After I talked to him finally yr’s GM conferences, J.J. Picollo instructed me that an offseason precedence was so as to add “guys with expertise” to a Kansas Metropolis Royals roster that was lengthy on promising younger expertise however quick on veteran presence. Picollo did simply that — Seth Lugo, Hunter Renfroe, Will Smith, and Michael Wacha had been amongst these introduced on board — and whereas the additions solely instructed a part of the story, the top consequence was a greatest vendor. One yr after successful simply 56 video games, the 2024 Royals went 86-76 and performed October baseball for the primary time in a decade.
What does the AL Central membership’s Govt Vice President/Common Supervisor see as the highest precedence going into subsequent season?
“We should be slightly extra dynamic offensively, and by that I imply we have to get on base at a better fee than we did this yr,” Picollo instructed me earlier this week in San Antonio. “We’re making an attempt to focus on gamers we will lengthen out our lineup with, whether or not it’s somebody on the prime, within the center, or towards the again finish. Our id is extra pitching and protection, base working, and situational hitting, so how can we add some guys that may complement what we have already got that can enable us to attain extra runs?”
The Royals crossed the plate 735 instances in 2024, the sixth-highest whole within the American League. Their .306 on-base share was ninth-highest, whereas their .403 slugging share and their 170 house runs ranked sixth and tenth respectively. As energy clearly helps present extra runs, I requested Picollo if OBP is certainly the precedence.
“For what we’d like, sure,” Picollo replied. “We predict it might result in extra run manufacturing based mostly on who else we’ve got on the workforce. We’re nonetheless banking on guys that possibly haven’t turned the nook but and might turn out to be higher main league hitters. Whether or not that’s Maikel Garcia, Michael Massey, MJ Melendez — they’ve instruments to play the sport, so consistency on offense is the subsequent step for them. If we will add guys who will take some stress off of them by getting on base, and from there be a workforce that places the sport in movement, I feel we’ve got a greater likelihood to attain extra runs.”
In Picollo’s view, simply how the added OBP is arrived at isn’t significantly essential.
“It come in several styles and sizes,” Picollo agreed once I introduced up how Luis Arraez does it in another way than, say, a LaMonte Wade Jr. “Arraez is a really distinctive participant in that it’s all in batted ball. He will get plenty of hits. After which there are guys who’ve the propensity to stroll extra. I don’t suppose it issues which approach they do it, it’s simply that they’re in a position to get on base, and that’s what we should be a extra constant offense.”
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Al LeBoeuf would be the lead hitting coach in Milwaukee subsequent yr, the 64-year-old Putnam, Connecticut native having been promoted by the Brewers from Triple-A Nashville final month together with Eric Theisen. A former Phillies prospect who started his teaching profession in 1988, LeBoeuf can be supported by Theisen and the returning Connor Dawson.
In response to Matt Arnold, LeBoeuf is a mixture of progressive and conventional with regards to working with hitters.
“Buffy has expertise,” Milwaukee’s GM stated in San Antonio. “He’s been a hitting coach — a very good hitting coach — for a really very long time. Anyone with that sort of expertise who is ready to mix the old fashioned and the brand new faculty approaches… he’s been launched to plenty of new faculty concepts, and he’s tremendous receptive to all that. He additionally has plenty of components that I feel assist our hitters in methods which were examined over the course of time. His capability to carry each of these faculties collectively is one thing we’re excited to have on the main league stage.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Willie McCovey went 18 for 33 towards Bob Moose.
Willie Stargell went 24 for 57 towards Joe Niekro.
Willie McGee went 25 for 44 towards Mike Scott.
Willie Mays went 25 for 60 towards Roy Face.
Willie Davis went 32 for 75 towards Bob Buddy.
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The Cleveland Guardians hit 185 house runs this season, the sixth highest whole within the American League. That doesn’t sound like so much, however it’s a massive enchancment over the previous two seasons. In 2022, the Guardians went deep 127 instances. In 2023, they went deep 124 instances.
To what extent was the uptick in dingers a focused purpose, and to what extent was it merely natural?
“I’m undecided of your definition of natural, however plenty of the elevated energy got here from guys who had been on the roster the prior yr and it was a part of their development and growth,” Chris Antonetti stated in reply to that query. “A few of it was new faces, however plenty of it was guys who had been already right here.”
The reality is within the numbers. José Ramírez jumped from 24 to 39, whereas Josh Naylor went from 17 to 31, Steven Kwan from 5 to 14, and David Fry from 4 to 14. Is Cleveland’s President of Baseball Operations happy with the present stability of contact and energy?
“I don’t suppose we will ever be happy with the outcomes we obtain,”stated Antonetti, answering my query not directly. “We weren’t the very best offensive workforce in baseball, so there may be clearly room for us to enhance. We’ll work to strive to determine ways in which we will enhance on that within the winter.”
The Guardians’ 708 runs scored had been seventh-most within the American League. The workforce’s 100 wRC+ ranked ninth.
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A quiz:
Dwight Evans had 605 extra-base hits within the Eighties, probably the most of any participant. Who led MLB in extra-base hits within the Nineteen Nineties? (a touch: like Evans, he’s not within the Corridor of Fame.)
