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Articles by Brian Henry
Bullpen is finally the hero rather than the goat in a Royals win. Original
Two big innings in the early going, one for each team, set up a tie game for much of the night. The Royals got the key run in the 7th to get their second lead of the night, and it held up for a 5-4 victory. Seth Lugo had a fairly easy first inning, which has not been the case a lot lately. Then he got a lot of support from his offense before he headed back out. Carter Jensen led the game off with a clean single to right.
Royals vs. White Sox September 23 game discussion Original
There was a brief moment for just over two weeks in August when the Royals went 13-2 and looked like they were putting some things together. Since then, they have lost series to the Marlins, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Astros, and then got swept by the Pirates. If they lose tonight, it will be the 7th series loss in a row. Let’s hope the bullpen can find their way back to being some semblance of mediocre, a big step up from lately, and secure a win tonight.
Royals put together a nice solid win in Houston Original
Daniel Lynch had his best outing as a starter for 2026 picking up a win as the Royals take care of business 5-2 in Houston tonight. There were a lot of early base runners though not a lot of early scoring in this one. Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt both walked to put Cristian Javier into a quick bind, but he worked through it with no harm done. Similarly, Daniel Lynch gave up a double to open the first and then went K, groundout, and flyout to render Jeremy Pena’s opening salvo moot.
Royals vs. Astros September 16th game discussion Original
With just 11 games to go in 2026, the Royals will face off against Houston in the second game of their road series tonight. Daniel Lynch is running out of opportunities to prove he deserves to stay in the rotation next season, so he needs to be careful to avoid the Crawford Boxes tonight. Christian Javier will start for the Astros. He is having a tough year but is coming off back-to-back solid starts against the Phillies and Diamondbacks. It will be a pretty standard Royal lineup.
Bobby blast propels the Royals to victory Original
After a late start due to stormy weather, the Royals found a couple of big home runs from Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt to take the game from Arizona 5-2. Daniel Lynch has had some significant struggles in the first inning after returning to a starting role for the first time in several years. That was true again today. However, he got some help and got out without surrendering any runs.
Royals vs. Diamondbacks September 9th game discussion Original
Royals trying to salvage one in the series while the Diamond cling to the final NL Wildcard The Royals have won just 2 of their last 9 games since the hot stretch ended. Last series they were able to salvage game three to avoid the sweep and will attempt to do so again. tonight. On paper it looks like a very lopsided pitching matchup with Daniel Lynch IV facing Zac Gallen, but at this point Gallen has not been very good for a couple of years.
Royals start strong but lose a stinker to the fish Original
After a 5 run first inning, Kansas City had a multi-run lead for over half the game. The Marlins kept chipping away inning after inning to eventually win 9-6. It was a very exciting beginning to the game tonight, though it was both the good and bad type of exciting. Noah Cameron had a breaking ball hit the back foot of the leadoff hitter to start the game. Then Otto Lopez hit a hard groundball down the third baseline and into the corner that John Rave misplayed into a triple and an RBI.
Royals vs. Marlins September 2nd game discussion
Royals vs. Marlins September 2nd game discussion TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 27: Noah Cameron #65 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Thursday, August 27, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Michael Chisholm/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images Only 23 games to go on this Royal season and I guess the goal at this point is to win 11 of them an avoid 90 losses?
Royals vs. Marlins September 2nd game discussion
Noah Cameron in the royals take on the Marlins with mostly pride on the line Only 23 games to go on this Royal season and I guess the goal at this point is to win 11 of them an avoid 90 losses? Today offers another opportunity for a win with newly resurgent Noah Cameron trying to continue his run of dominance that started back on July 24th. Since then, he has had seven starts and a 1.29 ERA. We will see if he can take care of Miami’s very middle of the road offense.
