Hernandez, Royals Aim to Keep Perfect Spring Record Going vs. Rangers
Only one team in Major League Baseball spring training has yet to lose a game, and it's the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are 5-0-1 on the year with a plus-11 run differential and are coming off a walk-off win against the Cincinnati Reds. In the Royals' win, Bobby Witt Jr. collected a trio of RBIs and ended up hitting his second home run in six games. Vinnie Pasquantino, in his only at-bat of the game, hit a pinch-hit, walk-off single. First baseman Carlos Santana was the other Royal to log an RBI, and he recorded his on a sacrifice fly.
On Friday, Kansas City is hosting the Texas Rangers. Texas' lineup features the likes of Brad Miller, Nick Solar, Nathaniel Lowe and others. Ryan Willis, Ed Hickox, Ryan Blakney and Mike Muchlinski will serve as umpires as both teams look to head into the weekend on a high note.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game as they look to improve their undefeated spring training record.
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Carlos Hernandez
Texas: RHP Dane Dunning
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - 3B
- Ryan O'Hearn (L) - RF
- Hunter Dozier (R) - 1B
- Nick Pratto (L) - DH
- Edward Olivares (R) - LF
- Clay Dungan (L) - 2B
- Cam Gallagher (R) - C
- Maikel Garcia (R) - SS
Carlos Hernandez makes spring training debut
Carlos Hernandez is slated to get the start on Friday for the Royals, and the team will be looking to see how he builds on a more than solid 2021 campaign. In 85.2 innings of work last season, the Venezuelan native pitched to the tune of a 3.68 ERA. He struck out 74 hitters in the process, showing off pure "stuff" that is among the best in the Royals organization. He appeared to have worn down towards the end of the season, though, which is understandable given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out plenty of opportunities to progress in the endurance department.
Heading into the season, all eyes are on Hernandez. He has as much upside as any other member of the Royals' starting rotation, but the sample size of him pitching at a high level is still relatively limited. If he comes out of the gates looking sharp and makes a statement in his first start of the spring, it could set the tone for what's to come. If not, he'll have even more to work on before the next time out.
Is this Edward Olivares' time to shine?
It's been quite the spring training for one Edward Olivares, as he's 7-for-10 heading into Friday's game. Not only has he been able to hit for average, but he has a double, a triple and a pair of home runs to his spring training resume as well. This extremely small sample size is not a reason to expect him to suddenly turn into one of the best players in all of baseball but if he keeps playing at a high level, the Royals may be forced to give him playing time with the MLB club in 2022.
Olivares' 2021 campaign was peculiar, as he spent nearly as much time traveling between Omaha and Kansas City as he did on the field for the Royals. He's clearly too good for minor league pitching, and his .956 OPS last year in Triple-A backs that up. In 39 games with the Royals, though, that number fell to .697. Perhaps a consistent role and the belief of the club could be what unlocks Olivares' potential this season. A stellar spring would go a long way towards securing that, and he's off to a great start. He'll be tasked with keeping the good times rolling on Friday afternoon.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 3:05 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: MLB.com
Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.