After I talked to him ultimately yr’s GM conferences, J.J. Picollo informed 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 brief 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 informed a part of the story, the tip end result was a finest vendor. One yr after profitable 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 Government Vice President/Normal Supervisor see as the highest precedence going into subsequent season?
“We should be a bit extra dynamic offensively, and by that I imply we have to get on base at a better charge than we did this yr,” Picollo informed me earlier this week in San Antonio. “We’re attempting 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 operating, and situational hitting, so how can we add some guys that may complement what we have already got that can permit 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 dwelling 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 expect it might result in extra run manufacturing primarily based on who else now we have on the group. We’re nonetheless banking on guys that perhaps haven’t turned the nook but and might turn into 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 strain off of them by getting on base, and from there be a group that places the sport in movement, I feel now we have a greater probability to attain extra runs.”
In Picollo’s view, simply how the added OBP is arrived at isn’t notably vital.
“It come in several sizes and styles,” Picollo agreed once I introduced up how Luis Arraez does it otherwise than, say, a LaMonte Wade Jr. “Arraez is a really distinctive participant in that it’s all in batted ball. He will get a whole lot 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 capable of 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 shall be supported by Theisen and the returning Connor Dawson.
In accordance with Matt Arnold, LeBoeuf is a mixture of progressive and conventional relating 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. Any person with that form of expertise who is ready to mix the old-fashioned and the brand new college approaches… he’s been launched to a whole lot of new college concepts, and he’s tremendous receptive to all that. He additionally has a whole lot of substances that I feel assist our hitters in methods which have been examined over the course of time. His means to convey each of these colleges 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 Good friend.
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The Cleveland Guardians hit 185 dwelling runs this season, the sixth highest whole within the American League. That doesn’t sound like rather a lot, however it’s a large 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 aim, and to what extent was it merely natural?
“I’m unsure of your definition of natural, however a whole lot 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 a whole lot 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 group in baseball, so there’s 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 group’s 100 wRC+ ranked ninth.
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A quiz:
Dwight Evans had 605 extra-base hits within the Nineteen Eighties, essentially 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 will 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/Normal Supervisor. Sam Fuld, who has been the group’s GM, shall be transitioning to President of Enterprise Operations. A Stanford grad and former big-league outfielder, Fuld is presently pursuing an MBA on the College of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Faculty.
The twenty fifth annual SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Convention shall be held in Louisville, Kentucky from Thursday, August 7 to Saturday, August 9, 2025, Extra info will 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. When you 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 a couple of seasons in Triple-A, Pennyfeather moved on to the unbiased 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 a whole lot of promise. Is pitching presently the group’s energy? In accordance with Nick Krall, the reply isn’t fully clear.
“I feel now we have some actually good, dynamic beginning pitching,” Cincinnati’s prime government informed me. “I feel we even have some actually good, dynamic place gamers. It’s simply attempting to get these guys wholesome. We had guys who obtained hit by pitches and broke their palms and wrists. We had guys that harm 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 a whole lot of place participant accidents that impacted us.”
As for the Reds’ projected beginning rotation, it contains 5 pitchers between the ages of twenty-two and 27. Is the employees primed to come back into its personal? Krall wasn’t about to offer a definitive reply to that query, however he’s definitely bullish on the possibilities.
“I imply, you take a look at what Hunter Inexperiencede did final yr, the steps he took,” stated Krall. “You take a look at the place Nick Lodolo was earlier than he ended up getting harm (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 massive leagues and pitched rather well. Andrew Abbott was stable earlier than he obtained harm (shoulder pressure) as properly. 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 contains 12 groups from all over the world, obtained underway yesterday. The event will be adopted right here.
The Dominican Winter League season started a couple of weeks in the past. Hitters off to a very good begin embrace 22-year-old (was Oakland) Athletics infield prospect Euribiel Angeles, who’s slashing .323/.354/.371 over 65 plate appearances with Estrellas Orientales. Angeles break up the 2024 season between Excessive-A Lansing and Double-A Midland.
The Fielding Bible named Chusei Mannami their NPB Defensive Participant of the 12 months. The 24-year-old outfielder performs for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars, who gained 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 reviews, Roki Sasaki shall be posted to MLB this winter as a world newbie free agent. Japan’s highest-profile (albeit not statistically finest) 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 lately, 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 could possibly be NPB’s subsequent famous person, including that “If he was in A-ball he could be a High 10 prospect in MLB for certain.”
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 identical age (19). Yoshi stated that Sasaki was higher.
The subsequent younger Japanese pitcher to come back stateside as a world newbie free agent? If MLB groups had their druthers, it might 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 submit him any time quickly, you may safely wager that each MLB group has their eyes on him.
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FARM NOTES
Garrett Martin gained the Arizona Fall League’s dwelling 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 remaining spherical.
The Fall Stars Recreation was performed final evening, with the American League beating the Nationwide League 6-5 because of 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 change 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 every 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 observe 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 dwelling runs and a 138 wRC+ over 109 plate appearances this yr within the rookie-level Florida Advanced League. Listed at 6-foot-7, 243 kilos, the Boston-born, Dominican Republic-raised slugger can do big-time injury when he connects. Earlier this summer season, our prospect analyst duo opined that Blanco “had essentially the most current uncooked energy within the January 2022 worldwide signing class.”
Earlier this week, I requested Pirates GM Ben Cherington in regards to the raw-but-promising first baseman/outfielder.
“He’s an enormous human being,” stated Cherington, whose résumé consists of 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 problem.
“He’s had a collection of nagging accidents since we signed him, and that’s the piece now we have 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 most important aim going into 2025 is to maintain him on the sphere.”
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Of the eight gamers on the Traditional Baseball Period Committee poll, 4 performed into at the least the Nineteen Eighties. When you might vote for any (however only one) of the 4, who wouldn’t it 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 roughly what I anticipated. Garvey predictably trailed the sphere, garnering simply 6.9% of the votes forged, whereas Tiant led the pack with 41.6%. In between had been Parker and John, who acquired 29.6% and 21.9% respectively.
Depend me amongst those that really feel that Tiant is essentially the most deserving of the 4. Furthermore, he undoubtedly 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 Purple Sox for SABR’s Video games Venture.
At Standard 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 change 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 Facet, profitable 186 video games and making seven All-Star groups.
Gamers born on right this moment’s date embrace 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 among them a house run, in 9 journeys to the plate. His a lot older cousin, Billy Southworth, performed within the large 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 recreation. 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.
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