Royals Rumblings – News for March 28, 2025

The quest for 161-1 begins tomorrow!

Let’s be honest. You’re not here to read what I wrote today. You’re here to talk about the game yesterday.

I’m not going to link to a bunch of different recaps posts. Matthew has got you covered with the RR recap. I won’t post too much more about that TOOTBLAN in the 8th (Pete Grathoff has me covered).

I guess we could watch this again:

Here’s an ICYMI:

How about a story from before the game?

At The Athletic ($), Zack Meisel wrote about Cole Ragans comeback from injury:

Ragans underwent his first Tommy John surgery in March 2018, in the infancy of his professional career. Just as he was wrapping up his recovery, 14 months later, his elbow barked again. He had trudged through weeks of monotonous bullpen sessions and live batting practice. He was two days from finally getting into a game.

During a low-intensity tune-up for his first appearance, he knew immediately. And he knew his career was in jeopardy. “As soon as I blew out the second time,” Ragans said, “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever play baseball again.’”

He sat with his coaches and a trainer in an office. Their message: You have two options. You can go through the surgery again, or you can hang up your cleats and go home.

“That was a low point right there,” Ragans said. “That put it into perspective, how quickly it can be gone.”

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Preview blogs were popular yesterday:

David Lesky at Inside the Crown ($):

Yes, I have the Royals winning the division. No, I’m not insane. It’s kind of funny how jaded Royals fans are. It’s not that there isn’t good reason for it. You could be turning 30 years old this year, which is certainly not old but also no longer a kid, and be able to say that you’ve seen just five seasons of better than .500 baseball in your life as a Royals fan. So yeah, I totally get it. And no, they’re not perfect. I don’t agree with everything they’re doing, but they are well run these days. It’s easy to get caught in your bubble and not realize what is happening around the league, but there are people I talk to who have nothing to do with the Royals who comment all the time how the Royals are doing things right.

Again, they’re not perfect, and if you told me that any of the other three big league teams in the division will end up winning it, I have no way to argue with you. Every team has their strengths and every team has their flaws. I think a healthy Twins team is the best team in the division and I don’t think it’s especially close. But what is a healthy Twins team? Does that even exist? Royce Lewis is already out. So is Brooks Lee. Maybe they’ll surprise and get 120 games from Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, but it’s just so hard to predict that. And I don’t think they did much to help the depth beyond their stars, so if they’re out, I think they’ll fall just short. The Guardians probably won’t get the same relief dominance they did last year. But they could. Maybe they hit, maybe they don’t. The Tigers have the best pitcher in the division, but their bullpen doesn’t strike guys out and they’re already without Parker Meadows. So yeah, it’s easy to see how they can finish fourth. Or first. Or second. Or third.

Craig Brown at Into the Fountains:

I’m aware that it’s fashionable in some quarters to predict a bit of a fall-off from last season for the Royals. I actually think it’s understandable to some extent. They can’t possibly repeat the health and success of their rotation. And seasons like Bobby Witt Jr.’s in 2024 are the exception, not the norm, even for a great player. However, the bullpen is guaranteed to be better than last year. And the top of the order, now fronted by Jonathan India, looks formidable. Plus, there’s some depth lurking around the rotation for cover if something goes sideways. And Witt is great, damnit. The only thing that gives me pause is the fact that JJ Picollo was not able to upgrade the outfield. If they miss October, that’s what we’ll be talking about.

I have to be honest, I’m not sure who writes Royals Data Dugout:

The player takes are equal parts fun and insightful. Breaking things down into individual pieces helps paint the broader picture, which leads me to predict 89-73 as the Royals record in 2025. After a 30-win improvement in 2024, this is a more modest (yet meaningful) three-win gain that puts them firmly in the race for the division and all but assures a Wild Card spot. In the last three seasons with the updated playoff format, 89 wins comfortably gets you into the American League dance and would put KC in position in the final week to compete for the division crown.

The addition of India, the fortification of the bullpen with Estevez and full seasons from Erceg and Harvey, multiple looming prospects ready to make an impact and a front office I trust to sufficiently plug holes at the deadline leaves me fully confident in this team to climb another rung up the wins ladder.

Kevin O’Brien at The Royals Reporter picks the AL Central:

Call me a homer. In my last predictions on December 22nd, I projected that the Royals would finish second with an 87-75 record. While I felt good about the Royals’ chances to win the division then, I wasn’t ready to put them over the Cleveland Guardians yet.

Since then, they have acquired Carlos Estevez and added Mark Canha to the bench. Furthermore, Kris Bubic solidified his standing in the rotation with a promising spring, and Hunter Renfroe looked solid in Cactus League play. The Royals stayed healthy as a roster for the most part, with Vinnie Pasquantino looking likely to play on Opening Day after tweaking his hamstring in Spring Training.

