After two Royals games to start the season, it was time to make some conclusions, small sample size or not. Okay, not really. But we did talk about some of the hints we saw in the first series of the Royals season and what they might foretell for the Royals bullpen. We also talked about some Eric Hosmer ground ball tendencies, and even addressed the whole Noah Syndergaard/American Woman stuff that popped up after Tuesday's game. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @The...
Apr 07, 2016•1 hr 1 min
In this bonus episode, we include audio from Omaha Storm Chasers Media Day. You'll hear from Brett Eibner, Jose Martinez, Storm Chasers manager Brian Poldberg, and new Storm Chaser Cody Decker. A big thank you to Clint Scoles for providing the audio. Follow him on Twitter at @ClintScoles. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com . If you want to hear more...
Apr 06, 2016•26 min
This week, we looked at a way the Royals might approach the opening day roster, and if that means a decision between Whit Merrifield, Reymond Fuentes, and Terrance Gore - or including all of them. We also discussed factors in the Royals attendance numbers for 2016 and wondered if they might be able to crack 3 million. There might have been a TV pitch for a cooking show involving Ned Yost. It got a little foggy for a minute there. And in our second segment, we talked about the 2015 seasons of Lor...
Mar 30, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to the Kansas City Baseball Vault! In this first episode for Baseball Prospectus Kansas City, Jeff Herr and Michael Engel break out some projected stats for key Royals players and discuss whether they'll perform better than or worse than that line. Those key players: Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain, Ian Kennedy, and Yordano Ventura. In the second segment, they both come up with two bold predictions for 2016. You won't believe what happens next! Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVa...
Mar 23, 2016•1 hr 27 min
This week, we covered the Royals' recent cuts to whittle down the number of players in big league camp. We talked about the addition of Dillon Gee to the 40 man roster, the role of Danny Duffy, Christian Colon's missed opportunity, and - oh - a big opportunity for this podcast. On Monday, March 21, Baseball Prospectus will be launching a local site catering to the Kansas City Royals fanbase. This new site will combine two you probably follow: Royals Authority and Pine Tar Press. We've been invit...
Mar 16, 2016•1 hr 11 min
As spring training games started up, the Royals started making a little bit of news. And Jeff returned to help host (after his first few weeks adjusting to parenthood). The Royals signed Salvador Perez to a contract extension, so we talked about the money, the risks, and what it means for the organization. We also talked briefly about Jarrod Dyson's oblique injury, Bubba Starling's rising hope, and we shared some thoughts about Kyle Zimmer's solid spring debut. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVau...
Mar 04, 2016•40 min
The Royals are in camp at spring training. Games are approaching on the calendar. A World Series title defense is about to begin. Pretty awesome, right? This week, Craig Brown of Royals Authority fame joined Mike to discuss some of the roster decisions ahead, pitching depth, and the contract extensions of Ned Yost and Dayton Moore ... and perhaps a future re-working of Salvador Perez's deal. You can follow Craig at @royalsauthority on Twitter. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Je...
Feb 26, 2016•1 hr 28 min
Spring training approaches, so this week Mike invited Hunter Samuels (@huntersamuels on Twitter) on the show to discuss some questions ahead of the players reporting. The theme was position battles, and featured thoughts on Omar Infante vs. Christian Colon, Drew Butera vs. Tony Cruz, and who will round out the bullpen. In the second segment, the focus shifted to what might play out with right field and the vast number of options on the 40 man roster and free agent market. Follow the Vault at @KC...
Feb 16, 2016•1 hr 15 min
If you look at the Royals' financial commitments past 2017, it's pretty obvious that a lot of guys on the team today won't be around two years from now. Many of the contracts on the team will expire after 2017, so we tried to assess the situation and think of what the fate of the bigger likely-to-depart names might be. Joining Mike this week as guest co-host is Ben Nielsen, formerly of the Walkoff Talk podcast and various KC sports blogs. You can follow him on Twitter at @BenThereBro. Follow the...
