Preview: Isaac's mailbag, Royals take on reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani (ST Game 3)

-

The Kansas City Royals (1-0-1) have shown a lot of promise the last few days in Spring Training action. Royals manager, Mike Matheny, has given fans potential glimpses of what the starting lineup could look like in the 2022 campaign.

In Sunday's 11-10 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, it was hard for Royals fans not to overreact. A Salvador Perez and Michael A. Taylor home run, a solid start from Jackson Kowar and a walk-off win led by the RBI double from Edward Olivares was a thrill.

Kansas City will roll with more young pieces on Monday afternoon versus the 2021 AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani.

Royals Starting Lineup (1-0-1):

1. Kyle Isbel LF

2. Edward Olivares RF

3. Nick Pratto 1B

4. Ryan O'Hearn DH

5. Emmanuel Rivera 3B

6. Clay Dungan 2B

7. Jacoby Jones CF

8. Cam Gallagher C

9. Maikel Garcia SS

Pitcher Brady Singer RHP

Royals fans are skeptical about little areas of the roster, rightfully so. 

Here are questions that were submitted via Twitter:

Will Adalberto Mondesi play a full season? History has shown that will be unlikely. Mondesi might be awarded more rest than any other player in the clubhouse. Mondesi is a special player who looks like a potential MVP candidate when he's healthy. Luckily for the Royals, they have plenty of depth in the infield (Whit Merrifield, Nicky Lopez, Bobby Witt Jr., etc.) My prediction is Mondesi will be the DH at least two games a week.

How quickly can No. 1-prospect Bobby Witt Jr. make an impact for the organization? MLB Pipeline recently named Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. as the No. 1-prospect in all of baseball. The 21-year-old slashed 33 HR, 97 RBI and had an OPS of .936. Yes, the difference between Omaha and Kansas City is enormous, but we've never seen a prospect like this in the Royals organization ever. I'm not expecting things to be excellent right away, but I expect him to have a ROTY type season.

Is the young pitching core ready for the show? The answer to that question will define how 2022 will turn out. Daniel Lynch proved he can sit down the best bats in the league. Lynch will be an important part of the starting rotation. Brady Singer needs to develop a third pitch, reports are that he has been crafting a changeup. The Royals need Jackson Kowar to be more consistent and to keep the traffic off of the bases more often. Guys like Carlos Hernandez, Ronald Bolanos and Kris Bubic need to keep developing.

Royals Vs. Angels Game Details:

Where can I watch the game? MLB APP (Free) or Bally Sports KC.

What radio station will the game be on? 610 Sports KC.

What time will the game be? 3:10 PM.

Photo: Isaac Deer


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eric Finck Athlete of the Week -- Tae Thomas

-
Image
Tae Thomas' hat trick in the 7-1 Topeka High victory over Centennial League rival Emporia earns her the "Eric Finck Athlete of the Week" award. 2018 Eric Finck Agency LLC focuses on Life, Home, Auto and Business Insurance in Shawnee County. Finck's goal is to bring the family atmosphere to insurance and go out of his way to provide excellent customer service. Thomas powered her way into a three-goal effort in the senior night win over the Emporia Spartans in her last regular season contest. "I feel like we did great as a team," Thomas said. "We take something new we can work on and get better every game. That was a great game and it set us up well for the playoffs. We were confident coming into that game against Emporia. We played our game well and I credit my teammates for setting me up to have the three (goals)." Topeka High was coming off of a two-game losing streak against Seaman and Washburn Rural before the loud 7-1 victory. "We learned ...
Read more

CHENEY ADVANCES TO 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 58-49 WIN OVER PHILLIPSBURG

-
Image
HUTCHINSON, Kansas --  No. 4 Cheney was considered the underdog in their 3A semifinal matchup against No. 1 Phillipsburg. However, Cheney thrived under extraordinarily high pressure and topped previously undefeated Phillipsburg, 58-49. Despite a 31-point performance from Kansas State commit and Phillipsburg guard Taryn Sides, Cheney held the rest of the Panther squad to a combined 18 points. Cheney had three double-digit scorers in the 3A semifinal win. Senior Leah Durr had a team-high 16 points, senior Campbell Hague added 13, and junior Reagan Ayers added 12. Hague added 13 rebounds to her day, which gave her a double-double. “That’s the thing about our team; we don’t have just one girl,” Cheney coach Sarah McCormick said. “There’s been multiple games where we have a different leading scorer every single time. That’s where I feel like teams can go really far; they don’t have just one or two players, and everyone is capable of scoring. And tonight it was Leah (Durr).” The Phillips...
Read more

Tony Pena Jr., breathing baseball excellence.

-
Image
Tony Pena Jr. was a top-tier major league shortstop. He has now devoted his life to helping players reach their full potential in the game of baseball.  Tony Pena Jr. played for the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals.  Pena Jr. stepped up to a major league batters box nearly a thousand times before retiring.  His dad, Tony Pena Sr., was a five-time gold glove, four-time all-star choice, and one of the greatest catchers in the history of baseball.  Like his father, he is addicted to the game. He is currently a coach for the Kansas City Royals organization. Pena Jr. currently coaches the minor league level.  He gets to work with top prospects, such as Bobby Witt Jr., who was the second overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft. In 2010, Tony Pena Jr. was top 10 in the MLB in triples and sacrifice hits. The shortstop was also 3rd in the big leagues in errors committed making him just shy of winning the gold glove award. Getting to the big leagues is a difficult cha...
Read more