 0 2 Colton Becker 4 1 2 0 0 2 Spencer Nivens 5 1 1 0 0 3 Jorge Alfaro 4 0 1 1 0 3 Daniel Vazquez 4 1 0 1 0 2 Jack Pineda 4 1 4 0 0 0 Omar Hernandez 4 1 1 3 0 2 Canyon Brown 4 1 0 0 0 1 Justin Johnson 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 4 2/3 6 7 7 4 6 0 Tommy Molsky 1 1/3 1 1 1 2 2 1 Zachary Cawyer 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Brandon Johnson (L, 0-1) 1 3 3 3 1 0 1 Figueroa's Four-Hit Night Wasted As River Bandits Fall In Slugfest The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped a 12-9 slugfest in Lansing despite a four-hit, four-RBI night from Derlin Figueroa. Quad Cities grabbed an early lead in the top of the second when Figueroa singled home Austin Charles, and Charles delivered an RBI double in the fourth to score Luke Pelzer for a 2-1 advantage. Lansing answered with a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. Blake Mitchell pulled the River Bandits within one in the fifth with a two-RBI double that scored Tyriq Kemp and Asbel Gonzalez, but Lansing tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to stretch the lead to 10-4. Quad Cities mounted a five-run rally in the top of the seventh. Kemp tripled and scored on an Asbel Gonzalez groundout, Charles delivered an RBI single to bring Mitchell home, and Figueroa launched a three-run home run to right field to pull the River Bandits within 10-9. Lansing pushed across one in the seventh and one in the eighth to seal the result. Josh Hansell (0-4) took the loss as the starter, working four innings and giving up seven runs on four hits with seven walks and four strikeouts. Nick Conte, Ryan Ure, and L.P. Langevin combined for four innings of relief. Figueroa finished 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, and a run scored. Charles added three hits, two runs scored, two RBI, a double, and a walk. Mitchell drove in two with a double and reached base four times. Kemp added two hits, including a triple, with two runs scored. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 5 1 1 1 0 0 Blake Mitchell 3 1 1 2 2 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 0 0 1 1 Luke Pelzer 3 1 0 0 2 1 Austin Charles 4 2 3 2 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 5 1 4 4 0 0 Jose Cerice 3 0 1 0 2 0 Erick Torres 5 0 0 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp 4 2 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Josh Hansell (L, 0-4) 4 4 7 7 7 4 1 Nick Conte 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 Ryan Ure 1 1 2 2 3 3 0 L.P. Langevin 2 1 2 1 2 2 0 Hammond Homer Not Enough As Fireflies Drop Opener To Hickory The Columbia Fireflies fell 8-4 to the Hickory Crawdads at home despite a solid start from Kendry Chourio. The game stayed tight for the first five innings. Hickory took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI double, and Columbia answered in the bottom of the fifth when JC Vanek singled home Stone Russell to even the score at one. Hickory regained the lead at the top of the sixth on a run-scoring double play, then broke the game open in the seventh with a three-run home run to right field for a 5-1 advantage. Josh Hammond responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 5-2. Hickory tacked on two more in the top of the eighth on an RBI single and a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Columbia rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Hickory closed it out with another solo home run in the ninth. Chourio worked 4 1/3 innings for the Fireflies, surrendering one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts on 67 pitches. Max Martin (2-1) took the loss after working 1 2/3 innings. Brandon Herbold yielded five runs (four earned) in 1 2/3 innings, and Randy Ramnarace finished with 1 1/3 innings of relief. Hammond led the way at the plate, going 1-for-4 with the home run, a run scored, and an RBI. Vanek went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Stone Russell added a hit and a double, while Henry Ramos contributed a single, a walk, and a stolen base. Columbia stranded just two runners on base. Player Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 3 0 1 0 1 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 0 0 0 0 3 Josh Hammond 4 1 1 1 0 1 Brooks Bryan 4 0 1 0 0 2 Hyungchan Um 4 0 0 0 0 2 Stone Russell 4 1 1 0 0 0 JC Vanek 3 1 2 1 0 1 Roni Cabrera 2 1 0 0 1 1 Daniel Lopez 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 4 1/3 4 1 1 2 4 0 Max Martin (L, 2-1) 1 2/3 2 1 1 0 1 0 Brandon Herbold 1 2/3 3 5 4 1 2 1 Randy Ramnarace 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 0 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: DNP Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, K Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, BB, K Drew Beam: 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 K Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-5, RBI Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, 3 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K Warren Colcano: DNP Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Royals were swept this week by the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, losing the series finale on Thursday, 6-2. That brings Kansas City's record to 19-25, tying them for last in the AL Central with the Detroit Tigers. Currently, the Royals are 4.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who lead the AL Central with a 24-21 record. The upcoming stretch is not an easy one for the Royals. They go to St. Louis this weekend for a three-game series against the rival Cardinals in Busch Stadium. Then, they come back home for a nine-game homestand that includes series against the Red Sox, Mariners, and Yankees. The Yankees are one of the best teams in the American League with a 27-17 record. While the Red Sox (18-25) and Mariners (22-23) have struggled this year, they still have high-quality talent and could beat the Royals in a three-game series. Thus, Kansas City may need to shake up a roster that ranks 21st in runs scored and pitching ERA. After 44 games, the Royals have a decent sample of at-bats and innings and thus have enough evidence to make the changes needed to turn their fortunes around. Let's take a look at three changes the Royals could make, whether to the lineup, rotation, or bullpen, to help provide a much-needed spark to this currently floundering squad. Move Salvador Perez Out of the Cleanup Spot Salvy is the heart of the Royals and the captain for a reason. He has a long history of production with the Royals, especially on the offensive end. He had 27 home runs and 104 RBI in 2024 and 30 home runs and 100 RBI in 2025. Thus, it makes sense why manager Matt Quatraro and GM JJ Picollo decided to lean on Salvy to be the Royals' cleanup hitter for another season. However, Perez has finally shown signs of decline this year, especially at the plate. This year, the 36-year-old Royals catcher has six home runs, but he's only hitting .200 with a .578 OPS in 176 plate appearances. His bat speed and hard-hit metrics are down across the board, as evidenced by his TJ Stats Statcast profile. As fans can see above, there are many alarming trends with Salvy this year. His bat speed ranks in the 38th percentile, his hard-hit ranks in the 24th percentile, his pull-air% ranks in the 35th percentile, and xwOBA ranks in the 16th percentile. Furthermore, his 49 TJ Bat+ ranks in the 14th percentile, making him not just the worst cleanup hitter in baseball, but one of the worst regular hitters as well. At some point, the Royals need to try something different in this slot. One option could be to bat Jac Caglianone in the cleanup spot against righties and Maikel Garcia against lefties. Here's a look at Cags' TJ Stats' Statcast splits profile this year, and notice how solid he's been against righties, especially in those exit velocity, barrel, and hard-hit categories. Now, let's look at Garcia's TJ Statcast Summary splits this season. Against righties, Cags has an 80th percentile xwOBA and 97th percentile barrel rate. Against lefties, Garcia has a 99th percentile xwOBA and 75th percentile barrel rate. Thus, the Royals could get that ideal cleanup production in