After having an awfully tough time with the best club in the AL Central thus far, the Jays now welcome the team that's struggling more than any other club in the American League (notwithstanding what you might read in the New York Post).
* General: The Royals do not have impressive team stats ... Even after yesterday's ten-run outburst, the Royals are in the AL basement in average (.232) and OBP (an awful .289) ... Kansas City is one of just two AL clubs with an ERA over 5, primarily due to opponents' slugging ... The Royals lost three straight games before rallying to win yesterday after Tony Pena's postgame outburst on Wednesday night ... Pena was careful to distinguish between effort, which the Royals have demonstrated, and attention to detail, which they haven't ... The Royals might be better, and unluckier, than popularly believed. Eleven of their last fourteen losses have been either by one or two runs ... The Royals have played seven straight games without an error ... Who would have thought the Royals would have one fewer stolen base than the plodding Jays? ... Down on the farm, lefty J.P. Howell sports an impressive 1.71 ERA with Class A High Desert, while first baseman Justin Huber has been scorching hot while drawing walks at a rate of nearly one per game ... The Royals are leaning toward selecting Alex Gordon with the #2 pick overall in the draft ...
* Runelvys Hernandez: Could be the cure to the Jays' all-singles diet ... Throws a slider without a consistent break -- it's the source of his gopher-ball problems ... Throws a two-seam fastball in on righties, but it's not terribly crisp or hard ... Throws a four-seamer in the low 90s ... When his slider is on, it's effective against righties ... Now sporting Bronson Arroyo-style braids ... Not in the shape he was in as a young pitcher ...
* Ruben Gotay: Splits time with Tony Graffanino at second ... Good speed and can bunt for a hit ... Long but level swing ... Slumped horribly in late April ... Very strikeout-prone for a non-power hitter ... Prefers the ball on the inner half and will lay off the outside stuff ... Will often chase pitches down and in ...
* Mike Sweeney: Absurdly hot May so far despite his club's poor play ... After going 1-for-4 with a walk and a double on the last day of April, he's put up an insane .560/.586/1.400 line over the first eight days of this month ... Patiently waits on breaking stuff. For righties to throw him sliders and curves, they have to keep it way down and away. You have to make Sweeney reach for pitches ... An absolute ton of power to left ... Stays very loose with his hands ... The Royals' team captain is an enthusiastic leader ...
* Mark Teahen: A member of the famous "Moneyball Draft," Teahen came over in the Beltran/Dotel trade ... Stays down on the ball very well ... Good inside-out swing ... Doesn't like pitches in on his fists, and will take inside strikes ... Can't catch up to very hard fastballs ...
* Ken Harvey: Likes the ball down and in ... Drives the ball off his back foot for power ... Heavy uppercut to his swing ... Can be backdoored with breaking stuff ... Really prefers to take pitches on the outer half of the plate ...
* David DeJesus: Fluid but long swing ... His power has yet to develop ... Stays back on pitches well and can spoil two-strike pitches ... Pounds it on the ground ... Graceful baserunner who's quick without trying too hard ... Can be fooled by breaking pitches up a la Doc's ... Tough to strike out ...
* Zack Greinke: Keeps his fastball down well ... Will occasionally leave his curve up, but that's a function of throwing all of his pitches to all parts of the strike zone ... Excellent tight movement on his curve, which his unquestionable "out pitch" ... Cut fastball isn't as sharp as he would like ... Great control but not really a strikeout guy yet ... Easy delivery that only feeds the "young Maddux" comparisons ... Aaron Rowand on the deceptive Greinke: "None of his pitches were the same...some would drop out of the zone [and] some would break away from you" ... Greinke has received only two -- count 'em, two -- runs of support while he's still been on the mound this year ... Ranks fourth in the majors in throwing first-pitch strikes ...
* Tony Graffanino: Left yesterday's ballgame with a sore right wrist after crashing into Chris Gomez. X-rays were negative ... Fastball hitter with great patience ... Stays down on low strikes ... Does not like the ball up and can be frozen there ... Can't reach outside pitches but doesn't try to ... Versatile defensively ...
* Ambiorix Burgos: What a great name! ... Has been very effective since his callup ... Nasty, nasty splitter that breaks late; I thought it was a slider until I read an article describing the pitch ... Great upper-90s heat and he uses his legs very effectively in his delivery (always from the stretch) ... Somewhat reminiscent of Kelvim Escobar ...
* Denny Bautista: Incredibly skinny ... Few walks but shaky control within the strike zone; leaves fastballs catching too much of the plate ... Throws a big curve that occasionally hangs but occasionally breaks brilliantly ... Needs to keep the ball down, where he takes advantage of his straight over-the-top delivery ... Good stuff and could cause the Jays problems (think Daniel Cabrera) ...
* Kyle Snyder: The floppy-haired righty was converted to relief for at least the early going after missing last season entirely ... Will leave his curve up in the zone ... Terrific tailing movement on his two-seam fastball, and it works well against lefties ... When he starts his curve down, it's very deceptive and very tough ...
