The Royals’ biggest offensive leak this season hasn’t been the strikeout. It’s been the free pass.
Kansas City has done a decent job keeping the bat on the ball, with a 20.7 K% that ranks fifth in MLB. But when it comes to drawing walks, the numbers are much less flattering.
The Royals sit 24th in BB% at 8.4%, a step up from last year’s 7.2% mark, but still below the league average of 8.9%. Even with that weakness, they rank 15th in on-base percentage, which tells you there’s room for this lineup to get a lot more dangerous if it can simply put more people on base.
That’s why this offseason should be about targeting hitters who know how to work counts and reach first the hard way. Kansas City doesn’t need to chase perfect contact profiles so much as it needs bats that keep innings alive and set the table for Bobby Witt Jr. and the rest of the core.
Two names stand out.
Brandon Lowe fits the bill almost perfectly. The longtime Rays second baseman is in Pittsburgh now and putting together one of the best seasons of his career.
He’s already up to 29 home runs, which is the third-most he’s ever hit in a season, and 83 RBIs, the second-most. Just as important for Kansas City’s needs, Lowe has taken 54 walks, his second-highest total in a single year, and that has pushed his walk rate to 9.2%, ninth-best among qualified second basemen.
He comes with strikeouts, sure, but that’s not the kind of flaw that should scare the Royals off. Lowe would add a real layer of thump to the lineup while also helping the offense get on base more consistently. He’s headed for free agency this offseason, and at 32 next season, he should be within the kind of range Kansas City can realistically pursue.
Randy Arozarena is another free agent who makes sense for the same reason. The right-handed outfielder has spent the last few seasons in Seattle, and he’s been one of the better walk-producing outfielders in the game.
His 10.0 BB% ranks 23rd among qualified outfielders, and his .372 on-base percentage is seventh. That kind of profile would give the Royals a much-needed boost.
Kansas City’s outfield walk rate has been closer to the middle of the pack at 8.5%, so Arozarena would help push that group upward. He’d bring more than walks, too.
Next season will be his age-32 season, and he’s set to hit the market after a career high in bWAR. If the Royals want to make a real push while Bobby Witt is in his prime, he’s exactly the type of bat they should be chasing.
In Other News...
Royals Add A Pitching Flier With Something To Prove
The Royals added another arm to the organizational mix by claiming right-hander Spencer Bivens off waivers from the Giants and sending him to Triple-A. It is the sort of low-risk move teams make this time of year, when every pitching depth chart is being tested and a live arm with big league experience can still matter down the road.
Bivens had been designated for assignment by San Francisco after the Giants claimed pitcher Duncan Davitt, opening the door for Kansas City to make its play. He has spent parts of three major league seasons with the Giants, and now his next chapter comes in the Royals organization, where he will try to work his way back into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Jac Caglianone Is Back But Royals Still Have A Lineup Problem
Jac Caglianone is back in the Royals lineup, and that alone is a welcome development for a club trying to keep its offense moving. After recovering from a Grade 1 left elbow flexor strain, the slugger returned as the designated hitter against the Boston Red Sox, giving Kansas City another middle-of-the-order bat at a time when every bit of production matters. He has put together a strong season, hitting .282 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs.
The catch is that his return does not fully solve the Royals bigger lineup puzzle. Matt Quatraro said the team is being careful with Caglianones throwing arm, which means DH work is expected to be shared with Salvador Perez rather than opening up the kind of flexibility Kansas City would like to have. The bat is back, but the roster still has to figure out how to maximize it without asking too much of his health. [Read more 🡒]
Carter Jensen Is Giving The Royals Hope They Desperately Need
Carter Jensen keeps giving the Royals a reason to look past a frustrating season and think about what might be coming next. The rookie catcher added another jolt in the loss to the Red Sox, leaving his mark in a game Kansas City otherwise struggled to control and further cementing himself as one of the few bright spots in the lineup.
Jensens latest swing also placed him in striking distance of two major rookie benchmarks in franchise history, a sign of how quickly he has mattered to a club searching for more stability and impact. Even with Ranger Suarez taking the win for Boston and Randy Dobnak absorbing the loss for Kansas City, Jensens emergence is becoming the kind of development the Royals can build around, even if the bigger payoff is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]