Crossover episode with Preston Farr

It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

I'm Aaron Judge, welcome to MLB The Show 26.

The greatest game in baseball is back, whether you're a gamer or a baseball fan.

This one is tough to put down.

Jump into franchise mode with your favorite team.

Build your roster, chase a pennant, and see if you have what it takes to win it all.

It's the closest thing to being in the big leagues yourself.

Use it MLB The.Show slash Lockdown, and use Code Lockdown to unlock a pack for Diamond

Dynasty.

Internet connection required.

Preorder now on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, rated E for everyone.

MLB The Show 26, own the show.

Hey everyone, this is Ross Jackson, one of the hosts of the Lockdown Podcast Network.

Thank you for being here, because your support means everything, and if you're looking

for another way to support the show that you love, while getting something awesome in

return.

We are wrapping up this week with an interview with Preston Far of the 816 Substack.

We'll get his thoughts on the Royals, and this offseason next on Lockdown Royals.

You are locked on Royals.

Your daily Kansas City Royals podcast.

Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day.

You are tuned into a Friday edition of Lockdown Royals and the Lockdown Podcast Network.

I'm your host, Jack Johnson, and you can follow me on Twitter at JohnnyJU underscore 15, and

you can listen to this podcast on wherever you download podcasts that can be Spotify, Apple

podcast, Amazon music, Google podcast, Odyssey, and YouTube, just be sure to hit the follow

button and subscribe.

Before we dive into our interview with Preston, I want to tell you that today's show is brought

to you by MLB The Show 26.

Visit MLBThe.Show slash locked on and use code locked on to unlock a pack for use in Diamond

Dynasty.

You can pre-order now, available March 17th on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch

rated E for everyone.

All Preston, we are winding down spring training.

The off season is officially wrapped up, and now the focus is on opening day in Atlanta

for the Kansas City Royals.

I've asked this to pretty much everybody we've had on this week.

But if you were a teacher and you were going to give a report card to the Royals based

on what they did this off season, what letter grade are you handing out?

I think I'd probably give them a B.

It was a good off season.

They handled, I think, the largest shortcomings on the roster with Isaac Collins added really

solid depth.

Matt Strong, I think, is great for the bullpen upside.

I think the difference between a B and a is they didn't really swing for the fences

anywhere.

They didn't get uber aggressive, which I mean, maybe it's fine.

But if you're going to really go all in around Bobbywood Jr., I think that's the difference

between a B and a.

Now there were a few guys they were linked to in the off season in a Jorn Durand Brennan

Donovan Taylor Ward.

Is this something that is going to come back and bite them?

I mean, significantly where even if the offense does improve from last year, which the

bar is incredibly low, we'll be sitting here in May or in June and you're going, ma'am.

Even if this team is over 500, if they just would have put the chips in, gotten that bat,

we wouldn't be worried about making the postseason or not.

This would be a team that should absolutely be winning the central.

I think Brennan Donovan was the big miss.

Jorn Durand, I know got a lot of height.

I don't know.

He's the consistent type of player that Brennan Donovan is.

Taylor Ward, I definitely think, is on the back end of his success.

So I don't think it, I look at either of these or any of these players and think it'll

come back to bite him.

But I just think, I mean, right now we're going into the season.

Maybe they can win the division, you know, more likely maybe they're a wild comment.

I think it's where people would have him.

Adding Brennan Donovan, I think makes you the favorite in the central.

And that's the difference.

So I don't think it'll come back to bite him.

You can still add guys at the deadline.

But second base for me is a big question.

You're hoping for an indie bounce back.

Or maybe for Michael Massey to get healthy and and be who he was two years ago.

I think Brennan Donovan just would have erased those questions.

But I mean, the Mariners had a great farm system, who knows?

Did they run a side great offer in the managers just been a little bit more?

How likely is it that Jonathan India does bounce back?

Because the royals clearly think so otherwise they wouldn't have tendered his contract and

given him the deal that they did.

Last year, a slew of injuries, a couple of random injuries as well.

Defensively, he was well below average, even well below average based on what he's done

his entire career.

I think that's because he bounced around a lot.

There was no need to put him in left and third, like he's a second baseman.

He needs to stay at second base.