* Matt Stairs: Tries very hard in right field, but isn't as athletic as even Stairs used to be ... Jack swing, even on pitches down in the zone ... Likes fastballs down and in ... Pull hitter who finally snapped out of a 3-for-19 slide with a homer yesterday ... Will chase down and away, especially on breaking stuff ... The New Brunswick native is famous for looking at the camera during an ALDS game (as a member of the A's) and asking "What's the score in the hockey game?" ...
* John Buck: Very long swing (think young Josh Phelps) but good power to left ... Definite preference for fastballs, so throw him junk ... No chance on sharp breaking balls ... Does not recognize big-league pitch movement well and even two-seamers give him fits ... Has not been calling the kind of game Tony Pena would like ... Notwithstanding that, he's known for a good "makeup" and has maintained a good attitude despite a dreadful start to the season ... An appalling 0/20 BB/K ratio against righthanded pitching ...
* Eli Marrero: Veteran NL utilityman plays almost exclusively against lefties ... Likes pitches out over the plate ... Has flashed good power in the AL ... Can be fooled by changing speeds ... Can be overpowered up in the zone ... Is not used as a catcher with Buck and old friend Alberto Castillo around ...
* Emil Brown: Also only plays against lefties ... Poor range as an outfielder ... Long swing but reasonably quick hands ... Facially intense at the plate, like Sammy Sosa ... Rolls over on outside pitches, which he often tries to pull ... Pulls his head off of breaking pitches and is highly prone to the strikeout on curves and sliders ... Dismal outfield defender ...
* Joe McEwing: Longtime Mets "super-sub" now resides in K.C. ... Exaggerated front leg kick at the plate ... Short, choppy swing makes him a good battler at the plate ... Has played well since his recall, and surprisingly leads the club in steals with three (in 14 games) ... Commits too early on breaking pitches, and can end up way out on his front foot ... A hustler ... Prefers the ball on the inner half of the plate ...
* Angel Berroa: Good-looking swing ... Good plate coverage ... Waves his bat head at the pitcher like a more muted Julio Franco ... Doesn't always gauge breaking pitches well ... Gives up on pitches he doesn't immediately find appealing ... Somewhat disappointing defensively, where he ought to get to more balls than he does ...
* Jaime Cerda: Leaves the ball up way too often ... Shaky control and very prone to walks ... Good 93-mph heat on his fastball ... Herky-jerky delivery makes him tough on lefties but completely non-deceptive against righties ... Relies on his fastball, probably too much ...
The 8-23 Royals come into town without a lot of confidence, although they did gut out a victory at Camden Yards yesterday. Will the Jays get well, as they did against Tampa Bay? Or will Kansas City start to turn some of their close losses into wins?
This week's Scout features a lone bright light on offence, a very promising new reliever and a touted young starter who should sue his teammates for non-support.
On to the Advance Scout!* General: The Royals do not have impressive team stats ... Even after yesterday's ten-run outburst, the Royals are in the AL basement in average (.232) and OBP (an awful .289) ... Kansas City is one of just two AL clubs with an ERA over 5, primarily due to opponents' slugging ... The Royals lost three straight games before rallying to win yesterday after Tony Pena's postgame outburst on Wednesday night ... Pena was careful to distinguish between effort, which the Royals have demonstrated, and attention to detail, which they haven't ... The Royals might be better, and unluckier, than popularly believed. Eleven of their last fourteen losses have been either by one or two runs ... The Royals have played seven straight games without an error ... Who would have thought the Royals would have one fewer stolen base than the plodding Jays? ... Down on the farm, lefty J.P. Howell sports an impressive 1.71 ERA with Class A High Desert, while first baseman Justin Huber has been scorching hot while drawing walks at a rate of nearly one per game ... The Royals are leaning toward selecting Alex Gordon with the #2 pick overall in the draft ...
* Runelvys Hernandez: Could be the cure to the Jays' all-singles diet ... Throws a slider without a consistent break -- it's the source of his gopher-ball problems ... Throws a two-seam fastball in on righties, but it's not terribly crisp or hard ... Throws a four-seamer in the low 90s ... When his slider is on, it's effective against righties ... Now sporting Bronson Arroyo-style braids ... Not in the shape he was in as a young pitcher ...
* Ruben Gotay: Splits time with Tony Graffanino at second ... Good speed and can bunt for a hit ... Long but level swing ... Slumped horribly in late April ... Very strikeout-prone for a non-power hitter ... Prefers the ball on the inner half and will lay off the outside stuff ... Will often chase pitches down and in ...
* Mike Sweeney: Absurdly hot May so far despite his club's poor play ... After going 1-for-4 with a walk and a double on the last day of April, he's put up an insane .560/.586/1.400 line over the first eight days of this month ... Patiently waits on breaking stuff. For righties to throw him sliders and curves, they have to keep it way down and away. You have to make Sweeney reach for pitches ... An absolute ton of power to left ... Stays very loose with his hands ... The Royals' team captain is an enthusiastic leader ...