Patrick Glancy at Powder Blue Nostalgia:

My big concern with the Royals is regression. They improved by thirty wins last season. That’s almost unheard of, and frankly, next to impossible to do, which gives you an idea of how bad they were in 2023. The team deserves a lot of credit for that jump, but a host of things went right for them as well, and it’s fair to wonder if they’ll be as fortunate in 2025. Will their rotation stay as healthy as a year ago? Can the bullpen build off their strong finish? Can Salvy continue to fend off Father Time? The list goes on.

The thing that gives me some solace as a Royals fan is that the question of regression hangs over the other three contenders as well. At least one of them, and maybe several of them, will get bitten by it, which is why this division is so hard to pin down. You’re going to call me a homer for picking the Royals, and you’re partially right. When it’s this close, why not pick your home team? Let’s face it, the Royals aren’t in this position very often, so it feels like a waste not to take advantage of it. But at the same time, I really didn’t want to pick them. I’m too superstitious, I suppose, and I’m afraid of jinxing them.

Superstition be damned though. I’m going with KC. Let’s go Royals!

Jackson Wilks at Farm to Fountains takes a somewhat different approach:

The AL Central 2025 All-Stars

With Spring Training in full swing, most MLB teams know who may fill out their roster. Furthermore, every team has at least one guy they know for a fact who will be leading their team in 2025. While looking around at the best players in the division, it was interesting to see how each team led at certain positions. Seeing the Royals hold a significant grip on the infield was equally as fun. I don’t expect the AL Central to send three teams to the playoffs again. It will still be a very competitive division as four teams have some significant numbers on this list. Here are the team totals before we begin:

Royals – 6

Guardians – 6

Tigers – 6

Twins – 3

White Sox – 0

Blog Roundup:

Mike Gillespie at KOK: The biggest questions the KC Royals must answer in 2025

Jacob Milham at KOK: Former MLB GM gives aggressive debut deadline for KC Royals’ Jac Caglianone

Darin Watson at U.L.’s Toothpick: This Date In Royals History—1985 Edition: March 26 – The Royals enjoy a big offensive day against Texas.

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Since Opening Day moved to Thursday, it’s just easier to have a baseball OT today (is it really OT?). Everyone wants to talk baseball (or maybe college hoops). So I like to look at all of the Opening Day games and throw out a thing or two about each. Well, except the late west coast games. Sorry, this is like the old newspapers where they just say “LATE”.

BAL 12 – TOR 2 : Tyler O’Neill is starting his 8th season in the majors. He’s only played more than 100 games in 2 of those seasons. Somehow he has homered in 6 straight Opening Days. What the heck, man?!? Adley Rutschman goes 3 for 5 with a pair of homers.

NYY 4 – MIL 2 : Austin Wells made some interesting history – he was the first Yankee and just the 5th catcher to bat leadoff in an Opening Day lineup (Rewind Yourself: former Royal Jason Kendall did it 3 times) in the Modern Era. He also hit the first Opening Day leadoff home run for the Yankees in franchise history. A current Royals OF and former C was also a footnote to this: “Wells’ blast is only the 21st leadoff home run by a catcher in any game in AL/NL history and the first since the Royals’ MJ Melendez did it on Sept. 28, 2022”.

BOS 5 – TEX 2 : Wilyer Abreu had a significant gastrointestinal virus throughout the Spring. But he was ready for Opening Day. He hit a solo homer to tie the game at 2 in the 5th and then un-tied it with a 3-run homer in the 9th. Neither Opening Day starter figured in the decision as former White Sock Garrett Crochet started for the Red Sox and former Red Sock, Yankee, et al Nathan Eovaldi is starting his 3rd season with the Rangers.

PHI 7 – WAS 3 : Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore threw 6 shutout innings, allowing one hit and recording an Opening Day franchise record of 13 K’s. “Gore joined the iconic Bob Gibson (1967) as the only pitchers in AL/NL history with 13 strikeouts and no walks in a scoreless outing on Opening Day.” However, once he left the game, Bryce Harper, after walking up to boos in his former home park, hit the first pitch over the right center fence to tie the game. After Philadelphia took the lead, Washington tied the game in the bottom of the 8 and they went to extras. But the home crowd left disappointed as the Phillies put up 4 in the top of the 10th for the win.

