KC Royals: Top 5 moments from July 2019

Pinpointing top moments in a season where the KC Royals went 59-103 is quite the task. Trying to select five from one particular month is even more daunting. However, the month of July offered some tremendous moments that we must revisit.

The KC Royals welcomed July by losing four straight games, and getting swept by the division rivals Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium – which meant there was nowhere to go but up for the remaining 27 days of the hot summer month.

The Royals went 11-15 for the whole month, but a plethora of top moments occurred right after the All-Star Break (and some before it) with a recharged offense and a rested pitching staff playing outstanding baseball not seen in prior months.

The trade for Mike Montgomery on Jul. 16 counts as an honorable mention for a top moment that didn’t quite make the cut. There was no real need for starting catcher Martin Maldonado’s services anymore as he held the fort behind-the-plate during Salvador Perez’s absence, and keeping him any longer didn’t make sense. The Chicago Cubs had an immediate need for Maldonado as their All-Star catcher Willson Contreras had gone down with an injury after shouldering a heavy workload throughout the season.

Mike Montgomery was a welcoming addition to a less than effective pitching rotation, and while Montgomery struggled from the start, he has the potential to turn things around and deliver quality innings from the fourth or fifth starting spot. His services may amplify next season, especially if the team decides to bring up Brady Singer or Jackson Kowar – or both.

Without further ado, let’s look at our top five moments from July 2019.

It should come as a surprise that Whit Merrifield’s longest hitting streak peaked at only 15 games in 2019.

Whit Merrifield owns 20, and 19-game hitting streaks in previous seasons, so this was below his standards. However, his numbers during the streak were definitely on-brand in July.

Merrifield hit for .410 BA, .486 OBP, .590 SLG, and 1.076 OPS during his 15-game hitting streak that started on Jun. 29 and ended Jul. 17. Seven of those games were multi-hit games, so he wasn’t cheating us either – he was on an absolute tear.

He also made his first MLB All-Star appearance, replacing eventual 2019 AL MVP Mike Trout in center field, and was the only player representing the Royals during the Midsummer Classic. He went 0-for-2 at the plate, as he flew out to left field against Atlanta Brave Mike Soroka, and struck out swinging against Miami Marlin Sandy Alcantara.

From Lynn Worthy, Kansas City Star: “It’s the All-Star Game. It doesn’t mean anything. We’re not playing for home field anymore. Enjoy it. Try to soak in the moments. Obviously, it’s not you would do normally. Special occasion. Special event. I did what I could to take advantage.” – Whit Merrifield.

The American League took the victory by a 4-3 score, as New York Yankee Aroldis Chapman punched out the side (all swinging) and granted the eventual AL Champions Houston Astros with home-field advantage in the World Series, where they eventually failed to win a single game.

Luckily for Merrifield, his O-fer performance at the 2019 All-Star Game didn’t cost him the hitting streak, as he was able to expand that for a few more days through Jul. 17. Fittingly, Merrifield hit an inside-the-park-home-run two games before he snapped the streak.

Brad Keller was phenomenal (or perhaps “Stellar”) in July and showed his true capabilities as a starting pitcher moving forward.

Brad Keller had two signature games in July – where he completely dominated the opposition. He tossed eight innings, allowed one run, and only four hits on Jul. 12 against the Detroit Tigers (yes, I know).

However, two starts later he pitched seven innings against the eventual National League East Champions Atlanta Braves (also Keller’s hometown team) on Jul. 24. He did not allow any runs this time around, and even singled-in his first career RBI by hitting a line drive to center field, and scoring Nicky Lopez from third base (which turned became the only run support he needed). He also drew his first career walk.

Keller finished the night with 7 IPs, 0 ER, 4 Hs, 1 BB, and 3 Ks – oh, and 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI.

From Ben Weinrib, MLB.com: “It didn’t surprise me. He’s a kid that we opted to be our Opening Day starter for a lot of reasons. He’s got poise, he’s got great stuff, he’s a great competitor. He doesn’t back down. The situation wouldn’t be too big for him. It’s the same thing tonight. When they announced his name, you could hear the cheering section they had for him. It was a big one. Boy, he stepped up and pitched the way I expected him to pitch.” – Royals Manager Ned Yost

Keller had the best month of his career as he closed out July with a 3-1 record, 2.12 ERA, and 24 Ks over 5 starts. If he can put together more months like these, he’ll definitely become a force to be reckoned with at the top of the rotation for many years to come with the KC Royals.

Glenn Sparkman struggled all year, and had just put together three ugly starts where he allowed 17 runs in 13 innings pitched. And then it happened, he tossed the best game of the year for the KC Royals with a complete game shutout against the White Sox on Jul. 15.

This definitely wasn’t Glenn Sparkman’s year, as he had an extremely rough 2019, so highlighting anything positive creates certain difficulties. We can rest assured of Sparkman’s disappointment, as he understands just the type of season he had, and (we’re hoping) he’s hoping for a better outcome in 2020. However, he did deliver an absolute gem on Jul. 15 against the Chicago White Sox.

The KC Royals jumped out on the White Sox during the first inning by scoring two runs, right after Sparkman had retired the side in order, thanks to a 6-4-3 double play to open the initial frame – after that, Sparkman took control and steadily posted zeros inning-after-inning.

He finished the game with a career-high eight strikeouts, seven of which were swinging. He dealt a healthy diet of fastballs and sliders (95 out of the 116 total pitches). The slider was his lethal weapon as he wielded it to deliver those swinging strikeouts.

Sparkman will focus in trying to produce consistent results for the ballclub in 2020. It’s difficult to have him outside of the pitching rotation as the next campaign gets underway, especially with the uncertainty of the young guns’ arrivals. However, he’ll have to earn the spot, and show improvement from the start if he wants to stay at the major league level.

His struggles are real, but he gave us one outstanding performance.

Bubba Starling spent seven grueling years in the KC Royals’ minor league system. He finally got the call he had been working for during his entire life.

At times – given all the setbacks – Bubba Starling didn’t think the call would ever come with the KC Royals, but he didn’t quit, he didn’t stop trying and although it took longer than he expected – it arrived – and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact at the highest level.

From the Associated Press: “It’s very special. I dreamed about it as a little guy coming to the ballgames in Kansas City. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. Ever since I was a kid coming to the stadium.” – Bubba Starling.

During only his second game at the grand stage, Starling launched an RBI single between third and short that scored Hunter Dozier, and allowed the rookie to breathe freely by shaking off the pressure to deliver his first major league hit.

From Jeffrey Flanagan, MLB.com: “It’s awesome. It means a lot. I was talking to Duda, and I was like, ‘When did you get your first hit?’ He said he went through a long stretch before he got his. I was like, man, I hope I don’t get to that point. It was awesome to get that first knock out of the way.” – Bubba Starling.

Starling topped that off five days later by delivering his first career home run against the Chicago White Sox. He remained hot as he built an 11-game hitting streak in which he hit for .341 BA, .370 OBP, .455 SLG, and .824 OPS. It was easily the best month of his short major league career.

Unfortunately for Starling, things got worse from there – way worse. His August numbers plummeted to .167 BA, .213 OBP, .262 SLG, and .475 OPS. His September numbers weren’t as bleak, but still not good enough to provide enough consistent production at the starting lineup.

Nonetheless, Starling’s story is that of strong perseverance. He has looked at adversity in the eye throughout his baseball career and hasn’t backed down. There’s no reason to doubt him now.