2018 Remarkable! Season Preview – Kansas City Royals

by | Mar 6, 2018 | Baseball

 

2017 Record: 80-82 (3rd in AL Central)

Kansas City will have a new look when the 2018 season gets under way. Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Lorenzo Cain, once integral pieces in the 2015 World Series run, are now playing for different teams. In a three-team deal, Scott Alexander was traded to the Dodgers and Joakim Soria was jettisoned to the White Sox for two prospects. Despite finishing right under .500 in 2017, the new look Royals will have a tough time competing with Cleveland at the top of the AL Central.

 

Starting Pitchers

 

Danny Duffy
  • He had a strike rate of 66.8% (1,521/2,277)  in the 2017 season — tied for 3rd highest among non-qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 63.0%.
  • He has not allowed a walk in his last 56 PA’s against a LHH dating back to May 28, 2017 (Jose Quintana has the longest active streak at 71).
  • Opponents batted .217 (65-for-299) against Danny Duffy with two strikes in the 2017 season — 6th worst among non-qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: .179

 

Ian Kennedy
  • Opponents had a chase percentage of just 6.8% (21/305) against Ian Kennedy on the first pitch of at-bats in the 2017 season — 2nd worst among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 14.6%.
  • He allowed a BABIP of .258 in 2017 — 14th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .301.
  • He threw his changeup just 10.7% of the time (283/2,641) in 2017 — 4th lowest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 19.0%.

 

Jake Junis
  • He allowed a BABIP of .219 on elevated fastballs in the 2017 season — 9th best among non-qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: .275.
  • As a starter, he walked 1 of 109 right-handed batters (0.9%) in the second half of the 2017 season — 3rd best among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 7.4%.

  • As a starter, he recorded 37 of his 47 strikeouts (78.7%) with his slider in the second half of the 2017 season — 2nd highest rate among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 36.0%.

 

Nate Karns
  • Right-handed hitters had a line drive rate of 12.3% (9/73) against Nate Karns as a starter in the 2017 season — 3rd best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 21.7%.
  • He threw his curveball 51.4% of the time (110/214) with two strikes in 2017 — 5th most among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 26.4%.

 

Jason Hammel
  • He induced opposing right-handed batters to ground into 1 double play in 77 opportunities (1.3%) in 2017 — 2nd worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 12.5%.
  • He threw his slider 36.8% of the time (1,115/3,029) in 2017 — 4th highest among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 22.2%.

 

Relief Pitchers

 

2017 Bullpen Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .254 T-23rd
OBP .332 24th
SLG .400 T-10th
OPS .733 16th
BB% 10.0% T-21st
K% 20.4% T-26th
GB% 50.9% 1st

 

Kelvin Herrera
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of 1.133 (34 Total Bases / 30 ABs) when he’s behind in the count in the 2017 season — 2nd worst among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .608.

  • He had an average fastball velocity of 97.4 MPH in 2017 — 13th highest among 250 qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: 93.4.
  • Hitters chased 51 of Kelvin Herrera‘s 111 changeups out of the zone (chase rate of 45.9%) in 2017 — 9th best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: 36.1%.

 

Brandon Maurer
  • He threw his fastball for a strike 70.0% (406/580) of the time in 2017 — tied 20th among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: 65.2%.
  • He allowed a BABIP of .449 with RISP in the 2017 season — 3rd worst among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .299.

  • He allowed a slugging percentage of 1.122 (46 Total Bases / 41 ABs) when he’s behind in the count in the 2017 season — 3rd worst among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .608.

 

Jesse Hahn
  • Left-handed hitters had a line drive rate of 33.7% (32/95) against Jesse Hahn as a starter in 2017 — 3rd worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 22.5%.
  • Right-handed hitters had a Well-Hit Avg of .119 (17/143) against Jesse Hahn as a starter in the 2017 season — 10th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .167.
  • Opponents had a miss rate of just 12.5% (18/144) against Jesse Hahn as a starter with RISP in 2017 — 3rd worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 23.5%.

