Weekend Rumblings - News for May 4, 2024

May the Fourth be with you!

David Lesky writes about how Bobby Witt Jr. has stopped pulling the ball for power.

My takeaway here is that there isn’t anything wrong with Witt. He’s an elite player in the game today and is putting up monster numbers right now without doing the one thing that most hitters need to do to hit for power. Whether a small sample blip or a mechanical issue that can be fixed (or both), what I take away from all of this is that there’s another gear. He has a 155 wRC+ and ranked 21st in all of baseball with that number heading into play yesterday and there’s another gear yet. Because if he starts pulling the ball, I don’t know what the limit on his talent is.

The Royals announced rosters for their Arizona Complex League team.

Baseball America writes about players to watch in the league.

Ramon Ramirez, C, Royals

Ramirez was flagged by scouts as the most talented player on Kansas City’s DSL team. He finished the year with a 1.055 OPS and eight home runs before being brought stateside for instructional league. The 18-year-old blends hittability and power into what could become the foundation for a fearsome offensive player. He has a strong throwing arm, too, but has lots of development remaining on defense.

Salvador Perez and Seth Lugo won April Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month honors.

Blair Kerkhoff writes about the Comcast/Bally Sports standoff that has left Royals fans screwed.

The Rangers place pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the Injured List.

The Padres are close to a deal to acquire Luis Arraez from the Marlins for four minor leaguers.

The Twins win their 11th game in a row.

Mike Trout has a lot of “what if” to his career.

The Pirates demote former #1 overall pick Henry Davis.

Where are the Orioles going to play all these talented young hitters?

Who could Cleveland take with the #1 draft pick this year?

A Frenchman builds a baseball field on his farm.

Former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias pleads no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery charges.

A Jackson County legislator has proposed a Chiefs-only ballot measure, but can it even happen?

Amazon is close to a deal to stream NBA games in 2025.

How an ordinary guy took a $3,000 case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Where will the cicadas emerge this summer?

What did the Star Wars prequels get right?

Your song of the day is Eels with Saturday Morning.