The Royals hosted a baseball clinic at the Wichita park that had a statue of Jackie Robinson stolen:
The clinic was a huge success, and there’s already talk about making it a yearly event. With Wichita having a Minor League team and being just three hours away from Kansas City, there’s “natural synergy” for a partnership, Royals director of professional and sport development Jeff Diskin said.
“League 42 is a very grassroots-level program, and everybody gets a chance to play,” Diskin said. “It’s outstanding. It’s exactly what we want to do. It’s about playing and practicing baseball.
“I think ultimately our vision with what we want to do youth development-wise is get some traction in Kansas City and then grow to our affiliates with the same type of programs. And this gives us a great chance to try that out and see what it might look like.”
Preston Farr at Farm to Fountains broke down Ben Kudrna’s most recent start:
Kudrna struck out two hitters in the sixth to cap off what was his best outing of the season thus far. He finished the day with a season-high nine strikeouts. It was also his only outing of the season without a walk. Not only was it the best outing of the season — it could be seen as the best start of Kudrna’s MiLB career thus far. It marks the only time Kudrna has posted at least nine strikeouts and zero walks in an outing in his pro career. This season started strongly for Kudrna, followed by a valley of sorts that looks to be trending back upward.
Much of the “struggles” we’ve seen from Kudrna this season centered around strikeouts. From May 28 through June 23, Kudrna walked 19 batters and struck out 26 in 33.2 IP. That’s not an ideal ratio you’d like to see from a top pitching prospect. That stretch came after a hot start to the season. In his first five starts of the season, Kudrna had struck out 32 in just 25.2 innings of work — against just nine walks. That valley of production is clear below as well when comparing whiff rate and CSW% over the course of this season.
The Royals Reporter Kevin O’Brien discusses the burgeoning rivalry between Kansas City and the Cleveland Guardians:
The past four games between the Royals and Guardians have also showcased the tension between the two clubs’ fanbases, especially on social media. It’s not a secret that Guardian fans (and, to a lesser extent, Twins fans) have been quite dismissive of the Royals’ surprising start to the 2024 season.
In April, Guardians fans claimed that the Royals’ starting pitching was a fluke. In May, it was that the Royals didn’t play anyone tough, and their record against teams over .500 proved that. In June, the regression in the record was a sign of things to come for the remainder of the 2024 season.
In July, after seeing their beloved club lose three of four in Kansas City to close out the month, the Royals are “cheating” because they are hitting so much better at Kauffman than on the road.
Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo are among the pitchers that have improved their future ZiPS projections with their performance in 2024.
The Royals are planning firework and drone shows as part of Fourth of July festivities.
Garrett Crochet will almost certainly be traded at the deadline.
The Blue Jays hosted a citizenship ceremony before their game yesterday.
How will teams value two-way prospects in the draft? ($)
Tyler Glasnow has reached another level by adding a sinker to his arsenal.
Top prospect James Wood reached base thrice in his big league debut last night.
The concept of a “minor league reset” may be fading as the gap between Triple-A and MLB widens. ($)
Jayson Tatum signed the largest contract in NBA history, inking a five-year, $315 million deal with the Boston Celtics.
Speaking of, the defending champs will be put up for sale.
Designers are finding new ways to protect solar farms from hail damage.
A brain-controlled bionic leg for amputees is being tested at MIT.
Today is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Your song of the day is Nightlight by ILLENIUM.