Blue Jays bullpen blanks Royals to end the winning streak Original
Kansas City had only a few opportunities to score and did not manage to cash in on any of them while the Blue Jays got one ball over the wall. It was enough to get a 3-0 victory and tie the series. The Royals 9-game win streak is at an end. The Toronto bullpen took over tonight due to Shane Bieber’s move to the IL. They seemed to have the Royals’ number no matter which arm ran out there.
Royals vs. Blue Jays August 26th game discussion Original
Game two in Toronto has the lineups set. The Royals will be going for their 10th win in a row while the Blue Jays continue clinging to hope of sneaking into the wildcard. It will be Randy Dobnak on the mound for the Royals. He has thus far put up a sparkling ERA despite mediocre underlying numbers. Can he continue to defy the math? For Toronto, Spencer Miles will open the game. He has gone as many as 4 innings at times this year, but has worked mostly as a bullpen arm.
Royals stage another comeback to take the series from the Athletics Original
The Athletics have the only bullpen worse than the Royals by ERA in 2026. For the second night in a row, they let Kansas City take away a Sacramento lead. The Royals took the game 9-7 and set up a possible four game sweep for tomorrow afternoon. The day started poorly for Seth Lugo who gave up three consecutive hits to the first three batters of the game. All three were hard hit ground balls that found holes.
Royals vs. Athletics August 19th game discussion Original
Game 3 with the Sacramento/Las Vegas A’s will see the Royals going for a series win before the day game finishes off the four-game set tomorrow afternoon. This evening will feature Seth Lugo versus Gage Jump. Lugo has had an up and down season with some pretty disappointing overall numbers. Jump is a lefty whose ERA looks similar to Lugo’s but with better peripherals. That means the lineup is going to have an extra righty with Massey sitting for KC today with Loftin leading off again.
Royals vs. Dodgers August 12 game discussion
Daniel Lynch the IV will get his second start of the year as he gets a shot to transition back to the rotation. The first attempt did not go great, and this one is against the third highest scoring team in baseball at 5.02 runs per game. It will be a tough test for the lefty. The Royals could use a win as they try to avoid the sweep in LA.
Dodgers use long balls to finish the sweep
The Royals made Eric Lauer work and had the lead twice, but it was not enough as the Dodgers' three long homers were enough to win 4-2. The early game was back and forth. Neither offense was able to score in the first, but then it was all scoring for a bit. Daniel Lynch managed to strike out the side in the bottom of the first and looked like maybe the experiment to move him back to the rotation was bearing some fruit. In the second, the Royals got the scoring going with a two out rally.
Dodgers use long balls to finish the sweep Original
The Royals made Eric Lauer work and had the lead twice, but it was not enough as the Dodgers’ three long homers were enough to win 4-2. The early game was back and forth. Neither offense was able to score in the first, but then it was all scoring for a bit. Daniel Lynch managed to strike out the side in the bottom of the first and looked like maybe the experiment to move him back to the rotation was bearing some fruit. In the second, the Royals got the scoring going with a two out rally.
Royals vs. Dodgers August 12 game discussion Original
Daniel Lynch the IV will get his second start of the year as he gets a shot to transition back to the rotation. The first attempt did not go great, and this one is against the third highest scoring team in baseball at 5.02 runs per game. It will be a tough test for the lefty. The Royals could use a win as they try to avoid the sweep in LA.
Cameron outduels Kremer for a Royals win Original
Noah Cameron continued his recent run of success and decided to dominate the Twins for a second start in a row. That allowed the Royals to win 2-1 despite having some struggles at the plate of their own. We had a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel between maybe not the most likely of starters. Both Noah Cameron and Dean Kremer were very effective.
Royals vs. Twins August 5 game discussion Original
It was nice to see Bobby Witt Jr. back in action and looking at his full power last night. Game two of the series will commence tonight. Which Noah Cameron will we see? He put up 8 innings of 1 hit baseball last time out against this same Minnesota team. It was his second dominant start in a row, so maybe he has it all figured out again. And still, that season ERA of 4.59 says that you should not get too comfy with him on the mound.
