8:17 AM EDT, Fri March 29, 2024
Royals Review

Welcome to Royals Review in 2024!

Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals advances to second base in the sixth inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium on March 05, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona. | Photo by Aaron Doster/ Hello, welcome! We hope you stay. Hello there, you. Yes, you, the reader! My name is Matthew LaMar; I’m a writer and editor for this here website, and I’m pleased to welcome you to Royals Review, a website by Kansas City Royals fans for Kansas City Royals fans. There’s a lot of stuff happening in the Royals baseball world right now. The...

Royals Review

Royals vs. Brewers Friday gamethread

Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/ Spring training is almost over. The Royals play their penultimate spring training game this afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers, which you can watch on Bally Sports Kansas City (find out how here!) Cole Ragans will get his last spring tune up before he starts the season opener on Thursday against the Twins. Cole Ragans heads to the mound to take on the Brewers in our penultimate Spring Training game. pic.twitter.com/ENLei9kfu2— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 22, 2024 The Brew Crew sends some starts for Ragans...

Brew Crew Ball

Spring Training Game Thread #29/#30: Milwaukee Brewers (12-14) vs Kansas City Royals (13-12)/ @ Seattle Mariners (12-13)

Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports Milwaukee aims for a bounceback in split-squad action as the preseason winds down. After losing a close game to the Giants and winning their previous five games in a row, Milwaukee splits their squad as they take on two different teams this afternoon. Bryse Wilson is expected to start on the mound for the Brewers against the Royals, while Cole Ragans will be on the bump for Kansas City. Freddy Peralta is expected to start against the Mariners while Luis Castillo will attempt to slow down the Brewers offense for Seattle. Many of the...

Royals Review

Spring Training Game Twenty Five: Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports You know what’s better than twenty four? The Kansas City Royals take on the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim California tonight in Surprise. The Royals have lost four straight games and seven of their last nine, putting their Cactus League title hopes in serious jeopardy. One of those wins came against this same Angels team a week ago today. Just like last week, this game will be televised on Bally Sports Kansas City. First pitch: 8:05pm CDT Back in Surprise tonight with Brady on the bump! pic.twitter.com/sjaXE5KhtH— Kansas...

Royals Review

Royals roster prediction 3.0: triple digits from the Opening Day starter

Pitcher Cole Ragans (55) poses for a portrait during Kansas City Royals photo day on February 22, 2024 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, AZ. | Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Spring Training iswrapping up, and the roster situation is becoming clearer. Opening Day is a week (or less!) away as you’re reading this. That means it's time for one last roster projection. Let’s get crazy. Pitchers Starting Pitchers LHP Cole Ragans RHP Seth Lugo RHP Michael Wacha RHP Brady Singer RHP Alec Marsh One final change at the five spot, Alec Marsh is now the guy. Daniel Lynch...

South Side Sox

Gamethread: White Sox at Royals

Our Opening Day starter, Garrett Crochet, gets one last practice round before next week. | David Durochik/Diamond Images via An Opening Day sneak peek The official countdown is on! White Sox Opening Day is just one week away. This afternoon, we’re getting a little preview of the home opener as Garrett Crochet takes the mound for his last spring training appearance. On Monday, the amazing Sarah Langs tweeted out this little nugget about Crochet’s Opening Day nod. Garrett Crochet will be the 9th pitcher in the last 110 years to make his 1st career start on...

Royals Review

How does Nick Pratto fit with this team?

Photo by Norm Hall/ The former first round pick is playing well this spring, but does he have a place on the roster? The Royals aren’t expected to have too many roster battles this spring training, but some performances may be creating unexpected competitions. Nick Pratto has been the talk of camp, turning some heads with his performance. The former first-round pick was disappointing in an extended look last year, hitting .232/.307/.353 with just seven home runs in 345 plate appearances and a ridiculous 40 percent strikeout rate. But he attributes his poor...

