Weekend Rumblings - News for September 24, 2022

Sep 24, 2022 - 2:00 PM

Minnesota Twins v <a href= — Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Jon Heyman of the New York Post thinks Dayton Moore got a raw deal.

It’s a sad day when the Royals let go baseball president Dayton Moore, a fantastic baseball guy who remains the only true small-market GM to reach two straight World Series and win one. The firing surprised him, too. Expectations there were unrealistic. Moore always joked he was the only GM from Garden City Community College (he also graduated George Mason); the trend is toward Ivy Leaguers. Manager Mike Matheny, who doesn’t seem favored by players, would seem to be in peril now.

Alex Duvall at Royals Farm Report is impressed with MJ Melendez’s walk rate.

MJ’s walk rate is particularly important because his swing will probably never allow him to be a high batting average guy. He’s a big, powerful kid with a lot of loft in his swing. That’s exactly the way he should be. It’s just never going to lend itself towards a bunch of singles and thus a higher batting average. Melendez’ on-base value is going to come from his ability to draw a ton of walks, something he’s shown a knack for early in his big league career. Even if he only ever hits .240 on a regular basis, a 12% BB% should keep his OBP around .340 which can make him a 130+ wRC+ hitter when he starts hitting more home runs. That would put him up there with Vinnie Pasquantino as the best pure hitters on the team.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter writes about some position storylines to watch for the Royals, like whether Michael A. Taylor or Drew Waters will be patrolling centerfield.d

Taylor is certainly not a long-term piece for the Royals, but he does bring something positive to this organization. The former Washington National is posting a 1.6 fWAR this year, which is certainly valuable. In fact, Taylor’s fWAR is the third-best mark of Royals players with 200 or more plate appearances, according to Fangraphs.

That being said, Waters does provide an interesting profile on both an offensive and defensive end, and that has carried over from Omaha to Kansas City, even if it is still a work in progress.

Darin Watson at UL’s Toothpick looks at Moore’s complicated legacy.

Inside the Royals gathers the writers for a roundtable to discuss the dismissal of Dayton Moore.

Kayden Rhodes was given 24 hours to live, but 15 years later he threw out the first pitch at Kauffman Stadium, writes Vahe Gregorian.

How the Guardians took control of the Central Division.

Carlos Correa is finishing this season on a tear.

Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley unleashes a 104 mph fastball, the fastest pitch of the year.

Are quarterback wins a relevant stat?

The U.S. Men’s National Team did not look good in a loss to Japan in a friendly this week.

The dark secret behind those cute AI-generated animal images.

Is swimming in ice water good for you?

Would the 007 series be better if they changed James Bond with each film?

Your song of the day is The Kinks with A Well Respected Man.