Joakim Soria is off to a better start this season. You don’t need an advanced degree in sabermetrics to see this. In six innings across five appearances, Soria has not allowed a run. His strikeout numbers are up. He has avoided the high-leverage meltdowns that soiled his 2016 season and sullied his once-estimable reputation in Kansas City.
But to understand why Soria has been a better reliever, you have to look a little closer. Royals manager Ned Yost credits better luck — or rather, a lack of the strange bounces and weird happenings that coalesced with a handful of mistakes to turn a season into a relief pitcher’s nightmare.