the aggregate, though that would mean Quatraro would have to find a different leadoff hitter against lefties (whether that's Lane Thomas or Starling Marte, who have shown solid performances against lefties this year). Designate Elias Diaz For Assignment; Promote Kameron Misner Diaz has filled in nicely for the Royals with Salvy dealing with some hip injuries. He's not hitting for a high average or getting on-base much, but he's at least hitting the ball hard and with power, as evidenced by his TJ Stats Statcast profile below. I think Diaz is serviceable as a third catcher for the Royals. However, the Royals do not need a third catcher. Instead, they need a bat that can provide some pop and production off the bench. One hitter in Omaha who could provide that much-needed production is Misner, who is off to a strong start with the Storm Chasers this season. In 39 games and 165 plate appearances, Misner is hitting .273 with a .894 OPS. He also has seven home runs, 34 RBI, 26 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. Add that with solid defense in the outfield, and he could be a player who could get some at-bats in left field or designated hitter, depending on the matchup. Looking at his Statcast percentiles, there are some flaws, especially in hard-hit rate and strikeout rate. However, there's more upside in his profile than John Rave, who saw some time with the Royals a season ago. The former Tampa Bay outfielder and Miami draft pick has also had a penchant for clutch hitting. On Thursday, he hit a walk-off home run against Toledo, his second-straight game with a walk-off hit. Misner is the kind of hitter who walks, launches, and pulls the ball in the air well. That may not result in everyday playing time, especially with this lineup already flush with lefties. However, he could be a fourth outfielder who could get hot and give this Royals lineup a much-needed jolt. Move Kris Bubic to the Bullpen I know this is a tough move to make, especially with the Royals' rotation affected by injury right now. Ryan Bergert is out for the year. Cole Ragans is on the IL. Thus, Quatraro may not want to move Bubic to the bullpen, especially since he's been decent with a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 3.72 FIP in 50.1 IP this season. However, the Royals do not need a "decent" starting pitcher from Bubic. They need an elite one, and right now, the metrics and profile haven't been quite elite, as seen below in his TJ Stuff+ summary from this season. Bubic is posting a 12.6% BB% and 12.1% K-BB%, both worse than his 2025 marks (8.2 BB% and 16.2% K-BB%). He is also throwing fewer strikes, as his 62.9% strike rate is down from 66% in 2025. Those aren't good trends, especially for a pitcher about to enter free agency this offseason. The Royals have some pitchers returning from the IL soon who could take Bubic's place. Ragans has been throwing and could be up for a quick return from the IL. Furthermore, the Royals also have Bailey Falter, who could be utilized in the rotation as a No. 4-5 starter, though he would need some help from a long reliever in his starts. That said, even though he may not be a frontline starter, his TJ Stuff+ summary from Omaha shows that he could be an intriguing arm who could go 3-5 innings, depending on the outing. Another reason the Royals could use Bubic in the bullpen is that their relievers have been mediocre this year, to put it nicely. They rank 27th in ERA, 26th in WHIP, and 28th in BB/9 and HR/9. The group needs help, and it's too early in the season to acquire any reliever of note in a trade. When he pitched in the Royals bullpen in 2024, Bubic was elite. In 27 outings and 30.1 IP, Bubic posted a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 1.88 FIP, 32.6% K%, and 28.1% K-BB%. Below is what his TJ Stuff+ summary looked like that season. As fans can see, there are a lot of benefits to moving Bubic to the bullpen in terms of his stuff and profile. As a reliever, Bubic posted excellent zone, chase, whiff, and xwOBACON rates. He has been paltry in those categories, even with a TJ Stuff+ profile that, in 2024, was similar to his 2026 profile. Even though the stuff was pretty similar in 2024 to his 2026 marks, the fastball velocity is markedly different. In 2024, he averaged a 93 MPH and 108 TJ Stuff+. In 2026, his four-seamer averaged 91.7 MPH and a 104 TJ Stuff+. Those are good marks, but they could be even better if he's able to pump the velocity a bit. That would be easier to achieve as a reliever than as a starter. The Royals could use Bubic as their primary setup man for the remainder of the season. While Strahm has veteran credibility, his TJ Stuff+ profile has declined, and as a result, he is posting a 4.02 ERA in 15.2 IP this year. It's a bold move and a big risk, especially considering Bubic's history as a starter last year. That said, the Royals need to preserve Bubic over the course of the season, especially since his season was cut short due to injury just after the All-Star Break. Moving to relief preserves his health and gives the Royals bullpen the big-out arm that they desperately need, especially in those high-leverage situations in the late innings. View full article

Image courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals have crawled back into the AL Central race, even though they lost to the White Sox on Tuesday, falling to 19-23 and three games back of the division-leading Cleveland Guardians. The offense has looked much better in May, ranking 15th in wRC+ as of May 12th. That is much better than their 20th-place ranking in March/April, according to Fangraphs. Overall, the offense ranks 18th in OBP, 17th in home runs, 14th in batting average, and 12th in OPS (though they rank 24th in runs). That is certainly serviceable, especially in a weak AL Central division. The starting pitching has been decent as well, though not as elite as in years past. They rank 10th in starter ERA, 13th in K/9, 9th in H/9, 11th in HR/9, and 18th in WHIP. The one blemish is they rank 27th in BB/9 (though most of those struggles seem to be tied to Cole Ragans). The main weak point of this team right now is the bullpen. The Royals bullpen currently ranks 26th in ERA and WHIP, 28th in BB/9, 20th in K/9, and 23rd in HR/9. The strikeouts are nice, but the walks, ERA, and WHIP leave a bit to be desired. Kansas City has also had a propensity to blow close games in big spots, with Matt Strahm giving up a home run to White Sox pinch hitter Derek Hill that ended up being the difference in the South Siders 6-5 victory over the Royals (Chicago now leads the season series 3-2). data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== It's likely that Kansas City will improve its bullpen at some point with a trade or two. However, we are probably at least a month away from that happening, especially with so many teams still in the American League playoff hunt. That said, the Royals could make a few internal moves to improve their bullpen production in both the short and long term (i.e., beyond 2026). Here are three scenarios that could happen in Kansas City that could possibly turn around the Royals' bullpen woes to begin the season. Piggyback Bailey Falter with Noah Cameron It's been a tough start for Cameron, as he has a 5.55 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 35.2 IP this season. That said, his FIP is 4.32, which is just 14 points higher than a year ago, and his K/BB ratio is 2.29, not terribly lower than the 2.65 ratio he posted a season ago. His Statcast percentiles are decent as well, albeit a bit flawed in certain categories, especially barrel rate and groundball rate, as seen below. The main issue with Cameron is that he has struggled this year when he faces a lineup a second time around. His ERA against hitters the first time through a lineup is 2.35. Against a lineup a second time, however? It's 9.00 ERA. Thus, the Royals would benefit from having a quick hook with Cameron, even if it may only be four to five innings. A pitcher they could piggyback Cameron with is Bailey Falter, whose rehab stint with the Storm Chasers is set to expire soon. That means they need to decide whether to return him to the active