Bobby Witt is back, Matt Strahm a Royal no more Original
The Royals announced a pair of roster moves this afternoon: I think no one will be surprised to see Bobby Witt Jr. back and subsequently that Andrew Velazquez is no longer needed and therefore gets a DFA. Bobby went on the IL two weeks ago and was likely to return quickly based on the information we had been given. Matt Strahm getting hit with a DFA is significantly less expected.
Randy Dobnak spins a gem and the Royals win in Minnesota Original
It was a nice calm win today for the Royals. They took the lead early, built on it, and closed it out 4-0 in a workman-like game type we have not had nearly enough of this season. The Royals got the scoring started in the third when Tyler Tolbert hit a home run to left center. I have never seen Tolbert drive a ball like that. It was a nice swing from a player who is known more for speed than power. The second run might actually be more fun though.
Royals vs Twins July 29 game discussion Original
After a blown save ruined game one of the series, the Royals head back onto the field to face the Twins again this evening. It is still fun to watch games, but the looming trade deadline is really the star of this week unless it continues to be near radio silence across the league. The injury train keeps rolling in KC as well, with Vinnie Pasquantino going back on the IL with wrist soreness. Luckily for the Royals, they have their ace going tonight.
Learn from Seth Lugo and trade Michael Wacha Original
Last year, around the trade deadline, the Royals had a starting pitcher in his mid-30s on an expiring contract. Seth Lugo had a 3.03 ERA through his first 20 starts as the Royals approached the trade deadline under .500. Rather than trade him or extend him a Qualifying Offer at the end of the season, the Royals decided to sign him to a two-year, $46 million deal with a vesting option. Lugo had performance and injury issues after the signing, and has had mixed results this year.
What would a Jac Caglianone extension look like? Original
This year has been a very busy time for rookies signing extensions. Some of the biggest prospects have signed shortly after, or even before, being called up to the majors. It might be time for Kansas City to join the crowd, get Jac Caglianone signed up, and snag a couple of extra years of control. First, let’s look at what the rookies have been signing for to get a feel for how the market is valuing top prospects.
Salvador Perez ties George Brett home run record and the Royals sweep Original
A very explosive seventh inning accounted for all but two of the runs today including a 2-run homer from Salvador Perez to tie George Brett’s franchise record. Kansas City scored five in that inning to complete the sweep 5-4 this afternoon. Both the Royals and the Giants were unable to do almost anything offensively for the first two thirds of this one.
Royals vs. Giants July 22 game discussion Original
Royals go for the sweep with seemingly everyone hurt Kansas City has come out of the All-Star break 4-1 and are going for the sweep today. Unfortunately, everyone is getting hurt and the run differential is still negative over those five games because of the blowout on Sunday. Jac Caglianone is out after hurting his shoulder last night and Bobby Witt Jr. is going to the injured list. The season of attrition continues.
Never ending 8th dooms the Royals Original
The Royals could not continue the offensive explosion of the last two games for another day. We saw baseball style scoring rather than football on Wednesday, at least until right at the end. New York scored 5 runs in the 8th inning to take this one 6-2. New York got off to a fast start. Steven Cruz grooved a 2-0 pitch to leadoff hitter AJ Ewing and he drove it over the wall a little right of center.
Royals vs. Mets July 8 game discussion Original
Game 2 of the series with the New York Mets cannot be as crazy The Royals are coming off of two wild games in a row. They have amassed 31 runs on 41 hits, and they are even on a winning streak of three games. We have to take small victories at this point. Tonight’s game is likely to have some scoring too, though baseball is weird, so you never know. The Royals will have Stephen Cruz as opener into Randy Dobnak the bulk man. That does not seem like the sort of thing that will keep run production down.
Is JJ Piccolo good at trading? Original
Being transactional was a thing that JJ Picollo said this organization wanted to be when he took over the operations side as POBO/GM. We now have almost four years of trades to see if at least that part of transacting is going well as we near the 2026 trade deadline. I am not going to go through every swap he has made, Josh Taylor for Adalberto Mondesi is not worth rehashing, but I would like to walk through all of the consequential ones. There have been two standout successes in the trades.
