Kansas City Royals Find a Winning Streak
Who saw this coming? Not me.
Coming into this week, the Royals looked like a team hardly interested in playing the last half of the season. They'd just lost a series to the Baltimore Orioles after five days off and a first-half plagued by multiple losing streaks.
Before last week things looked bleak and poised to get bleaker with the Royals facing the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and the surging Detroit Tigers.
But the Royals decided to shock everyone and play like the Royals of April. On the back of improved starting pitching and a resurgent Hunter Dozier and Jorge Soler, the Royals swept both the Brewers and Tigers.
The week was punctuated by the promotion of top pitching prospect Daniel Lynch who struggled in his first stint in the big leagues but spun an eight-inning gem on Sunday.
Of all the excellent performances from this week, perhaps Soler's best represents the team as a whole. Soler has been an undoubted disappointment this season with an OPS+ of 66 heading into Sunday. But that number is up after a week going five for 16 with four home runs and four walks. Soler provided the bulk of the offense behind Lynch on Sunday with three hits and two home runs.
In addition to Lynch's excellent start, fellow 2018 draftee Kris Bubic put together an excellent outing on Friday. He went six innings giving up only one run with four strikeouts and two walks. Bubic looks like he'll get more starts after both Danny Duffy and Brady Singer were placed on the 10-day IL this week, Duffy with a left flexor strain and Singer with shoulder fatigue.
Despite the excitement of a five-game winning streak, Royals nation is largely focused on the prospect of moving some of the team's best players. Max Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the Seattle Mariners are making a push for Whit Merrifield, while the Giants and Dodgers are showing interest in Danny Duffy. No word yet what the team will be targeting, but many in the Royals Twitterverse are focused on outfield prospects, as it's unclear who will man centerfield for the Royals next season with Michael A. Taylor's contract up after this season.
The Mariners are making a push to trade for INF/OF Whit Merrifield of the Royals, sources tell me and @DKramer_. Merrifield is under control through 2023 at a reasonable cost (approx. $10M over 2 years incl. ‘23 option) and offers positional versatility, a good bat & great speed.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 25, 2021
The Dodgers have joined the Giants as a contender with interest in Royals LHP Danny Duffy (currently on the IL with a left flexor strain), per source. Duffy has often spoken about wanting to stay in KC, but the CA native could waive his 10-5 no-trade rights for a West Coast team.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 25, 2021
On the Farm
The big story on the farm last week was the promotions of Bobby Witt Jr. and Nick Pratto. Both got the call to join the Omaha Storm Chasers in AAA this week, and both have continued crushing the baseball in that time. Witt has 11 hits in 30 at-bats so far with two home runs. Pratto has six hits in 22 at-bats, also with two home runs.
The news in the minors wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. The Royals lost Asa Lacy and Brady McConnell to injury this week. There's no definitive word yet on how long each will be out, but it doesn't look good.
Marcus Meade is a contributor to Inside the Royals and a writer of many genres and forms from fiction to scholarship to baseball blogs. He previously wrote for Baseball Prospectus and Kings of Kauffman and also currently writes (occasionally) for Royals Farm Report. He is the host of the Royals Weekly podcast with his brother, Mike. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook @RoyalsWeekly.