The Royals

[Super PurpleCat]

I was able to text the ESPN app screenshot of the score to the game lastnight to my Braves fan coworker.  Felt pretty good to hit Send on that one.

[TownieCat]

You understand Cain has to succeed, right?  Dayton can't admit he sucks

Unfortunately you nailed it. 

[Dub]

Hitting should come along just as pitching gets worse. Despite being 1st in AL in ERA, Royals pitchers are 2nd to last in K's and right in the middle in WHIP. BABIP is 5th. It may be that the defense is playing very well and can keep it up, but I'd expect some correction and for opponents to score more over the rest of the season.

We are 10th out of 15th AL teams in fielding percentage.  I'm not a sabermetrics guy but I'm sure there's some stat in there showing that pitchers have been getting good popup ratio/direct ground balls or something like that.

[slimz]

Hitting should come along just as pitching gets worse. Despite being 1st in AL in ERA, Royals pitchers are 2nd to last in K's and right in the middle in WHIP. BABIP is 5th. It may be that the defense is playing very well and can keep it up, but I'd expect some correction and for opponents to score more over the rest of the season.

We are 10th out of 15th AL teams in fielding percentage.  I'm not a sabermetrics guy but I'm sure there's some stat in there showing that pitchers have been getting good popup ratio/direct ground balls or something like that.

Ehhh, fielding % is based on errors, which aren't a great defensive metric, because they don't take into account a player's range. I'd have to try to find some zone ratings, which do. BABIP kind of measures what you were talking about with the pitchers: it's batting average on balls in play. Our opponents' is relatively low, which, if our defense isn't actually playing well, means that the other teams have just been unlucky so far...likely to lead to a correction in runs allowed.

[slimz]

Holy cow, so I just took a look at the Royals' zone ratings so far on FanGraphs, and as a team they have a 30 UZR and 11.8 UZR/150, which are both first in the majors. By comparison, last season the Braves led the majors with a 10.3 UZR/150. That means the Royals defense is getting to a lot of balls that other teams' defenses wouldn't get to and making plays a lot of other teams' defenses wouldn't (which makes up for a few more errors--you're committing more errors because you're actually getting to more balls). Which certainly helps explain the low runs allowed and the low BABIP given the low K rate.

[kso_FAN]

As much as I go for advanced stats in football and basketball, I haven't quite made the jump in baseball as much.

That said, my analysis of Billy Butler is that I'd like to see a lot more eggs and bacon and sausage and hash browns in that breakfast he's supposed to be bringing and less granola and yogurt.

As a Royals fan all I ask is one playoff appearance in my lifetime again. I'm getting older, but that shouldn't be that difficult.

[Cartierfor3]

Lough is 4th outfielder material, same as Dyson. Shouldn't be starting in RF in the AL, but its the Royals.

[TownieCat]

Lough is 4th outfielder material, same as Dyson. Shouldn't be starting in RF in the AL, but its the Royals.

That's probably what he really is, but he's also one of the best three OF that KC has right now. Same goes for Dyson. Cain is 27...At what point is he no longer a project, and everyone recognizes him for what he is: an average CF with a below average bat.

Playing the best players just makes too much sense for this organization.

[Dugout DickStone]

The guy that probably doesn't get enough criticism is Cain. He has steadily declined after a really good first month. Ned tried sitting him a couple of games, but that didn't do much good last night. I'd like to see them roll out a Gordo-Dyson-Lough outfield for a week and see what happens.

You understand Cain has to succeed, right?  Dayton can't admit he sucks

Cain's problem is that he's never healthy. He's eternally injured. I had high hopes that we would have kept Meyers and developed him in right and played Dyson in center. (or visa versa) I like Dyson's speed in center over Meyers though.

Dayton's mistake was taking Bubba and praying that he'll pan out in the majors. We need to improve our player evaluation if we're ever going to turn this thing around.

I think Colon will go down as a bigger eff up than Bubba, who was a huge eff up

[ben ji]

As much as I go for advanced stats in football and basketball, I haven't quite made the jump in baseball as much.

That said, my analysis of Billy Butler is that I'd like to see a lot more eggs and bacon and sausage and hash browns in that breakfast he's supposed to be bringing and less granola and yogurt.

As a Royals fan all I ask is one playoff appearance in my lifetime again. I'm getting older, but that shouldn't be that difficult.

I had a dream about the future last night where I was telling my 8 year old kid that the chefs had not won a playoff game since I was his age and that the royals have still never made the playoffs in my life time.

It was a sad dream 

[Cartierfor3]

For all the idiots who think Lough is awesome and Butler sucks:

Sam Mellinger @mellinger
Keep hearing about Billy Butler "struggling." He's 10th in AL in OBP; .404 in June. If they all struggled like that, #Royals would be in 1st

[8manpick]

The guy that probably doesn't get enough criticism is Cain. He has steadily declined after a really good first month. Ned tried sitting him a couple of games, but that didn't do much good last night. I'd like to see them roll out a Gordo-Dyson-Lough outfield for a week and see what happens.

You understand Cain has to succeed, right?  Dayton can't admit he sucks

Cain's problem is that he's never healthy. He's eternally injured. I had high hopes that we would have kept Meyers and developed him in right and played Dyson in center. (or visa versa) I like Dyson's speed in center over Meyers though.

