Preview: Olivares keeps shining, Starting Lineups, Oakland A's vs. Royals (ST Game 4)

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Kansas City (2-0-1) is coming off of another successful spring training outing against the Los Angeles Angels. The Royals are coming off an 8-5 victory on Monday afternoon.

Edward Olivares had another impressive outing. Olivares was optioned to AAA Omaha 11 times last year and is looking to find a home on the main roster. On Sunday, Olivares went 2-4, including the walk-off double to earn the 11-10 win over the Diamondbacks. On Monday, Olivares went a perfect 3-3 at the plate and the defense didn't slow down either. 

Am I overreacting to Olivares? Of course, it's spring training. Has he looked worthy of a spot on the big league roster? Yes.

The outfield is tricky. I imagine the outfield will be Andrew Benintendi, Michael A. Taylor and Whit Merrifield. Where does Olivares fit in? As spring training goes on, it'll be looked over by a careful Mike Matheny eye to see where Olivares will play.

In the victory over the Angels, two other batters stood out as well. Vinnie Pasquantino and Ryan O'Hearn had nice outings for Kansas City.

Like the majority, I've been fairly critical of the performances of Ryan O'Hearn. Since 2019, O'Hearn's OPS hasn't been over .650 (which is bad). O'Hearn's swing looks completely different this year. Instead of his signature toe-tap, he's adjusted his swing and is using more of a leg kick to drive his swing. O'Hearn went 3-5 with 2RBI and that lefty swing looks smooth.

Big Vinnie Pasquantino hit a moonshot of a home run at the batters eye 420 feet in centerfield. The 6-foot-4 245-pounder has climbed up the minor league ranks quickly. With Santana's looming contract, O'Hearn, Pasquantino and Nick Pratto is knocking at the door for a spot at the 3-spot.

Kansas City Royals Lineup:

1. Whit Merrifield 2B

2. Bobby Witt Jr. 3B

3. Salvador Perez C

4. Andrew Benintendi LF

5. Carlos Santana 1B

6. Hunter Dozier RF

7. Adalberto Mondesi SS

8. Vinnie Pasquantino DH

9. Michael A. Taylor CF

Angel Zerpa P

Zerpa's sample size in a big-league uniform is small. He pitched five innings, giving up three hits, two runs, a walk and striking out four in the loss. The 22-year-old has been fair in his four seasons in the minors. 16-17 record, 3.51 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, 236 strikeouts and 65 walks.

GAME DETAILS:

3:15 First Pitch

Bally Sports KC, MLB.TV (Free)

610 AM KCSP

Photo: Isaac Deer


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