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benp28 · 07-01-2024, 06:55 PM

Ten games above .500 and a 5½ game lead in the AL Central is a nice place to be for the 2031 Royals (54-44) but all is not as perfect as it would seem. A run differential of just +14 tells a tale of a team exceeding it’s expected record by 4 games, with divisional rivals a lot closer in performance than the standings suggest. That first half performance by predicted record would have the Royals in the midst of the Wild Card battle in the American League.

This mixed performance was highlighted when All Star selections came around, the Royals halving their representation. Wen-Hui Pan (1 IP, 1H, 0R) was selected for his first All Star appearance, while Bobby Witt Jr. (0-1, 1E) made his 4th as the American League dispatched the National League 11-3.

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Once again, the Royals have had an up and down season, winning months followed by .500 months so far. The bats have been quite ‘Royal’ with a strong ability to hit offsetting the failure to hit many balls out of the park. Third in hits, and 5th in average and OBP, hasn’t translated into runs yet, the team sitting 9th in the AL in runs scored with only 104 HRs hit so far this season.

The bullpen continues to be one of the best in the business with the 3rd best ERA in the AL although the starters have slipped back in 2031, down to 9th with a 4.51 ERA. The defence remains elite in Zone Rating, and the team has already struck out over 1000 batters (1010, 1st). Letting opponents walk (11th) and giving up HRs (10th) has been a problem they will hope to address over the final third of the season.

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Jonathan Gerew’s (92 wRC+) bat hasn’t quite matched his 2030 to date but he is close enough to league average that his plus catching is more than acceptable. Dave Holcombe (86 wRC+) has struggled a little more but a walk rate of over 10% helps to keep innings alive.

Luke Adams (68 wRC+) has been the loser from Jeremy Rogerson’s (98 wRC+) emergence at 3B as it has seen Isaac Paredes (128 wRC+) moved to 1B, where his bat has been strong even if his glove is a big downgrade on Adams.

Nick Loftin (-60 wRC+) was hurt in the 7th game of the season, and won’t be back until late September. Gregory Barrios (92 wRC+) has been the everyday replacement and has shown some improvement on previous years. Surprisingly he has not been strong defensively, and neither has Kiyotake Takenake (59 wRC+), who was called up after his strong Spring but has really struggled and this, his age 30 season, may be his only time in the Big Leagues.

Rogerson has only been league average but is a strong defender and the Royals have trust in his bat to come through in time.

Bobby Witt Jr. (116 wRC+) started the season slowly but a .387 OPB in June has him back on track and rewarded with his 4th All Star appearance.

Hunter Owen (119 wRC+) leads the Royals with 25 HRs from the DH position, slugging at a .510 rate.

The Royals centerfield moves over the offseason backfired as, after Sheng-En Lin (68 wRC+) got hurt prior to the season, Cristhian Vaquero (58 wRC+) got hurt in the first game of the season and missed 7 weeks. MiL FA signing Dominic Fletcher (59 wRC+) was called up and, while his bat has been cold, his 7.3 ZR demonstrates his worth to the team.

Wyatt Langford (87 wRC+) has not been the bat needed by the Royals and his $10m contract for 2032 is not looking attractive for the Royals at this point and could see movement ahead of the trade deadline.

Jimmy Goodman (162 wRC+) has missed time and that probably cost him an All-Star nomination as he approaches 200 PA for the season with a .335/.444/.525 line. Will Gasparino (218 wRC+) has been excellent in minimal PA, while Matthew Etzel (100 wRC+) just keeps coming back for more and this time has been league average.

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Mason Barnett (122 ERA+) has been solid again over his first 20 starts, striking out 25% of batters he faces with a 1.11 WHIP. In his contract year, he is probably pricing himself out of a Royals extension.

Cade Townsend (107 ERA+) has been even more dominant when it comes to strikeouts (31%), while leading the innings count (115.2) for the Royals.

Drew Beam (102 ERA+) is part of 25% strikeout club with a FIP under 4 at 3.89 while Aidan May (90 ERA+) was league average as a 5th starter before getting injured just before the All-Star Break. Marcos Paz (103 ERA+ in relief) will take his place to start the second half of the season.

The big question is what to do with Chase Burns. His return from injury has not gone well; while he has come back with strong strikeout number (10.1 K/9), he is walking over 10% of batters with a HR rate of 2.4/9 which is unsustainable. The Royals will be buyers when it comes to the Starting Rotation approaching the Trade Deadline.

