‘Reign the Zone’: Why Kansas City Royals’ new slogan is more than fancy lingo
The Kansas City Royals have a new slogan for the 2024 season. After a busy offseason netted the team multiple pitchers and offensive firepower, the Royals are aiming to win the American League Central.
A new year breeds a new mentality. Royals pitchers now look to “Reign the Zone” — a team slogan displayed on T-shirts — ahead of a pivotal 2024 season. It’s the next step in the pitching staff’s evolution as KC looks to reset after a disappointing campaign.
“Last year, it was ‘raid the zone.’ Now it’s, ‘You’re in the (strike) zone, and let’s rein it in,’” Royals starter Cole Ragans said. “I guess you can say commanding your stuff in the zone. Pick and choose where you want to go. It’s pretty exciting.”
The slogan plays on the unique homophone. The Royals want to “rein” in their pitches and throw quality strikes. However, KC also would like to “reign” over the strike zone with more control to generate desired results.
What constitutes reigning the zone? The meaning goes much deeper than a new spring training T-shirt.
In short, the Royals believe an effective strike-throwing plan will lead to more opportunities to win games.
“After what we went through last year, I think it was really important that we learn and grow from it,” Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney said. “As we got through the organizational meetings and (Royals general manager) J.J. (Picollo) set our true north of what we are trying to do, as a pitching team, we can think about ... the next step for us.”
As a result, the Royals realized the need to become more efficient. The pitching coaches analyzed different areas for growth. That included knowing each player’s strengths and weaknesses. It also included using data points to generate a better approach to the strike zone.
“As these guys learn that and learn their strengths, they are starting to reign the zone instead of just reading the zone,” Sweeney said. “It’s not just throwing it over the white plate. Now, they are thinking in the at-bat, if they need a swing and miss where to go. If they need some weak contact where to go. It was just the next step.”
The Royals utilized this philosophy when acquiring free agents this offseason. KC signed veteran starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. They also added Will Smith, Chris Stratton and acquired Nick Anderson and John Schreiber in trades.
Each new acquisition offers a diverse pitching arsenal. Lugo and Wacha operate around the strike zone. They won’t overpower opposing hitters, but they are effective at pitching to contact on the mound.
Meanwhile, Smith has found success in the late innings. He led the Texas Rangers with 22 saves last season and has won three consecutive World Series titles. Stratton, Anderson and Schreiber are valuable strike throwers as well.
“We have to give Q (Royals manager Matt Quatraro) and Brian Sweeney options where they feel comfortable,” Picollo said. And now, I think there is stability in all the guys we acquired that you know that they are going to command and compete in the strike zone. Don’t want to get overly concerned with strikeouts, but you know, trust our defense, put the ball in play and be efficient.”
Sweeney outlined four parameters, or “4 P’s,” that distinguish the “Reign the Zone” slogan. The Royals rely on multiple departments, such as sports science and behavioral science nutrition, to generate a holistic look at each player.
The first parameter revolves around the player. This helps the pitching coaches curate a specific plan that fits the player’s needs. For example, how does he process information?
The Royals gain that player data and create a pitching profile. It helps generate an overview that can be used to design a blueprint for their pitching delivery. The profile is the second parameter that the Royals use with their new slogan.
“It’s kind of like going around the bases and it helps me remember,” Sweeney said. “Going to first is the person. Going to second is the profiles with what the pitcher produces with their delivery.”
The next parameter is the plan of attack. The Royals focus on how a pitcher looks when throwing live bullpens or side sessions. They use different technologies, such as the TrackMan system and Edgertronic cameras, to produce high-quality video and images of a pitching motion.
The Royals can pinpoint areas where a pitcher can be effective throwing strikes. This might include changing the arm slot, hand grip or angle when throwing certain pitches. The goal is to attack hitters with quality command.
Lastly, the fourth parameter is performance. Here, the Royals put all the data together and finalize the plan for each pitcher. How they perform in games will determine whether changes will need to be adjusted or reworked.
“It’s the plan of attack and then it’s the performance,” Sweeney said.
Royals starter Brady Singer is excited about the new slogan. He struggled after an up-and-down 2023 season that led to a 5.52 ERA in 29 starts. He believes the revamped pitching mentality will help multiple players be successful.
“It’s a great mindset,” Singer said. “Obviously, staying in the zone leads to more weak contact and you can get to missing bats quicker. I think that’s a great idea that we can have. I think the it’s a huge concept we can all buy into. We are all supposed to be in the big leagues and we can trust our stuff in the zone more. They are trying to implement that.”
Singer posted a 7.0 walk percentage last season. He relied on his sinker and slider to keep batters off balance. This offseason, Singer is working on a sweeper and a variation of a split-changeup (a changeup thrown with a splitter grip) to add to his arsenal.
He is one of many Royals adding to their game. Ragans continues to develop his slider and is getting the feel for a two-seam fastball.
The Royals will be able to test their new approach in Cactus League play. The first game is Feb. 23 against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona.
KC will open the 2024 regular season at Kauffman Stadium against the Minnesota Twins on March 28.
This story was originally published February 18, 2024 at 12:30 PM with the headline "‘Reign the Zone’: Why Kansas City Royals’ new slogan is more than fancy lingo."
