Spring Training is in full swing, and as per usual the Royals have a good showing, being 2-1-0 through the first 3 games. The story of this spring training though are the new faces of Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez. Big bats in the minors, these two look to boost the hitting power of the Royals, something that is always welcomed though not a major issue for the boys in blue (Yes I know pitching is a taboo term when speaking about the Royals). Melendez led the ENTIRE minor league in home runs with 41 in 2021, and as for Bobby Witt Jr., a man who had a .283 AVG, 124 RBIs, 34 HRs in 2021, and even before making it to Spring Training being seen as the Royals' newest wonder kid, there are high expectations. The question is what we can hope to see out of these two guys? The obvious hope is that they both live up to the expectations set forth before them and be absolute world beaters right off the bat (Ha, get it?) However that is unrealistic. We can NOT have another Bubba Starling this year, so I ask that the Royals fanbase keeps their expectations reasonable, as a lowly freelance sports writer that has ALL the say in the world as to what the Royals or their fanbase does (Obvious sarcasm). Please keep in mind though that these guys are young and that the difference between the majors and minors can be astronomical given the analytics and nuances that go into baseball. New coaching, a new environment, new teammates, shoot even new bats make a difference, and we cannot chalk up minor league stats to major league success as much as we have done with guys such as Bubba Starling and Mondesi. Give these guys time to get used to the environment and the major league game, and we shall see if they flourish. I for one think both players will be key assets, but give them time before calling them stars or prodigies. Sincerely wrote, a KC sports fan that's tired of other KC sports fans jumping the gun and thinking in terms of absolutes.
Burn Notice: 6/10 A cool, Royal blue flame
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