roster or designate him for assignment (he's out of Minor League options). In 13 IP with the Storm Chasers, Falter is posting a 2.77 ERA, 1.92 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP with a 35.2% K% and 29.6% K-BB%. Additionally, the Statcast percentiles have also been impressive from Falter in Omaha. What makes Falter a nice complement with Cameron is that Falter's fastball is a much better offering than Cameron's, which can throw hitters off who may be more used to Cameron's lower-quality four-seamer. Cameron's four-seamer has a 93 TJ Stuff+ while Falter's four-seamer has a 104 TJ Stuff+ in Omaha. That's a dramatic change, and opposing managers can't make changes with the bench hitter-wise, since Falter is also a lefty. Another positive aspect with Falter and Cameron paired together is that Falter has excellent extension while Cameron...doesn't. Falter's average extension (7.3) is over a foot more than Cameron's (6.2). That makes things tougher for opposing hitters, who see the same release point and arm slot, but are greeted with much different extension with Falter in relief. Below is a compilation of clips of their pitching motions and how they can be tough for opposing hitters when facing Cameron and Falter back-to-back in a game. Falter has struggled with the Royals, posting an 11.25 ERA in 12 IP with Kansas City in 2025 after coming over from Pittsburgh, and a 13.50 ERA in 3.1 IP this year before hitting the IL with elbow soreness. However, his four-seamer TJ Stuff+ is up four points in Omaha from his time with the Royals earlier in 2026. Thus, it seems like Falter may be fully ready to go, and he could be a nice bullpen piece to relieve Cameron, who can go two to three innings, depending on the situation. Promote Beck Way, Designate Alex Lange for Assignment The Royals acquired Lange from the Tigers after Lange was designated for assignment this offseason. A former closer, Kansas City was hoping that Lange would find the form that helped him save 26 games and post a 3.68 ERA in 2023. Unfortunately, that just hasn't been the case for Lange in his return to his hometown team (he grew up in Lee's Summit). In 16 outings and 18.2 IP, Lange has a 5.79 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He has a decent K% at 24.4%, but his BB% is 15.9%, which ranks in the bottom fifth percentile. He is also posting an 8.5% K-BB%, which further illustrates his command inconsistency on the mound this year. Many of his other percentiles haven't been impressive either, as illustrated below. Right now, Lange appears to be a project for pitching coaches Brian Sweeney and Mike McFerran. That said, at 30 years old, I'm not sure he's a project worth holding onto much longer, especially with him out of Minor League options. If the Royals are looking for a project reliever, they may call up Way to replace Lange in the bullpen. The former Yankees pitching prospect's ERA is high at 4.43, but his WHIP is reasonable at 1.25, and his FIP and K-BB% are impressive at 2.16 and 24%, respectively. Furthermore, his Statcast percentile looks significantly better than Lange's. While Way is in Triple-A and Lange is in the Majors, there are certain things that could transition well for Way. Way throws strikes (51.7% zone rate), limits barrels (1.8%), generates groundballs (55.4%), and gets CSW (32.7%) and strikeouts (32.3%). He also has elite secondaries, with cutter, sweeper, and changeup all having TJ Stuff+ numbers of 107 or higher. Way is far from a sure thing, and it's taken a while for him to get to this level. He had a 6.87 ERA in 38 IP in Omaha last year and went unselected in last year's Rule 5 Draft (relievers tend to be the ones most selected). Thus, he could struggle in his promotion to the Major Leagues. That said, with Way being four years younger than Lange, I think Way is a project worth taking a chance on and being patient with, rather than Lange, who pretty much is who he is at this point (and unfortunately, that's a middling, mop-up man reliever). Give Mason Black the John Schreiber Role Like Lange, Schreiber doesn't have it this year, and it may be the end of Schreiber's time as a key bullpen piece in Kansas City. Schreiber's ERA is decent at 3.38, and he has looked better in recent outings. Conversely, he has more walks than strikeouts (-4.3 K-BB%), a 5.90 FIP and 1.44 WHIP, and, overall, meager Statcast percentiles, to put it nicely. Schreiber's surface-level metrics are serviceable for now. That said, he's due for regression, as the strike and batted-ball data illustrate that he's going to have a hard time preventing runs long-term. Therefore, the Royals ought to look to trade or release Schreiber and replace him with Mason Black, whose pitching MO seems similar to Schreiber's, but who is much younger and has better strikeout stuff. Black is not a strikeout guy, but 22.7% K% is considerably better than Schreiber's. The former San Francisco Giant also does a good job minimizing hard hits and exit velocity on batted balls, though Black's groundball ability is not nearly as good as Schreiber's. Here's a breakdown of Black's Statcast profile this year, based on his limited MLB sample. There are some concerns with Black: his TJ Stuff+ is actually worse than Schreiber's, and his barrel rate (13.3% allowed) considerably lags behind Schreiber's (5.8%). However, Black's 52nd percentile extension is intriguing, and he is also a sinker-slider-focused pitcher. Thus, I wonder if Black was unlucky in generating groundballs in his first stint with the Royals and could be much better with some tweaks and more innings of work at the Major League level. Unfortunately, the groundball rate in Omaha has been pretty meager, based on his Triple-A Statcast percentile. That said, he was much better at generating strikes and chases with the Storm Chasers, as seen below. I'm not sure the Royals would or should DFA Schreiber right away for a Black promotion. If Schreiber continues to trend upward, he may be a nice trade asset to a team that is desperate for bullpen help in June or July. However, I believe that Black is similar in mold to Schreiber and could replace his spot in the bullpen easily, especially since Schreiber is not getting as many high-leverage spots as a year ago. Schreiber has been more of a mop-up man who comes in early with big leads or when the Royals are behind. If that's the role available, Black would probably be a better, more high-upside option in those spots than Schreiber, who's not just 32 years old, but also costing the Royals $3.715 million this year and will be a free agent after this season anyway. At the very least, Black has more of a long-term future with Kansas City than Schreiber, especially with the latter's struggles in control this year. View full article

Image courtesy of Allan Henry-Imagn Images We have finished the first month of play, and it is time to update the Royals Top 20 Prospects List over at Royals Keep. Both staff and readers voted, and after the results were calculated, the list is now ready to be revealed. The Royals' Top 20 Prospects List saw some notable changes from the preseason, including the addition of two new prospects, which we will break down. Let’s jump into it below. Kansas City Royals Top 20 Prospect List Kendry Chourio RHP A (Previously #4) David Shields LHP A+ (Previously #3) Sean Gamble OF/2B A (Previously #6) Blake Mitchell C A+ (Previously #2) Josh Hammond SS A (Previously #7) Ramon Ramirez C A+ (Previously #8) Drew Beam RHP AA (Previously #9) Asbel Gonzalez CF A+ (Previously #10) Ben Kudrna RHP AAA (40-Man) (Previously #5) Carson Roccaforte CF AA (Previously #16) Yandel Ricardo SS A (Previously #11) Felix Arronde RHP AA (Previously #12) Blake Wolters RHP A+ (Previously #17) Michael Lombardi RHP A (Previously #18) Luinder Avila RHP MLB (40-Man) (Previously #12) Steven Zobac RHP AA (40-Man) (Previously #15) Frank Mozzicato LHP AA (Previously #20) Daniel Vazquez SS AA (Previously #14) Warren Calcaño SS DSL (Previously #19) Shane Panzini RHP AAA (Previously Unranked) In this new list, 19 of our 20 from our preseason rankings remain, with former top prospect Carter Jensen being the only one graduating from the list after starting the 2026 season on the MLB roster. Pitcher Panzini joins the list after pitching primarily in Triple-A Omaha. The biggest risers in the farm system were pitchers. Chourio ascended to the No. 1 prospect in the Royals system while Shields rose to No. 2. Wolters and Lombardi had the biggest rises in terms of rankings, as they both ascended four spots each to No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Lombardi has been one of the best strikeout pitchers in the Fireflies rotation, while Wolters recently earned a promotion from Low-A to High-A Quad Cities this past week. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Mozzicato rose from No. 20 in the preseason rankings to No. 17 in our latest update. The ERA is brutal at 6.65, but he has a 21.7% K% and has shown some intriguing stuff on his pitches, though control and command have been less than stellar to begin the year. The sooner Kansas City moves Mozzicato to the bullpen full-time (he's made six starts), the better his outlook (and current statline in Double-A) will be. Also in Double-A, Beam rose from No. 9 to No. 7, despite sporting a 4.88 ERA and 6.63 FIP in 27.2 IP. The strikeouts haven't been there for Beam to begin the year, as illustrated by a 13.6% K%. However, he could be due for a positive bounce-back when the weather heats up, and he gets more settled against Texas League hitting. Roccaforte saw the biggest rise of position players, going from No. 16 to No. 10 in our updated rankings. The former University of Louisiana-Lafayette product is hitting only .240 and has a 31.4% strikeout rate. However, he has an .889 OPS and nine home runs for the year, putting him on pace for 20+ home runs this season. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The first two selections of the 2025 MLB Draft also saw rises in the rankings, with Gamble moving from No. 6 to No. 3 and Hammond moving from No. 7 to No. 5. Quad Cities prospects Ramirez and Gonzalez also moved up to No. 6 and No. 8, respectively, two spots up from their preseason rankings. Gonzalez is hitting .287 with a .772 OPS and has three home runs, while Ramirez is hitting .305 with a .916 OPS and six home runs. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== While the Royals' farm system rankings saw some rises from pitchers in the lower levels, it seemed like arms in the upper levels saw drops in the rankings in this latest edition. Kudrna, who made the 40-man roster this offseason and started in Triple-A, dropped from No. 5 to No. 9, and he could see an even bigger drop in our next rankings, especially with him likely out for the year due to elbow surgery. Avila dropped from No. 12 to No. 15, mostly due to an uneven start in the Majors this year. Furthermore, it seems the Royals are committed to him as a reliever for now, which lowers his ceiling and, thus, his prospect ranking. Zobac hasn't pitched this year due to injury, and that explains why he dropped one spot in this updated edition. The biggest position player drop was Mitchell, who went from No. 2 to No. 4 in the updated rankings. The former first-round pick has six home runs and a walk rate of 30.6% in 121 plate appearances. However, he has a strikeout rate of 32.2% and is hitting just .200. It seems hard to believe that the 30% K rate in High-A will decline in Double-A and beyond. Vazquez also saw a dip, going from No. 14 to No. 18 in these latest rankings. Hopes were high with Vazquez going into the year after a strong Arizona Fall League campaign, and he is hitting .273 with a .360 OPS in 128 plate appearances. However, he has not shown much power, as evidenced by a .696 OPS. Ricardo and Arronde stayed pat after up-and-down campaigns in Columbia and Northwest Arkansas, though they have been playing better recently. Calcano hasn't played in the States yet, which explains why he's remained stagnant in the rankings. He is still 19 years old and should matriculate to the Arizona Complex League at some point. New Addition: Shane Panzini, RHP, Triple-A Omaha, No. 20 Panzini joins the list after missing out on the preseason list. The numbers haven't been great for Panzini in Omaha so far. The former Northeast prep pitcher is posting an ERA of 11.42 and a WHIP of 2.25 in 17.1 IP. His FIP isn't much better at 8.45, and he is also sporting a 4.5% K-BB%. Thus, there's some argument to be made that Panzini isn't a Top-30 prospect in the Royals system, let alone a Top-20 one. However, with some proper tweaks, Panzini could develop into a pretty good reliever at the Major League level, especially if he can get through the rough park factors of Werner Park in Omaha and Triple-A in general. According to TJ Stats, his four-seamer (57.1% usage) and curveball (25.7% usage) are his most utilized pitches. That said, they are also his weakest pitches in terms of TJ Stuff+, with marks of 91 and 96, respectively. On the other hand, his secondary pitches, including his slider (7.5% usage), cutter (5.1% usage), and changeup (4.6% usage), all have a TJ Stuff+ mark of 100 or better, as seen below via his TJ Stuff+ Season Summary. Panzini isn't generating much chase (19.5%) or whiff (20.8%) and is getting hit hard, as evidenced by his .451 xwOBACON. However, some modifications in pitch mix could do wonders for his results. A higher usage of the cutter and slider and a lower usage of the four-seamer and curveball could help make all four of those pitches more effective and his line better overall. I do think Panzini pitches better when the weather improves, as his stuff has been a bit stunted by the rough weather in Omaha and other Midwestern cities where the Storm Chasers have played this year. Despite those velocity issues with the conditions, he has produced some intriguing movement, especially on his four-seamer, which has a 17.6 iVB. Jared Perkins of Just Baseball and Royals Pipeline Podcast (on KC Sports Network) pointed out the iVB on Panzini during an early Omaha outing this year. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The numbers aren't good, and Panzini is trending toward being another Chandler Champlain, who is no longer in the Royals organization after two rough seasons in Omaha. However, I think Panzini deserves some patience and time to work through things on the mound in Omaha. The seeds are there to be a successful MLB reliever. He just needs to adjust his pitch mix and try to get more on his four-seamer, which has a great foundation for vertical movement (velocity is the issue). View full article

The Omaha Storm Chasers cruised to a 9-0 win behind Kameron Misner's three-hit, three-RBI night, Drew Waters' five-RBI effort that included a home run, and 3 2/3 hitless innings from starter Ethan Bosacker. Jordan Woods struck out 14 across six no-hit innings of work, but the Columbia Fireflies lost 3-2 after the bullpen surrendered a three-run homer. Quad Cities rallied from a 5-0 deficit but ultimately fell 10-5 to Cedar Rapids. Northwest Arkansas was postponed. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Cruise Past Indianapolis Behind Misner And Waters The Omaha Storm Chasers blanked the Indianapolis Indians 9-0, racking up 13 hits and nine scoreless innings of pitching. Kameron Misner went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored, three RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Drew Waters added a 3-for-4 night with a double, a home run, five RBI, and a walk. Gavin Cross collected two hits, stole a base, and scored a run. John Rave chipped in two hits and an RBI. Starter Ethan Bosacker tossed 3 2/3 hitless innings, walking two and striking out four. Bailey Falter took over and earned the win, working 2 1/3 innings of two-hit ball without a walk and striking out five. Helcris Olivárez, Anthony Gose, and Jose Cuas combined for the final three frames without allowing a run. Omaha jumped ahead in the first when Waters singled in Misner. The lineup blew it open in the fifth: Colton Becker and Rave singled, Abraham Toro reached on a fielder's choice, Misner laced a two-run double to push the lead to 3-0, and Waters followed with an RBI double for a 4-0 cushion. The Storm Chasers tacked on two more in the sixth on bases-loaded walks by Misner and Waters, another in the seventh on a Rave single that scored Cross, and two more in the eighth on Waters' two-run home run. Omaha stranded 10 baserunners but never allowed the Indians to threaten the shutout. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 5 0 2 1 0 2 Abraham Toro 4 1 0 0 1 2 Kameron Misner 4 3 3 3 1 0 Drew Waters 4 1 3 5 1 0 Josh Rojas 5 0 0 0 0 0 Gavin Cross 5 1 2 0 0 0 Dustin Dickerson 5 1 1 0 0 3 Luke Maile 3 1 1 0 2 2 Colton Becker 4 1 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Bosacker 3.2 0 0 0 2 4 0 Bailey Falter (W, 1-0) 2.1 2 0 0 0 5 0 Helcris Olivárez 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Anthony Gose 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Jose Cuas 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Naturals Game Postponed The Northwest Arkansas Naturals' scheduled game was postponed. River Bandits' Late Rally Falls Short Against Cedar Rapids The Quad Cities River Bandits rallied to tie Cedar Rapids in the sixth inning but allowed five unanswered runs late and dropped a 10-5 decision. Ramon Ramirez powered the home offense with a three-run homer in the fifth, finishing 1-for-4 with a run scored, a walk, and a strikeout. Luke Pelzer went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and two stolen bases. Leadoff hitter Nolan Sailors collected two hits, scored a run, and swiped two bases. Erick Torres added two hits, a double, a walk, and scored a run. Blake Mitchell drew a walk, scored a run, and drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Starter Aiden Jimenez was tagged for five earned runs on five hits across 3 2/3 innings, surrendering three home runs while walking two and striking out one. Kamden Edge recorded a strikeout in 1/3 of an inning. Mason Miller followed with 2 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings, walking three and striking out three. Nick Conte was charged with the loss (0-1) after allowing two earned runs across 1 1/3 innings, and Yimi Presinal surrendered three runs on one hit, two walks, and a home run in one inning. Down 5-0 after three innings, Quad Cities answered in the fifth when Ramirez's blast scored Sailors and Mitchell to make it 5-3, then Austin Charles brought Pelzer home on a sacrifice fly. Mitchell's sixth-inning sacrifice fly to score Torres tied the game at 5-5. Cedar Rapids regained the lead with two runs in the eighth and pulled away with three more in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 5 1 2 0 0 0 Blake Mitchell 3 1 0 1 1 3 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 1 3 1 1 Luke Pelzer 4 1 2 0 0 0 Jose Cerice 4 0 1 0 0 1 Austin Charles 3 0 0 1 0 1 Derlin Figueroa 2 0 0 0 2 0 Erick Torres 3 1 2 0 1 1 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aiden Jimenez 3.2 5 5 5 2 1 3 Kamden Edge 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Mason Miller 2.2 1 0 0 3 3 0 Nick Conte (L, 0-1) 1.1 1 2 2 2 1 1 Yimi Presinal 1.0 1 3 3 2 2 1 Jordan Woods Strikes Out 14, but Fireflies Fall To Kannapolis The Columbia Fireflies dropped a 3-2 decision to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers despite a dominant performance from starter Jordan Woods, who struck out 14 over six no-hit innings on 76 pitches without issuing a walk. The quality start was not enough as Columbia's offense managed just six hits. Josh Hammond led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a strikeout. Roni Cabrera added two hits and a run scored. Brooks Bryan collected a hit and an RBI on a sixth-inning double. Jhosmmel Zue went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Yandel Ricardo finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The bullpen could not preserve the lead. Dash Albus was charged with the loss (0-1) and a blown save after allowing three earned runs on three hits, including a home run, with three strikeouts in one inning of work. Andy Basora followed with a scoreless eighth, surrendering one hit while striking out one. Columbia broke through in the sixth when Hammond doubled and came around to score on Bryan's two-out RBI double, putting the Fireflies on top 1-0. In the seventh, Cabrera singled and scored on Zue's run-scoring double for a 2-0 cushion. Kannapolis answered in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run off Albus, providing the difference. The Fireflies left six runners on base, and Woods' no-hit bid through six was the night's defining performance, even in defeat. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 3 0 0 0 1 1 Yandel Ricardo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Josh Hammond 4 1 2 0 0 1 Brooks Bryan 4 0 1 1 0 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 0 0 0 0 Stone Russell 3 0 0 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera 4 1 2 0 0 2 Daniel Lopez 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jhosmmel Zue 3 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Woods 6.0 0 0 0 0 14 0 Dash Albus (L, 0-1)(BS, 1) 1.0 3 3 3 0 3 1 Andy Basora 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 0-for-3, R, RBI, BB, 3 K David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-4 Josh Hammond: 2-for-4, R, 2B, K Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: DNP Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, 2 K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vázquez: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article

Aaron Sanchez fired six scoreless, one-hit innings with eight strikeouts as Omaha split its doubleheader at Indianapolis. Jorge Alfaro homered twice and drove in four to lead Northwest Arkansas past Frisco 8-7 in 10 innings, with Dennis Colleran Jr. striking out four for the win. Max Martin recorded a hitless 2 1/3 frames for Columbia, while Yandel Ricardo and Stone Russell powered a 5-2 win. Ramon Ramirez tripled and homered in a Quad Cities loss. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Drop Walk-Off Despite Sanchez's Quality Start The Storm Chasers dropped the first game of the doubleheader 2-1 in nine innings on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Indianapolis. The contest was scoreless through seven innings, anchored by a Quality Start from Aaron Sanchez. Elih Marrero accounted for the only Omaha run with a 1-for-3 day that included a double and the team's lone RBI. The Storm Chasers managed just one hit on the day. Sanchez went six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out eight. The game stretched to extra innings, and the scoring opened in the top of the eighth with Drew Waters as the zombie runner. After a Josh Rojas sacrifice bunt advanced Waters to third, Marrero followed with an RBI double to right field that scored him for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Mason Black surrendered a one-out RBI double to right that allowed the Indianapolis zombie runner to come home and tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the ninth, with Beck Way on the mound and the Indians' zombie runner at second, a sacrifice bunt was mishandled on a Way throwing error to put runners at the corners. Two batters later, the winning run scored on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Drew Waters. Black allowed one earned run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Way was charged with the loss after an unearned winning run. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 4 0 0 0 0 0 Tyler Tolbert 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kameron Misner 4 0 0 0 0 3 Drew Waters 3 1 0 0 0 3 Josh Rojas 1 0 0 0 1 0 Elih Marrero 3 0 1 1 0 1 Gavin Cross 2 0 0 0 0 2 Luca Tresh 1 0 0 0 0 1 Abraham Toro 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luke Maile 2 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 6 1 0 0 1 8 0 Mason Black 1 2/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Beck Way 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Storm Chasers Take Game Two Behind Four-Run Third The Storm Chasers lost the second game of a doubleheader at Indianapolis with a 4-1 victory thanks to a four-run third inning. Tyler Tolbert paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with a two-RBI single, a stolen base, and a run scored. John Rave doubled and scored as part of a 2-for-4 day, and Kevin Newman added a hit, a walk, a double, and a run. Elih Marrero went 1-for-1 in his lone at-bat. Indianapolis grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when an Indians runner came home on a wild pitch from Shane Panzini. Omaha answered emphatically in the third. Newman drew a walk to start the inning, John Rave followed with his seventh double of the season, and Tolbert lined a single to left field that scored both to put Omaha ahead 2-1. After two strikeouts and a Luca Tresh hit-by-pitch, Colton Becker reached on a fielder's choice, and a throwing error by the Indians' shortstop on the play allowed Tolbert and Tresh to come around to push the lead to 4-1. Panzini went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Ben Sears followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits and a walk, fanning three to earn the win. Andrew Pérez and Eli Morgan combined for two scoreless frames to close it out, with Morgan striking out two for the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 4 1 2 0 0 1 Tyler Tolbert 4 1 2 2 0 0 Kameron Misner 3 0 1 0 1 1 Drew Waters 4 0 0 0 0 1 Luca Tresh 3 1 0 0 0 2 Elih Marrero 1 0 1 0 0 0 Colton Becker 2 0 0 0 0 0 Abraham Toro 1 0 0 0 2 1 Dustin Dickerson 3 0 0 0 0 3 Kevin Newman 2 1 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Shane Panzini 2 2/3 2 1 1 1 3 0 Ben Sears 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 3 0 Andrew Pérez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Eli Morgan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Alfaro's Two Homers Lift Naturals Past Frisco In 10 Innings The Naturals topped the RoughRiders 8-7 in 10 innings on the strength of a two-homer, four-RBI day from Jorge Alfaro. Alfaro hit a solo shot in the sixth inning and a three-run blast in the 10th, his third and fourth home runs of the season. Spencer Nivens added a solo home run as part of a 3-for-5, two-RBI day. Sam Kulasingam went 3-for-4 with a double, Daniel Vazquez had two hits, including a double, and leadoff man Carson Roccaforte scored a run. Henry Williams started and went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Northwest Arkansas tied the game when Spencer Nivens delivered an RBI single off the pitcher to score Sam Kulasingam, and Omar Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly to score Brett Squires. After Frisco answered with a run in the bottom half, Roccaforte scored on a Brett Squires sacrifice fly in the fifth, and back-to-back solo homers from Alfaro and Nivens in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-3 before the RoughRiders tied it up. The Naturals broke through in the top of the 10th. With Brett Squires at second as the zombie runner, Daniel Vazquez singled to right field, and Alfaro followed with a three-run home run to left center for an 8-5 lead. Brandon Johnson surrendered two runs in the bottom half but recorded his third save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 1 0 0 3 Jack Pineda 4 0 0 0 1 1 Sam Kulasingam 4 1 3 0 0 1 Brett Squires 4 2 0 1 0 1 Daniel Vazquez 5 1 2 0 0 2 Jorge Alfaro 4 2 2 4 1 1 Spencer Nivens 5 1 3 2 0 0 Omar Hernandez 3 0 0 1 0 1 Justin Johnson 5 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 5 6 3 3 0 3 2 Caden Monke 0 1 2 2 3 0 0 Augusto Mendieta 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Brandon Johnson 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 River Bandits Fall To Kernels Despite Ramirez's Power The River Bandits dropped a 6-3 decision to the Kernels at home. Ramon Ramirez and cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer accounted for the bulk of the offense, each leaving the yard. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a triple, a solo home run, two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Pelzer added a 1-for-3 day with a two-run home run, two RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Tyriq Kemp and Erick Torres each added a single. Emmanuel Reyes took the loss, going six innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with three walks, four strikeouts, and one home run allowed. Quad Cities jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first when Pelzer drilled a two-run home run to right-center to score Ramirez. The Kernels grabbed the lead back with a four-run third, capped by a three-run home run, to lead 4-2. Ramirez closed the gap with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth of the season, but Cedar Rapids tacked on two more in the eighth on a two-run shot. Cory Ronan allowed two runs on a hit in two innings of relief, and Hunter Alberini struck out one over a scoreless inning to close. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 0 0 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ramon Ramirez 3 2 2 1 1 1 Luke Pelzer 3 1 1 2 1 1 Jose Cerice 4 0 0 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 1 0 0 1 Erick Torres 3 0 1 0 0 1 Trevor Werner 2 0 0 0 1 1 Angel Acosta 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes 6 8 4 4 3 4 1 Cory Ronan 2 1 2 2 1 0 1 Hunter Alberini 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Fireflies Top Cannon Ballers Behind Bullpen And Russell The Fireflies took a 5-2 win at Kannapolis behind a strong bullpen effort and a deep offensive lineup. Stone Russell led the way with a 3-for-4 day that included a triple, two runs, and a stolen base. Daniel Lopez went 1-for-4 with a two-RBI double and a stolen base. Josh Hammond added a 1-for-3 day with a double, a walk, a run, and a stolen base. Yandel Ricardo went 1-for-5 with an RBI, and Hyungchan Um added an RBI single in a 1-for-4 effort. Kendry Chourio started and went four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a walk, three strikeouts, and a home run allowed. Columbia struck first in the top of the first when Hyungchan Um singled to right field to score Josh Hammond. After the Cannon Ballers tied it in the second, the Fireflies retook the lead 2-1 in the third on a Yandel Ricardo RBI groundout that scored Jhosmmel Zue. The visitors then broke the game open in the top of the fourth when Daniel Lopez doubled to right field with two on, scoring Stone Russell and JC Vanek for a 4-1 advantage. Columbia tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a Roni Cabrera sacrifice fly that scored Russell. Brandon Herbold and Max Martin handled the middle innings without allowing a run, with Martin striking out two over a hitless 2 1/3 frames to earn the win. Yeri Perez worked a one-hit ninth to record his first save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 0 1 0 1 1 Yandel Ricardo 5 0 1 1 0 2 Josh Hammond 3 1 1 0 1 1 Hyungchan Um 4 0 1 1 0 1 Stone Russell 4 2 3 0 0 0 JC Vanek 2 1 0 0 2 1 Roni Cabrera 3 0 0 1 0 1 Daniel Lopez 4 0 1 2 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 4 3 2 1 1 3 1 Brandon Herbold 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Max Martin 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Yeri Perez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: DNP David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, BB, 3 K, HR Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: DNP Josh Hammond: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, R, SB, K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-3, 3B, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vázquez: 2-for-5, 2B, R, 2 K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, R, 3 K Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article

