3 KC Royals that put up eye-catching numbers this spring

Nick Pratto's 19% strikeout rate

When the Royals optioned Nick Pratto down to Triple-A Omaha, most fans rightfully had a negative reaction to the move. Pratto had done everything within his power to break camp with the Royals and begin 2024 at Kauffman Stadium. Many numbers will show how great Nick Pratto's spring was, but one stands out as the most important.

Pratto had plenty of question marks heading into spring training this year. He played a career-high 95 games in 2023 but posted his second consecutive season of negative fWAR. The 2017 first round selection recaptured fans' attention with an electric 2021 in the minors but has failed to produce since then. A staggering 40% strikeout rate in 2023 only exacerbated the problem.

The 2023 Pratto was not the one who showed up in Arizona, though. Whether it was a renewed focus or finally getting healthy for the first time in two years, Pratto was red-hot in the Arizona desert. He led the Royals in batting average (.421), OPS (1.292), wRC+ (237), and RBI (13) His four home runs tied with Bobby Witt Jr. for the team lead as well. Whenever Pratto was at the plate, he had a great chance of producing.

Pratto's plate approach was the real catching point for his spring success. He didn't start drawing walks suddenly, but cutting his strikeout rate in half in 2023 is impressive. Sure, it is spring, but not striking out as often and being more aggressive at the plate when needed are two things Pratto can control.

Royals fans need to watch how he performs in Triple-A very closely. If he carries over his spring performance to Omaha, Pratto could force his way back to the majors. Pratto's MLB story isn't over, and his spring made sure of that.

Maikel Garcia's 18.9% walk rate

Most of Garcia's perceived value in 2023 came from his defense at third base. He made a seamless transition from shortstop in the minors to the hot corner in the majors, leading all American League third basemen with 13 Outs Above Average. But his bat will determine his MLB ceiling. He has the tools to be a valuable leadoff hitter, but his bat waned as the season went along.

Every leadoff hitter's goal is to reach base and help the lineup's second or third batters maximize their run creation. It doesn't matter if it is a hit or a walk; when there are no other runners on base, a single is worth the same as a walk. Garcia had no problem knocking in singles, but left something to be desired in drawing walks.

In 2023, his 7.8% walk rate in the leadoff spot ranked 21st among hitters with 250 plate appearances. That doesn't sound terrible, but it still makes him a below-average leadoff man in that facet. So, imagine my surprise when Garcia started drawing walks at an insane rate in the Venezuela Winter League. He played in 48 games with Tiburones de La Guaira, walking 39 times and striking out 11 times. Even if he carried over a sliver of the .489 OBP he posted there, that would be a great development.

Well, Garcia brought that same plate approach to Arizona this spring. He struck out as often as he walked, posting an 18.9% rate. Plus, his .432 OBP is a big improvement over his .323 mark last season. The competition jumps from spring to Opening Day, but Garcia is clearly more prepared this season. If he continues walking at an 11%+ rate, that raises his offensive ceiling immensely.

Sam Long's 45.3% swinging strike rate

Non-roster invitee Sam Long barely has more than one year of MLB service time while bouncing around organizations. The lefty was ready to move on from baseball ahead of 2019, having been hip-deep in starting his EMT career. He was hardly a game-changing addition to the Royals' spring training roster. But, ever since Long joined the team on December 10, 2023, he has done nothing but impress.

Long was a strikeout machine in his 8 2/3 innings this spring. He struck out 15 batters while only walking one and allowing five hits. Ultimately, it all came down to a 1.04 ERA and 0.62 FIP against a normal level of spring training competition. But the truly impressive stat is Long's 45.3% swinging strike rate.

If you haven't heard of this stat, I can't blame you. It is another niche metric, but a valuable one when evaluating a pitcher's efficacy. Swinging strike rate (SwStr%) is a metric in baseball that measures the percentage of total pitches that result in the batter swinging and missing. We calculate it by dividing the number of swings and misses by the total number of pitches a pitcher throws.

Swinging strikes, unlike called strikes, rely solely on the pitcher's skill and the batter's decision to swing. That may seem simple but think about Long's rate like this: every time Long threw a pitch, it had nearly a 50/50 chance of making the batter swing and miss at the offering.

That, to me, is very impressive, no matter the level of competition. Long's 45.3% rate ranked as the third-best among spring training pitchers with at least five innings pitched. 627 pitchers reached that benchmark around MLB, but Long quietly had one of baseball's most dominant springs.

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