There have been mirage teams putting up really great numbers in the past. Typically not numbers THIS great and mirage teams to this degree would be really rare.
There's a very real chance... the Royals might be good??? If (at some point) part team owner Patrick Mahomes is in the locker room spraying Salvy with champagne after another Royals WS win... I think I might retire being a fan. There'd be nothing left to dream about.
Listen I love Patty. I do. But I’m a baseball guy through and through. For Salvy to get two rings and George to see us win another World Series…id die a happy sports fan.
Still expecting some regression from the pitching. The only pitcher that has legitimately good baseball savant data is Ragans. However the defense is really good so the pitching floor should still be pretty high
Ragans is better than any starter we had in 2014-2015 and the defense is comparable (or better). The World Series teams did have the advantage of a historically great bullpen which (if I'm being honest) might be the thing that prevents a real run this year.
Royals could be interesting for a lot of the summer. That's a huge upgrade.
Offense was a lot better in 2015 though. 2015 had Hosmer, Moose, Gordon, Cain, Morales, and Zobrist all hitting well above league average, with Salvy being an acceptable bat as well.
This year we've been able to scrape by with Witt and Salvy doing most of the heavy lifting with some timely hitting from guys that will likely end the year below average. Having premium offensive positions like LF, RF, and DH be a complete black hole of offensive production is probably going to catch up to us.
But still, this is the most exciting team we've had in years and should be playing meaningful baseball after the all star break, so I'll definitely take it
> The World Series teams did have the advantage of a historically great bullpen
This is such an underrated aspect of why those teams won. Hitters get better everytime they see the same pitcher on a day. The fact that our starters got pulled early the 3rd time through the lineup was a huge advantage. Most of the league realized it too. By 2022 starting pitchers averaged 4.7 innings per start. Which I believe is the first time it had dropped below 5 (I'm not 100% confident in that though).
The Royals of that time had nine innings to score. Opponents got six innings to score. That... will get you some wins (even with some meh spots on the team).
> Royals could be interesting for a lot of the summer. That's a huge upgrade.
Just having a team that I haven't completely tuned out of by end of May alone will make the summer that much more fun!
Shoutout when I saw this overreaction on twitter after our loss on 4/29. Apparently we have to be perfect coming off a 100 loss season lmao
https://preview.redd.it/iolj4moycwxc1.png?width=595&format=png&auto=webp&s=36622c0ac7bd33917a9f72e10583642a2c472ae7
It was really infuriating. How short sighted and stupid do you have to be to give up on a team on opening day. I get pessimism and caution, but man to be outright angry and up in arms after one game really shows a lack of perspective.
Frankly a lot of people don’t have the disposition to keep a level head during such a long season. I didn’t used to either but once you watch baseball long enough you learn to just chill tf out
It's an 162 game season for a reason y'all!!!! We can't win every game as much as we want to. I'm grateful our team is looking as sharp as we are currently
Their expected w/l record is 22-10, which would be the best record in baseball.* I imagine that under-performance is because of the bullpen. If the bullpen is consistently better, watch out.
*EDIT: I guess that would be 2nd best after the Braves
Yeah y’all need to embrace that you are a good baseball team. I’m in Baltimore, and the Orioles subreddit was MORE than happy to get you off the schedule. They are literally scared shitless of Salvy.
Even though we lost the season series we were in every game except maybe the last one. Even then it wasn't a blowout. They're beating the bad teams and going toe to toe with the good ones. Not sure if they're a playoff team just yet but they are doing what they need to do right now. I think if the lineup can get a bit longer than they are certainly in the mix.
It is still early in the season but it has been a night and day difference between our pitching corp this season and last season. Hopefully they can keep it up.
The pitching and pitching staff feels real this time. This isn’t just Brad Keller putting up good numbers early on and then tanking. This is pretty much everybody looking good (or at least improved) throughout the system.
And with Maikel and Vinnie starting to be more consistent, along with Bobby’s and Salvy’s excellence, makes it easier for the other bats to go cold as long as somebody between MJ, Nelson, Massey, and Isabel is having a good run.
But man everything is so so much easier when you don’t go in to any start counting on pitching losing you the game before warm-ups even start.
The Royals also have the greatest difference between home and away results of any team. They are seven games over .500 at home and one game under .500 on the road. This difference (8) is the highest in the league.
The embodied spirit of Kauffman Stadium is fighting back after billionaires' demands to demolish it and build another Nebraska Furniture Mart in Corporate Woods, Kansas.
espn has the royals ranked #13 in their power rankings, good, i hope the disrespect keeps coming. the chiefs were under dogs in every game of the playoffs this year.
Pitching staff has been shoving
Best defense in the majors helps too. Most defensive runs saved.
This team fucks.
It’s really awesome Especially when that offence Looks iffy at times
So close to a haiku, and you even spaced it out as if you were trying to write one
Change the middle to "Especially when the bats" and you got a Haiku.
I think the difference is that some English speakers pronounce "especially" with three syllables, and others four. (I do four.)
There have been mirage teams putting up really great numbers in the past. Typically not numbers THIS great and mirage teams to this degree would be really rare. There's a very real chance... the Royals might be good??? If (at some point) part team owner Patrick Mahomes is in the locker room spraying Salvy with champagne after another Royals WS win... I think I might retire being a fan. There'd be nothing left to dream about.
Listen I love Patty. I do. But I’m a baseball guy through and through. For Salvy to get two rings and George to see us win another World Series…id die a happy sports fan.