It's interesting to see the kind of plays where Jensen has struggled. In addition to having a higher BAA/G this year (-0.41) compared to a season ago (-0.38), he has particularly struggled on easy and tough pitches. His BAA on easy and tough pitches is a combined -6. His BAA on medium pitches has been slightly better at -2, but that mark isn't good either. An interesting comparison is Melendez, who was poor as a blocker as well in 2022, when he played the most catcher at the MLB level. According to Savant, he posted a -26 BAA mark and a -0.35 BAA/G mark in 2,932 block opportunities. That lackluster blocking ability was a big reason why the Royals opted to move Melendez to the outfield full-time in 2023. The main difference between Jensen and Melendez is that Jensen was a much better framer. In 2022, Melendez produced -16 catcher framing runs and had a 41.7% shadow strike rate. That's a far cry from Jensen's framing numbers this year. Thus, it made more sense to move Melendez to the outfield based on his framing and blocking struggles, while Jensen really only struggles in blocking. What Does the Future Look Like for Jensen Behind the Plate? Jensen is getting all the opportunities to show he can be the Royals catcher long-term. While Salvy isn't a 100 percent, he's been showing his age this season. After another 0-for-3 performance, the Royals captain is hitting .191 with a .555 OPS, and the Statcast percentiles don't look encouraging either. As for Jensen, he's been on a bit of a cold streak, as he's hitting only .111 with a .374 OPS in 31 plate appearances in May. However, he's been trending up this weekend in the series against the Tigers, and his Statcast percentiles have been much better than Perez's this season, especially in terms of bat speed and exit-velocity ability. What will be key for Jensen going forward and succeeding Perez as the full-time catcher will rest on his blocking and how that develops. I know some have pointed out that pitchers have had a better ERA with Perez than Jensen, which some say points to his game-calling. However, catcher ERA is not a sticky metric and is often influenced more by pitcher quality than by a catcher's game-calling ability (this Reddit thread provides a good breakdown of the topic). In terms of blocking, I do believe part of that is due to form and just adjusting to being an MLB catcher. There are some blocks that seem more mental, resulting from losing concentration in key moments. We saw during the Tigers game on Friday that Jensen was unable to make an out because the ball popped out of his glove on a throw from Bobby Witt Jr. Below is a video example. I believe many of Jensen's passed balls and struggles with blocking stem from issues similar to those seen in the clip above. He can physically do it. It's just having the concentration and mental fortitude to do it night after night, which is easier said than done. That said, the only way for Jensen to get better at blocking is to get more experience and innings behind the plate. With Salvy out, that's happening. While that's causing some struggles now, it will help him blossom more as a player when he gets older. With his hitting, throwing, and framing ability, can Jensen be at least an average blocker in the next 2-3 years? If so, he could be an All-Star catcher sooner rather than later. View full article

David Shields Ascends top spot. Has looked like ace.Kendry Chourio Been very good. But not as dominant as Shields.Blake Mitchell Home runs and walk rate are great. Contact is still a red flag.Josh Hammond Been their best overall player in Columbia. Could be No.1 by end of year.Sean Gamble Slow start. However, the tools are there. Asbel Gonzalez Hitting profile has looked a lot better. Drew Beam Looking very good, but doesn't generate elite strikeout stuff.Ramon Ramirez Been solid. Less power, but better contact than Mitchell.Michael Lombardi Rising fast. May have most upside of any pitcher, including Shields and Chourio. Ben Kudrna Out for year due to TJ. Likely going to be a reliever. Yandel Ricardo Slow start again. Contact a concern. Speed and defense still solid. Blake Wolters Good start in Low-A. Needs to prove himself in High-A now.Felix Arronde Had a rough start but looked better in his last option.Carson Roccaforte Good numbers. But will he make enough contact? Could be a better John Rave.Luinder Avila Rough transition after sensational WBC. May be moving to bullpen full time.Steven Zobac Injured and hasn't pitched.Daniel Vazquez Hasn't looked great in AA. May be a bench infielder unless something dramatic happens.Dennis Colleran Jr. Slow start in AA but the stuff is there. Command needs refinement. Cameron Millar Has looked good in some extended spring looks. Could be due for more of a breakout once ACL campaign begins. Warren Colcano Mostly playing in extended Spring. It will be interesting to see if power develops.

Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images May 6th, was not exactly a memorable day for the Kansas City Royals. First off, the Royals lost 3-1 to the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium, snapping a five-game winning streak (and losing a chance to surpass the Guardians in the AL Central standings). Second, it was revealed that Hawaiian Bros, the Hawaiian Plate Lunch restaurant, would rescind their "free" plate meal if the Royals scored six or more runs and instead replace it with a BOGO (buy one get one free) deal. Safe to say, Royals fans weren't happy, especially after receiving so many free meals during the Royals' winning streak. Lastly, the Royals saw two key pitchers from the 2025 squad go down to injury on the same day, albeit at different levels. During a rehab stint in Omaha, Carlos Estevez, who hadn't pitched since his lone outing in Atlanta during Opening Weekend, left his rehab outing after just 0.2 innings. According to MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers, not only was his velocity down, but he was dealing with shoulder soreness as well. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary from Estevez's rehab outing, it was a similar trend to what fans saw from Estevez in Spring Training and his first (and only) outing of the 2026 MLB season. Poor velocity and TJ Stuff+, as well as lackluster zone, chase, and whiff rates. Estevez's average four-seam velocity was only 90 MPH, and his TJ Stuff+ was 90 with a 38 grade. Overall, he had a 92 overall TJ Stuff+ as well as a 35.7% zone rate, 22.2% chase, and 20% whiff rate. Safe to say, things had not gotten better for Estevez after the time off on the IL. If Estevez's injury issue wasn't enough, Royals Opening Day starter Cole Ragans exited Wednesday night's game after three innings pitched and just 58 pitches. According to Rogers, Ragans was feeling tightness in his elbow and forearm. Ragans seemed to be cruising in the first inning in terms of velocity, touching 98 MPH at points early in his start. However, by the third inning, his overall velocity had plummeted, a big red flag for manager Matt Quatraro and the Royals' coaching staff. Royals fans can see the concerning, plummeting trend in his pitch-velocity chart from Wednesday's game. As a result, both Ragans and Estevez underwent tests on Thursday while the Royals closed out the series against the Guardians (which they lost 8-5). During the press conference, manager Matt Quatraro gave some updates about the results on Ragans and Estevez. The news isn't great for either pitcher, though Ragans' news seems more optimistic, initially, since he won't be immediately shut down (unlike Estevez). That said, the typical return time for pitchers who get VEO is 6-9 weeks, so Ragans may see a lot of time on the IL, much like a season ago. With Ragans and Estevez out, the Royals find themselves in a bit of a dilemma regarding their pitching depth, which was initially seen as a strength in the preseason. Thus, let's break down what Kansas City could do to replace both pitchers, and what could be on the horizon trade-wise for the Royals if Ragans and Estevez remain on the IL for a considerable amount of time. Expect Kolek and Falter to Replace Ragans in the Rotation Much like a season ago, Ragans has not exactly been consistent for the Royals, but he hasn't been bad either. In 35.1 IP, the lefty has a 4.84 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 6.23 WHIP. He also has a 15.2% BB% and 14.6% K-BB%. Conversely, his K% is high at 29.8%, and his whiff rate and TJ Stuff+ marks have also been solid as well, as illustrated in his TJ Stuff+ summary below. Thus, the Royals will miss Ragans' excellent stuff profile and ability to make hitters swing and miss. His absence is especially hard since there aren't many options with that profile in Omaha. While the Storm Chasers don't have a starting pitcher that can replace Ragans' ability to make batters whiff, they do have a