Royals Review

Royals Rundown: The Royals Hall of Fame grows, setting 2024 straight

Plus this stadium stuff has to stop. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are counting down the days until MLB Opening Day, so let’s talk some Kansas City Royals! Read Jeremy’s mailbag here: https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/16/24102507/spring-training-mailbag Read the KCUR article here: https://www.kcur.org/sports/2024-03-15/kansas-city-royals-stadium-community-benefits-agreement-housing You can follow the team on X with Jeremy Greco at...

AZ Snake Pit

Diamondbacks 0, Royals 6 - Henry, Offense Slumping

Photo by John E. Moore III/ Tommy Henry continued his Spring struggles, as his 5th starter chances slip away. After two stellar performances to start out Spring Training, Tommy Henry is slumping at the worst time. A bit unlucky? Perhaps, as Gurriel couldn’t handle another fly-out due to the sun in left. But the Royals pieced together a nice 2-out rally in the 1st, culminating with a two run triple from MJ Melendez. Henry then allowed the next 5 batters to reach, with 3 hits, a walk, and hit by pitch to put the Royals on top 5-0. The 3rd started similarly, with a...

Royals Review

Spring Training Game XIX

Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/ Michael Wacha is on the bump The Royals’ bats are hot. Six Royals enter today’s game with OPS’ over 1.000, led by Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr, who both have three homers so far. Salvy gets the day off today with Freddy Fermin behind the plate. Here are the lineups for today’s game against the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Michael Wacha heads to the mound in Scottsdale as we take on the Diamondbacks. pic.twitter.com/Z5EpAUFDr1— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 14, 2024 Today's...

Royals Review

Royals Rundown: Stock up, stock down on Kansas City players

Bo knows the Hall of Fame now too. Jacob Milham And Jeremy Greco bring you up to speed on the Kansas City Royals down in Suprise, Arizona. Hear about the team’s probable pitchers for this split-squad weekend and Kansas City’s newest Hall of Fame member. Also, we run through some important Royals and see if their stock has risen or fallen this spring training. If you have a mailbag question for Jeremy, comment below or hit him up on X! You can follow the team on X with Jeremy Greco at...

AZ Snake Pit

Spring Training Gameday Thread, #21: 3/14 vs. Royals

Photo by Carmen Mandato/ Some more roster movies to ponder Today's Lineups ROYALS DIAMONDBACKS Adam Frazier - 2B Corbin Carroll - RF Bobby Witt - SS Ketel Marte - 2B Nick Pratto - 1B Lourdes Gurriel - LF Freddy Fermin - C Christian Walker - 1B MJ Melendez - LF Eugenio Suarez - 3B Nick Loftin - 3B Alek Thomas - CF Drew Waters - DH Emmanuel Rivera - SS Garrett Hampson - CF Pavin Smith - DH Nate Eaton - RF Tucker Barnhart - C Michael Wacha - RHP Tommy Henry - LHP plus possibly pitching: RHP Bryce Jarvis, RHP Miguel Castro, RHP Ryan...

Royals Review

Spring Training Game Nineteen: Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals

Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via You can watch this one. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California will travel to Surprise today to take on the Kansas City Royals. With both teams at 11-7, they’ll be looking for a victory today to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies in the Cactus League race. Daniel Lynch IV will make his fifth appearance of the spring to start today’s game. Ahead of what figures to be a make-or-break year for the lefty, he will almost certainly claim the team lead in spring innings today. This game will be...

Royals Review

Royals Rumblings - News for March 12, 2024

Photo by Aaron Doster/ Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the top players in baseball. Jaylon Thompson writes about how the Royals use data analytics to help the pitching staff. The Royals have invested in their research and development team this offseason. Sweeney works in lockstep with multiple video coordinators, who compile data from each workout session and spring training game. All pitchers’ data gets uploaded into a daily profile. Those profiles are then sent to Sweeney in an email. Each morning, Sweeney goes through the numbers and communicates with each of his...

