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SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Royals made strides with their young hitters at the end of last season, but the lineup is somewhat reconfigured this year with the added veteran presence of Hunter Renfroe, Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson.
Still, much of the improvement with this offense will reside on the young hitters -- like Bobby Witt Jr. building off his incredible 2023 season, Vinnie Pasquantino returning to form after shoulder surgery, MJ Melendez taking a step forward with his power potential or Maikel Garcia continuing to show he’s part of the core.
Earlier this week, hitting coach Alec Zumwalt answered questions from reporters in Surprise about Kansas City’s offense.
Here are some of the highlights:
How will last year’s experience help the young hitters this year?
Zumwalt: “I think it’s individual. You can’t quantify experience. You can’t put a value on experience, truthfully. Each guy went through their own experience last year and failure and whatnot. How they react is all individualized. We’ve been very open with them about it and aren’t going to hide from it. But I think that experience that they got from last year, through the ups and downs, I hope each one of them takes something from it and applies it.”
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On Nick Pratto’s spring and what he’s done to fight for a roster spot
Zumwalt: “No. 1, he’s healthy. That’s the biggest factor with Pratto. What he was going through last season was really hard. Nobody can perform up to their own expectations when they’re dealing with what he dealt with. So him being healthy -- he’s worked on his swing a lot, and he’s able to do things that he could physically not do during the season because he was trying to grind through it. He had a really good look in the mirror and said, ‘This is what I’ve got to do to get better.’ Taken complete ownership of it. We’re all really proud of how he’s gone about it.
“What I’ve seen so far is he’s taking one pitch at a time. That’s been something for us that we’ve had to talk about since 2019. Keeping Nick focused on right now, this at-bat, this pitch. We know he has such a good eye for the zone. At times, it can get him because he’s worried about the pitch he took instead of, ‘Now, get the next pitch.’”
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What will the new veteran hitters bring to the offense?
Zumwalt: “There’s no true definition of a pro at-bat, but when you’re in the game, you understand that, when certain parts of the lineup come up, they’re not going to give away an at-bat. I think that’s one thing a lot of young hitters do. Emotions can sometimes cause that. Trying to force something. I feel like early in the season last year, we forced a lot of at-bats instead of reacting the right way, as far as going up there with a plan and sticking to it and not just giving it away.
“I think that’s a big part of it, those pro at-bats. We saw the guys doing that as the season wore on last year. So, hopefully, being able to start off with these veteran guys [will help].”
What have you seen from Pasquantino this spring?
Zumwalt: “He’s in a really good spot right now. I can’t tell there was ever anything wrong. We’ve looked back at some video, and you see some of the changes he made when he was probably trying to grind through the injury. The swing is in a great spot right now; it’s just the timing. Timing is always the last piece.”
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What’s the next level look like for Witt?
Zumwalt: “His skill is so good, he just needs to be Bobby. I know that’s cliché, but it’s reality. His leadership is going to grow based on who he is and what he’s done. … Bobby wants to win. And that’s the most important thing right now. We’ve got a group of guys really focused on winning, and not on individual numbers. That’s what championship teams do, right? That’s a big deal. It’s, ‘Team before me.’ And that’s Bobby.”
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FIFTH STARTER COMPETITION |
Jordan Lyles made his first Cactus League start since he was sidelined with lower back tightness on March 5, allowing five runs in three innings on Saturday against the Cubs.
It’s unlikely that he starts the season on the injured list.
In my latest roster prediction, I stayed with Lyles because whoever the fifth starter is, they’ll likely be available out of the bullpen during the first weekend of the season due to the off-day. But it’s clear the competition is still ongoing, and there is a very real chance that either Alec Marsh or Daniel Lynch IV could win that spot -- and Lyles heads to the bullpen.
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Marsh, who likely has the upper hand, has impressed with his presence on and off the mound this spring, operating with much more confidence. Although he wasn’t as efficient in four innings Saturday, he’s shown enough improvement that should give the Royals more confidence to start him. At the very least, I think he’s done enough to make the team with his stuff and versatility when it comes to either starting or relieving.
Lynch has looked good this spring, and while much has been made about his velocity, he can be effective sitting 91-94 mph if he throws strikes. For the most part, he’s done that, and he’s continued to work on his delivery to help stay in the zone. There are some questions about the sharpness of his secondary stuff, but he still has upside -- and the Royals want to get him innings this year.
“We’re getting down to it,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “These guys just have to go out and do the best they can. It’s not a matter of, ‘We need this many innings or this many strikeouts.’ We’re going to have to make a decision, and all they can do is control going out there and putting their best foot forward.”
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