[Biggp07]

👑 Saturday, April 5 • Twins Series Game 2 👑

Win the series early. Build the identity fast. April doesn’t wait.

Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium
Weather: Partly cloudy, 45°F, wind out to CF (10 mph) | Attendance: 31,670 | First pitch: 3:10 PM CT

Opening Day gives you a rush, but it doesn’t give you permission to relax. By the time the lights go dark at Kauffman, the manager in me is replaying at-bats and bullpen choices; the GM in me is scanning the roster like a radar screen—health, options, and where our first contingency call comes from if April gets loud.

One win matters, and one win proves nothing. April 4 is the working day: film, reports, and conversations that sound calm but carry a hard edge. If our standard is real, it will show up again tomorrow.

I did what every GM does the morning after a win: I looked at projections, not because I believe in them, but because I want to know what the league thinks we are—and how fast that narrative can shift when we make real moves.

What the Numbers Say (and What They Don’t)

Earlier projections had us buried — a 56-win finish kind of burial. That’s the baseline disrespect we’re facing. After the Renfroe move, the tone shifts. The model doesn’t crown us, but it stops ridiculing: 85–77 and close to relevance.

Figure 1. 2025 Preseason Forecast Snapshot — American League Outlook



Perspective: A preseason projection has Kansas City in the Central conversation at 85–77, with internal benchmarks centered on 732 runs scored and 714 runs allowed. It’s not a promise—just the league’s starting assumption—and April is where we start rewriting it.

Offensively, the target is clear: the runs must increase. We’re targeting 732 runs—an increase of 54 from last season, approximately 8%. While runs scored is the headline, it also serves as the pressure test: if the lineup is revamped, it must be reflected in the only language the standings speak.

Defensively—and on the mound—John’s expectation is straightforward: reduce the runs allowed. The benchmark on my page is 714 runs allowed. That’s the difference between ‘competitive’ and ‘dangerous’ over six months.

As a manager, I can’t coach projections. But as GM, I must acknowledge the numbers: more strikeouts, fewer free passes, better defense—all lead to fewer runs allowed. That was the foundation we set last offseason, and April is when we prove we stand by it.

Roster Moves

In the Hunter Renfroe trade, we also acquired a minor league RF, Andrew Pickney. Roster adjustments were necessary; space was made for Hunter on the 40-man roster, and Pickney was assigned to Double-A. We waived and will likely release LF Weston Wilson, who did not have a good spring camp with us, as he was on the secondary roster, and optioned RF Johnathan Rodriguez to Omaha. This allows us to platoon Drew Waters and Hunter Renfroe in RF. Renfroe excels against LHP but struggles against righties, so they will platoon RF this season unless circumstances change.
________________________________________

April 5 — Game 2 vs. Minnesota

Kauffman felt different on day three—not less alive, just more honest. Opening Day is ceremony. Game 2 is proof. The crowd still shows up, but now they're watching for consistency, not confetti.

Pregame Memo (Manager's Desk)

Attack the zone early and don’t let their left-right matchups dictate our pace. Offensively: stay inside the ball, take the walk if they offer it, and let the lineup turn mistakes into damage. No giving innings away with soft outs.

On the admin side: we got Andrew Baker inked to a minor league deal today—elite stuff, messy control, but a real “if the strike-throwing clicks, it changes his track” kind of arm.

Figure 2. Andrew Baker — Minor League FA bullpen add (AA Northwest Arkansas)



Perspective: Kansas City adds a low-risk relief option in Andrew Baker, a right-hander with a 94–96 mph look and a breaking-ball-heavy profile (notably the curveball). It’s the kind of signing that won’t make headlines on April 5—but it can save you innings when the season starts taking them.
________________________________________

Series Matchup Board — Minnesota Twins Game 2

Projected pitching matchup (our pitcher listed first):
• RHP Z. Eflin (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP J. Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Twins players we circled on the first prep sheet:
• 1. CF Byron Buxton (Age: 31, Overall: 70, Potential: 4.0)
• 2. CL Jhoan Duran (27, 70, 4.0)
• 3. SP Pablo Lopez (29, 65, 4.0)
• 4. SS Carlos Correa (30, 65, 3.5)
• 5. SP Chris Paddack (29, 60, 3.5)

Matchup board reads clean: RHP Zach Eflin vs. RHP Joe Ryan. From the GM chair, yesterday's opener bought us zero credit today—just a little breathing room to stay disciplined with the plan. From the manager's chair, the goal was simple: win the first inning, win the strike zone, and make Minnesota play from behind. Ryan's a rhythm guy—if we let him settle, he'll carve.
________________________________________

Game Day Log — Royals vs. Twins (Game 2)

Manager’s Clipboard

Win the first two pitches. Keep the innings clean. Don’t let their counterpunch dictate our tempo. If we’re serious about a new offensive identity, it starts with professional at-bats even when the hit doesn’t fall.