Do you think that's going to help him this year be better offensively?

Or is this just a guy that what he did in Cincinnati?

That's because the ballpark is built for hitters in Kansas City.

I know the fences are coming in, but traditionally, it's not really built for hitters like him.

Yeah, the defense wasn't even great in Cincinnati.

So it really hurts the margin for error.

I mean, like you said, he had a lot of injuries last year, you know, some freak injuries.

You know, I think he got cleated early in the season and like, man, and then he got hit

with the ball and the hit.

So I think those freak injuries, if you look at the splits, like from before his DL stint

after, he really did hit a lot better early in the year.

So I think that gives you some hope.

But the Lee Shy thing has to be a lot shorter this year.

You can't get to mid season and have the same India that we finished last season and have

no backup plan.

So I mean, like you said, the royals ended him 8 million.

They're really bouncing, hoping for the bounce back.

But I think some of that, it's just what they invested to.

You sent Brady Singer at the time was a pretty solid trade ship for Jonathan India.

I think they're just having some discipline there to say, let's not overreact to one

four season.

But I don't think he's locked in for the whole year.

If he struggles by the all-star break, I think the royals, I think, will be more aggressive

when they were in the off season to replace that.

And looking at center field, that kind of feels like the other position here with the starting

nine where you say, I'm not confident that it's going to be a league average back.

Kyle is Bell's never been a league average back.

Lane Thomas has crushed lefties in his career, but he's coming off a season in which lower

body, a foot injury, sideline him for a long time.

The numbers were not great when he was on the field.

Are you concerned that the platoon is just not going to be the answer there, and they'll

have to upgrade at some point, or do you see a world in which, hey, the defense of both

these guys went healthy.

It's really good.

Lane Thomas can hit the lefties.

And Kyle Isbow can just hold his own against righties.

Yeah, it's a worrisome position.

I just don't think it's as worrisome as second base, just because you have the defense

there.

You know, we know it's great with the glove.

Lane Thomas is healthy, should be solid with the glove.

He is hitting the ball harder this spring so far, which tends to translate somewhat, but

I don't think with Lane Thomas, the issue has ever been, can he hit the ball harder?

It's just been health in the last season.

So I think the problem with center field is, those guys don't hit pre-agency.

Those five-tool or even everyday all-star center-fielder, you know, they don't hit pre-agency.

You have to pay a ton to get them in a trade.

So I think, yes, you'd love to be better in center field, but I think the Royals have

enough with, if Jack Hagley don't take the step forward, if Isaac Collins really is at

every day, if Carter Jensen is even 80% of what we saw last season, then the defense

you get from Kyle Isbow and the depth from Lane Thomas, I think, should be enough.

Stolly Marta got brought on to this roster a couple of weeks ago, and we know that last

year there was interest, the Mets won at Hunter Harvey, the Royals won at Stolly Marta,

they couldn't land that deal.

Now they get him for cheap, big league deal, one year deal worth 1 million, but there

are some incentives in there to bring it up to 3 million.

Was this the right move for the bench to add depth to the outfield, or are you somebody

that thinks, hey, he's 37 years old, he played in less than 100 games, he doesn't play that

many games anymore, and he's poor defensively.

Where do you kind of follow on the deal for Stolly Marta?

Is it low risk high reward, or is this a move that's just not going to move the needle

at all?

I don't even move the needle.

I think it's kind of a nothing burger.

Think about, I think the way I would frame it is, frame over I asked a few years ago, except

for nine years older, we know Stolly Marta has been great, but even last year, he was

solid, but like you said, he's in his late 30s.

Even the contract the royals gave him a million dollars with incentives.

I think they really geared that contract around, you know, if you place, it'll be incentivized

if he doesn't.

It's an easy contract to just move on from.

So I think more likely than Marta being a above average contributor, I think more likely

than that is he might be gone by the end of June, but we'll see, maybe he has something

left in the tank.

It seems that three of the bench spots are secure when you have Michael Massey Lane Thomas

and Stolly Marta all either, you know, still under contract or they just signed a big league

deal.

That would be Thomas and Marta.

The last bench spot is still up for grabs.

It appears you have guys like Nick Lofton, Josh Rojas, Kevin Newman, Brendan Jury, Tyler

Tolbert, John Raid, Drew Waters.