The bullpen continues to be a strength for the Royals, although this year has been a tale of feast and famine.

The feast comes from Yusuke Matsumura (327 ERA+), David Hagaman (197 ERA+), Isaac Morton (168 ERA+), and All-Star Wen-Hui Pan (144 ERA+). Frank Mozzicato (121 ERA+) was also good before missing three weeks.

The famine comes from Raimon Gomez (89 ERA+) and MacKenzie Gore (71 ERA+) while Humberto Trujillo has just been called up but had a tough first outing! Extra arm Sheng-En Lin (96 ERA+) has been league average, giving useful innings when needed.

Trades

The Royals didn’t make any trades at the All-Star Break but did make some internal changes to try to keep momentum going as they enter the final stretch of the season.

2029 1st Round pick Billy Mumaugh (1.326 OPS AAA) had to come up as he had destroyed AAA hitting. Gasparino was somewhat unlucky to be the man to be sent down but could return if the right deal can be found for Langford.

Mumaugh’s performances since joining the Royals have been sensational and the Royals took the risk and signed him to a long-term contract (11 years, $167m, $20m max.) as they called him up to the Majors.

2028 1st Round pick Tim Storer (114 OPS+) was also summoned from AAA; while he hasn’t had quite the hot bat of Mumaugh he offers elite defence and replaced Kiyotake Takenaka.

Both players become the first from their respective Royals draft classes to be called up by the Royals.

The final move ahead of the restart was MacKenzie Gore being sent placed on waivers and Colin White (2026 7th Round) was promoted from AAA. White had been lost in the Rule 5 Draft but SF released him at the beginning of June.

Injuries

Friday, March 28th , 2031
CF Cristhian Vaquero was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Sunday, March 30th , 2031
CF Cristhian Vaquero diagnosed with a strained hamstring, will miss 6-7 weeks.
Saturday, April 5th , 2031
2B Nick Loftin was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Sunday, April 6th , 2031
2B Nick Loftin diagnosed with a broken kneecap, will miss 5-6 months.
Wednesday, April 16th , 2031
RP David Hagaman diagnosed with a strained bicep tendon, is day-to-day for 4 weeks.
Wednesday, April 30th , 2031
David Hagaman has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 3 weeks.
Thursday, May 8th , 2031
RF Jimmy Goodman was injured being hit by a pitch. The diagnosis is not yet known.
Sunday, May 11th , 2031
RF Jimmy Goodman diagnosed with a fractured wrist, will miss 6 weeks.
Monday, June 16th , 2031
RP Frank Mozzicato diagnosed with a sore shoulder, will miss 5 weeks.

Around the League

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The Red Sox (57-40), the Avalanche (50-46) and the Rangers (50-46) were in the Wild Card spots in the AL with the Giants(56-41), the Dodgers (52-45) and the Cardinals (49-48) leading the NL Wild Card race.

Major Injuries

Pitchers

Arizona Diamondbacks: SP Spencer Howard diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow, will miss 3 months.
Chicago White Sox: SP Raheem Whitthorne diagnosed with elbow inflammation, will miss 3 months.
Cleveland Guardians: SP Christian Foutch diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 5 months.
Cleveland Guardians: SP Daniel Espino diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 4 months.
Los Angeles Dodgers: SP Mike Spence diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months.
Miami Marlins: SP Robert Gasser diagnosed with a sore shoulder, will miss 4-5 months.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP David Leal diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, will miss 12 months.
San Antonio Avalanche: SP Mike McVey diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 8-9 months.
San Francisco Giants: SP Mason Black diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 7 months.
St. Louis Cardinals: SP Drew Rasmussen diagnosed with a torn meniscus, will miss 4-5 months.
Toronto Blue Jays: SP Seth Johnson diagnosed with a partially torn labrum, will miss 3-4 months.

