Royals Rumblings - News for July 18, 2024

The second half approaches.

Kris Bubic is expected to play a key role for the Royals in the second half:

A lot will rest on the shoulders of the stars: Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez in the lineup, as well as starters Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo in the rotation. There’s a case to be made here for others in the Royals’ lineup, too – Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez are all key to the young, homegrown core and this lineup clicking. But Bubic could be crucial for the bullpen. He’s coming off of Tommy John surgery last year, and his ticket back to the Majors was in the bullpen. He’s pitched four innings so far without allowing a run, a small sample size to be sure, but Bubic is a reliable arm who can throw multiple innings, can run it up to 95 mph at the top of the zone and offers a tinkered arsenal that gets swing and miss. With Major League experience, he also has the right temperament to handle high-leverage innings and the volatility that comes with being a big-league reliever. The Royals have been seeking depth in their ‘pen. Internal improvement can sometimes be just as helpful as a new face.

Salvador Perez’s leadership has remained invaluable for the team:

Amid all the losing, Perez continued to show that he could lead a clubhouse that has completely changed since the team won the World Series. In turn, he has played a significant role in welcoming the next era of Royals baseball, highlighted by Bobby Witt Jr., who has gone from one of baseball’s top prospects to one of its budding superstars.

And while Witt has taken the reins as the franchise cornerstone, signing an 11-year, $288.8 million deal before this season, Perez has continued to produce in his 14th season with the organization. For the Royals’ young superstar, having the veteran catcher with him along the way has made a significant impact.

“He takes everything day by day,” Witt said when asked what he has learned from Perez. “And he doesn’t really worry about what happened in the past. He goes 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, and the next day, he’s the same guy. Just being able to know that today’s a new day. There’s another opportunity, and he’s got to live in the present.”

Cole Ragans was part of a trio of AL Central All-Star lefties:

And the three southpaw pitchers have built a special bond.

“It’s cool because he and I actually played catch together yesterday,” Crochet said. “We’re chatting up a little bit in the outfield during BP (batting practice) and stuff. Really cool guy and I look forward to picking his brain a little bit more today.” Crochet admitted he wasn’t ready for Ragans’ knuckle curve. It was a pitch that he has seen before from the opposite dugout. The knuckle curve has generated a 35.4% whiff rate per Baseball Savant.

“It’s really cool sharing the clubhouse with these guys,” Crochet said. “He and Skubal, all of us in the AL Central, it’s really cool.”

Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson are leading a new era of All-Star shortstops:

Henderson and Witt grew up 700 miles apart but ran into one another, and at times played alongside each other, on the high school showcase circuit in the summers leading up to the 2019 draft.

“It seems like, even since high school, his swing hasn’t really changed much,” Henderson said of Witt, who was selected No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Royals. “I’m sure he’s made some adjustments, but it just seems like he had a really good swing since high school.”

Henderson’s journey was slightly different. He fell to the Baltimore Orioles with the No. 42 pick largely because his swing needed work, prompting industrywide concern about whether he would hit consistently.

“I knew he was capable of doing this,” Witt said of Henderson. “It was just a matter of time before this happened.”

The Royals have two pitchers in the top ten of MLB’s Pitcher Power Rankings.

Jackson County is unlikely to make another play for the Chiefs and Royals this year.

Morehead State shortstop Colton Becker has signed with the Royals as an undrafted free agent.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez’s sons were drafted.

MLBPA head Tony Clark defended the strength of the union in his first public remarks since a spring power struggle. ($)

A mourning dove took in a ballgame last week.

Caitlin Clark just broke the WNBA single-game assists record.

College Football 25 players are being driven to the brink by a generic FCS team.

What to expect at Royal Troon as the Open Championship tees off today.

Apple is finally letting iPhone users customize their homescreen in ways that Android users have been able to for years.

The National Museum of Ireland received ancient artifacts from an anonymous source.

Your song of the day is Quezacotl by deadmau5.