Royals Rumblings - News for December 27, 2023

You’re not getting anything done in the office this week.

Chris Clegg at The Dynasty Dugout ranks his top Royals prospects, with Ramon Ramirez at #1.

Signing for just $57 thousand in the 2023 international signing class, Ramirez appears to have been a fantastic find by the Royals after his tremendous Dominican Summer Leageu stint in which he mashed eight home runs and added nine doubles in 150 plate appearances while slashing .344/.440/.615. Ramirez walked more than he struck out, which is not all that uncommon for disciplined hitters in the DSL, but in Ramirez’s case, the underlying data backs it.

Making contact on 90 percent of pitches in the zone, according to Trackman data, exhibits great swing decisions, leading to low chase rates. While it is a good idea not to put too much stock into DSL data, it is hard to ignore the kind of data that Ramirez posted, given that he was 17 years old and already has an impressive frame.

From a power standpoint, Ramirez posted a 103 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which is high-end for his age. He paired that with a 108 mph max and an impressive hard-hit rate. While it is a smaller sample of just 41 games, the numbers suggest that Ramirez could have more power as he matures, considering the 90th percentile was already in line with the MLB average.

MLB Pipeline has a prospect to watch for each team.

Royals: RHP Will Klein

After Klein, the Royals’ No. 26 prospect, finished off a strong 2021 season by helping High-A Quad Cities to a championship, he became a prospect to watch because of his power fastball and effectiveness in a multi-inning relief role. Injuries and adversity might have gotten Klein off track the past two seasons, but the 24-year-old flashed impressive stuff in Double-A and Triple-A last year. He was added to the Royals’ 40-man roster this offseason because the team wanted to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. If he can stay healthy, Klein could be a crucial piece to Kansas City’s bullpen. He’ll have to earn his way there after the additions this offseason, but consider Klein the next homegrown player the Royals can’t wait to see in Kansas City.

Mike Gillespie at Kings of Kauffman considers the future for Austin Cox.

Kevin Kiermaier re-signs with Toronto on a one-year, $10.5 million deal.

The White Sox sign catcher Martín Maldonado to a one-year deal.

The Guardians acquire outfielder Estevial Florial from the Yankees for pitcher Cody Morris.

Texas signs pitcher Diego Castillo to a minor league deal.

Boston is still engaged with pitcher Lucas Giolito in free agent talks.

Who is the next Japanese star to get a big MLB deal?

Wander Franco’s homes are raided in an investigation over inappropriate relations with minors, but he is nowhere to be found.

What does a Hall of Famer look like these days?

What are the ten moments that fueled baseball fandom in 2023?

The Detroit Pistons set an NBA record with their 27th loss in a row.

Aaron Rodgers rips into critics blaming him for taking up a roster spot.

Elite chess players keep accusing each other of cheating.

The biggest scientific breakthroughs of the year.

Ads are coming to Amazon Prime Video.

Your song of the day is Dropkick Murphys with The Season’s Upon Us.