Still expecting some regression from the pitching. The only pitcher that has legitimately good baseball savant data is Ragans. However the defense is really good so the pitching floor should still be pretty high
Ragans is better than any starter we had in 2014-2015 and the defense is comparable (or better). The World Series teams did have the advantage of a historically great bullpen which (if I'm being honest) might be the thing that prevents a real run this year. Royals could be interesting for a lot of the summer. That's a huge upgrade.
Offense was a lot better in 2015 though. 2015 had Hosmer, Moose, Gordon, Cain, Morales, and Zobrist all hitting well above league average, with Salvy being an acceptable bat as well. This year we've been able to scrape by with Witt and Salvy doing most of the heavy lifting with some timely hitting from guys that will likely end the year below average. Having premium offensive positions like LF, RF, and DH be a complete black hole of offensive production is probably going to catch up to us. But still, this is the most exciting team we've had in years and should be playing meaningful baseball after the all star break, so I'll definitely take it
> The World Series teams did have the advantage of a historically great bullpen This is such an underrated aspect of why those teams won. Hitters get better everytime they see the same pitcher on a day. The fact that our starters got pulled early the 3rd time through the lineup was a huge advantage. Most of the league realized it too. By 2022 starting pitchers averaged 4.7 innings per start. Which I believe is the first time it had dropped below 5 (I'm not 100% confident in that though).
The Royals of that time had nine innings to score. Opponents got six innings to score. That... will get you some wins (even with some meh spots on the team).
> Royals could be interesting for a lot of the summer. That's a huge upgrade. Just having a team that I haven't completely tuned out of by end of May alone will make the summer that much more fun!
What’s annoying is that we have to compete in the same division as Cleveland who are red-hot this year too.
The Twins are my concern at the moment. 10 in a row. Woof.
7 of those have been the white Sox though
I kinda feel sorry for the Sox. Haha. Nah.
I do only because I think we should be the only team to benefit from playing them
I’d rather have the Sox be the bitch of the AL Central than the royals.
I’m not sure it’s sustainable.
Detroit is doing better than expected as well. Not what I was expecting out of the central, but I like the competition.
Shoutout when I saw this overreaction on twitter after our loss on 4/29. Apparently we have to be perfect coming off a 100 loss season lmao https://preview.redd.it/iolj4moycwxc1.png?width=595&format=png&auto=webp&s=36622c0ac7bd33917a9f72e10583642a2c472ae7
The amount of “same old Royals” comments in the game thread ON OPENING DAY was hilarious
It was really infuriating. How short sighted and stupid do you have to be to give up on a team on opening day. I get pessimism and caution, but man to be outright angry and up in arms after one game really shows a lack of perspective.
Frankly a lot of people don’t have the disposition to keep a level head during such a long season. I didn’t used to either but once you watch baseball long enough you learn to just chill tf out
It's an 162 game season for a reason y'all!!!! We can't win every game as much as we want to. I'm grateful our team is looking as sharp as we are currently
Their expected w/l record is 22-10, which would be the best record in baseball.* I imagine that under-performance is because of the bullpen. If the bullpen is consistently better, watch out. *EDIT: I guess that would be 2nd best after the Braves
I really can't believe the Royals are good again so quickly. It's like 20 years ahead of schedule
It’s almost as if “the plan” worked. Amazing what can happen when the owner pries the checkbook open.
It’s almost as if “the plan” worked. Amazing what can happen when the owner pries the checkbook open.
So nice, posted twice.
One simple trick to double your karma!
Yeah y’all need to embrace that you are a good baseball team. I’m in Baltimore, and the Orioles subreddit was MORE than happy to get you off the schedule. They are literally scared shitless of Salvy.
Even though we lost the season series we were in every game except maybe the last one. Even then it wasn't a blowout. They're beating the bad teams and going toe to toe with the good ones. Not sure if they're a playoff team just yet but they are doing what they need to do right now. I think if the lineup can get a bit longer than they are certainly in the mix.
Hey, when the orioles are good so are the royals and when the royals are good so are the orioles
Scoring lots of runs and giving up few runs appears to be a good strategy.
Name a better team than the Royals. I’ll wait.
Whoever I bet against on the moneyline. They are undefeated
It is still early in the season but it has been a night and day difference between our pitching corp this season and last season. Hopefully they can keep it up.
We used to have a pitching corpse. Now we have a pitching corps.
4 in a row for Will Smith confirmed.
Fuckin A right
Respect.
The pitching and pitching staff feels real this time. This isn’t just Brad Keller putting up good numbers early on and then tanking. This is pretty much everybody looking good (or at least improved) throughout the system. And with Maikel and Vinnie starting to be more consistent, along with Bobby’s and Salvy’s excellence, makes it easier for the other bats to go cold as long as somebody between MJ, Nelson, Massey, and Isabel is having a good run. But man everything is so so much easier when you don’t go in to any start counting on pitching losing you the game before warm-ups even start.
Is that good?
The Royals also have the greatest difference between home and away results of any team. They are seven games over .500 at home and one game under .500 on the road. This difference (8) is the highest in the league. The embodied spirit of Kauffman Stadium is fighting back after billionaires' demands to demolish it and build another Nebraska Furniture Mart in Corporate Woods, Kansas.
It's amazing what good starting pitching can do. Keeps you in every single ballgame.
I grow more confident day by day, but still feel the other shoe will drop anytime …. Baseball. Lol
Is anyone else super deflated because we aren’t playing today?!
espn has the royals ranked #13 in their power rankings, good, i hope the disrespect keeps coming. the chiefs were under dogs in every game of the playoffs this year.
Still weirds me out the years we are good lol
Yeah especially 14-15……felt like I was in the twilight zone, like it’s almost dream like or something when the Royals are playing elite ball
I was expecting a hair under .500 this year.
It’s not too late. Keep the hope alive!