Feb 10, 2016•1 hr 21 min
One side effect of following a winning baseball team we've discovered is that the "wait until ___ when the prospects arrive" (ah, 2011, we missed you, sort of) isn't really a thing anymore, so Jeff and Mike have lost track of the fine details of the Royals' farm system. Thankfully, there are experts out in the world who can help us catch up. Jim Callis of MLBPipeline.com was kind enough to lend his insight to us and we talked about the Royals depth in the minors, the star power in the system, an...
Feb 05, 2016•1 hr 24 min
Last time, we went over the starting pitching options left for the Royals and lo and behold, they signed one of them. We discussed the Ian Kennedy deal (that's still pending physical) and how he might fare in Kansas City and the factors that led to his acquisition. We also talked about what's left for the Royals this offseason, as well as some of the players who might fill in if needed this season and how that might impact the future. All we ask is that you don't opt out of this podcast after th...
Jan 26, 2016•1 hr 5 min
So now that the Royals have signed Alex Gordon, it's time to add a starting pitcher. This week, we looked at the names still out on the market, the best fits for the Royals, and the guys we want the Royals to take a chance on. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com .
Jan 13, 2016•1 hr 20 min
After doubts (and very reasonable ones) and prolonged waiting, the Royals finally re-signed Alex Gordon. We pretty much just took the whole show to gush about him, but we did also discuss his 4-year, $72 million contract, and its impact on the next two seasons and the post-2017 seasons (when many current Royals will probably be venturing elsewhere). And in the process, we talked about Gordon's legacy as this generation's George Brett - a player who was a fixture for years and years. Follow the V...
Jan 08, 2016•1 hr 9 min
After a fairly quiet offseason, the Royals finally struck, re-signing Chris Young and bring back former closer Joakim Soria. However, the Royals' time with Ben Zobrist officially ended, as he was announced as headed to the Cubs just before recording. We talked about each of these moves and what's next - more specifically, what's next for Alex Gordon, and what the Royals have as Plan B if they can't bring him back. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-...
Dec 09, 2015•1 hr 29 min
The Royals are still waiting for things to develop, but it seems like things will start moving quickly now that David Price has signed. We examined the free agent market in light of Price's seven-year, $217 million deal with Boston. Salaries keep rising, so what's the Royals approach? And how does that match up with their efforts to retain Alex Gordon and Ben Zobrist? Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can al...
Dec 02, 2015•1 hr 31 min
Now that the dust has settled on Kansas City's World Series victory (dang, that's fun to say), we talked about what's next in the offseason. That being the case, we talked about Alex Gordon's free agency and his legacy with the Royals. We also expressed a desire to bring Ben Zobrist back, and we looked at other potential targets briefly. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCity...
Nov 20, 2015•1 hr 40 min
There's not a lot of analysis in this one, so if you like the numbers and the breakdowns week to week, this isn't the one for you. What we did, though, was reflect on the journey of following the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. In 2015. Over the course of our fandom. All of it. We brought on Troy Olsen, who's been along for the ride from afar, and shared stories of how we've come to appreciate this team and their story. The Royals are World Series Champions. Really. Thank you for liste...
Nov 07, 2015•1 hr 26 min
The Royals had their backs against the wall in Houston, came back, and won the ALDS. They faced a juggernaut. A powerhouse. A wrecking ball of an offense, but held on to beat Toronto in the ALCS. And as a result, they won their fourth American League pennant and second in as many years. What a world. The Royals go on to face the Mets in the World Series, so we talked with Gary Mack from MetsMusings.com to get some insight on the Mets and to share our Royals thoughts with him and his listeners. T...
Oct 27, 2015•1 hr 40 min
After another historic comeback win by the Royals in the postseason, the ALDS goes to a deciding Game 5. It comes down to a Johnny Cueto start. But first, we talked about the Game 4 comeback and the approach that saved the Royals season. Then we looked at Game 5, wondering if the big comeback can fuel the Royals to another win and another big run like last season. We asked if Dallas Keuchel would pull a Madison Bumgarner, if Eric Hosmer has turned it back on, and if the Royals can pull it off. R...