HOU 3 – NYM 1 : In the “we’ll see how that works out” category, the Astros Cam Smith made the Opening Day lineup after just 32 minor league games. ESPN had a cute story about how he brought donuts (Shipley’s!) and had an RBI single on his first MLB pitch. However, I think the bigger national story is that nine figure free agent Juan Soto came to the plate in the 9th as the tying run but was struck out by Josh Hader to end the game. Also, an amusing note to me is that the Houston stadium has a new name. Enron, with its reference to the oil industry and corruption fit the city like a glove. But then Minute Maid Park always felt too Florida-y. I think Daikin Park is another winner, named after the world’s largest air conditioner manufacturer.

SFG 6 – CIN 4 : You think the Royals have it bad in the outfield (spoiler: they do)? How about this? From 1993-2007, Barry Bonds started all but one Opening Day (he was injured much of the 2005 season). Every year since, the Giants have had a different Opening Day left fielder. This year, Heliot Ramos became the 19th different starting LF in the last 19 years. On the 11th pitch of his 4th inning AB, he hit a 2-run homer off Reds starter Hunter Greene. The day would get worse for new Reds manager Terry Francona, who had emergency dental surgery in the morning. The Giants rallied for 4 in the 9th, punctuated by a Wilmer Flores 3-run homer.

SDP 7 – ATL 4 : I don’t have anything really interesting for this game. The Braves had a couple of home runs early, Chris Sale was a little shaky, but they held a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the 7th. But Gavin Sheets, formerly of the White Sox, hit a pinch hit HR to tie the game on his first at bat for his new team and the Padres scored 3 more in the inning for the win.

CWS 8 – ANH 1 : After the White Sox set the Modern Era loss record in 2024, Las Vegas set the White Sox O/U at 53.5, the lowest in over 35 years. But for today, they came out a winner. Former Royal Andrew Benintendi was one of three south siders to hit a home run. He was also one of only “five players on the 2025 White Sox Opening Day roster Thursday afternoon at Rate Field who were on the club’s ‘24 Opening Day roster”. Mike Trout started the season 0 for 2 with a BB and HBP. For some inexplicable reason, the Angels let former Royal Nicky Lopez pitch in the 8th. Only 2 pitchers had played for the Angels so far and the bullpen has to be well rested since it was Opening Day and they don’t play again until Saturday.

MIA 5 – PIT 4 : These are not the two most glamorous teams, but with a Win Expectancy graph like this, you know it was a good game. The Marlins led early but the Pirates got 2 in the 5th and 6th. In the highly anticipated pitching matchup, Paul Skenes was good but not great and Sandy Alcantara was slightly worse. But the Marlins rallied for 2 in the 8th to tie the game and ended it like this:

STL 5 – MIN 3 : This is the other game that didn’t have a lot of juice to it. The Cards led the entire game after scoring in the bottom of the first. Nolan Arenado got a home run curtain call after being in trade rumors all winter, so I guess that’s something.

LAD 5 – DET 4 : Like a number of these excellent-on-paper pitching matchups, Blake Snell vs Tarik Skubal didn’t exactly deliver. But the two teams played a back-and-forth game with a Teoscar Hernández 3-run homer being the biggest blast. The Tigers somehow went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Yikes!

ATH @ SEA : (ATH? SAC?) LATE

CHC @ ARZ: LATE

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If you want something else to discuss, OT-wise, I threw out this little rant yesterday (with some minor edits here) but the game started not long after so it didn’t get much traction:

I just realized I don’t have a baseball playlist. I should create a baseball playlist. But I’m not sure I’m up for this task. Is it really even possible? Also, Google is woefully bad at this. The lists that are out there are horrid.

Like some songs are obvious:

* Take Me Out to the Ballgame – but what version? See also: the National Anthem

* Centerfield

* The Boys of Summer – both the original Don Henley one and The Ataris remake

*What about local favorites like “Go Cubs Go” or “Sweet Caroline” that are specific to one team?

* But every list out there has some really weird crap that’s only tangentially related to baseball (and, yes, I get that Boys of Summer isn’t really related to baseball but it’s ubiquitous in baseball stadiums because of its hook). Lots of lists have unrelated stuff like “Enter Sandman”. Sure, Rivera used it as his walk out song but it doesn’t say “baseball” to me at all

* “Talkin Baseball” got a boost from The Simpsons mocking it to the point where, per wiki, the parody “Talkin Softball” is much more known now

* I could add themes like the Baseball Tonight, Sunday Night Baseball theme, or MLB on Fox or whatnot

Though I suppose Bradford mostly had us covered a couple of years ago: https://www.royalsreview.com/2021/10/7/22654693/baseball-and-music

I’m a little surprised that this version of “The Boys of Summer” by The Ataris has never been used as a song of the day. So we have that today. The video’s not much to write home about but I feel like it’s a legit remake that brings something new with its faster tempo: