Splash Hits: Welcome the sounds of spring
The countdown to the first exhibition game of 2021 is on!
Can you feel it? Or to paraphrase Ervin Santana, do you “smell baseball?” It’s almost here.
Yes, in about 48 hours the exhibition pitch of the 2021 Cactus League will be heaved at Surprise Stadium as the Royals play the hosts to their complex-mates, the Texas Rangers. Finally. Exhibition baseball!
In preparation for that first game, it will be a brief newsletter today. Gotta pace myself. There will be plenty of (exhibition) game action to digest starting next week.
Thursday was Whit Merrifield day at camp as he was the featured Zoomer. The news from his virtual presser was that he’s preparing to play the upcoming season as the Royals’ everyday right fielder. After bouncing around defensively the last couple of years, it’s not surprising that right is Merrifield’s landing spot—for the time being. The Royals will give Nicky Lopez the opportunity to stake a claim at second base with Hanser Alberto in the wings as a backup or potential platoon option. Michael A. Taylor is going to pick up the majority of the time in center as the season opens and the newest Royal, Andrew Benintendi, will play left.
With the additions to the roster, they’ve maintained their defensive flexibility, but have also gained some certainty…if that makes sense. But as Mike Matheny pointed out, even the best thought-out plans have a way of going awry, so it’s good to have that versatility, even if the Royals don’t take advantage of it right away.
Alec Lewis at The Athletic has a great article on the Junis brothers that is well worth your time. You obviously know Jakob Junis. He’s spent his offseason adding a cutter and working on a change-up with his brother Noah. Noah has spent the last couple of years immersing himself in the science of pitching. The article details Noah’s journey to where he currently is in the industry, as a full-time staff member of Push Performance in Arizona.
Apart from being a fascinating look at the relationship between brothers and how they’re helping each other achieve their goals, this has some huge potential implications for the Royals. If you’ve read my roster projections for when the team breaks camp, you know that I’ve listed Junis as a reliever. The Royals believe his particular fastball/slider combo would play better in the bullpen and besides, there are a ton of starting pitching options bubbling up from the minors these days. But if Junis can add a cutter and an effective change… lookout. In 2021 with teams needing to effectively manage innings and with the Royals stable of young arms, starting pitching depth will absolutely be key. For the Royals, it could be the difference between hitting those projections of 71 wins to challenging for .500. If Junis can be part of that mix, that’s a huge win. Both for him and the Royals. And for Noah.
Enjoy your Friday. Enjoy the first exhibition game of 2021. And please enjoy this gif of Rusty Kuntz riding his spring training bicycle.
Oh, player! Talk to you on Monday.