iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Lesky

@dblesky.bsky.social

1.8K followers 231 following 3.1K posts

I write about the Royals on Inside the Crown and talk about them weekly on Kauffman Corner. And I do some radio too, so that's kind of cool. insidethecrown.substack.com/subscribe

Posts Replies Media

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The first Crown Jewels of the offseason is here and it’s always free for everyone. This week I wrote about some other team’s arb-eligible players who might interest the #Royals along with their outfield defense and my annoyance at this year’s playoffs.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Crown Jewels: Arb-Eligible Targets, Outfield Defense, Playoff Differences

All the Royals and baseball news that isn’t big enough for a full newsletter but is on my mind.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Seven months of talking #Royals every week with Pat Strathman on ESPN Wichita. It's that time of the week for me to count down the minutes until it's over. Please listen.

static.klipy.com

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I’ll get to what went wrong with the 2026 #Royals tomorrow or Monday, but first I looked at a few things that actually went right. It wasn’t a total loss of a season!

insidethecrown.substack.com

What Went Right for the 2026 Royals?

A lot went wrong for the Royals, but that doesn't mean nothing went right, so we're starting with the positives in a season that was anything but.

Reposted by David Lesky

Soren Petro @sorenpetro.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Join @dblesky.bsky.social and @sorenpetro.bsky.social on the Kauffman Corner YouTube live stream! Watch and comment with the link below… www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iexi...

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I did this exercise last year with the MLB playoff teams and thought it was interesting, so I did it again to see what lessons the #Royals can be taught from some stats of the teams who made it. Not sure we learned anything new, but it was still interesting!

insidethecrown.substack.com

What the Royals Can Learn from the Playoff Teams

Is there anything the Royals did better than playoff teams?

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Time for a little #Royals talk on Sports Radio 810 with Soren Petro , Kurtis Seaboldt and @kylecollier810.bsky.social Get your fix now!

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

If you're not already a paid subscriber, now is a great time to become one. I've got 25% off a year of an annual subscription for a limited time!

insidethecrown.substack.com

Subscribe to Inside the Crown

Taking a deeper dive into all things Kansas City Royals. Click to read Inside the Crown, by David Lesky, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

JJ and Q spoke about the brutal #Royals season and hit on a bunch of topics. I tried to write all about it and give some of my takes too.

insidethecrown.substack.com

JJ Picollo and Matt Quatraro Look to the Future

The season-ending press conference gave a glimpse into how the Royals are going to turn it around in 2027.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Don't forget that you can get 25% off a year of an annual subscription for a limited time! I'll have a breakdown of JJ and Q's presser up tomorrow morning and I have a ton planned for this offseason. You don't want to miss all the #Royals content!

insidethecrown.substack.com

Subscribe to Inside the Crown

Taking a deeper dive into all things Kansas City Royals. Click to read Inside the Crown, by David Lesky, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

If you ever want to recreate the feeling of the morning after eating the Taco Party Pack from Taco Bell, try talking to Pat Strathman. I'll join him on ESPN Wichita to talk #Royals in just a minute.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Don’t forget that you can get 25% off a year of an annual subscription for a limited time right now!

insidethecrown.substack.com

Subscribe to Inside the Crown

Taking a deeper dive into all things Kansas City Royals. Click to read Inside the Crown, by David Lesky, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I do it every year because I’m an idiot, but here I go again trying to predict the entirety of the postseason before it starts. Maybe I’ll get one series right this year. 🤞

insidethecrown.substack.com

The Audacity of Predicting the MLB Playoffs

There’s nothing dumber than putting a prediction out publicly because you WILL be ridiculed for it.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Here’s the link to get 25% off a year of an annual subscription!

insidethecrown.substack.com

Subscribe to Inside the Crown

Taking a deeper dive into all things Kansas City Royals. Click to read Inside the Crown, by David Lesky, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

000

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The final Weekend in Review is here and free for all. I broke down all three games, as always, and gave a player of the week and a look ahead to my offseason #Royals coverage on the newsletter. And hey, get 25% off a year of an annual subscription right now!

insidethecrown.substack.com

Weekend in Review: Fin...Finally

The season from hell finally ended for the Royals.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The offense came out swinging to give the #Royals an early lead (that Seth Lugo shockingly couldn’t hold). They also finished with a flourish. A big hit and some big-time fire from the back of the bullpen.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Big Start, Powerful Finish

The Royals came out of the gates on fire and then the back of the bullpen threw fire to close it out.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I’ve decided to talk #Royals with Pat Strathman on ESPN Wichita today just to make sure I can still feel something. Figured it’s better than a fork in the leg, but now I’m reconsidering. Anyway, hope you’ll listen.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Coming at you a day early on Sports Radio 810 to talk some #Royals with Soren Petro , Kurtis Seaboldt and @kylecollier810.bsky.social Listen in!

