Kansas
Kansas City Royals’ numbers are up in Alec Zumwalt’s first month as hitting coach
Alec Zumwalt, second from proper exterior batting cage, smiles whereas speaking to the Royals’ Whit Merrifield as Carlos Santana hit throughout batting observe earlier than a house recreation on Might 16, 2022 at Kauffman Stadium. Zumwalt was named Royals hitting coach earlier than Monday’s recreation.
When Alec Zumwalt took over as Royals hitting coach on Might 16, the crew owned a collective .225 batting common, amongst their different low numbers.
In 24 video games with Zumwalt on the job, the Royals are as much as .237, hitting .252 in that stretch, and their on-base plus slugging share of .710 is a 90-point enchancment.
The Royals went into Friday’s recreation in opposition to the Baltimore Orioles having scored at the very least seven runs in every of their final two video games. It’s the primary time that’s occurred since final August. This after being shut out on Monday and Tuesday by the Toronto Blue Jays.
However there’s been no consolation degree for Zumwalt, who held a number of positions in his 9 seasons with the Royals group. He had been serving because the director of hitting efficiency/participant improvement earlier than taking up within the dugout for hitting coach Terry Bradshaw.
Earlier than that, Zumwalt labored in scouting.
“The reality is, there is no such thing as a settling into this, particularly if you come through the season beneath these circumstances” Zumwalt mentioned. “It’s go from the very first second, making an attempt to construct relationships with guys, making an attempt to know what they have been doing, what they should get higher at.
“However greater than something, simply making an attempt to construct a belief round workers.”
An impetus for the hitting efficiency place was to enrich the teaching for promising younger gamers comparable to MJ Melendez and Bobby Witt Jr. However Zumwalt was ready for the expanded function.
“Simply being concerned in spring coaching the previous couple of years, attending to know these guys slightly extra, understanding the ‘whys’ behind their routines,” Zumwalt mentioned. “Clearly in-season is totally completely different than spring coaching with changes, and revisiting some conversations we had in spring coaching has been extraordinarily useful.”
If there was an adjustment for Zumwalt, it’s being extra within the public eye. He’s been largely behind-the-scenes since concluding his minor-league taking part in profession.
“I”ve all the time labored behind the scenes,” Zumwalt mentioned. “Once I was advancing, I used to be a ghost I didn’t exist. Being on the minor-league aspect is so completely different than being in main leagues. I don’t love something that has to do with myself from that standpoint.
“We as a bunch are actually doing all the things we will to arrange these gamers, these hitters, to go on the market and win and construct one thing particular right here.”