Oct 14, 2015•43 min
While the Yankees and Astros played the AL Wild Card Game, Jeff and Mike went back in time to see how some pre-season predictions finished up. We discussed the production and maturation of Eric Hosmer, the breakout of Lorenzo Cain, the impact Kris Medlen and Chris Young had on the pitching staff, and the tumultuous seasons from Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura. We also speculated about how the Yankees or Astros would match up with the Royals in an ALDS matchup (the Astros ended up winning after t...
Oct 07, 2015•1 hr 22 min
The Royals have clinched the AL Central, but the rough September has raised some questions. We brought up some of those concerns and discussed how this year's team is different from last year's. But we didn't want to dwell on the negatives, because this Royals team has a lot going for it. So we compared last year's offense to this year's. We raved about roster flexibility and safety nets in case of injury. And we also talked about why not having home field advantage for the ALCS isn't something ...
Sep 30, 2015•1 hr 29 min
This week, we talked about the demotion of Greg Holland and its impact on the bullpen plus the game of musical chairs taking place with the pitching staff. Appropriately, we recorded during a particularly disastrous Jeremy Guthrie start... Then we talked about Alex Rios's hot streak, Kendrys Morales's huge Sunday, and the depth of the Royals' lineup this year. After a break, we checked in on the playoff standings and the potential matchups ahead, including some of the weaknesses the other teams ...
Sep 24, 2015•1 hr 29 min
We recorded this week's episode as the Royals were seeking to snap a four game skid that sent the fanbase into an anxious frenzy. We talked about a few of the legitimate concerns, but also wanted to point out the big picture: a talented team with a big division lead, with the calendar getting shorter every day. In the past, the Royals rebounded strongly after four game losing streaks and we looked at the potential for that trend to continue. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff...
Sep 09, 2015•1 hr 11 min
There was a lot to cover this week including the following: -potential call-ups in September -the impending debut of Miguel Almonte -recent starts by Yordano Ventura -figuring out who might be the fourth starter during the playoffs Plus, while recording, the Royals announced the trade for outfielder Jonny Gomes, so we added some chatter about him as well. Also, we're happy to mention that we're a new affiliate of DraftKings.com. If you're into playing daily fantasy games, check out our link for ...
Sep 02, 2015•1 hr 29 min
This week on the Vault we took a look at some of the key players on this Royals team. We discussed the breakout seasons of Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain, as well as talked about the performances of Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura lately. Then we discussed other AL contenders, taking a look at which teams might be the toughest matchups in October and compared a few records - in one-run games, at home, on the road, etc. - to make our choice. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff He...
Aug 19, 2015•1 hr 22 min
With Retro Night coming up this weekend, we dipped into the archives to bring you three interviews with some former Kansas City Royals. First, we talked with Buddy Biancalana, shortstop for the 1985 World Series championship team. He talked about getting into the zone, using fear as a motivator, and his World Series experience. Then, we talked with Greg Pryor, also from that 1985 team. He talked about the memorable experience of Game 6 and winning Game 7, his favorite coaches throughout the year...
Aug 13, 2015•57 min
Cuthbert discusses his big HR tonight for Omaha and getting his timing back after sitting quite a few games in KC.
Aug 12, 2015•2 min
Manager Brian Poldberg talks about the Chasers victory over Memphis, Cheslor Cuthbert's maturing and being named BA Best AAA Managing prospect.
Aug 12, 2015•3 min
Well, the Royals found themselves in the middle of the diamond in a scrum again, this time trading words with Toronto over the weekend. As a result, the Royals are wearing the "bad boy" tag again, after a couple months of no such incidents. Jeff and Mike talked about the fallout from that series and the perception - again - that the Royals are troublemakers. Then we talked about the trading deadline and the teams that improved and what it means for the rest of the AL and the Royals, plus the mat...
Aug 05, 2015•1 hr 18 min
Vance Wilson, manager of the NW Arkansas Naturals discusses today's Sean Manaea trade.
Jul 28, 2015•3 min