Atlanta Braves: RP Andre Granillo diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 5 months.
Atlanta Braves: RP Dylan Dodd diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, will miss 9 months.
Baltimore Orioles: CL Brock Porter diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament, will miss 11 months.
Boston Red Sox: RP Chandler Champlain diagnosed with an elbow strain, will miss 3 months.
Cincinnati Reds: RP Jordi Martinez diagnosed with a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, will miss 10 months.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RP Josh Walker diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RP Sandy Alcantara has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 4 months.
Milwaukee Brewers: RP Greg Farone diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, will miss 10 months.
Minnesota Twins: RP Tim Elkins diagnosed with ulnar nerve entrapment, will miss 4 months.
New York Mets: CL Frank Caraballo diagnosed with a torn back muscle, will miss 4 months.
New York Yankees: RP Johan Dominguez diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 7-8 months.
New York Yankees: RP Thomas Szapucki diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 7 months.
Pittsburgh Pirates: RP Nic Enright diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament, will miss 12 months.
San Antonio Avalanche: RP Hunter Greene diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4
months.
Washington Nationals: RP Angel Bastardo diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, will miss 7 months.

Hitters

Boston Red Sox: 1B Rafael Devers diagnosed with a fractured knee, will miss 6 months.
Chicago Cubs: 2B Joey Ortiz has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 4 months.
Houston Astros: SS TJ Pompey diagnosed with a concussion, will miss 6 months.
Los Angeles Angels: SS Zach Neto has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 3 months.
Milwaukee Brewers: 2B Anthony Volpe diagnosed with a broken kneecap, will miss 4 months.
Pittsburgh Pirates: C Ralphy Velazquez diagnosed with a severely strained hip muscle, will miss 4 months.
Pittsburgh Pirates: LF Eduardo Quintero diagnosed with a ruptured foot tendon, will miss 6 months.
San Diego Padres: CF Jackson Merrill diagnosed with a torn abdominal muscle, will miss 4 months.
Seattle Mariners: RF Tim Nicosia diagnosed with a torn meniscus, will miss 3 months.
Texas Rangers: SS Justin Lebron diagnosed with a broken bone in the elbow, will miss 4-5 months.
Washington Nationals: 1B CJ Abrams diagnosed with a torn abdominal muscle, will miss 4 months.

Extensions

Chicago White Sox: 1B Gavin Grahovac 5 years $95,000,000.
Chicago White Sox: SP Noah Schultz 4 years $176,000,000.
Minnesota Twins: SP Tyler Bremner 5 years $99,200,000.
San Francisco Giants: C Adley Rutschman 4 years $107,600,000.