Purple Row

Colorado Rockies Spring Training game no. 17 thread: Cole Ragans vs. Cal Quantrill

Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post After being rained out last week, the Rockies and Royals will take another run at a game. Today, the Colorado Rockies (10-6) welcome the Kansas City Royals (11-6) to Salt River Fields — again, after being rained out last week. Cole Ragans will take the mound for the Rangers while Cal Quantrill will start for the Colorado Rockies. First Pitch: 2:10 PM MDT TV: Not available Radio: KOA Lineups For the visiting Royals: Cole Ragans heads to the mound as we travel to Scottsdale to take on the Rockies....

Royals Review

Spring Training Game Thread: Giants v Royals

Nick Pratto #35 of the Kansas City Royals gets ready to make a play against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Surprise Stadium on February 26, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona. | Photo by Norm Hall/ Nick Pratto makes his case Nick Pratto has been not so great over the last two years, but he is having himself a heck of a Spring Training. Will it be enough to catapult him into the lineup? I don’t know—Nelson Velazquez probably has the leg up right now. But a resurgent Pratto would mean nothing but good things for the Royals. Also: that paragraph is liable to...

Royals Review

Royals Rundown: Kansas City rolling through Cactus League, thanks to surprising standouts!

Plus Jeremy elaborates further on why gamers should be excited for MLB The Show 24. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are back at it, bringing you the latest on the Kansas City Royals. The major league camp continues to get smaller, but how is MLB showcasing younger players? Plus, both men pick the player that has surprised them the most this spring training. Tune in! Read Jeremy’s latest here: ⁠https://www.royalsreview.com/2024/3/9/24091170/mlb-the-show-2024-is-going-to-be-the-most-fun-version-of-the-game-yet⁠ You can follow the team on Twitter with Jeremy Greco at...

Royals Review

Saturday Spring Training thread

Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the first inning during a Spring Training game against the San Diego Padres at the Peoria Stadium on February 27, 2024 in Peoria, Arizona. | Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/ It’s Wacha time! Spring Training lumbers on. The Royals host the Diamondbacks in Surprise at 2:05 KC Time. Are we there, yet? Michael Wacha takes the mound as we take on the Diamondbacks in Surprise. pic.twitter.com/Lx8NBxNADm— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 9, 2024

AZ Snake Pit

Spring Training Gameday Thread, #15/16: 3/9 vs. Reds/@ Royals

Photo by Brian Bahr/ Split-squad day! Diamondbacks @ Royals Today's Lineups DIAMONDBACKS ROYALS Alek Thomas - CF Adam Frazier - 2B Emmanuel Rivera - 3B Bobby Witt - SS Pavin Smith - 1B Salvador Perez - 1B Andres Chaparro - DH Vinnie Pasquantino - DH Jace Peterson - SS Nelson Velazquez - LF Kevin Newman - 2B Drew Waters - RF Kyle Garlick - LF Freddy Fermin - C Albert Almora - RF Mike Brosseau - 3B Tucker Barnhart - C Dairon Blanco - CF Tommy Henry - LHP Michael Wacha - RHP plus LHP Andrew Saalfrank, RHP Justin Martinez, RHP Josh...

Lone Star Ball

Spring Training Game Thread: Kansas City Royals at Texas Rangers

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Will Jack attack? The Royals have come crawling back to Surprise to face off against the current kings of the complex with the Texas Rangers eyeing another Cactus League victory. RHP Jack Leiter gets the opportunity to make the start today for Texas opposite RHP Seth Lugo for Kansas City. Here are the lineups: Today's Lineups ROYALS RANGERS Maikel Garcia - SS Evan Carter - CF Bobby Witt - DH Wyatt Langford - LF Vinnie Pasquantino - 1B Jared Walsh - 1B Salvador Perez - C Ezequiel Duran - SS Hunter Renfroe - RF Travis...

Purple Row

Colorado Rockies Spring Training game no. 14 thread: Cole Ragans vs. Cal Quantrill

Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post Quantrill will make his second spring training appearance today. Today, the Colorado Rockies (8-4-1) welcome the Kansas City Royals (9-4) to Salt River Fields. Cole Ragans will take the mound for the Rangers while Cal Quantrill will start for the Colorado Rockies. First Pitch: 1:30 PM MDT due to a weather delay TV: Not available Radio: MLB.com Lineups For the visiting Royals: Cole Ragans is back on the bump as we head to Scottsdale to take on the Rockies. pic.twitter.com/qyGOf3oRGx— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 7,...

