Sam McDowell

Well, I mean, there's certainly a reason that their record is better, which is, I mean, they've been more selective at the plate, but also, like, swinging at more, a higher percentage of, like, pitches that are middle-middle.

So I think their pitch selection has helped.

I think there's some guys who we always anticipated were going to be hitting better than what they were earlier in the season.

I mean...

Vinny Pasquantino could actually be hitting 200 after tonight.

And he's been terrific lately.

I mean, his last nine games, he's OPSing at like 1,200 and hit a ball, you know, halfway up the wall last night that could have made those numbers look even better.

So I think...

It's weird because the Royals, it's not like them starting off slow is unusual.

But this team had potential.

And so I do think, you know, from the outside perspective nationally, you might say, okay, the Royals aren't very great.

That fits.

But for us who follow this team closely, it didn't fit because this team has had more talent.

Yeah, I guess of all the stuff that's happened since – what is that streak, like since April 24th or so, that's what I'm most skeptical about of whether or not this is who this bullpen is because –

I mean, you have an advantage of figuring out roles, figuring out which guys are pitching well.

I mean, I don't think you anticipated going into the season, even though Daniel Lynch had a good year last year, that he was going to be your best arm in the bullpen, for example.

I think you did anticipate that Lucas Erceg was going to start throwing strikes more than he had early in the season.

and starting getting ahead of hitters.

And then once he does get ahead of hitters, I mean, his stuff's good enough that people will chase it.

They're not going to chase it on 0-0 and 1-0, but they will chase it on 0-1 and 0-2.