There are many options they can turn to.

If you were the one making the decision, Preston, who gets that final spot on the 26-man roster?

The bench is outfield heavy, just with the guys that are locked in right there.

So I think for me, it's probably between Tyler Tolbert with his speed, he can play the

infield and Nick Lofton, who, you know, I know we play a lot about field, a field, but

he has experience of third, he has experience of second.

So I think, and honestly, you know, more than Marta, I wish the royals would have looked

for more of an infield depth piece like Ramon Urias, you know, Gold Glove, Second Basement,

might be good with the bat, might not give anything, but at least you have that depth

on the infield.

So I think it's probably between Tolbert and Lofton, John Raid, you know, he's had a solid

spring.

I know Rojas has had a great spring as well, so I'd probably put him in that mix, but

it just depends, I think, what happens the rest of spring and what the roster moves look

like, is you'd have to make it for you, man, for Rojas.

All right, we're going to take our first break of the show.

When we come back, we're going to switch over to the pitching side of things.

Was there anybody that Preston thought they should have brought in this off season?

What did you think of the rotation?

And maybe more importantly, what does he think of the bullpen and how it all shakes out?

That's coming up on Lockdown Royals.

Workplace chaos, deadlines stacking up, inbox overflowing, and the one position you have

to fill still sitting open.

When the pressure is on and you need the right hire, this is the job for sponsor jobs.

Indeed, sponsor jobs helps you reach to people who actually fit what you're looking for,

skills, experience, location, so you're not just hoping the right candidate stumbles across

your post.

And here's a staff that says it all.

In a minute, I've been talking to you, companies like yours made 27 hires on, indeed, according

to the Indeed data worldwide.

So if you're hiring, spend less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check

all your boxes with, indeed, sponsor jobs.

Let's go to indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard

about Indeed on this podcast listeners of the show will get $75 sponsored job credit

to help you get the job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com slash podcast indeed.com

slash podcast terms and conditions apply need to hire.

This is a job for indeed sponsor jobs.

Also want to tell you about Fandool college basketball is nonstop big games tight spreads,

momentum swings every single night from early tip offs to late night west coast shootouts.

There's always action on the board.

And now Fandool is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins

with a college basketball parlay profit boost.

You can build any college hoops parlay you want rivalry games, ranked matchups, whatever

fits your bet.

You can mix spreads, totals and player props to match how you see the slate playing out.

Go safe.

Go bold with your team.

You've been following all season.

It's your parlay, your style now with more upside behind it.

To fandool.com to get started that's fandool.com fandool play your game.

We're back here on lockdown royals in the lockdown podcast network.

I'm your host Jack Johnson and you can follow me on Twitter at Johnny J underscore 15 real

quickly want to tell you about the every day or club.

If you've been thinking about joining the every day or club now is the time again.

You get ad free shows and access to our group chat on discord.

And if you signed it before the NCA tournament tips off you can get into our every day or club

bracket pool on discord for a chance to win locked on merch.

Right now you can use code march to get your first month free head to the URL link below

in the show notes and they're going to be able to take you from there.

Over on the pitching side, Preston, I know you were high on the match strong move.

Nick Mears comes over in the Isaac Collins deal and like we just said with the bench, there's

one more spot available in the bullpen, assuming they're going to give Daniel Lynch one of

the left handed spots.

We know match thrones the other.

You've got a steve as an Er sig you've got Shriver mirrors and crews.

I think they're going to carry 13 pictures breaking camp, which makes me pick Ryan burger

as the last guy to get a bullpen spot.

I know Alex Lang is on a big league deal.

Doey has options.

They could carry three lefties like they did at one point last year and keep Bailey falter

because he's out of options.

Where are you going with that final spot?

Who gets the most value out of that long release role?

Yeah, I like burger.

That's where I go.

To be honest, I could see burger slotting into the five and Noah Cameron starting the

year in the bullpen.

His velocity's been down.

Honestly, I could see him injured.

Maybe there's something underlined there.

I think burger has the higher ceiling in your five, but no camera was outstanding last

year.

I think the royals did a nice job.

They added strom.

They added Mason Black who has some options.

They took what was already a strength and made it even better.