couple of options who could eat innings and keep the Royals competitive in games, which Ragans struggled to do at times in starts, especially on the road. Those two pitchers are Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter. Kolek has already gotten a chance to show he can belong at the MLB level, as he made the start on Tuesday for Noah Cameron, who was dealing with a lower back injury. Kolek, who started the year in Omaha due to an injury suffered in Spring Training, had a solid 2026 debut. In six innings pitched, he allowed three runs on four hits and no walks while striking out three. He didn't generate many whiffs (only two total), and he wasn't overpowering the Guardians with his stuff. However, he was efficient in finding the strike zone and limiting hard contact, which is evident in his TJ Stuff+ summary. Kolek was optioned to Omaha after his start in order for the Royals to have an extra arm in the bullpen with no days off until next Monday. However, if Ragans hits the IL, Kolek could easily be recalled, since the 15-day option "stay" doesn't count in injury situations. If the Royals want to give Kolek more time in Omaha, or if they need to replace Ragans AND Cameron, then another option to fill the rotation would be Falter. Acquired from Pittsburgh at the Trade Deadline last year, Falter produced an 11.25 ERA and 2.25 WHIP in 12.1 IP with the Royals last season. He struggled with command in Kansas City, as illustrated by 6.6% K-BB% and 15.4% HR/FB%. He ended up being shut down at the end of the year and put on the IL in late August due to a left bicep contusion. After posting a 13.50 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 10% K-BB%, and 25% HR/FB% in two outings and 3.1 IP with the Royals this season, Falter landed on the IL due to left elbow inflammation. However, he's been on a rehab stint in Omaha recently, and his results in Triple-A have been encouraging. Falter is sporting decent stuff with an overall TJ Stuff+ of 100 and a 104 TJStuff+ on his four-seamer. His four-seamer has been his most effective offering in Omaha, as illustrated by its 59.5% zone rate, 46.7% chase rate, 35.6% whiff rate, and .335 xwOBACON. Overall, he has a 51.4% zone rate, 28.4% chase rate, 31.8% whiff rate, and .347 xwOBACON. Thus, the 29-year-old lefty seems healthy, and he could be ready to return, not just to the bullpen, but perhaps the starting rotation as well, especially if Ragans and Cameron should miss a considerable amount of time on the IL. Falter doesn't have elite fastball velocity, as his four-seamer averaged just 92.6 MPH in the Major Leagues this year. However, he does sport elite extension and a much better ability to make hitters swing and miss this season. Thus, he could be the most logical replacement for Ragans at this time. The Internal Replacements for Estevez in the Bullpen Could Be Trickier As expected after the Kolek start, the Royals called up Eric Cerantola to make his MLB debut. Ceranotla's outing on Wednesday was solid, especially for a debut. In one inning of work, he allowed no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two. He was able to locate the slider effectively on Wednesday and generate some impressive wiffs. Unfortunately, on Thursday, it was a bit of a 180 for Cerantola. In 2 IP, the Canadian-born righty allowed three runs on one hit and three walks while striking out three. Cerantola struggled to locate on Thursday, and the Guardians made him pay, with a Bo Naylor home run being the primary highlight. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ profile, Cerantola is an intriguing pitcher with a changeup that rates incredibly well, especially in terms of whiff rate and TJ Stuff+. Unfortunately, his four-seamer profiles poorly, and it's the only other pitch he has in his arsenal beyond his slider. Thus, it will be interesting to see if Cerantola could add another pitch to his arsenal in order to make him harder to hit. The slider profiles well with a 104 TJ Stuff+ and 80% whiff rate. That said, the four-seamer has an 88 TJ Stuff+, a 40% zone rate, and zero percent whiff rate at the Major League level so far. Beyond Cerantola, there are not a ton of options right now in the bullpen for Omaha. Mason Black was just recently optioned to Triple-A, but he showed flashes of being a solid MLB reliever. In 4.2 IP, he posted a 0.00 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, 2.29 FIP, and 13.6% K-BB%. Unfortunately, while the results are good, Black didn't have eye-popping stuff or produce great metrics, as evidenced by his TJ Stuff+ summary below. Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see Black return to the Royals later in the year, especially if he can gain more confidence on the mound after his short cup of coffee. Other options on the 40-man roster who have MLB experience are Eli Morgan and Steven Cruz, who both had mixed stints in their initial call-ups with the Royals this year. Morgan had a 2.61 ERA with the Royals in seven outings and 10.1 IP and also had a save. However, his FIP was much worse at 5.65, and his lackluster 6.7% K-BB% didn't inspire much confidence that he would continue to be a sub-three ERA reliever either. As for Cruz, he may have one of the best fastballs in the organization. His four-seamer averaged 96.7 MPH and had a 110 TJ Stuff+, 33.3% chase, and 34.4% whiff rate. Unfortunately, his control struggled in the Majors, and there were concerns that he tipped pitches to opposing hitters. As a result of these two items, he posted a 14.40 ERA and 50% HR/FB% with the Royals before being optioned to Omaha again. Another possible internal option for the Royals could be Beck Way, who has a 4.64 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 21.1 IP. While those numbers aren't great, his 2.12 FIP is much better, and he also has a 33.7% K% and 25% K-BB%. Way also has a great TJ Stuff+ profile, with three of his four pitches having TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. A former Yankees prospect who came over to Kansas City from the Bronx with Chandler Champlain and T.J. Sikkema in the Andrew Benintendi trade in 2022, Way has been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for a couple of years, but hasn't been selected. If this keeps up, Way could earn a spot in the Royals bullpen, especially if Estevez lands on the 60-Day IL (which feels likely). What Else Could the Royals Do? The Royals will likely be active in the trade market soon, possibly a bit earlier than the MLB Trade Deadline in late July. If there's one positive aspect of JJ Picollo as president of baseball operations for the Royals, it's that he isn't afraid to make a deal as soon as possible. One target for the Royals to at least boost their pitching staff could be Colorado's Antonio Senzatela, who's having a nice bounce-back year under new Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer and GM Paul DePodesta. In 24.1 IP, Senzatela has a 1.81 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 2.20 FIP. He also has a 24.4% K% and 16.7% K-BB%. When looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary, his profile appears very similar to Estevez's, who, ironically, was also a former Rockies reliever. Senzatela's four-seamer averages 97.2 MPH, but it's a bit of a straight offering, as it only has a 100 TJ Stuff+. That said, he's been successful with it, as evidenced by a 46% chase and 32.9% whiff rate on the pitch. Overall, Senzatela has a 51.3% zone rate, 34.2% chase, 26% whiff, and .337 xwOBACON. That profile could play, especially in a setup role (Lucas Erceg has established himself as the Royals' closer in Estevez's absence). Granted, it's too early for the Rockies and Royals to come to an agreement. The Rockies' 15-23 record isn't that much worse than the Royals' 17-21 record right now. However, the Royals and Rockies have been trade partners in the past, and former Colorado pitchers have found success in Kansas City, with Estevez and Jeremy Guthrie being the prime examples. The bullpen needs more outside help (right now) than the rotation. Thus, Senzatela could be the reinforcement needed to solidify this group with Estevez out for an extended period. View full article