Royals Rumblings - News for July 3, 2024
Seth Lugo is the top Royals hurler for June.
Vinnie Pasquantino and Seth Lugo were named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month.
Pasquantino was named Royals player of the month for June. He led the club with 19 RBIs during the stretch. Additionally, Pasquantino tallied 12 extra-base hits to pace the Royals offense.
“Vinnie is a big part of what we can do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We think he is a great hitter, and he hits third for us almost every night. He is a big part of picking up Bobby (Witt Jr.) in the run scoring and getting somebody on base in front of Salvy (Salvador Perez).”
David Maher at Farm to Fountains talks to minor league outfielder Tyler Gentry.
It was a tough start to the season for Gentry in year two with the Omaha Storm Chasers. In the first two months of the season, he only recorded 27 combined hits and was batting below .200. He tore up the month of June for Omaha, recording 21 hits, three home runs, and nine RBIs. His batting average for June was .256. Gentry told me that he made a small change to his swing that has led to his success.
“It’s frustrating because it happened last year as well,” he said, “I didn’t get it going until July, this year it’s June. Once I figured out my swing, I’ve been getting better. Once the bat gets clicking, it’s usually good to go.”
David Schoenfeld at ESPN Insider proposes one move for each team to make.
Royals: Trade for Tommy Pham
The Royals need outfield and bullpen help. Their outfield production has been particularly pitiful, hitting .215 with a .275 OBP — a reminder that the Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier signings, part of the big offseason spending spree, have not paid dividends. Only the Blue Jays and White Sox have a lower OPS from their outfielders. Besides Pham or Canha for the outfield, adding a couple of relievers will also be a goal, although we’ll have to wait for the NL wild-card picture to shake itself out a bit before we know which relievers might be available.
Jon Becker at Fangraphs assesses what each AL team should do at the trade deadline.
Kansas City has given every indication that it intends to buy at the deadline, and its weekend series win over the Guardians did nothing to change that stance. The Royals need bullpen help and more pop in their lineup.
The thing is, our playoff odds don’t love their chances. If they have a rough month, they should consider reversing course to improve their longer-term outlook so they can make a run next year. They have good complementary pieces on expiring contracts that teams would love to acquire.
Pete Grathoff writes about the 20th anniversary of Matt Stairs nailing Ken Harvey in the back.
The Marlins designate former All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson for assignment.
Johnny Cueto opts out of his minor league deal with the Rangers.
Twins infielder Royce Lewis exits last night’s game with groin tightness.
A look at the relievers that converted to starting pitchers this season.
Six underrated players that warrant All-Star consideration.
Aaron Judge is breaking baseball.
Former Marlins GM Kim Ng will oversee the development of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
Will potential draftee Jurrangelo Cijntje continue to be a switch-pitcher?
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese headline this year’s WNBA All-Star teams.
Who could replace U.S. Men’s National Team coach Gregg Berhalter if he gets fired?
Britain is having political battles over whether to make it easier to build data centers.
Why did the number of serial killers in the U.S. drop off?
Singles are abandoning apps for dating events.
Your song of the day is Thundercats with Them Changes.