* Mark Teahen: A member of the famous "Moneyball Draft," Teahen came over in the Beltran/Dotel trade ... Stays down on the ball very well ... Good inside-out swing ... Doesn't like pitches in on his fists, and will take inside strikes ... Can't catch up to very hard fastballs ...
* Ken Harvey: Likes the ball down and in ... Drives the ball off his back foot for power ... Heavy uppercut to his swing ... Can be backdoored with breaking stuff ... Really prefers to take pitches on the outer half of the plate ...
* David DeJesus: Fluid but long swing ... His power has yet to develop ... Stays back on pitches well and can spoil two-strike pitches ... Pounds it on the ground ... Graceful baserunner who's quick without trying too hard ... Can be fooled by breaking pitches up a la Doc's ... Tough to strike out ...
* Zack Greinke: Keeps his fastball down well ... Will occasionally leave his curve up, but that's a function of throwing all of his pitches to all parts of the strike zone ... Excellent tight movement on his curve, which his unquestionable "out pitch" ... Cut fastball isn't as sharp as he would like ... Great control but not really a strikeout guy yet ... Easy delivery that only feeds the "young Maddux" comparisons ... Aaron Rowand on the deceptive Greinke: "None of his pitches were the same...some would drop out of the zone [and] some would break away from you" ... Greinke has received only two -- count 'em, two -- runs of support while he's still been on the mound this year ... Ranks fourth in the majors in throwing first-pitch strikes ...
* Tony Graffanino: Left yesterday's ballgame with a sore right wrist after crashing into Chris Gomez. X-rays were negative ... Fastball hitter with great patience ... Stays down on low strikes ... Does not like the ball up and can be frozen there ... Can't reach outside pitches but doesn't try to ... Versatile defensively ...
* Ambiorix Burgos: What a great name! ... Has been very effective since his callup ... Nasty, nasty splitter that breaks late; I thought it was a slider until I read an article describing the pitch ... Great upper-90s heat and he uses his legs very effectively in his delivery (always from the stretch) ... Somewhat reminiscent of Kelvim Escobar ...
* Denny Bautista: Incredibly skinny ... Few walks but shaky control within the strike zone; leaves fastballs catching too much of the plate ... Throws a big curve that occasionally hangs but occasionally breaks brilliantly ... Needs to keep the ball down, where he takes advantage of his straight over-the-top delivery ... Good stuff and could cause the Jays problems (think Daniel Cabrera) ...
* Kyle Snyder: The floppy-haired righty was converted to relief for at least the early going after missing last season entirely ... Will leave his curve up in the zone ... Terrific tailing movement on his two-seam fastball, and it works well against lefties ... When he starts his curve down, it's very deceptive and very tough ...
* Matt Stairs: Tries very hard in right field, but isn't as athletic as even Stairs used to be ... Jack swing, even on pitches down in the zone ... Likes fastballs down and in ... Pull hitter who finally snapped out of a 3-for-19 slide with a homer yesterday ... Will chase down and away, especially on breaking stuff ... The New Brunswick native is famous for looking at the camera during an ALDS game (as a member of the A's) and asking "What's the score in the hockey game?" ...
* John Buck: Very long swing (think young Josh Phelps) but good power to left ... Definite preference for fastballs, so throw him junk ... No chance on sharp breaking balls ... Does not recognize big-league pitch movement well and even two-seamers give him fits ... Has not been calling the kind of game Tony Pena would like ... Notwithstanding that, he's known for a good "makeup" and has maintained a good attitude despite a dreadful start to the season ... An appalling 0/20 BB/K ratio against righthanded pitching ...
* Eli Marrero: Veteran NL utilityman plays almost exclusively against lefties ... Likes pitches out over the plate ... Has flashed good power in the AL ... Can be fooled by changing speeds ... Can be overpowered up in the zone ... Is not used as a catcher with Buck and old friend Alberto Castillo around ...
* Emil Brown: Also only plays against lefties ... Poor range as an outfielder ... Long swing but reasonably quick hands ... Facially intense at the plate, like Sammy Sosa ... Rolls over on outside pitches, which he often tries to pull ... Pulls his head off of breaking pitches and is highly prone to the strikeout on curves and sliders ... Dismal outfield defender ...
* Joe McEwing: Longtime Mets "super-sub" now resides in K.C. ... Exaggerated front leg kick at the plate ... Short, choppy swing makes him a good battler at the plate ... Has played well since his recall, and surprisingly leads the club in steals with three (in 14 games) ... Commits too early on breaking pitches, and can end up way out on his front foot ... A hustler ... Prefers the ball on the inner half of the plate ...
* Angel Berroa: Good-looking swing ... Good plate coverage ... Waves his bat head at the pitcher like a more muted Julio Franco ... Doesn't always gauge breaking pitches well ... Gives up on pitches he doesn't immediately find appealing ... Somewhat disappointing defensively, where he ought to get to more balls than he does ...
* Jaime Cerda: Leaves the ball up way too often ... Shaky control and very prone to walks ... Good 93-mph heat on his fastball ... Herky-jerky delivery makes him tough on lefties but completely non-deceptive against righties ... Relies on his fastball, probably too much ...