That's what they did last year.

It was a strength they added as to as they added some depth.

Bailey falter, I think, is just the odd man out.

He's been not great this spring.

Fastball doesn't look very good.

I think they tried to find some improvements there, but without options, I think he's the

odd man out.

I have burger in that final spot.

Bailey falter, somebody that I thought was going to go head to head with Daniel Lynch.

The increase in velocity for Daniel Lynch, I'm not saying it's everything.

But when Bailey falter's sitting 90 to 92, he's not getting any swing and miss.

I'm not sure it's really valuable to the bullpen.

Is he the guy, though, where you say, let's showcase him while the world baseball classic

is happening?

Let's keep starting him.

Keep him out there with three or four endings.

Then like we saw last year, the week before opening day, the royals got Mark Cana to add

to their bench.

Is this a situation where you go, let's showcase Bailey falter.

We're not going to keep him on the roster, but we don't want to just DFA him and him get

claimed elsewhere.

Let's try to strike a deal somewhere for a team that does need starting pitching.

I just don't think there's enough there.

He's out of options.

It seems the right is on the wall.

I don't know why anybody would trade for him when they can just wait for him to hit

waivers.

It's just rough.

He's been better in the past, but it doesn't look pretty this spring.

Maybe over the next week or two, something will flash, but it's a small sample, but

he just does not look pretty good.

How do you see the back end of the bullpen playing out?

Because I know some people are concerned about Carlos Estevez and the Velo not being there.

No, we're close to where he usually sits, but he's known as a slow build up guy in camp.

You add Matt Strom to the back end of the bullpen.

You still got Lucas Ersig.

Now you know a little bit more about Steven Cruz.

You add Nick Mears to the fold.

Is this going to be a bullpen where you say, on most nights, we would love to go Ersig

Strong and Estevez, or do you see it playing out differently where it's going to be a bunch

of mixing and matching, and maybe by mid-season, a guy like Carlos Estevez isn't even closing

out games anymore.

No, I think Matt Strom, I know he's on the back end of his career, but I think he's probably

the best reliever in the bullpen right now.

Lucas Ersig probably has the highest ceiling, but we didn't see the strikeouts come down

a lot last year.

So I'd like to see those in action again like we had the year prior.

But Estevez, I mean, I'm not worried with the Velo.

He's a veteran.

It's a slow ramp up, like you said.

But I just don't know if they'll lock him into that closer role the same he was last

year.

I know the role is like to mix around.

They like to have that flexibility in the bullpen, have depth in the bullpen.

I would also add, I know Matt Quattaro is very high on the lender of Velo.

The rotation's full, and he could very well start, but I think he would be an outstanding

reliever right now.

So I wouldn't really laugh him pushing his way into that late inning mix.

Maybe over somebody like Daniel Lynch, I don't know if it'll be an opening day, but

over the course of the season.

I thought it was interesting what you said about Noah Cameron with the low Velo in camp.

Ryan Berger has been great.

And I'm not one to put a bunch of stock into the numbers in spring training, but we actually

had on Dalton Vitt the other day of Royale's day to dug out and he had brought up just

the pitch shape of Ryan Berger and how Noah Cameron might be one of those regression

candidates based on what was posted about him.

And last year, the advanced numbers on him, the advanced data, is Noah Cameron somebody

that is not just going to see slight regression.

We're talking severe regression where he goes from a high 2.9 ERA guy to like a 4.5 and he's

not striking out anybody.

He's getting hit hard.

Where do you come out with Noah Cameron?

Because we all know that Ryan Berger's got tremendous upside, but I don't know.

I'd be kind of surprised if Noah Cameron, assuming he's healthy, is not going to have

one of those spots all season long.

Yeah, it's really hard because I mean, Noah Cameron, he was arguably working the year

candidate last year.

He was outstanding.

And he's a local guy, so you really, it seems like with the local guys, you have to really

be careful to criticize just because there's an extra layer of built in.

I don't think Noah Cameron is a candidate too, like heavily regress and you know, find

his way back in the Omaha, but the fastball just doesn't miss that.

I know he added a cutter in 2024 to help with some of that.

But with the velocity down, his margin for error is so much smaller.