The reply could be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
The Philadelphia Phillies introduced on Friday that they’re selling Preston Mattingly, who had been serving as farm director, to Vice President/Common Supervisor. Sam Fuld, who has been the workforce’s GM, can be transitioning to President of Enterprise Operations. A Stanford grad and former big-league outfielder, Fuld is at the moment pursuing an MBA on the College of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Faculty.
The twenty fifth annual SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Convention can be held in Louisville, Kentucky from Thursday, August 7 to Saturday, August 9, 2025, Extra data could be discovered right here.
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The reply to the quiz is Albert Belle, who had 711 extra-base hits within the Nineteen Nineties. If you happen to guessed Barry Bonds or Rafael Palmeiro, that they had the third- and fourth-highest totals. Corridor of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. had the second-highest.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Will Pennyfeather had a bunt single within the first of his 47 big-league plate appearances, all of which got here with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1992-1994. The Perth Amboy, New Jersey native would log simply eight extra hits at baseball’s highest stage, however his skilled profession was removed from over. After just a few seasons in Triple-A, Pennyfeather moved on to the impartial Atlantic League the place he performed from 1999-2006 (he additionally spent a part of 2003 within the Northern League). Pennyfeather was a large receiver and kick returner at Syracuse College earlier than turning his consideration to baseball and signing with the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent in 1988.
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The Cincinnati Reds underachieved offensively final season, whereas not precisely stellar, their pitching confirmed plenty of promise. Is pitching at the moment the workforce’s energy? In response to Nick Krall, the reply isn’t solely clear.
“I feel we’ve got some actually good, dynamic beginning pitching,” Cincinnati’s prime govt instructed me. “I feel we even have some actually good, dynamic place gamers. It’s simply making an attempt to get these guys wholesome. We had guys who received hit by pitches and broke their arms and wrists. We had guys that damage their shoulders, beginning with Edwin Arroyo who’s a prime prospect, to Matt McLain, to TJ Friedl diving for a ball, to Blake Dunn in Triple-A. We had plenty of place participant accidents that impacted us.”
As for the Reds’ projected beginning rotation, it includes 5 pitchers between the ages of twenty-two and 27. Is the employees primed to return into its personal? Krall wasn’t about to provide a definitive reply to that query, however he’s definitely bullish on the probabilities.
“I imply, you have a look at what Hunter Inexperiencede did final yr, the steps he took,” stated Krall. “You have a look at the place Nick Lodolo was earlier than he ended up getting damage (a sprained finger on his pitching hand) on the finish of the yr. Rhett Lowder pitched rather well on the finish of his Double-A season, went to Triple-A and threw a shutout, then got here up right here to the large leagues and pitched rather well. Andrew Abbott was stable earlier than he received damage (shoulder pressure) as nicely. It’s a matter of those guys staying wholesome.”
Graham Ashcraft is the opposite pitcher that Roster Useful resource initiatives to be within the Reds rotation.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The WBCS Premier 12, which includes 12 groups from world wide, received underway yesterday. The event could be adopted right here.
The Dominican Winter League season started just a few weeks in the past. Hitters off to an excellent begin embody 22-year-old (was Oakland) Athletics infield prospect Euribiel Angeles, who’s slashing .323/.354/.371 over 65 plate appearances with Estrellas Orientales. Angeles cut up the 2024 season between Excessive-A Lansing and Double-A Midland.
The Fielding Bible named Chusei Mannami their NPB Defensive Participant of the Yr. The 24-year-old outfielder performs for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars, who received this yr’s Japan Sequence, are owned by Tomoko Namba. The 62-year-old Harvard Enterprise Faculty graduate is NPB’s first and solely feminine proprietor.
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Per stories, Roki Sasaki can be posted to MLB this winter as a world novice free agent. Japan’s highest-profile (albeit not statistically greatest) pitcher, the recently-turned 23-year-old right-hander went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111 innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines this season.
Sasaki has been talked about quite a few instances right here at Sunday Notes in recent times, together with on November 14, 2021 once I shared quotes from former MLB hurler Frank Herrmann, who had been the then-20-year-old phenom’s Chiba Lotte teammate. Herrmann agreed that Sasaki might be NPB’s subsequent famous person, including that “If he was in A-ball he could be a Prime 10 prospect in MLB for positive.”
The earlier yr, Herrmann, who now works in participant growth for the Toronto Blue Jays, had requested Chiba Lotte pitching coach Masato Yoshii how Sasaki in comparison with Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani on the similar age (19). Yoshi stated that Sasaki was higher.
The following younger Japanese pitcher to return stateside as a world novice free agent? If MLB groups had their druthers, it will probably be Hiroto Takahashi. The Chunichi Dragons right-hander, who turned 22 in August, went 12-4 with a 1.38 ERA and 130 strikeouts, with simply 107 hits allowed, in 143-and-two-thirds innings this season. Whereas likelihood is small that Chunichi will put up him any time quickly, you’ll be able to safely wager that each MLB workforce has their eyes on him.
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FARM NOTES
Garrett Martin received the Arizona Fall League’s house run derby on Friday. The 24-year-old New York Yankees outfield prospect outslugged 22-year-old Milwaukee Brewers third base prospect Brock Wilken within the last spherical.
The Fall Stars Recreation was performed final night time, with the American League beating the Nationwide League 6-5 due to a ninth inning, 437-foot bomb by Detroit Tigers catching prospect Thayron Liranzo. The 21-year-old native of San Francisco de Macori was acquired by Detroit from the Los Angeles Dodgers together with Trey Sweeney in trade for Jack Flaherty at his summer season’s commerce deadline.
With the AFL season winding down, I need to give props to this yr’s media coordinators. I used to be there for per week in October, and each Michael Marcantonini and Julia Walter went above and past. They had been skilled and attentive all through.
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Tony Blanco, Jr. is a prospect to look at within the Pittsburgh Pirates system. The 19-year-old son of former MLB and NPB infielder/outfielder Tony Blanco slashed .305.385/.505 with 4 house runs and a 138 wRC+ over 109 plate appearances this yr within the rookie-level Florida Complicated League. Listed at 6-foot-7, 243 kilos, the Boston-born, Dominican Republic-raised slugger can do big-time harm when he connects. Earlier this summer season, our prospect analyst duo opined that Blanco “had probably the most current uncooked energy within the January 2022 worldwide signing class.”
Earlier this week, I requested Pirates GM Ben Cherington concerning the raw-but-promising first baseman/outfielder.
“He’s a large human being,” stated Cherington, whose résumé contains scout and farm director. “The exit velo is already on the highest percentile of main league high quality — it’s elite — however what was spectacular this yr was the standard of his at-bats. The contact [Blanco’s strikeout rate was 28.4%] was higher than we anticipated for a man in his first yr within the States.”
Well being has been a difficulty.
“He’s had a sequence of nagging accidents since we signed him, and that’s the piece we’ve got to get him previous,” defined Cherington. “He’s not getting the quantity of at-bats he wants due to the time he’s missed. Most likely the largest purpose going into 2025 is to maintain him on the sector.”
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Of the eight gamers on the Basic Baseball Period Committee poll, 4 performed into a minimum of the Eighties. If you happen to might vote for any (however only one) of the 4, who would it not be? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot on Friday, the choices being Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Dave Parker, and Luis Tiant.
The outcomes had been kind of what I anticipated. Garvey predictably trailed the sector, garnering simply 6.9% of the votes solid, whereas Tiant led the pack with 41.6%. In between had been Parker and John, who obtained 29.6% and 21.9% respectively.
Rely me amongst those that really feel that Tiant is probably the most deserving of the 4. Furthermore, he positively belongs within the Corridor of Fame.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
On July 19, 1933, Corridor of Famer Rick Ferrell homered off of his non-Corridor of Fame brother, Wes Ferrell, who additionally homered that day (and was arguably extra deserving of a plaque in Cooperstown). Richard Cuicchi chronicled the 13-inning contest between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Crimson Sox for SABR’s Video games Mission.
At In style Science, Laura Baisas wrote about how the “magic mud” used to rub up baseballs has lastly been analyzed by scientists.
Trey Mancini is hoping to return to MLB after not enjoying this previous season. Andy Kostka has the story at The Baltimore Banner.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Max Fried is a mixed 11-0 with a 1.15 ERA in his profession towards the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Invoice Voiselle, a right-hander who pitched for 3 groups from 1942-1950, grew up in Ninety-Six, South Carolina. He wore uniform quantity 96 in a few of his MLB seasons.
Dennis Lamp went 96-96 with a 3.93 ERA. Mickey McDermott went 69-69 with a 3.91 ERA.
Ken Griffey Jr. had 2,781 hits, 524 doubles, 1,662 runs scored, and a .284 BA.
Johnny Damon had 2,769 hits, 522 doubles, 1,668 runs scored, and a .284 BA.
Larry McKeon went 18-41 with a 3.50 ERA for the American Affiliation’s Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1884. One yr earlier, John Coleman went 12-48 with a 4.87 ERA for the Nationwide League’s Philadelphia Quakers.
The Chicago White Sox acquired 21-year-old left-hander Billy Pierce from the Detroit Tigers in trade for 33-year-old catcher Aaron Robinson on right this moment’s date in 1948. Pierce, a Detroit native, went on to play 13 seasons on the South Aspect, successful 186 video games and making seven All-Star groups.
Gamers born on right this moment’s date embody Invoice Southworth, a 3rd baseman whose MLB profession comprised three video games with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964 when he was simply 18 years previous. The Madison, Wisconsin native had two hits, one in every of them a house run, in 9 journeys to the plate. His a lot older cousin, Billy Southworth, performed within the massive leagues from 1913-1929.
Additionally born on right this moment’s date was Cal Ermer, a second baseman who in 1947 went 0-for-3 with the Washington Nationals in his solely big-league sport. Ermer went on to handle the Minnesota Twins in 1967 and 1968 as a part of a prolonged post-playing profession that included 26 years managing the minors, 4 teaching within the majors, and 5 as a scout.