07-01-2024, 06:55 PM	#41
benp28 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2024 Posts: 875	54-44 Royals lead AL Central at All Star Break Ten games above .500 and a 5½ game lead in the AL Central is a nice place to be for the 2031 Royals (54-44) but all is not as perfect as it would seem. A run differential of just +14 tells a tale of a team exceeding it’s expected record by 4 games, with divisional rivals a lot closer in performance than the standings suggest. That first half performance by predicted record would have the Royals in the midst of the Wild Card battle in the American League. This mixed performance was highlighted when All Star selections came around, the Royals halving their representation. Wen-Hui Pan (1 IP, 1H, 0R) was selected for his first All Star appearance, while Bobby Witt Jr. (0-1, 1E) made his 4th as the American League dispatched the National League 11-3. Once again, the Royals have had an up and down season, winning months followed by .500 months so far. The bats have been quite ‘Royal’ with a strong ability to hit offsetting the failure to hit many balls out of the park. Third in hits, and 5th in average and OBP, hasn’t translated into runs yet, the team sitting 9th in the AL in runs scored with only 104 HRs hit so far this season. The bullpen continues to be one of the best in the business with the 3rd best ERA in the AL although the starters have slipped back in 2031, down to 9th with a 4.51 ERA. The defence remains elite in Zone Rating, and the team has already struck out over 1000 batters (1010, 1st). Letting opponents walk (11th) and giving up HRs (10th) has been a problem they will hope to address over the final third of the season. Jonathan Gerew’s (92 wRC+) bat hasn’t quite matched his 2030 to date but he is close enough to league average that his plus catching is more than acceptable. Dave Holcombe (86 wRC+) has struggled a little more but a walk rate of over 10% helps to keep innings alive. Luke Adams (68 wRC+) has been the loser from Jeremy Rogerson’s (98 wRC+) emergence at 3B as it has seen Isaac Paredes (128 wRC+) moved to 1B, where his bat has been strong even if his glove is a big downgrade on Adams. Nick Loftin (-60 wRC+) was hurt in the 7th game of the season, and won’t be back until late September. Gregory Barrios (92 wRC+) has been the everyday replacement and has shown some improvement on previous years. Surprisingly he has not been strong defensively, and neither has Kiyotake Takenake (59 wRC+), who was called up after his strong Spring but has really struggled and this, his age 30 season, may be his only time in the Big Leagues. Rogerson has only been league average but is a strong defender and the Royals have trust in his bat to come through in time. Bobby Witt Jr. (116 wRC+) started the season slowly but a .387 OPB in June has him back on track and rewarded with his 4th All Star appearance. Hunter Owen (119 wRC+) leads the Royals with 25 HRs from the DH position, slugging at a .510 rate. The Royals centerfield moves over the offseason backfired as, after Sheng-En Lin (68 wRC+) got hurt prior to the season, Cristhian Vaquero (58 wRC+) got hurt in the first game of the season and missed 7 weeks. MiL FA signing Dominic Fletcher (59 wRC+) was called up and, while his bat has been cold, his 7.3 ZR demonstrates his worth to the team. Wyatt Langford (87 wRC+) has not been the bat needed by the Royals and his $10m contract for 2032 is not looking attractive for the Royals at this point and could see movement ahead of the trade deadline. Jimmy Goodman (162 wRC+) has missed time and that probably cost him an All-Star nomination as he approaches 200 PA for the season with a .335/.444/.525 line. Will Gasparino (218 wRC+) has been excellent in minimal PA, while Matthew Etzel (100 wRC+) just keeps coming back for more and this time has been league average. Mason Barnett (122 ERA+) has been solid again over his first 20 starts, striking out 25% of batters he faces with a 1.11 WHIP. In his contract year, he is probably pricing himself out of a Royals extension. Cade Townsend (107 ERA+) has been even more dominant when it comes to strikeouts (31%), while leading the innings count (115.2) for the Royals. Drew Beam (102 ERA+) is part of 25% strikeout club with a FIP under 4 at 3.89 while Aidan May (90 ERA+) was league average as a 5th starter before getting injured just before the All-Star Break. Marcos Paz (103 ERA+ in relief) will take his place to start the second half of the season. The big question is what to do with Chase Burns. His return from injury has not gone well; while he has come back with strong strikeout number (10.1 K/9), he is walking over 10% of batters with a HR rate of 2.4/9 which is unsustainable. The Royals will be buyers when it comes to the Starting Rotation approaching the Trade Deadline. The bullpen continues to be a strength for the Royals, although this year has been a tale of feast and famine. The feast comes from Yusuke Matsumura (327 ERA+), David Hagaman (197 ERA+), Isaac Morton (168 ERA+), and All-Star Wen-Hui Pan (144 ERA+). Frank Mozzicato (121 ERA+) was also good before missing three weeks. The famine comes from Raimon Gomez (89 ERA+) and MacKenzie Gore (71 ERA+) while Humberto Trujillo has just been called up but had a tough first outing! Extra arm Sheng-En Lin (96 ERA+) has been league average, giving useful innings when needed. Trades The Royals didn’t make any trades at the All-Star Break but did make some internal changes to try to keep momentum going as they enter the final stretch of the season. 2029 1st Round pick Billy Mumaugh (1.326 OPS AAA) had to come up as he had destroyed AAA hitting. Gasparino was somewhat unlucky to be the man to be sent down but could return if the right deal can be found for Langford. Mumaugh’s performances since joining the Royals have been sensational and the Royals took the risk and signed him to a long-term contract (11 years, $167m, $20m max.) as they called him up to the Majors. 