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

He will likely compete for a spot. I would bet heavily on him not winning it. I mentioned the two solid starts in a row in the newsletter and get into why I don’t see it and never have including his numbers as a starter overall.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

On the bright side, Daniel Lynch IV is leaving no doubt about his role for the 2027 #Royals. He got rocked last night and put the team in a massive hole that a late inning explosion couldn’t pull them out of.

insidethecrown.substack.com

A Blowout Turned Slugfest

A blowout became a close game with some garbage time runs for the Royals after Daniel Lynch IV made none of it matter.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The #Royals had leads at in all three games including late in two. They lost all three. The Weekend in Review, free for everyone, digs into all three losses and the team reminding us of their fatal flaw. Plus, I give a player of the week and look ahead to the final week of the season.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Weekend in Review: Just the Pitts

The Royals went to one of the jewels of ballparks and the bullpen laid an egg. What’s new?

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I should have put this out before but one of my clients at my real-life job has a pick ‘em contest for NFL games this year. It’s free to join, and there are weekly and segment prizes that are paid out by the sponsors. No reason not to!

contests.app.splashsports.com

Team Pickem | Splash Sports

Team Pickem — private football pick'em contests on Splash.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It all came together for the #Royals for one night with a strong Daniel Lynch IV start and highlights from three bats with varying levels of importance to the future. The playoff dream is officially dead, but good nights are good nights.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Lynch Gets Rave Reviews

Add in a Michael Massey home run and a Carter Jensen double, and you’ve got a pretty nice little Wednesday for the Royals.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I hope it's many years before my daughter has to learn that life isn't always fair. I learn that lesson every Wednesday when I'm forced to talk to Pat Strathman on ESPN Wichita. We'll talk #Royals next.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The weekend started off right but it was the best it would get. The #Royals were pretty clearly the second best team of the two all weekend, which sort of is what it is. I wrote about all three games, gave a player of the week and looked to the penultimate week of the season.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Weekend in Review: Royals Drop Another Series

The Royals dropped their fourth straight series after a promising start.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Ha I just texted you this.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Every year teams need to make decisions on which prospects to add to the 40-man to protect from the Rule 5 draft. With a lockout looming, this year has some added intrigue with the potential for no draft. How do teams handle it? I wrote today about the options for the #Royals.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Royals and Their Rule 5 Decisions

There aren’t a lot of decisions to make, but there are some.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Still coming at you on a Thursday with Soren Petro , Kurtis Seaboldt and @kylecollier810.bsky.social with #Royals talk. It’s just a wee bit earlier on Sports Radio 810. Listen in.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

It’s hard to lose when you play great defense and hit the ball over the wall. That’s exactly what the #Royals did last night and how they salvaged another series finale on a tough homestand.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Defense and Dingers

The Royals salvaged a third straight series on a homestand that could have been much worse.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

My wife has an ear infection AND a sinus infection. Yet I’m envious of her because she doesn’t have to talk to Pat Strathman and I do. Listen to us talk #Royals on ESPN Wichita in a minute.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It’s a holiday edition of the Weekend in Review, but it’s still free for all. The #Royals ran into a red hot Blue Jays team and continued to play insanely hot games. I wrote about it all, including the player of the week and the week ahead.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Weekend in Review: Hot Weather, Hot Blue Jays, Royals Series Loss

But hey, at least the Royals got the finale, right?

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

On the day Jac Caglianone was named American League Player of the Month (and Noah Cameron AL Pitcher of the Month), Carter Jensen started his campaign for the September award. He and Cags led the way in a #Royals win, and that won’t get old.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Carter and Cags FTW

It’s easy to find a reason to get excited about the Royals when the two young bats are taking over games.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Jac Caglianone is the American League Player of the Month for August! Noah Cameron is the American League Pitcher of the Month for August!