He has a great change up curve balls really solid, but he needs the fastball to mix in

to get to those secondary pitches.

So I don't think he'll find his way to Omaha person, but he might be more of a long relief

option out of the bullpen by midseason if you can't find that extra tip on the fastball.

He was 91, also a year in 2024, but last season we saw him hit 93, 94.

I think that's where he needs to be.

He doesn't need to throw 96, 97, but he needs that extra ticker too to really succeed

in the big leagues the way he did last year.

Did the Royals make a mistake in holding on to Chris Boobitch?

I'll go on record as saying I'm one of the biggest Chris Boobitch supporters out there.

I think the stuff went healthy.

It's as good as a lot of left-handed starters out there.

I'm not saying he's Terrick Scoobal, but we saw early on last year.

We saw it at the bullpen in 2024.

It's not a matter of, is he going to be good enough?

It's a matter of if he can stay healthy and he is entering this contract year where the

Royals probably tried to move him a couple of times, but teams would say we just don't

want to rent until we don't want a one year deal guy.

We'd rather have someone long term.

I just, it's a tough conversation because he does help the 2026 Royals.

I don't know what type of bat he would have brought back, but he seemed to be the one that

everybody said in these mock trades, that's who's going to be going from the Royals.

But the Royals have decided to hang on to him.

They have high hopes for him.

I would say that if he does pitch the whole year, he's got a chance to be by far and away

the second best pitcher in the rotation behind Cole Ravens.

Yeah, I agree with that.

His ceiling sky high.

I think the issue, I wouldn't say it's a mistake.

I think the Royals had an idea in their mind what value Chris Boobich have and they didn't

stray from that in trades.

A team like the Cardinals, with where they're at in roster building, it didn't make sense

for them to add Chris Boobich on a contract year for somebody like Brendan Donovan.

So I think the Royals were just stuck in a place where the players they could have acquired

by sending Chris Boobich didn't really match what they saw with his value.

And like you said, at the end of the day, if Chris Boobich is healthy, he might be your

second best starter.

That might be more valuable than the Royals getting a B or C tier player on the trade market.

And there's always the deadline at mid season.

If the Royals feel great about their depth, you still have time you can trade them.

The return won't be as strong as it would be maybe in the off season, but the Royals

don't know where they're at with those contract negotiations.

What the outlook looks like and I'm sure they'll make a move if it makes sense.

All right, we're going to take our final break of the show.

When we come back, we'll get Preston's thoughts on what he's been working on this off season

and throughout spring training and what we can expect moving forward into the regular

season.

That's next on Lockdown Royals.

Today I'm thrilled to be talking about our sponsor MLB, the show 26.

The greatest game in baseball is back with its newest installment.

Baseball fans are going to have a hard time pulling themselves away from the game.

If you're a gamer, a baseball fan, or just want to enjoy America's favorite pastime

and a new, exciting way, you are going to love MLB the show 26.

Play as your favorite team and franchise players and see if you have what it takes to win

your own World Series.

Visit MLBV.Show slash Lockdown and use Code Lockdown to unlock a pack for use in Diamond

Dynasty.

Internet connection will be required, but pre-order now available March 17th on PlayStation

5, Xbox Series S and X and Nintendo Switch rated E for everyone.

I'm Aaron Judge.

Welcome to MLB, the show 26.

The greatest game in baseball is back, whether you're a gamer or a baseball fan.

This one is tough to put down.

Jump into franchise mode with your favorite team.

Build your roster, chase a pennant, and see if you have what it takes to win it all.

It's the closest thing to being in the big leagues yourself.

Visit MLBV.Show slash Lockdown and use Code Lockdown to unlock a pack for Diamond Dynasty.

Internet connection required, pre-order now on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch,

rated E for everyone.

MLB the show 26.

Own the show.

We are wrapping up our final episode of the week on Lockdown Royals and Lockdown podcast.

Network I'm your host, Jack Johnson.

That is Preston Far of the 816 sub-stack.

Preston, let's go over to some of your work over the last couple of weeks.

Really, this off season.

What was your goal this off season and trying to find some topics to write about, and was

there anything you really enjoyed doing over the couple of months without baseball?

Yeah, I mean, it's a little different for me, because I was all the way in for a couple

of years, and then I had a baby last year, work on crazy.

