Maik Check

 

The failure of the 2022 Royals team to catch on last year somehow resulted in a 2024 team with more depth. So instead of having those options that worked in 2022 and not much else, we now have extra options that shift into place perfectly upon injuries. Adam Frazier starting everyday and Daniel Lynch and his 1.50 ERA getting bigger roles is definitely not a terrible downside here.

I think the best thing to happen to the Royals in the extra year was finding out about new options. Maikel Garcia wasn't really in the picture in 2022, and now he's one of the more integral members of the team. Garcia currently has 35 RBIs, the most of anyone on the team not named Witt or Perez, and his 14 steals are second to Witt. He's versatile, he's a good contact guy, he gets on base, and he's slowly becoming a big part of this infield. Pasquantino is also having a nice year, even if his defense isn't the greatest. So it's really just a matter of finding a consistent second baseman, and Michael Massey was becoming that when he got hurt. Not that Frazier is bad, just...like in Baltimore, he's being used as a replacement piece for the interim in between the long-term answer showing up. Same with Hunter Renfroe, and Dairon Blanco seems to be gaining on him. 

But you also have the fact that had the 2023 collapse not happened, the Royals never would have been in a position to start Cole Ragans. Ever since they've allowed that to happen, he's been wonderful, and is one of the team's most trustworthy pitchers. Ragans leads the team in strikeouts with 89, and him, Seth Lugo and Brady Singer have become a very sturdy leading trio at the head of the rotation. Lynch and Marsh aren't terrible backing them up either.

And then you have smaller pieces, like backup catcher Freddy Fermin, the defense of Kyle Isbel, and a number of the quick moves that have resulted in a firmer bullpen picture [getting John Schreiber was a really smart move]. As a result, the Royals seem more confident and more formidable, and they've won 36 games already. Admittedly they've lost a tiny bit of ground since losing Massey and Michael Wacha, but they're still in a decent enough position, and they've still got Bobby Witt hitting insanely well.

Even with the Guardians in excellent form, the Royals could be a spoiler this year, and people like Garcia are the key to this happening.

Coming Tonight: Everyone knew where he was gonna sign during the offseason. It just took him a while to actually sign there. But he's still performing to the same caliber, thankfully.