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A big first made way for a quiet rest of the game for the #Royals. I wrote about Noah Cameron’s struggles in the heat, Carter Jensen’s big day and a bullpen’s struggles in a game that felt a lot like one we’ve seen too many times this season.

insidethecrown.substack.com

We’ll Always Have August for the Royals

A game they would have won a week ago was a Royals loss that looked very familiar.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Hearing that Matt Quatraro was actually so angry last night because someone told him he might have to talk to Pat Strathman today. Turns out that's my unfortunate lot in life. Anyway, we'll talk #Royals next on ESPN Wichita.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

It’s Dr. Mr. Please respect my titles.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Generally, but they’ve had players and pitchers of the month in bad seasons too.

000

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I don’t know, 150 points of SLG is massive.

000

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Noah Cameron's August: 4-0, 1.87 ERA, 33.2 IP Competitors: Messick - 2-0, 2.02 ERA, 36 IP Rasmussen - 5-0, 2.57 ERA, 35 IP Cease - 2-0, 2.03 ERA, 31 IP Quantrill - 2-2, 1.45 ERA, 31 IP Detmers - 1-1, 1.50 ERA, 30 IP Melton - 1-2, 2.10 ERA, 30 IP Cameron *could* win it.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Jac Caglianone's August: .411/.429/.684, 6 HR, 17 R, 26 RBI Competitors: Tristan Peters - .320/.414/.640 Alejandro Kirk - .341/.412/.534 Pete Alonso - .333/.407/.619 Chase DeLauter - .363/.440/.538 Luke Keaschall - .337/.416/.571 I think Cags takes this.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I'm not sure when monthly awards are announced, but if you were wondering, the #Royals have had both the player and pitcher of the month in the same month three times: July 1985: George Brett & Bret Saberhagen September 1981: Willie Wilson & Larry Gura July 1980: Brett & Gura

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The weekend ended with a thud but it was another series win for the #Royals and a winning road trip. They face a climb I don’t think they can make, but I broke down all the games from the weekend, gave my player of the week and looked ahead.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Weekend in Review: Another Royals Series Win

The Royals are clearly playing better baseball, but they may have really needed a sweep.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

A quick Kauffman Corner programming note: I won’t say it’s Soren Petro directly, but *someone* is traveling so the new episode will be Monday at 9pm CDT instead of tonight at 9pm CDT. We’ll break down a winning #Royals road trip and more tomorrow night.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

How would the #Royals respond to finally losing a game? How would Jac respond to a rough night where he made some big outs? Turns out both absolutely nailed their response in a blowout of a team fighting for their playoff lives.

insidethecrown.substack.com

The Jac Show Leads Royals to a Rout

The Royals lost for the first time in more than a week. It’s safe to say they responded well.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The winning streak may have ended, but that doesn’t mean I won’t talk #Royals with Jack Johnson, Kurtis Seaboldt and @kylecollier810.bsky.social on Sports Radio 810 in just a minute.

000

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

If you're thinking about this year's fantasy football loser punishment, consider making the loser talk to Pat Strathman every Wednesday on ESPN Wichita. The Waffle House Challenge can't compete with this. Anyway, we'll talk #Royals next.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

That’s nine in a row for the #Royals! There were contributions all over, but Tyler Tolbert coming in for Michael Massey made a HUGE impact in the ninth to help seal the victory.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Nine Games Wonder

The Royals won their ninth in a row behind clutch hits and some un-clutch Blue Jays plays.

Reposted by David Lesky

Soren Petro @sorenpetro.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Join @dblesky.bsky.social and @sorenpetro.bsky.social on the Kauffman Corner YouTube live stream! Watch and comment with the link below… www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IGd...

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Another series, another #Royals sweep. In this week’s Weekend in Review, I break down the games, dig into how common these late season surges actually are, give a player of the week and look to the week ahead.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Weekend in Review: Eight is Great for the Royals

Hopefully you kept your brooms handy from Thursday because the Royals have done it again.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Randy Dobnak did something more rare than throwing a perfect game. Bobby Witt Jr. homered. Maikel Garcia got hurt. Again. The #Royals swept a series. There was a lot going on.

insidethecrown.substack.com

Break Out the Brooms

No comeback necessary for the Royals to finish off the sweep of the Athletics.

David Lesky @dblesky.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Some #Royals talk coming to your ears on Sports Radio 810. Join me, Soren Petro , Kurtis Seaboldt and @kylecollier810.bsky.social in just a minute.