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.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I'm not convinced we "won" the Greinke deal. You are? So far Esobar and Cain have been pretty blasé, until this season. If Cain stays healthy then it changes quite a bit. Also you have to NPV trades. Getting some more WAR in the out years doesn't equal getting it now, nor does it account for the fact Milwaukee has already replaced both (with equal or better players mind you) at the same cost.

In 2012, to go along with his .293 average, Esky had 35 steals and posted a 3.4 WAR. But he did nothing before this season? Sure.

Last season he took a step back and was clearly ignoring the things that made him successful the year before. That seems to have been corrected though.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Better move remains acquiring a bat.

Adrian Beltre is by far the best target for the Royals, so let's hope the Rangers continue to tank.

I would've said Beltre in my prior post, but I figured that would command too much. I thought Prado would be a little more Royals-eske.

[Don Corlemahomes]

I'd rather see us get Zobrist than Prado.

Between the contract and prospect cost, Beltre seems impossible.

[SPchief]

Lincecum just pitched his 2nd no hitter in 2 years against the Padres

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Still firm on your (Late April 2014) belief that Gordo is an "utter disgrace?"

Oh yes, he was absolutely playing like shit in April. He's been great since.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Oh yes, he was absolutely playing like shit in April. He's been great since.

Wait. In spite of having an 18 WAR over the three previous seasons, he suddenly "sucked" and was an "utter disgrace" after a slow start to the season? Your hyperbolic summations are why no one here takes you seriously.

Even Miguel Cabrera goes through cold streaks, it's baseball, it happens, and being unable to adapt to that must make it frustrating to follow the sport.

[Prison Bitch]

Gordon didn't have a very good year last season at the plate IIRC but maybe he did. Fortunately defense always travels.


At any rate we can argue about the hitters all day until we are blue in the face, but try defending our lineup on another teams message board and get feedback from unbiased folks who aren't homers like you seem to be.


The data is clear: our hitting sucks, has sucked, and will suck. Regardless how that hurts your feelings.

[tk13]

It's funny because they had a big debate tonight on MLB Network whether Gordon was a superstar. The analysts... Harold Reynolds and Al Leiter said no. They agreed he's an excellent player but they'd need to see him hit 30 HR first to call him a superstar. Brian Kenny, who usually brings the sabermetric angle... argued maybe he should be considered in that class, he's top 10 in WAR over the last 4 years, and is near the top again this year.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by tk13

It's funny because they had a big debate tonight on MLB Network whether Gordon was a superstar. The analysts... Harold Reynolds and Al Leiter said no. They agreed he's an excellent player but they'd need to see him hit 30 HR first to call him a superstar. Brian Kenny, who usually brings the sabermetric angle... argued maybe he should be considered in that class, he's top 10 in WAR over the last 4 years, and is near the top again this year.

I like Gordon but I don't see him as a superstar, and given his age, I doubt he gets there since it took him a long time to develop.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Gordon didn't have a very good year last season at the plate IIRC but maybe he did. Fortunately defense always travels.


At any rate we can argue about the hitters all day until we are blue in the face, but try defending our lineup on another teams message board and get feedback from unbiased folks who aren't homers like you seem to be.


The data is clear: our hitting sucks, has sucked, and will suck. Regardless how that hurts your feelings.

I actually agree with PB here. This line up is weak, but with a couple long ball threats, everyone would become exponentially better.

The reason our Babip is so damn weak is because pitchers can nibble and play around because no ones in any danger of making them pay, and therefore no hitters protective. That has a negative snow ball effect on performance and vice versa.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Gordon didn't have a very good year last season at the plate IIRC but maybe he did. Fortunately defense always travels.


At any rate we can argue about the hitters all day until we are blue in the face, but try defending our lineup on another teams message board and get feedback from unbiased folks who aren't homers like you seem to be.


The data is clear: our hitting sucks, has sucked, and will suck. Regardless how that hurts your feelings.

Let's get back on topic. You wanted me to find where you bashed Gordon, Cain and Escobar. In spite of you saying these posts didn't exist at all, I found a post where you bashed all of them within the last six months.

And again, with the truth right in your face, you're proceeding to dodge, shift the subject, and move the goalposts.

I don't know why I'm surprised.

[KevB]

The A's Sean Doolittle's K to walk ratio is 53:1. Let me repeat --- he has struck out 53 batters and walked 1. Hard to believe.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by KevB

The A's Sean Doolittle's K to walk ratio is 53:1. Let me repeat --- he has struck out 53 batters and walked 1. Hard to believe.

And I thought Koji had a good K/BB.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by KevB

The A's Sean Doolittle's K to walk ratio is 53:1. Let me repeat --- he has struck out 53 batters and walked 1. Hard to believe.

In May and June he's pitched 23.1 innings and allowed 0 runs on 5 hits.

[BigBeauford]

Originally Posted by KevB

The A's Sean Doolittle's K to walk ratio is 53:1. Let me repeat --- he has struck out 53 batters and walked 1. Hard to believe.

Sounds like he's been doing..............a lot.