So I just kind of stepped away.

This off season, I went with the sub-stack route a little bit easier than a whole website

and everything we were doing before, but now that that's up and running, really my goal

is off season.

It's just have an outlet where I can share my thoughts, still really love the farm system.

That's what I'm most passionate about, but just something where once a week I can just

reflect and say, this is what I see on the team.

This is what I see moving forward.

Today, I had a piece out just looking at what translates from spring training to the regular

season and who's excelling in those areas.

Obviously, Jack Cagley, he's just demolishing the baseball, and that usually transmits pretty

well.

I think too crazy over there, just now to talk about the royals.

I don't really like social media is just crazy these days, so I try to not invest too much

time there, so it's nice to have someone else.

You bring up your passion for the farm system, and I know that when I first started following

you, that was the main reason.

You were so great at giving us insight on these guys that weren't necessarily being

talked about that much.

It's one thing to follow the farm system and know the top five guys, a totally different

thing to start learning stuff about guys that are in Loa, Colombia.

They're over in the Dominican Republic, just getting started in their pro careers, and

I get asked so many times, who's a dark horse guy to watch?

And the last thing I want to do is say, oh, we know Blake Mitchell can be somebody special.

David Shields can be somebody special.

With your knowledge and your expertise on the royals farm system, is there somebody right

now that you're looking at and saying, nobody's really talking about them, and it wouldn't

surprise me in this season or next year if they have a significant role in the royals

roster?

I'll give you kind of a two-part answer.

If you're looking at somebody close to the big leagues, Steven Zobak really comes to mind.

He was outstanding in 24, but dealt with injuries all of 25.

So his whole season just looked really rough last year.

He pitched in the Paul League, got a little more healthy, pitched a little bit so far this

spring.

But with him, it's just looking at the Arsenal.

His fastball is great, his command is outstanding, so he's a bullpen type name.

I don't know if he'll really be a starter type at the next level.

He's somebody I would look at possibly this season for sure next season.

And then if you're looking at just the prospects side, maybe not somebody that will impact

the roster.

He thought about Kendrick Juryo last year, 17-year-old throwing up her 90s, outstanding control.

I think the royals have another guy in that similar ring, Freddie Contreras, didn't hear

about him really at all last year.

He was pitching as 16-year-old, thrills 96.

We're starting to hear a little bit more about him this year.

I think he's ranked in the top 30, but he's another name I would throw out that he could

be this year's Kendrick Juryo, somebody that feels for maybe not known as well to maybe

one of the top five top 10 names in the system.

Kendrick Juryo, somebody that just burst onto the scene last year, now in Arizona, I mean,

you're seeing him throw 96.97 with regularity.

The numbers weren't phenomenal on the surface when he got to Louis Columbia, but also, I mean,

he's younger than a lot of guys there as well, with a guy like him where he seems to be

such a high-level prospect at a young age, what would be your concern?

At one point, he hits a wall in AA and he's just not the guy that he once was, or is

it more so about injury where Preston, you and I both know that 16-17-year-olds are

not supposed to throw 97 with regularity, and that can lead to more injuries if they're

not built up properly.

Yeah, I mean, injuries are going to be a concern for anybody throwing hard like that.

I don't think you can be scared off by that.

You just develop guys and you work through whatever happens.

I think with Churio, low A hitters are much, much different than high A hitters and the

gap from high A to AA is even higher, so his stuff right now is great, his command's

outstanding, but the royals are in the lower level, they're going to start working with

him on how do you attack hitters, what pitch do you use in what situation, and that's where

he might be able to hit a wall at some point and the royals are going to have to work

him through that.

I would expect to probably start the year in Colombia again with maybe an early June

move to Davenport to Quad Cities, but that's, I think, my only pause with him, you know,

is an international prospect, sometimes they really flash in Arizona and then they start

to kind of slow down.

So that's my pause with him compared to somebody like a David Shields is, you know, I want

to see him learn how to attack hitters and how to be strategic on the mound rather than

just leaning into that velocity that's really helped him excel so far.

David Shields, I've gone on record before saying that he's my favorite prospect in the

system.