Royals Review

Royals announce “Spring Breakout” roster to showcase prospects

Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via You can watch the future! The Royals have announced their Spring Breakout roster for their matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 17. The Spring Breakout is a new showcase for prospects of all 30 teams that will take place in the middle of spring training. The games will take place over March 14-17, with 71 of the top 100 prospects as ranked by MLB Pipeline participating. For the Royals, the game will be a chance for fans to see top prospects like former first round draft picks Blake Mitchell, Frank Mozzicato and Gavin Cross,...

Royals Review

Spring Training Game Thirteen: Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals

Photo by Christian Petersen/ A win and a Dodgers loss would vault the Royals to the top of the Cactus League standings. One week after the first skirmish in this year’s Battle of Grass Creek, the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals will clash once again, this time in Surprise. The Royals won the first meeting 9-7, contributing to Seattle’s Cactus League worst 1-9 showing thus far in Spring Training. First Pitch: 2:05 pm CST Here's how we're taking the field behind Angel Zerpa this afternoon against the Mariners in Surprise. pic.twitter.com/Oaf9mM8iRH—...

Lookout Landing

Mariners Spring Training Game #10, 3/6/24, SEA at KCR: Open Game Thread

when mom says “take ONE nice one please” | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports The Mariners search for that elusive second Cactus League win Today the Mariners travel a short jaunt down the road to Surprise Stadium to face the Royals and seek their second Spring Training victory, after dropping both games of a split squad experience yesterday. Also, everyone please go throw some flowers at Connor who volunteered to write those games up after finishing his work day, truly putting the “service” in “service journalism.” Bryce Miller makes his second start of the...

Royals Review

Royals Rumblings - News for March 5, 2024

Photo by Christian Petersen/ Daniel Lynch IV talks pitching. Jeff Passan writes about the players impressing in spring training, including Cole Ragans. The comparison sounded too ridiculous to be true. One evaluator, smitten by the 26-year-old pitcher, said of Ragans: “He’s left-handed deGrom.” To comp a pitcher who has thrown all of 136 major league innings with Jacob deGrom, Major League Baseball’s undisputed king of stuff, feels like an exaggeration. Well, look at Ragans’ first start this spring: His fastball averaged 99.2 mph. He threw one at 101 with 20...

Royals Review

Royals Rundown: Roster projection 2.0 & Kansas City missed on Chapman

Photo by Christian Petersen/ Could the Royals have signed Matt Chapman? Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are back in your feed once again! Hear about the latest from Arizona as the Kansas City Royals march through spring training, plus how it changes Jeremy’s roster projections. Also, did the Royals miss out on signing Matt Chapman? The guys weigh in on the Boras agent heading to San Francisco. Tune in! You can follow the team on Twitter with Jeremy Greco at...

Royals Review

Royals Roster prediction take two: missing in action

Where’s Hunter? A week of Spring Training games have been played and some things that haven’t happened may matter more than some things that have It’s been a whole week of Spring Training. By the time you’re reading this, it’s March and Opening Day happens later this month. I can almost smell the fresh cut grass and hear the pop of leather and the infielders whip the ball around following another strikeout. It’s time to take another stab at what the Opening Day roster might look like! If you want to check out the first prediction, it can be found here. That...

Royals Review

Royals spring training battles: The bench

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Will the Royals have more depth this year? The Royals began camp with a pretty good idea of who the starters were this year. Eight-time All-Star Salvador Perez will be behind the plate most days. The outfield will likely feature Hunter Renfroe in right, Kyle Isbel in center, and MJ Melendez and Nelson Velázquez splitting time between left and DH. Bobby Witt Jr. will anchor the infield at short with Maikel Garcia at third and Vinnie Pasquantino returning at first. Michael Massey has perhaps the most chance of losing his gig,...