2014 Royals Repository

[duncan_idaho]

With my 6,000th post on ChiefsPlanet (it only took me 12 years to get here), I bring you: The 2014 Kansas City Royals Repository.

To be discussed here: All things Royals, as they attempt to post another winning season and make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

25-man RosterAvailable HERE

AL Central Standings:

Link

Duncan's Top 20 Royals Prospects

Spoiler!

1) 3B Hunter Dozier ETA: 2015
Dozier started slowly at A+ Wilmington but caught fire in May and June, earning a mid-season promotion to AA Northwest Arkansas. Big, strong kid with good plate discipline skills and solid power who projects to be an above-average glove at 3B with solid power.

2) SS Raul (Adalberto) Mondesi ETA: 2017
Mondesis is the opposite of Dozier…. Started red-hot at Wilmington before back spasms derailed him for a few weeks and hasn’t gotten it going since coming back. Scouting reports have been great – defense and speed both improved over the offseason. Still a chance to be an elite SS, with 40 SB speed, plus glove, .300 average and some pop.

3) LHP Sean Manaea | ETA: 2015
Scouting reports outperform the stat line so far. Missing a ton of bats at A+ but not preventing runs like you’d expect to see. Needs to work deeper into games (gradually working about an inning deeper/month so far this year) and improve control. Walks are biggest concern right now, but could be elevated due to work on extra off-speed offerings. Still has No. 2 starter potential, could be higher if the great control he exhibited before his hip surgery eventually comes back.

4) RHP Kyle Zimmer| ETA: 2015
Should be NO. 1 on the list and is probably the Royals most VALUABLE current prospect, but he hasn’t thrown a ball in 4-5 weeks and had only been throwing for 2-3 weeks when he was shut down then.

5) LHP Brandon Finnegan| ETA: 2015
Top 2014 draft choice is an undersized lefty who will start at A+ Wilmington after anchoring CWS run for TCU. Good fastball, better slider, change that needs work to stick as a starter, but if he sticks, No. 2/No. 3 starter upside. Likely a top 10 or even top 5 pick if he doesn’t miss 1 start in the middle of the college season as a precautionary move.

6) RHP Miguel Almonte| ETA: 2016
Have heard some say Almonte is more advanced as a pitcher at A+ than Yordano Ventura was (comparison because both were cheap signs out of Latin America). Really advanced changeup and a curve that is working out well (where the ‘more advanced’ comment comes from). Fastball velo is good but not great – 92-94. Like Manaea, working on his second-best offspeed pitch and leaning less on his bread-and butter (changeup), which has hurt his numbers a bit.

7) RHP Christian Binford 2017
Reverse case of “don’t just scout stat lines.” Based on his stats at A+, you’d think he was an elite prospect, but there are questions about Binford’s stuff playing up at higher levels. Tall righty with great command of fastball, slider and a good and still developing changeup. None of those pitches profiles as better than average, though, limiting his likely upside to back-end rotation guy.

8) SS Orlando Calixte| ETA: 2016
I still like him more than many. Good combination of SS/MI skills and power. Started hot at NWA but in a slump at moment.

9)LHP Foster Griffin | ETA: 2019
Tall, projectable lefty taken in 2014 draft. Viewed as a great value in the sandwich round and probably would have been KC’s pick at No. 17 if Finnegan hadn’t fallen. High school arm who is going to take a while to develop.

10) RF Jorge Bonifacio| ETA: 2016
Hasn’t hit as well as expected in his second go-round at AA NWA. Power still sapped, and average skills have dipped. Once looked like he might be an option in RF at some point in 2015, now looks like 2016 is optimistic. Still young for his level.

11) 3B/2B Cheslor Cuthbert| ETA: 2016
Cuthbert has had better luck at NWA than Boni and is also extremely young for level. HE’s been moved to 2B since Dozier was promoted, which could put a new spin on Cuthbert’s prospects. If he sticks at 2B, bat plays up much better. Good OBP/plate discipline and solid power, but needs to continue improving contact skills

12) C Chase Vallot| ETA: 2020
Young (just 17) C with tremendous power. One of the top prep bats and a great value for KC where it got him. If he sticks at C, expect him to move slowly, but the bat may force the issue (or force him to another position).

13) C Zane Evans| ETA: 2017
GA Tech product has handled Wilmington better than most RH bats and probably is in line for a promotion to NWA sometime soon. Decent pop, decent skills behind the plate. Could be a nice reserve catcher.

14) RHP Scott Blewett| ETA: 2020
Tall, projectable righty with a fresh arm but some injury concerns on his shoulder that slipped him out of Round 1 of MLB draft. Big time potential.

15) CF Bubba Starling | ETA:
Bubba Starling has great tools. Bubba Starling (still) can’t hit. That’s all I have to say about that.

16) 1B Samir Duenez| ETA:
I still like him, even though the attempt to run him through full season ball at 17 did not go well.

17)LF/RF Elier Hernandez| ETA:
Hernandez still pops up in scouting reports but still is very raw and toolsy.

18) RHP Pedro Fernandez| ETA:
Pop-up player on the same track as Ventura and Almonte. Similar signing, similar profile. One to watch over next few years.

19) SS Marten Gasparini| ETA:
Royals’ most expensive international signing likely moves to CF eventually, but his speed and athleticism are intriguing abilities. Early reports from complex ball are very positive on him.

20) RHP Niklas Stephenson| ETA:
Interesting pop-up candidate who found 10 more MPH on his fastball by using a weighted ball during workouts over the winter. Now sits mid-90s with fastball and is dominating at rookie ball (after having an ERA over 8 there a year ago). Likely promoted to a higher challenge soon.

[stonedstooge]

Gutrie doing standup in the dugout

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I've already taken off work to watch that game. Any objections to me starting that game thread Monday at 12:01 am?

No, but it better work God Dammit! Or else!!!!!!!!!

[lewdog]

Opening game starts at 10 am for me! **** my life.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

You obviously missed the exploits last year of Aaron "Negative WAR" Crow, Tiny Tim Collins walking every third batter and Kelvin "Chicks dig the long ball" Herrerra.


I do like the last one to at least step up this year.

Those aren't the only three guys in the pen.

Wade Davis (dominant as a reliever in 2012, dominant in that role for KC last year)

Kelvin Herrera (was great in the second half and very good after his return from Omaha - only allowed 1 HR in his final 38 IP).

Louis Coleman (lights out all season, especially against RHH, and greatly improved against LHH)

And yes, Crow and Collins. But Yost is actually carrying a lefty specialist in the pen this year, which should allow him to use Collins more appropriately (against RH hitters or more mixed lineups).

Crow, for as much as you rail against him, still has a good track record as a reliever and big-time stuff. He walks too many hitters, but he also has a good strikeout rate and is tough on elite RH bats. And he's not going to be the linchpin of the bullpen. Neither will Collins. Those roles likely fall to Davis and Herrera, who is really effective against LHP pitching because of his changeup.

[gblowfish]

Bueno looks muy Bueno!

Love watching Salvy work with the pitchers.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Bueno looks muy Bueno!

Love watching Salvy work with the pitchers.

He runs the team

[Canofbier]

Since Bray is passé, I went ahead and updated my avatar.

[Deberg_1990]

Great column from Rany the other day. Amazing fact:


http://www.ranyontheroyals.com

Back in 2011, I believe I wrote somewhere – and you’ll have to forgive me, I can’t find the reference – that the Royals probably had more Latin American talent in their farm system at that moment than they had developed in the 37 years before Dayton Moore was hired combined. Now, I know I can be guilty of hyperbole sometimes, hyperbole that occasionally tiptoes the line of outright untruth. But I stand by that statement 100%.

Here is a list of every amateur player that the Royals signed out of Latin America from 1969 to 2006, that would bat even 500 times or throw even 150 innings in the major leagues. (It’s possible that I missed someone, but I tried to be extremely thorough in my search.)

Player Signed Career bWAR

Melido Perez 1983 1987-1995 11.3
Luis Salazar 1973 1980-1992 9.1
Hipolito Pichardo 1987 1992-2002 6.3
Carlos Febles 1993 1998-2003 3.5
Runelvys Hernandez 1997 2002-2008 3.3
Andres Blanco 2000 2004-2011 1.2
Ambiorix Burgos 2000 2005-2007 0.7
Onix Concepcion 1976 1980-1987 0.0

This is an astounding list. In 37 years, the Royals came up with eight players that would last the equivalent of just one season in the major leagues, barely one every five years – two in the 1970s, two in the 1980s, two in the 1990s, and two in 2000. And it’s actually worse than that, because only three of those players amassed even 4 bWAR – the equivalent of basically two league-average seasons – in their careers.

Over 37 years, the best Latin American player the Royals developed who made a contribution to the team was Hipolito Pichardo. That is one of the most astoundingly depressing facts about the franchise that I’ve ever written, and I’ve written a lot of astoundingly depressing facts.

[Pepe Silvia]

Good luck this year guys, except your 4 games against the Cards.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by PackerinMo

Good luck this year guys, except your 4 games against the Cards.

It will be nice to have you meet Mr. Ventura. HAHAHAHAHA

[stonedstooge]

Ump having a career night. 9 caught looking so far

[Canofbier]

Escobar just hit the ball so hard that he knocked the shortstop over!

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Canofbier

Since Bray is passé, I went ahead and updated my avatar.

[Sure-Oz]

Royals manager Ned Yost said Tuesday that he expects Omar Infante (elbow) to be ready for Opening Day.


Infante admitted that his elbow was still bothering him during a minor league game Tuesday, but Yost was pleased overall. "He played five innings, made two plays at second, had five at-bats, walked and scored from first on a double, so he looked good," Yost said. "Everything went well." Infante will play in another minor league game Wednesday before serving as a DH in a Cactus League game Thursday. "If he does good in all that, we're going to fly him to Milwaukee and let him play in both of those exhibition games and be ready for Opening Day," Yost said.
Source: Royals.mlb.com
Mar 25 - 11:05 PM

[tyton75]

I'm really starting to worry about who the backup infielder will be for Infante/Esky. I don't think Valencia can play all the spots, can he?