Royals get blanked by Rays Original
Junior Caminero is really good at hitting home runs. At the moment he does it every night. Seth Lugo got a strikeout to start the game before Jonathan Aranda singled in front of Caminero. Junior then smashed the first pitch deep to left and gone to get Tampa Bay an immediate two run lead. That is his sixth game in a row with a home run and he is the youngest to reach such a streak passing another Jr. of the Griffey variety. Caminero turns 23 on Sunday and already has 76 career homers.
Royals vs. Rays July 1 game discussion Original
After a 13-14 June, it looks like the Royals main focus is now moving to 2027. But for today, we can still enjoy watching some baseball. Old friend Jose Cuas is back pitching for KC for the first time since 2023 and Randy Dobnak has arrived with him. Jac Caglianone will be back in right field after only hitting last night coming back from minor injury. The Royals beat Shane McClanahan in his last start and will try to beat the Tampa lefty again.
Royals fail to clinch the series in Tampa Original
The Royals did not cash in on early opportunities and the Rays did. Sometimes it is that simple. In the end the score was 5-3, but two of those three for Kansas City came because of an inning where the Rays made two back-to-back errors. The Royals had runners in scoring position in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings against Griffin Jax who Tampa Bay is trying to convert into a starting pitcher mid-season.
Royals vs. Rays June 24 game discussion Original
The offense is killing it right now despite losing the best three hitters from last season for varying lengths of time. In June it is the young guys carrying the load. Jac Caglianone’s wRC+ this month is 232! Carter Jensen is at 122. It has been fun to watch. If only this had started in April or May this year might have turned into something. They have won six of nine and gotten back to 12 games below five hundred.
Royals blast their way to victory in DC Original
Royals put together a complete game to avoid the sweep in the nation’s capital. The 6-2 final score was a product of a mostly solid all-around game for a team that needed it. Things got off to a very quick start when Carter Jensen led off the game with the first solo home run of the day. Three more solo home runs came in the early parts of the game for the Royals. John Rave hit his first big-league homer of the year in the 2nd inning.
Royals vs. Nationals June 17 game discussion Original
The Royals are back at it trying to salvage a win from a series. Luinder Avila, who blew up last time out, will be starting against the best offense in baseball. What a weird thing to say about a Nationals franchise that has struggled along most recent years. At least KC gets to face a righty today. Maikel will not be in the lineup today as more injuries plague the team.
Royals need to set priorities to get the most out of a lost season Original
To get back to .500, the Royals would have to win about 58 percent of their remaining games. The current list of teams playing at or above that rate includes the Dodgers, Braves, Yankees, Brewers, and Rays. Last season, only four teams finished the year above that level. Can the Royals be a top-five team over the next 90 games? I think the answer is an emphatic no.
Royals lose a wild one to the Rangers Original
3 ties, 4 lead changes, 24 hits, 13 pitchers, and a partridge in a pear tree. This game had it all, except for a Royals win that is. Texas pulled out a 6-4 extra inning affair on a wild night of baseball. The first three innings only had three major events before the game really shifted. In the 2nd inning Jac Caglianone doubled to left field and then came home on a bloop single from Isaac Collins.
Royals vs Rangers game discussion 6/10 Original
Game 2 of Rangers and Royals series. Can Kansas City win another? Kansas City has a chance to win three series in a row for the first time this season. All they need to do is win tonight or tomorrow to keep the ball rolling. Texas is not a great team, which is something that can be said about basically all the teams in baseball this year, so take care of your home field.
The many small improvements behind the breakout of Daniel Lynch IV Original
There is something in my DNA that makes me prefer certain types of players more than others, which I am sure is true for all of you as well. What my inclinations push me toward are not a single loud skill, but rather the players who are kind of good at everything. I think it is underappreciated to be pretty solid with no major weaknesses because black ink was always a dominant theme of conversation.
