The White Sox got things back on track the other night with a much-needed win in their series finale against Cleveland. This figures to give Ricky’s boys a bit of momentum as they travel to Kansas City for a three-game set against one of the division’s rebuilding teams.
The Royals have gotten off to a decent start on offense, beating up on Detroit a bit these past few days to split their four-game series. However, starting pitching has been a weak point as they still lack consistent talent. As of now, rookie Brady Singer and veteran Danny Duffy have been the squad’s primary starters, with the remaining rotation being made up of prospects and relievers. The White Sox offense needs to make the most of this golden opportunity to feast on a vulnerable, young pitching staff and regain some ground in the standings. We’ll also be keeping an eye on things to see if there’s any carryover from last year’s bat flip by Tim Anderson and brawl that ensued.
Royals Background
- 2019 Record: 59-103, 4th in the AL Central
- 2019 Splits vs. White Sox: 10-9 record, 90 runs scored to 81 runs against
- 2020 Record Entering Series: 3-4, 4th in the AL Central
Inside Look
For this edition of Central Intelligence, we spoke with the Editor-In-Chief of SB Nation’s Royals Review, Max Rieper. Here’s what he had to say about this Kansas City club!
What are your expectations for the Royals as a fan as we enter the 2020 season?
It is still a rebuilding season so I just want to see progress from the younger players, and perhaps a few debuts for prospects we have been hearing a lot about. It is a shortened season with expanded playoffs, so I suppose the Royals could make a run at a playoff spot, but I don’t really expect them to be in the hunt. At least the team won’t be buried in the standings by August, and it will give the younger guys a chance to see what it’s like to compete for something every night. But this is still a long-term project.
Obviously, the Royals are in the middle of a rebuild, but what moves have they made that will make their season an improvement over 2019?
The biggest potential for improvement is the bullpen. The Royals had the fourth-worst bullpen ERA over the last two seasons with a hodge-podge of veterans no one else wanted. This year they took a gamble on two more veterans, Greg Holland and Trevor Rosenthal, but unlike past reclamation projects, both have tremendous upside. The bullpen should also get a boost from some young arms that look ready for big league action like Josh Staumont and Tyler Zuber. New manager Mike Matheny also looks like he is much more flexible and creative in bullpen roles, which could help maximize the talents of the pen.
The Royals have a great chance to act as a spoiler team in such a short season. Who are some of the players you expect to make the largest impact for the Royals throughout the year?
Their best player the last few seasons has been Whit Merrifield. He didn’t make his MLB debut until age 27, but the All-Star has become one of the most underrated players in baseball as one of the top leadoff hitters in the game. He has led the league in hits the last two seasons and scored a career-high 105 runs last year while hitting .300+ for the second year in a row. There have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding him, but the team won’t move him without a high asking price and he recently signed a long-term deal to stay in Kansas City. The Royals will also be looking for a repeat performance from Jorge Soler, who became the first player in club history to lead the league in home runs when he smashed 48 dingers. The team will also be counting on Hunter Dozier – who moves to the outfield this year. He emerged as one of the better hitters in the American League last year but will miss the start of this season after a positive COVID-19 test.
Did the Royals make any offseason moves that you particularly liked because of how they will impact the team now/in the future? What are your thoughts on the recent trade to acquire Franchy Cordero?
The Royals had a quiet off-season, but the surprising trade of Tim Hill to the Padres for Franchy Cordero and Ronald Bolanos was a big win for a team trying to rebuild. Cordero has been hurt much of the last two seasons, and while he is a flawed player with high strikeout rates and low walk rates, he has some very loud tools with great power and great speed. If the Royals can unlock that potential, they could have a real gem in their outfield that can help facilitate the rebuild. Bolanos is an intriguing arm with some command issues. The Royals want to get him a look as a starter, but if he cannot find a way to reduce his walk numbers, he may benefit from a move to the bullpen.
Who are some of the young prospects that have Royals fans most excited for the future? Could we see any of them in 2020?
We have already seen them call up Brady Singer to make his MLB debut, and he impressed with five solid innings against Cleveland. Singer was their first-round pick in the 2018 draft out of the University of Florida and is regarded as a bulldog on the mound who could be a solid mid-rotation pitcher. Injuries and COVID-19 have decimated their rotation, so they have also brought up left-handed prospect Kris Bubic all the way from A-Ball to start this weekend. Bubic was also from the 2018 draft class as the 40th overall pick out of Stanford and brings a deceptive Clayton Kershaw-type delivery and a solid curve.
What in your eyes would realistically make the 2020 season a successful one for the Royals?
Although it would be nice to compete this year, the Royals are still focused on the future. Ideally, the club will show development from young players like Hunter Dozier, Nicky Lopez, and Ryan O’Hearn. Adalberto Mondesi has been much-hyped and has great tools, but has had trouble staying healthy enough to show what he can do. The Royals have had trouble developing starting pitchers, so seeing a solid start to the careers of Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, and whatever other pitchers come up this year would be very encouraging.
Probable Starters
- Friday: Dallas Keuchel, LHP (1-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Kris Bubic, LHP (0-0, -.– ERA), 7:05 PM CT
- As Max noted previously, Bubic will be making his MLB debut despite never pitching above Single-A. He is the team’s No. 6 prospect.
- Saturday: Gio Gonzalez, LHP (0-0, 14.73 ERA) vs. TBD, 6:05 PM CT
- Sunday: Dylan Cease, RHP (0-1, 15.43 ERA) vs. TBD, 1:05 PM CT
Thanks again to Max Rieper of Royals Review for his insight on this weekend’s opponent! Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @maxrieper!
Featured Photo: Kansas City Royals/Twitter
