Royals Keep’s Kevin O’Brien looks at the Royals’ prospects performing in the Arizona Fall League, but with some red flags for lefty prospect Justin Lamkin.
On a positive note, Lamkin bounced back with a nice performance on October 15th against the Glendale Desert Dogs. After giving up five runs in three innings in his AFL debut, he allowed only one run in four innings in this latest outing.
Lamkin did an excellent job of generating whiffs (30.8% whiff rate) and minimizing hard contact (.311 xwOBACON),
which was his MO in Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas last year and at Texas A&M previously. That said, his stuff hasn’t profiled well so far this fall, via TJ Stuff+ metrics. In his last outing, he had an 88 TJ Stuff+ overall, including an 81 TJ Stuff+ on his four-seamer, which is EXTREMELY subpar.
Some Statcast metrics have been a little off this fall at some ballparks, which could explain Lamkin’s lackluster stuff numbers. However, this will be something to watch in 2027, especially as he returns to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. If the stuff remains subpar, he’ll likely be closer to a Daniel Lynch IV type than a Cole Ragans type.
Royals Keep’s Brian Shrum looks at the case for and against keeping second baseman Michael Massey as the arbitration process looms.
Why the Royals Should Offer Him Arbitration
Tendering Michael Massey a contract this offseason is a must for the Royals front office. In his second year of arbitration and after an impressive comeback season in 2026, Massey is projected to earn between $3.2 and $3.5 million in 2027. For a team looking to get back into the playoffs and valuing high-quality defensive play, tendering Massey a contract in this range would be a great bargain for Gold Glove talent.Massey does offer above-average offensive production for a traditionally weak-hitting position. Among all American League second basemen in 2026 with 450 or more plate appearances, he finished 3rd in batting average (.272) and 4th in slugging percentage (.428). High-level two-way middle infielders are difficult and expensive to acquire on the open market. Letting a player like Massey walk over a modest $3 million contract would be a step backward for the organization.
Why the Royals Should Non-Tender Him
While Massey’s .272 batting average was productive, his overall offensive value was exactly at league average, posting a wRC+ of 100 this past season. He is also a player who does not draw many walks, as he has posted a BB% of around 5% each year since being called up to the majors. Because he rarely draws walks, his on-base percentage tends to be lower than others’. If he were to experience a regression in contact and batting averages in 2027, his offensive value could drop substantially due to a lack of walks.
Sports Illustrated’s Brian Sparks says the Royals adding veteran reliever Steven Okert “makes too much sense”.
The 35-year-old southpaw does not overpower hitters with his velocity, averaging 91 mph on his fastball, according to Statcast. Instead, he relies on a simplified pitch mix consisting of a slider, four-seam fastball and sinker, with the slider accounting for the majority of his pitches.
With this pitch mix, Okert finished the season with a 30.9% whiff rate and a 26.1% strikeout rate while limiting walks with a 5.4% walk rate. As mentioned, he does not rely primarily on his fastball. His breaking-pitch run value was 11, ranking in the 95th percentile.
Okert could address several of the Royals’ bullpen issues and would be a significant addition if Kansas City were to sign him this offseason.
Roundtable’s Charlie Rondeau pitches a reunion with righty Luke Weaver for the 2027 season.
Weaver pitched 19.1 innings for Kansas City in 2022, striking out 19 batters and posting a 5.59 ERA. While those figures don’t seem like anything worth being excited about, the 33-year-old right-hander had two dominant full seasons with the New York Yankees until his departure across town in free agency during the 2025 offseason.
Despite his impressive 1.84 ERA with the Mets, he would have to find a new home once again as he was traded to Pittsburgh at the deadline. Even though Weaver regressed to a 4.96 ERA through 18 games in a Pirates uniform, he still deserves consideration, especially for the Royals who could use reinforcements with starters Cole Ragans and Stephen Kolek continuing to recover from injuries.
Although Weaver is still under team control through 2027, a trade with Pittsburgh shouldn’t cost a lot given his age and how often he’s bounced around MLB. Getting him might be even easier if the Pirates take a step back after going 82-80 this year.
CBS Sports’ Scott White names shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. as the top at his position, but says the Royals’ star is slipping in a fantasy sense.
Witt fell short of 25 home runs for a second straight year, and what’s worse were his 54 RBI (in only 143 games, but still). His data set remains impeccable, and you know he’ll be a big plus in batting average, stolen bases and runs. But he doesn’t feel like as distant of a No. 1 as he once did.
Royals Keep’s Sam Caulder looks at some of the non-tender decisions Kansas City has waiting this fall.
Former Royals pitcher Rich Hill is joining MLB Network as a World Series analyst.
Two trades with the Cleveland Guardians rank as The Athletic’s Chad Jennings’ best moves for powering the Rays in the ALCS.
Axios’ Travis Meier looks at how the Royals are helping address Kansas City’s literacy problem.
FanGraphs’ David Laurila profiles Chicago White Sox’s Caleb Bonemer’s highlight performance in the Arizona Fall League.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan details the Rays’ unorthodox style en route to the World Series.
Milwaukee Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby continues his historic workhorse postseason performance.
Sportsbooks view the Milwaukee Brewers as a betting liability heading into the World Series, according to ESPN’s Doug Greenberg.
If there are competitive runs, FanGraphs’ Davy Andrews crowns Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson as the king of them.
A 2015 Milwaukee Brewers promotion is causing headaches ahead of the Fall Classic.
The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports the Houston Astros could name a new general manager before the World Series ends.
Kansas horse track Eureka Downs is set to reopen for the state’s first races in 16 years.
Plans to preserve the Ogallala Aquifer are doing too much and too little for stakeholders.
All Things Considered host and broadcaster Noah Adams passed away at age 84.
Today’s song of the day is Robot Killed The Working Man by Zach Bryan.
