MLB: Q&A with Trey Hillman

Thank you for taking on the challenge of bringing the Royals back to a contending team. Knowing we’re not there yet, what do you see as our three greatest needs and, more important, do you see any way of fulfilling those needs from within the organization?

Hillman: Number one would be the consistency of starting pitching. Number two would be the depth of starting pitching. Number three would be an accelerated understanding of the importance of on-base percentage of our offensive players until we can trade for or promote from within more slug and power in our position players. Yes, it can be developed to what we are doing in our system, but it will not happen overnight. It will take a few years.

Is anything going to be done to improve the amounts of walks the young Royals hitters draw?

Hillman: More continuing education, but we continue to work on all the right things. It is a maturation process that takes several years at the highest level before the plan holistically takes effect.

Shoot...holeism has already taken effect of John Buck’s swing.