The best thing about Joakim Soria is that he's really, really, really good.
Can Royals’ Joakim Soria Get Any Better?
The second best thing about Joakim Soria is that he's perfectly happy being a Kansas City Royal. But if the Royals were to trade him? Why, he would happy with that, too.
Might he actually become a better pitcher, though? From Bob Dutton (via the Kansas City Star) ...
“Oh, of course, I can get better,” he said. “Everybody can get better. You can get better every day. That’s why we work every day. In baseball, you’re always learning.”
Ask for specifics, and Soria quickly runs through a checklist.
“My command can get better,” he said. “My curveball can get better. It’s been off for a couple of years. It’s not the same as it was my first year. I can improve that. I can improve a lot of things.”
I’m not saying he’s wrong, and it’s certainly true that his curveball wasn’t really working last year. But his slider has improved, and it’s perfectly possible that both pitches just can’t be outstanding.
Obviously, you want Soria working to improve, and I have no doubt that this year he’ll do some things better than last year. But he’ll do some things worse, too. It’s the nature of the game. And considering that Soria is probably the most talented relief pitcher on the planet right now, there just isn’t much (if any) room for fundamental improvement.
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