2028 1st Round pick Tim Storer (114 OPS+) was also summoned from AAA; while he hasn’t had quite the hot bat of Mumaugh he offers elite defence and replaced Kiyotake Takenaka. Both players become the first from their respective Royals draft classes to be called up by the Royals. The final move ahead of the restart was MacKenzie Gore being sent placed on waivers and Colin White (2026 7th Round) was promoted from AAA. White had been lost in the Rule 5 Draft but SF released him at the beginning of June. Injuries Friday, March 28th , 2031 CF Cristhian Vaquero was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known. Sunday, March 30th , 2031 CF Cristhian Vaquero diagnosed with a strained hamstring, will miss 6-7 weeks. Saturday, April 5th , 2031 2B Nick Loftin was injured while running the bases. The diagnosis is not yet known. Sunday, April 6th , 2031 2B Nick Loftin diagnosed with a broken kneecap, will miss 5-6 months. Wednesday, April 16th , 2031 RP David Hagaman diagnosed with a strained bicep tendon, is day-to-day for 4 weeks. Wednesday, April 30th , 2031 David Hagaman has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 3 weeks. Thursday, May 8th , 2031 RF Jimmy Goodman was injured being hit by a pitch. The diagnosis is not yet known. Sunday, May 11th , 2031 RF Jimmy Goodman diagnosed with a fractured wrist, will miss 6 weeks. Monday, June 16th , 2031 RP Frank Mozzicato diagnosed with a sore shoulder, will miss 5 weeks. Around the League The Red Sox (57-40), the Avalanche (50-46) and the Rangers (50-46) were in the Wild Card spots in the AL with the Giants(56-41), the Dodgers (52-45) and the Cardinals (49-48) leading the NL Wild Card race. Major Injuries Pitchers Arizona Diamondbacks: SP Spencer Howard diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow, will miss 3 months. Chicago White Sox: SP Raheem Whitthorne diagnosed with elbow inflammation, will miss 3 months. Cleveland Guardians: SP Christian Foutch diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 5 months. Cleveland Guardians: SP Daniel Espino diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 4 months. Los Angeles Dodgers: SP Mike Spence diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months. Miami Marlins: SP Robert Gasser diagnosed with a sore shoulder, will miss 4-5 months. Pittsburgh Pirates: SP David Leal diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, will miss 12 months. San Antonio Avalanche: SP Mike McVey diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 8-9 months. San Francisco Giants: SP Mason Black diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 7 months. St. Louis Cardinals: SP Drew Rasmussen diagnosed with a torn meniscus, will miss 4-5 months. Toronto Blue Jays: SP Seth Johnson diagnosed with a partially torn labrum, will miss 3-4 months. Atlanta Braves: RP Andre Granillo diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 5 months. Atlanta Braves: RP Dylan Dodd diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, will miss 9 months. Baltimore Orioles: CL Brock Porter diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament, will miss 11 months. Boston Red Sox: RP Chandler Champlain diagnosed with an elbow strain, will miss 3 months. Cincinnati Reds: RP Jordi Martinez diagnosed with a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, will miss 10 months. Los Angeles Dodgers: RP Josh Walker diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months. Los Angeles Dodgers: RP Sandy Alcantara has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 4 months. Milwaukee Brewers: RP Greg Farone diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, will miss 10 months. Minnesota Twins: RP Tim Elkins diagnosed with ulnar nerve entrapment, will miss 4 months. New York Mets: CL Frank Caraballo diagnosed with a torn back muscle, will miss 4 months. New York Yankees: RP Johan Dominguez diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 7-8 months. New York Yankees: RP Thomas Szapucki diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 7 months. Pittsburgh Pirates: RP Nic Enright diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament, will miss 12 months. San Antonio Avalanche: RP Hunter Greene diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months. Washington Nationals: RP Angel Bastardo diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, will miss 7 months. Hitters Boston Red Sox: 1B Rafael Devers diagnosed with a fractured knee, will miss 6 months. Chicago Cubs: 2B Joey Ortiz has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 4 months. Houston Astros: SS TJ Pompey diagnosed with a concussion, will miss 6 months. Los Angeles Angels: SS Zach Neto has suffered a setback in his recovery. He is not expected to recover for another 3 months. Milwaukee Brewers: 2B Anthony Volpe diagnosed with a broken kneecap, will miss 4 months. Pittsburgh Pirates: C Ralphy Velazquez diagnosed with a severely strained hip muscle, will miss 4 months. Pittsburgh Pirates: LF Eduardo Quintero diagnosed with a ruptured foot tendon, will miss 6 months. San Diego Padres: CF Jackson Merrill diagnosed with a torn abdominal muscle, will miss 4 months. Seattle Mariners: RF Tim Nicosia diagnosed with a torn meniscus, will miss 3 months. Texas Rangers: SS Justin Lebron diagnosed with a broken bone in the elbow, will miss 4-5 months. Washington Nationals: 1B CJ Abrams diagnosed with a torn abdominal muscle, will miss 4 months. Extensions Chicago White Sox: 1B Gavin Grahovac 5 years $95,000,000. Chicago White Sox: SP Noah Schultz 4 years $176,000,000. Minnesota Twins: SP Tyler Bremner 5 years $99,200,000. San Francisco Giants: C Adley Rutschman 4 years $107,600,000.