Dayton's mistake was taking Bubba and praying that he'll pan out in the majors. We need to improve our player evaluation if we're ever going to turn this thing around.

I think Colon will go down as a bigger eff up than Bubba, who was a huge eff up

No one in the organization was counting on Bubba to contribute this year next year, or probably the year after that. Yes he has disappointed, but Bubba is irrelevant to any current outfield conversation.

[kstate16]

The guy that probably doesn't get enough criticism is Cain. He has steadily declined after a really good first month. Ned tried sitting him a couple of games, but that didn't do much good last night. I'd like to see them roll out a Gordo-Dyson-Lough outfield for a week and see what happens.

You understand Cain has to succeed, right?  Dayton can't admit he sucks

Cain's problem is that he's never healthy. He's eternally injured. I had high hopes that we would have kept Meyers and developed him in right and played Dyson in center. (or visa versa) I like Dyson's speed in center over Meyers though.

Dayton's mistake was taking Bubba and praying that he'll pan out in the majors. We need to improve our player evaluation if we're ever going to turn this thing around.

I think Colon will go down as a bigger eff up than Bubba, who was a huge eff up

No one in the organization was counting on Bubba to contribute this year next year, or probably the year after that. Yes he has disappointed, but Bubba is irrelevant to any current outfield conversation.

Yes, you are incredibly dumb to say Bubba is a huge eff up.  Ever since he got his laser eye surgery he has been doing quite well.

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

hes batting .217 in A ball 

[sys]

For all the idiots who think Lough is awesome and Butler sucks:

Sam Mellinger @mellinger
Keep hearing about Billy Butler "struggling." He's 10th in AL in OBP; .404 in June. If they all struggled like that, #Royals would be in 1st

it's partly that butler's a badass, so people expect a lot from him.  and it's partly that he's fat.

[bones129]

For all the idiots who think Lough is awesome and Butler sucks:

Sam Mellinger @mellinger
Keep hearing about Billy Butler "struggling." He's 10th in AL in OBP; .404 in June. If they all struggled like that, #Royals would be in 1st

it's partly that butler's a badass, so people expect a lot from him.  and it's partly that he's fat.

Salvy homers. The value of Perez to the Royals cannot be understated.

[jtksu]

For all the idiots who think Lough is awesome and Butler sucks:

Sam Mellinger @mellinger
Keep hearing about Billy Butler "struggling." He's 10th in AL in OBP; .404 in June. If they all struggled like that, #Royals would be in 1st

it's partly that butler's a badass, so people expect a lot from him.  and it's partly that he's fat.

Salvy homers. The value of Perez to the Royals cannot be understated.

I think one thing we can agree on is that Salvy is a certified stud.   I've said it before but I honestly don't care if he hits .200, his D and game calling is worth it.

[bones129]

For all the idiots who think Lough is awesome and Butler sucks:

Sam Mellinger @mellinger
Keep hearing about Billy Butler "struggling." He's 10th in AL in OBP; .404 in June. If they all struggled like that, #Royals would be in 1st

it's partly that butler's a badass, so people expect a lot from him.  and it's partly that he's fat.

Salvy homers. The value of Perez to the Royals cannot be understated.

I think one thing we can agree on is that Salvy is a certified stud.   I've said it before but I honestly don't care if he hits .200, his D and game calling is worth it.

Agreed. A catcher who has great D, a great arm, and knows how to call a game, is absolutely invaluable. Plus, he can hit with pop. If they ever let him go, they have no business in baseball.

[sys]

yes, salvy is the team's most valuable asset.

[mocat]

yes, salvy is the team's most valuable asset.

also incredibly adorable

[PIPE]

So, let me get all of this straight.............the Royals' outfield is pretty crappy, outside of Gordon, yet the Royals traded away their best OF prospect in this Meyers dude?

[Rage Against the McKee]

So, let me get all of this straight.............the Royals' outfield is pretty crappy, outside of Gordon, yet the Royals traded away their best OF prospect in this Meyers dude?

Well, yeah, but they fixed their crappy pitching. Now instead of having crappy pitching and a crappy outfield, they just have a crappy outfield. It's only a good move if they make the playoffs, though.

[Cartierfor3]

So, let me get all of this straight.............the Royals' outfield is pretty crappy, outside of Gordon, yet the Royals traded away their best OF prospect in this Meyers dude?

Well, yeah, but they fixed their crappy pitching FOR THE SHORT TERM. Now instead of having crappy pitching and a crappy outfield, they just have a crappy outfield FOR THE LONG TERM. It's only a good move if they make the playoffs, though. BUT THEY WON'T

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

the meyers trade was worth every penny and im 99.99% sure ill still think that in 10 years

[Rage Against the McKee]

the meyers trade was worth every penny and im 99.99% sure ill still think that in 10 years

Shields has been phenomenal. I really didn't like the trade at first, but it's starting to grow on me. The Royals, fans included, really need to get away from this loserish mentality that our farm system is totally awesome and if we can only keep the gang together we can start winning championships in just a few short years. Good teams make roster moves to win now, and when they do win, they use the increased revenues that winning generates to go get more good players.