Royals Links: Brandon Finnegan, Prospects, Tommy John, & More

Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

It seems all the Royals need to get their offense going is a crucial error by their opponent in the 9th inning of a close game. You may remember the hot stretch from last month started thanks to an error by Jose Reyes, and the Royals have now won two straight games following a botched double play between Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick. The Royals may want to look into how they can force those errors more frequently, since it appears to be a sound strategy for success. Another sound strategy for success? Reading these stories about the Royals from the last few days. (You may not actually be successful after reading these, but I needed a segue. Deal with it.)

– As Jeffrey Flanagan notes in this article from FOX Sports Kansas City, Royals’ first-round pick Brandon Finnegan thinks he could contribute to the big league club this season. He’s probably right, but we’ll have to see how the team handles him once he debuts at High-A Wilmington in another week or two. Since he’s already thrown over 100 innings this season, they may choose to take it slowly in 2014, hoping for a chance to climb the organizational ladder next year.

– The Kansas City Star’s Pete Grathoff discusses a few Royals prospects in his Ball Star Blog, including Whit Merrifield, who has been making a mockery of Triple-A pitching since his promotion a couple of weeks ago. Also of note: Lane Adams is doing some crushing of his own, and Christian Binford hasn’t walked anyone since Raul Ibanez‘s professional debut (technically May 25th, but who’s counting?).

– Craig Brown of Royals Authority gives a few notes on some positive things from around the Royals, although they pertain more to off-field stuff. First, the team had a great moment during the first pitch ceremony last week. The video is embedded in that link, and it’s imperative that you watch it. Don’t be alarmed if a cloud of dust suddenly appears around your computer.