Competitive Baseball Looks Good on the Royals

The Royals had a winning week, and their young talent continues to impress.

Overall, it's safe to say that it was a good week for the Kansas City Royals. They won a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox before dropping two of three to the best team in Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There were many positives to take away from the week along with a few negatives. Let’s get to it.

At the beginning of every week, 'Mondays with Mark' will dive into the latest developments with the Royals. Have something you want to be discussed? Let Mark know on Twitter @MarkTheOverseer or find Inside the Royals @InsideRoyals.

Brady Singer continues to dominate

Brady Singer pitched twice this past week and allowed one earned run combined in both outings, including a shutout against the Dodgers to end LA’s 12-game winning streak. Singer has been Kansas City's most impressive pitcher since the All-Star break, and it’s not close.

In his two starts this week, Singer struck out 13 combined batters. He didn’t walk anyone he faced against the White Sox and while he walked three against the Dodgers, he only allowed one hit over those aforementioned six innings.

Singer’s impressive outings, along with his 3.29 ERA overall on the year, give the organization and fans alike hope for the future.

Vinnie Pasquantino shows off his power

Vinnie Pasquantino hit a home run to help lead the Royals to the win in game one of their doubleheader against the White Sox.

Pasquantino also homered in game two of the doubleheader and despite the loss, he still gave the Royals fans something to talk about from that game. He then hit another home run in game four of the series.

The week’s show of pure strength continued as Pasquantino also hit a home run late in the game to help close out the Dodgers series with a victory. His raw power is something that will help the Royals a ton going forward.

Other young Royals keep standing out 

MJ Melendez stayed hot early in the week, delivering a 3-for-4 effort and a go-ahead home run in a win against the White Sox. Michael Massey delivered some big hits during both series. Nick Pratto started the week with a walk-off home run in game one of the doubleheader against the White Sox.

Brent Rooker makes Royals debut

Brent Rooker made his Royals debut against the Dodgers on Saturday night. His performance was one of the only bright spots in a blowout loss. In his first at-bat, he was hit by a pitch. He then followed that up by going 2-for-3 with a single and double on the day. He also impressed defensively. The Royals' trade return for Cam Gallagher is already providing value for the club on a part-time basis. 

Daniel Lynch escapes, Brad Keller falters

Daniel Lynch had an impressive outing against the red-hot Dodgers. He only went five innings and walked four batters, but he allowed just two hits and not a run in the process. Lynch also got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in his final inning, turning plenty of heads.

Brad Keller’s outing against the Dodgers didn’t go quite as well. He allowed eight earned runs over the course of three innings. After a good start last week against the Boston Red Sox, many were hoping to see something much more positive than what Keller was able to give this time around. 

The Royals have played .500 baseball over the past two months. That’s about what many were anticipating heading into this year, but their terrible start leaves the club 20 games below .500 halfway through August. This team still has a ways to go, but the youth movement is exciting to watch nonetheless.

The Royals will start a seven-game road trip with a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins that begins at 6:40 p.m. CST on Monday evening. The projected starters are Kris Bubic for the Royals and Joe Ryan for the Twins. After the Twins series, the Royals will face the Tampa Bay Rays in a four-game set to close the week.