Inning-by-Inning Beats (Dugout View)

1st Inning
Not perfect out of the gate—Twins scratched one early when they landed a run-scoring swing to grab a quick lead. But the response from our dugout was exactly what I wanted: immediate, loud, and organized.
Bottom half, we flipped the whole game in about five minutes: Vinnie Pasquantino unloaded a two-run homer (his 1st of the year), then Michael Massey followed with another two-run blast. Four runs in the first inning changes everybody’s posture—ours gets confident, theirs gets tense.

2nd Inning
This is where Eflin started doing what he does best—get ahead, stay ahead, and keep hitters guessing. The at-bats from Minnesota were already looking longer and more frustrated.

3rd Inning
Bobby Witt Jr. doubled again (he finished with two doubles on the day), and we kept applying pressure even when it didn’t cash immediately. Meanwhile, Eflin’s tempo was sharp—he was collecting strikeouts without feeling like he was chasing them.

4th Inning
Quiet inning on the scoreboard, but not quiet in terms of control. This was the stretch where I could feel the game tilt from “we’re ahead” to “they’re running out of answers.” Eflin kept the Twins from stacking traffic.

5th Inning
No need to get greedy—just stay clean. Our approach stayed consistent even as the hits slowed. The dugout stayed locked in on the little stuff (first-pitch strikes, smart reads, no free outs).

6th Inning
This is where we put a foot on their throat. We got men on, two outs, and Maikel Garcia delivered the separator: a two-run triple to push the lead to 6–1. That’s the inning I love most as a manager—two outs, no panic, just execution. Garcia wasn’t just “hot,” he was in control (he went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI).

7th Inning
Eflin finished his day after 6.0 innings—3 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts. Exactly the kind of start that steadies a weekend series.

8th Inning
We went to B. Bernardino and asked for efficient outs—he gave us two scoreless innings, worked around two walks, and kept the leverage locked down. Even with the offense quiet, the game stayed in our hands.

9th Inning
Jalen Beeks took the final frame and shut the door—no drama, just a clean finish to a clean win.

________________________________________

Final

Twins Popped by Royals, 6-1

The story is the first inning thunder (Pasquantino + Massey), then the professional separation swing (Garcia’s triple). On a day when a few bats didn't light up (Payton wore a rough one), the lineup still produced impact where it matters: damage swings early, and two-out RBI late.



This was the kind of game that matters early—not because it counts more, but because it confirms that the Opening Day win wasn’t a one-night performance. Minnesota had no answer for Zach Eflin setting the tone and working deep, and that’s exactly what I need in April: starters who can hand me leverage innings without panic. Eflin’s outing is exactly why we valued him—quality pitches, length, and a calm mound presence that keeps the rest of the staff in the best version of its roles.

Kansas City Pitching Scoreline

Pitcher               IP   H  R  ER  BB  K  HR  PI  ERA
Zach Eflin            6.0  3  1   1   3  9   0  94  1.50
B. Bernardino         2.0  0  0   0   2  1   0  30  0.00
Jalen Beeks           1.0  1  0   0   1  1   0  18  0.00

As manager, I want clean baseball—no cheap outs, no defensive leaks, no innings handed away. As GM, I’m watching the same game for roster pressure: who’s forcing playing time, who’s clinging to it, and what the next two weeks are going to expose.

From the GM chair, I care about the headline—but I care more about the pattern. Two games in, the identity we talked about all winter is showing up: more strikeouts on the mound, fewer runs allowed, and enough power to change innings in a hurry.
________________________________________

Around the League – April 4-5

While we’re grinding through our first series, the league is already writing headlines. And the GM in me reads every one of them the same way: what’s real, what’s noise, and what’s going to change the market by May.

Anyone wearing a glove and sitting in the bleachers for today's Yankees-Astros game had a good chance at snagging a home run ball. Aaron Judge put on a show and knocked out milestone drama with his 300th career homer—a reminder that stars don’t wait for “later,” they punch moments into the calendar.

Aaron Judge hit a solo-shot off Lance McCullers Jr. in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run off Lance McCullers Jr. in the 5th, hit a solo-shot off Martin Perez in the 7th, and struck out in the 9th. Judge, who finished 2nd in the AL in slugging percentage with .627 in 2017, was 4-for-5 on the day with 5 runs batted in.
________________________________________
👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑

Kansas City Royals | Regular Season 2025 - Game 2



(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)