Royals take down Reds and win second road series of the year Original
Both starters were dealing tonight. Despite that, the Royals were able to get on the board early. Vinnie Pasquantino turned on a fastball in the first inning and drove it out of the park down the right field line. Bobby Witt Jr. had walked on four pitches right before that, so the Royals had a 2-0 lead just three batters into the game. After that, Chase Burns only allowed a few Royals on base and when he did, he would just strike everyone out to prevent them from coming around to score.
Royals vs. Reds, Wednesday 6/3 Original
After yet another heartbreaking loss yesterday, the Royals will attempt to win the series against the Reds this evening. Getting the series would be a nice way to start this road trip for a team in desperate need of some positive momentum. It will be Stephen Kolek taking the ball for Kansas City today. He has been a little uneven in his five big league starts this year but has been brilliant when he is pitching well.
How does ABS help Salvador Perez’s defensive metrics? Original
Many announcers and writers have called Salvador Perez a future Hall of Famer, but I do not think that he is going to make it to Cooperstown. Two things have kept him in that tier just below elite. First, he is a free-swinger in an era where on-base percentage is valued higher than batting average, hindering his perceived offensive value. Second, the rise of catcher framing statistics have diminished his perceived defensive value despite his Gold Gloves.
Royals stay on the L train, Yanks win 7-0 Original
Tonight’s game was a pitchers’ duel through the first six innings. The 17th batter of the evening, Michael Massey, was the first one who managed to reach base in the bottom of the 3rd by hitting liner down the first base line. It looked like the Royals would have the first run of the day when he was followed by a Maikel Garcia single to right. Unfortunately, Aaron Judge gunned down Massey at the plate. Gerrit Cole looked in control from the outset.
Royals vs. Yankees game 56 thread Original
After blowing a lead in the ninth on Monday and a drubbing last night, the Royals once again find themselves on the verge of a sweep at the hands of the Yankees. Kansas City has not been able to rebound from a slow start and now has too many pitching injuries. At least today they have someone they planned to have starting games for them this season to begin with. Can the Royals win one against the Yankees? Can they blow it again? Does it even matter at this point?
Can the Padres sale help prevent an MLB work stoppage? Original
With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) set to expire in December, MLB and the player’s union have begun initial labor talks. The last labor talks were five years ago, when players were locked out through mid-March, pushing the start of the season back a week, but avoiding the loss of any games. This negotiation may end up being even more contentious. Owners will reportedly push pretty hard for a salary cap, despite Commissioner Rob Manfred dancing around the issue.
Royals swept by Boston after 4-3 loss Original
Salvador Perez got the Royals an early lead against Connelly Early by pulling the ball straight down the left field line and into the seats. Exiting the first, Kansas City was up 1 to 0. That lead did not last long. The top of the second was a long one for Michael Wacha. A leadoff triple led to an error by Nick Loftin who was looking to see if Willson Contreras was going home rather than scooping up out one. Willson was not headed home though, so it was first and third with no outs.
Royals vs Red Sox game 50 thread Original
Stop me if you have heard this one before. The Royals are going into the game tonight looking to avoid getting swept. For the third series in a row, Kansas City is just hoping to salvage one win going into the third game. They cannot fix all of their problems in one game on a Wednesday night, but it would be nice to see them get one from a Boston team that has mostly struggled their way through 2026 as well. The Royals will send Michael Wacha to the mound to try and get the job done.
Stephen Kolek gem gets Royals back in the win column 2-0 Original
Sunday’s game started out with an encouraging first inning. Maikel Garcia singled up the middle and then two batters later Vinnie Pasquantino also singled to center where Victor Scott II fumbled the ball and allowed Garcia to advance to third. Salvador Perez then picked up his first RBI of the night by hitting a sac fly to left. Stephen Kolek took the mound for the bottom half of the inning and induced three groundball outs, which would be foreshadowing for how his day was going to go.
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