The MJ Situation
With the All-Star break nearing, mid-season evaluations have been posted by writers and commented on by everyone.
The Royals have already gotten some answers in this year of evaluation - Garcia/Witt/Pratto/VP/Salvy/Fermin all good enough for now, with Singer/Lynch as the only pitchers to get passing grades.
Notice the absence of MJ from the list - his numbers detailed below show the reason why.
Career totals:
- PA: 857
- HR: 24
- BB: 100
- K: 227
- Avg: .214
- OBP: .306
- SLG: .371
- OPS: .677
2022 vs. 2023
Down: Avg, OBP, SLG, OPS, BB%, HR%
Up: EV, BABIP, K%
War down from 0.5 to -1.0
Notable stat: GO/AO down from .82 to .49 which means more fly balls this year
2023 Numbers
Splits by innings:
- 1-5 Avg ranges between .214 to .310
- 6-9 Avg ranges between .105 to .192
Splits by Starter vs. Reliever:
- Avg: .225 vs .179
- K%: 26% vs. 36%
Vs. Lefties:
- Avg .247
- K%: 35%
Vs. Righties:
- Avg .191
- K%: 28%
MJ's splits are very interesting - he does better against starters, tanks when relievers come into the game. The left/right splits are odd - makes more contact against righties but with a lower batting average.
If the Royals wanted to improve their chances of winning a ballgame, they should consider pulling MJ after the sixth inning - for both offensive and defensive reasons.
Next Season
MJ should be over 1000 career plate appearances by the end of this season. If his numbers stay essentially the same, he can not be automatically given the starting RF/LF job next season.