I just think the stuff is so good and I thought in the draft class that he was in,

you know, everybody's talking about Jack Caglione, but is there a real world chance

pressed and then we look back in like five years, David Shields is seen as the better

pick long term, or is it, hey, if Jack Caglione's hitting 30 home runs every year, even if David

Shields is a good starter, we're going to remember that being the Jack Caglione draft

class and not the David Shields draft class.

I think no matter what it'll be the Jack Caglione draft class, he's just so good.

I know he's struggled last year, but it's going to click for Jack Caglione.

But I think there's a scenario where Caglione is the one A and David Shields is maybe

not the one B, but like a one C. Like he's close to that tier, but not quite.

I really do think there's number two upside with David Shields.

If you can find another level, maybe there's a sub side, but I'm really careful to throw

that out because Ace I think is used a little too freely these days.

But he was throwing 94 in the playoffs.

As the season went on last year, he was finding more velocity as an 18 year old.

Really it was the best season for a minor league pitcher in the Royal system since Danny

Duffey, John Land.

Maybe not like Grimpy level, but I think he's in that discussion.

David Shields is going to be very good.

And last one for you here, Preston, really appreciate your time.

Blake Mitchell is such an intriguing case because now that Carter Jensen has emerged in

the way that he has, many Royals fans would say, don't need Blake Mitchell anymore.

You know, when Salvador Perez is done catching Carter Jensen's the guy and Blake Mitchell's

not going to be on this roster as a backup catcher.

He's a former first round pick, a top 10 pick at that.

He needs to be trade bait more than he needs to be developed through the Royal system anymore.

And the numbers, the last couple of years, they haven't been great.

He does get on base at a very high rate.

He also strikes out a good bit.

We know the power is there.

The hard hit rate can be there and the defense can be excellent.

Where do you come out with a guy like Blake Mitchell?

Is he somebody that still is seen as the future catcher for the Royals?

Is he somebody that should be kind of promoted his trade bait?

Because we know the talents there.

It just hasn't come together just yet.

And that's kind of the risky run with prospects is sometimes they do figure it out a couple

years later.

Sometimes they never figure it out.

And for a guy like Blake Mitchell, this is a pretty big season for him if he wants to

put himself back on the map.

Yeah, it is a big season.

He had the ham and injury last year, which really zaps power.

And when you come back, it's hard to find that power again.

I don't think Carter Jensen changes anything the Royals are doing with Blake Mitchell.

I think Carter Jensen is much better now than we expected him to be.

He's kind of just exponentially improved.

He was outstanding last year.

But Blake Mitchell is outstanding in his own right.

If he can click, I think he's got a higher ceiling when it comes to power.

He's a much better defender, not the Jensen's a bad defender, but Blake Mitchell is outstanding

behind the plate.

But I think Carter Jensen will hit for a better average.

Catcher is just one of those positions.

I don't think you ever can have enough.

We've been very blessed with Salvador Perez and the fact that you have a backup catcher

that you don't really expect to play that much.

But I don't think that's the norm for most teams.

We saw in recent years, a giant said Joey Bart and Riches of Catchers in their system

and never really worked out after Buster Posey.

They're still trying to find that everyday option.

So I think the Royals are just going to live with one Jensen gives them.

And if they end up with outstanding work from Carter Jensen and Blake Mitchell knocking

on the door looking great, maybe you figure out what do you want to do then.

But I don't think what Carter Jensen has done has changed anything of what the Royals

are going to do with Blake Mitchell.

All right, Preston.

Well, great stuff is always we really appreciate you hopping on and we'll talk to you at some

point in the season.

Yeah, for sure.

Thanks, Jack.

That's Preston far.

Go check out his sub stack 816.

It's an excellent read and you need to start catching up before the season begins.

But that's going to do it for another edition of Lockdown Royals and the Lockdown Podcast

Network.

I've been your host, Jack Johnson.

If you've never missed an episode, the everyday club is built for you.

Get Lockdown Royals ad free plus members only discord access and more.

Head to the URL link below to join the club.

For those of you on video, we send you to the first ever 24-7 National Lockdown Podcast

Network YouTube channel.

On audio, make sure you make your second listen, Lockdown Fantasy Baseball as you gear up

for the season.

Until next week, you take it easy, Kansas City.