Here’s why reliever Jake Brentz could be last Kansas City Royals pitcher to reach base
When the 2022 Major League Baseball season begins, it should be with a new collective-bargaining agreement in place.
The current deal will expire on Dec. 1, and last month MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said it would be a “non-radical change” if the National League started using the designated hitter.
If that proves to be the case, then Jake Brentz could be the answer to this future trivia question: who was the last Royals pitcher to reach base.
Brentz drew a walk Friday during the Royals’ 6-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Not bad for a relief pitcher, right?
“Personally, I enjoy hitting, but I’m not very good at it,” said Brad Keller, who started Friday’s game. “So today was a bad showing for me. I didn’t swing the bat very well. But Brentzy, watching his AB, he looked like a legit hitter, I mean staying in there working a full count put some good swings, fouled off a few balls and worked a walk. That’s impressive.”
Royals pitchers only bat in National League parks against NL teams, which don’t use a designated hitter. There are no more Royals games scheduled this season in the NL.
So if the NL adopts the DH, this walk by Brentz could be a historical footnote:
Royals manager Mike Matheny said Brentz has been asking for an opportunity to showcase his batting skills.
“He got fined $50 for not knowing the signs,” Matheny joked. “But besides that, pretty impressive. He had a 98-mile an hour exit velocity on that foul ball that he hit. I’d seen Jake hit before so I knew he could handle himself up there. ...
“Talk about a special day, he’s not going to forget that. He’s been begging and lobbying for at-bats and for time in the outfield since he first got here, so it’s good to see him take advantage.”
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 12:36 PM.
