KC Royals: 3 big underperformers at season’s midpoint

Overall, pitching has been less than stellar for the KC Royals this season.

Sadly, the pitching staff hasn’t been in sync this season. According to mlb.com, the KC Royals have a 5.15 team ERA, placing third to last in the majors, ahead of only to the Diamondbacks and Orioles. They have a 1.48 WHIP and .262 OBA.

Brad Keller’s 5.97 ERA, .309 OBA, 119 hits allowed, and 1.76 WHIP place him dead last among the majors’ qualified starters. He leads the AL in walks with 48. Mike Minor is second to last with a 5.67 ERA that has ballooned since June 1, in addition to a 2-6 record and 6.69 ERA since then.

Although he started the year hot, Danny Duffy was placed on the Injured List with a left forearm flexor strain in mid-May. He returned and relieved June 23 against the Yankees, but upon getting back to the rotation allowed three home runs, four earned runs, and five hits in3.1 innings against Boston; his 1.81 ERA rocketed to 2.43. He had a 5.68 ERA in 6.1 innings in June and a 3.00 in two July starts.

The KC Royals don’t have a definitive fifth starter. Kris Bubic has filled the role recently, but is 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. In June and July, he’s 1-4 with a 9.66 ERA and 16 walks in 27 innings.

Then there’s the bullpen. Although Scott Barlow and Kyle Zimmer have done well overall, they’ve struggled recently. Wade Davis hasn’t come close to his old self—he has an 8.60 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, and .307 OBA in 25.2 innings, and is currently on the IL. Anthony Swarzak has a 9.95 ERA in 6.1 innings, and Tyler Zuber had a 6.35 ERA and allowed 15 walks in 17.0 innings before he was sent down.

And when called up, promising prospects in Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar struggled mightily. Lynch posted an 15.75 ERA in eight innings and gave up18 hits and 15 runs. Kowar had a 18.00 ERA in five innings and surrendered 11 hits after posting an 0.85 ERA at Triple-A Omaha.

Needless to say, pitching has been the Achilles heel for Kansas City this season.

Hunter Dozier’s play hasn’t lived up to the contract the KC Royals gave him.

Before the 2021 season began, Hunter Dozier signed a four-year, $25 million contract with a $10 million team option for 2025. This was a in part a response to the promise of his 2019 season when he posted a .279 average with 26 homers and 84 RBIs. So far, however, Dozier hasn’t been able to duplicate that performance.

This year, he’s slashing .174/.242/.344 with a .220 BABIP, and a -2.1 WAR—by far the lowest performance on the team next to Jorge Soler’s. A major factor in his decreased production is his plate discipline.

Per FanGraphs, Dozier’s K% has increased from 25.8 last season to 29.6 and his BB% has decreased from 14.5 to 7.6. The staggering shifts of increased strikeouts and decreased walks shows Dozier’s impatience at the plate.

Another factor has been injuries. In May, Dozier landed on the seven-day IL before being transferred to the 10-day list with a concussion, quad contusion, and neck discomfort after a collision with Jose Abreu of the White Sox. And when the shortened 2020 season began, he was put on the IL due to COVID-19 and finished the campaign with a .228 average, six home runs, and 12 RBIs in 44 games.

It goes without saying that next to Soler, Dozier has been the weakest link in the KC Royals’ lineup, and hasn’t played up to his contract. There is hope, though—he’s hitting .265 in July with three doubles, a homer and four RBIs in 10 games.

The 2021 season has been frustrating for the Royals. Some of that frustration has much to do with the underperformances of key team components Jorge Soler, Hunter Dozier, and the pitching staff.