Kansas City Royals setting the tone for Houston Astros 2020?

The Kansas City Royals plunked three members of the Houston Astros in their exhibition contest on Tuesday. Were they setting a tone for the Astros’ 2020 or just that incompetent pitching?

On Tuesday, for a segment of baseball fandom, the Kansas City Royals became the darlings of the league once again. They appeared to have sent a message in their exhibition game against the Houston Astros, with Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and George Springer all being plunked. Considering their lack of contrition for their roles in AstroGate and the Trash Can o’ Shame, the Astros’ comeuppance, particularly for their star players, brought about a bit of delight on social media.

While one may want to celebrate the Royals for doing what a vocal segment of baseball fans wanted to see, context also matters. Were the Royals sending a message to the Astros on behalf of the league? Or is it that the Royals’ pitchers are so incompetent that these batters were hit anyway?

Let’s begin with Altuve. Jorge Lopez has a full count on the Astros’ second baseman. The bases are loaded with two outs. This is not a moment where he would be looking to drill Altuve. Indeed, the catcher is set up inside, with the idea that he would jam Altuve with the pitch. That 3-2 fastball sailed inside, catching him to force in a run.

Altuve was then followed by Bregman. Again, Lopez got two strikes, and was one pitch from getting out of the jam. And again, Lopez tried to come inside. The result was the same – a pitch that sailed too far inside and clipped Bregman’s jersey. A run was forced in, the bases were still loaded, and there was still a lack of intent.

Then came the pitch to Springer. Jackson Kowar is one of the Royals quartet of pitching prospects that the team hopes will lead the charge back to contention. But he is still a young pitcher with just 74.1 innings above A-ball. That pitch was meant to be inside, but it appeared to have slipped out of his hand when released. Springer fortunately got his arm up in time so that the ball struck his elbow instead of hitting him in the head, but again, there was no intent.

It is easy to see those things that one wants to see. For Astros haters, those pitches are moments of celebration. But the fact remains that none of this was intentional. Lopez has been mediocre at best in the majors, posting an ERA+ of 78 in his 189.1 innings. Last year, in 123.2 innings, he hit ten batters. This is not a pitcher with exquisite command.

Kowar, for as much as the Royals may be counting on him going forward, is another pitcher that has a tendency to pitch inside and hit batters. In his 148.1 innings last season, he plunked 12 batters, ten of which came in 74 innings in the Carolina League. There was no intent whatsoever.

A segment of baseball fans may be celebrating the Kansas City Royals right now for throwing at the Houston Astros. The problem is, they absolutely did not intend to hit any of those batters with those pitches.