 

Wily Peralta
  • He allowed an OPS of 1.133 (57 PAs) on non-fastballs in the 2017 season — 2nd worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg; .671.
  • Opponents hit .034 against Wily Peralta (1-for-29) as a starter on high fastballs this season — best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .232.

 

Brian Flynn
  • Only threw 2.1 innings in 2017

 

Burch Smith
  • Has not thrown in MLB since 2013

 

Hitters

 

2017 Offense Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .259 T-10th
OBP .311 28th
SLG .419 21st
OPS .731 T-23rd
BB% 6.5% 29th
K% 19.3% T-4th
QAB 2467 28th
wOBA .322 T-23rd

 

Salvador Perez
  • He chased 47.4% of pitches out of the zone (468/988) in 2017 — highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 29.2%.
  • 17.2% of Salvador Perez‘s plate appearances have lasted only one pitch (86/499 PAs) in the 2017 season — 8th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 10.8%.
  • He slugged .725 (58 total bases in 80 ABs) on pitches 94 mph or greater in 2017 — 2nd best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .417.

 

Whit Merrifield
  • He has not drawn a walk in his last 54 PA’s dating back to September 19, 2017 (Martin Maldonado has the longest active streak at 125).
  • He batted .416 (42-for-101) on low fastballs in 2017 — 3rd best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .285.

  • He drew 8 walks in 210 PAs (3.8%) versus relief pitchers this season — 5th worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 9.2%.

 

Lucas Duda
  • Opponents have used a defensive shift against Lucas Duda on 64.6% of his plate appearances (317/491) in the 2017 season — highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 13.0%.

  • He had 58 Extra-Base hits out of 92 total hits (63.0%) in 2017 — best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 36.2%.
  • He had groundball rate of just 30.7% (89/290) in 2017 — lowest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 45.3%.

 

Mike Moustakas
  • He slugged .553 (141 total bases in 255 ABs) on non-fastballs in the 2017 season — 6th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .375.
  • He chased 40.0% of pitches out of the zone (365/911) versus RHP in 2017 — League Avg: 29.1%.
  • He had 38 HRs in 555 ABs (14.6 AB/HR)  this season — 12th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 27.1

 

Alex Gordon
  • He slugged just .315 (150 total bases in 476 ABs) in the 2017 season — worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .426.
  • He made 11 non-routine plays out of 23 chances (47.8%) in the 2017 season — 4th best in MLB; League Avg: 22.3%.
  • 5.2% of Alex Gordon‘s plate appearances have lasted eight or more pitches (28/541 PAs) in 2017 — 6th most among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 3.3%.

 

Alcides Escobar
  • He had an OBP of just .272 (622 PAs) in the 2017 season — 2nd worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .324.

  • He had a Well-Hit Avg of just .114 (68/599) in 2017 — 5th worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .163.
  • He averaged just 3.3 Pitches per Plate Appearance (604/183) when leading off an inning in 2017 — worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 3.9.

 

Paulo Orlando
  • He had an OPS of just .363 (268 PAs) with two strikes in the last two seasons — worst among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .526.
  • He batted .494 (42-for-85) on the first pitch of at-bats in the last two seasons — 3rd best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .347.
  • He chased 41.4% of pitches out of the zone (311/751) versus RHP in the last two season — 2nd worst among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 29.8%.

 

Jorge Bonifacio
  • He slugged .544 (68 total bases in 125 ABs) on curves and sliders in the 2017 season — 9th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .362.
  • He had a line drive rate of 26.2% (70/267) in 2017 — 17th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.7%.
  • He had a swing rate of 52.4% (540/1,031) versus starting pitchers in 2017 — 19th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 46.5%.

 

Jorge Soler
  • Accrued 110 PA’s in 2017

 

Cheslor Cuthbert
  • He had a groundball batting average of .386 (34 GB hits out of 88 GBs) with runners on base in the last two seasons — tied 2nd best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .257.
  • He had a groundball rate of 58.5% (62/106) on pitches 94 mph or greater in the last two seasons — 14th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 45.1%.

 

 

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