The Kansas City Royals decided to make some moves with the hope of turning around their recent performance, especially from the batter’s box.
Unfortunately, that move involved firing hitting coach Terry Bradshaw, who had been with the team since 2018.
The team ranked near the bottom of the league in several important stat categories, from the simple ones like runs, home runs, or batting average, to the more complex ones such as wRC+ (weighted Runs Created Plus) or WAR (Wins Above Replacement).
While the Royals aren’t precisely the 1927 New York Yankees, they do have some underachieving stars to think they weren’t performing like we know they can.
“#Royals GM JJ Picollo on the firing of hitting coach Terry Bradshaw: ‘We have to continue to self-evaluate to make sure we’re giving our players everything they need… Our results so far haven’t matched what we’re capable of, and we all share accountability in that,'” sports anchor Jared Koller tweeted, quoting the Royals’ GM.
#Royals GM JJ Picollo on the firing of hitting coach Terry Bradshaw: “We have to continue to self-evaluate to make sure we’re giving our players everything they need… Our results so far haven’t matched what we’re capable of, and we all share accountability in that.” @KCTV5
— Jared Koller (@JaredKCTV5) May 16, 2022
Struggling Stars
Salvador Perez, last year’s home run leader in MLB, is slashing .209/.244/.411, for example.
He does have six homers, but his offensive performance has been subpar.
Top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. has mostly struggled, and although he is starting to heat up, his lack of early-season production likely had an impact on the Royals’ decision.
Other notable 2021 performers, such as Whit Merrifield, Carlos Santana, and Nicky Lopez are also having a rough time at the plate.
The Royals, at 12-20, have been abysmal, but the next few months will likely tell if Bradshaw was truly to blame for most of the team’s offensive struggles.
A new era is beginning in Kansas City, one in which they hopefully start hitting more consistently.
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