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.

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Good with this.

And not that he would have been an answer to our power problems, but we never should have let David Lough be traded.

Idk, Valencia probably going to be more useful in the end.

[SPATCH]

Gets me frustrated when I think about it, man. 1B, 3B, LF, RF, DH have to provide some pop. 5 total HRs from those players near the end of April. So ****ing bad. SOOOOOO ****ing bad.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by SPATCH

Idk, Valencia probably going to be more useful in the end.

Probably true, especially if Ned insists on going on with no extra middle infielder.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by SPATCH

I was trying to day-dream ways that we might address this team's utter lack of power once the trade window opens up, and I was sort of at a loss.

Do we get a 4th OF type with some pop and start DHing him?

Might be prudent, especially considering Cain will probably break again. Play Aoki in CF and put the power bat in RF.

Can Aoki cover CF?

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Can Aoki cover CF?

I'm fairly certain he has done it before.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by SPATCH

I was trying to day-dream ways that we might address this team's utter lack of power once the trade window opens up, and I was sort of at a loss.

Do we get a 4th OF type with some pop and start DHing him?

Might be prudent, especially considering Cain will probably break again. Play Aoki in CF and put the power bat in RF.

I said in another thread, I would DH Perez once a week there. Give him a break from squating an extra day. Maybe on Chens starts. No reason for him to catch Chen.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Valiant

I said in another thread, I would DH Perez once a week there. Give him a break from squating an extra day. Maybe on Chens starts. No reason for him to catch Chen.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Valiant

I said in another thread, I would DH Perez once a week there. Give him a break from squating an extra day. Maybe on Chens starts. No reason for him to catch Chen.

I would think it would be smart if we did rest him and pair a pitcher to our backup to primarily catch them. He could DH from time to time too...

[Nightfyre]

I wanna see Salvy at 3B. Dude could crush with that arm and agility.

[CoMoChief]

At this point the Royals need to be projecting these kinds of #'s (listed below). This is what they SHOULD be doing, and what we all expect from them. The only problem is, they're not who we all thought they were.


* This team should be hitting anywhere from 160-170 HRs a season, which would rank them approx 10th-15th (based on last season's ML team stats). For the past 20 years, Royals are always in the bottom 5 of this category...people need to stop blaming Kauffman Stadium for this.

* This team should be hitting around a collective .270-.280BA, which would rank them in the top5 (based on last season's ML team stats). Last season they were top 10 (9th), batting a collective .260, so there's no reason why this stat can't improve.

Folks, with our pitching staff, this is a WS team if our guys would be able to produce these kind of numbers:


1.RF-Aoki .285BA 7HR 55RBI 85R 15SB
2.2B-Infante .300BA 10HR 55RBI 65R
3.1B-Hosmer .290BA 25HR 85RBI 15SB
4.DH-Butler .300BA 35HR 105RBI
5.3B-Moustakas .285BA 25HR 80RBI
6.LF-Gordon .285BA 25HR 85RBI 15SB
7.C-Perez .290BA 20HR 80RBI
8.CF-Cain .265BA 10HR 55RBI 20SB
-->OF/PR-Dyson .260BA 40SB**
9.SS-Escobar .270BA 5HR 60RBI 40SB**

**Anytime when either Escobar or Dyson are on 1B with no one on 2B, with a RHP on the mound, these guys need to be stealing.

[Nightfyre]

So if everyone achieves career highs in every category, this team turns into a WS team. Great insight.

[Deberg_1990]

Butler hitting 35 HRs.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Butler hitting 35 HRs.

In two and a half seasons, maybe.

[C3HIEF3S]

So much

Not only is Butler not a 35 HR hitter, he never has been and he never will be.
No shit our team would be a WS team with a team that produced those kind of numbers, but our team isn't that team and if you're dreaming of them being that team then you should stop watching the 2014 Royals because you're going to be severely disappointed.

[Simplicity]

I know this will probably sound like a typical high school baseball player's opinion but my favorite player has to be either Bryce Harper, that being said, Jose Fernandez probably shares it to... Two opposing reason too. Bryce brings attitude and Jose Fernandez brings a crazy ridiculous work ethic.

But none of this really matters because Ventura, Salvy, Hosmer, Gordo, Infante, and Esky is in front of both, in that order.


random thoughts of the night btw