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.

[alnorth]

Andy McCullough ‏@McCulloughStar 36m

He stuck with baseballs today. He is a man, not a Pokemon. RT @Brad_Hope: Would you say he threw 'fire' Andy?

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by alnorth

. I like this new guy.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Remember when we were talking about how useless spring training is, especially for pitchers?

This is one exception: when a starting pitcher is fighting for a job, and he faces major league hitters.

Ventura is not working on stuff, he's trying to out-pitch Duffy.

When you've got a plus-plus fastball, plus hammer curve and an average changeup, you don't have much work to do other than fine-tuning.

[Prison Bitch]

Ventura isn't working on anything other than proving he can go more innings. Last year was his audition, not this spring.

[CaliforniaChief]

Andy McCullough is rapidly growing on me. I loved Dutton on Twitter. He was like the crabby grandfather that was really funny. McCullough is a great follow on Twitter and seems to have a really odd, yet funny relationship with Ned Yost.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Andy McCullough is rapidly growing on me. I loved Dutton on Twitter. He was like the crabby grandfather that was really funny. McCullough is a great follow on Twitter and seems to have a really odd, yet funny relationship with Ned Yost.

He's incredible. Very, very good at what he does (and that's me with my professional journalist hat on).

[C3HIEF3S]

Yordano Ventura asked Bruce Chen for advice on how to dial back his velocity. There is a joke in there, somewhere.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 12, 2014

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Yordano Ventura asked Bruce Chen for advice on how to dial back his velocity. There is a joke in there, somewhere.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 12, 2014

This guy is hilarious!

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Yordano Ventura asked Bruce Chen for advice on how to dial back his velocity. There is a joke in there, somewhere.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 12, 2014

[mr. tegu]

I might have to create a twitter account just to follow him.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The bad news is that it was during an intrasquad game.

Huh?

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

This guy is hilarious!

Agreed.

What if this was really Dutton's sock...

[alnorth]

If "Ace" Ventura develops as we hope, then there's no reason why the Royals can't remain competitive after Shields leaves for at least another couple years and maybe even 2017 if we extend Gordon.

2018 is obviously looking iffy unless we find a bunch of cash or find a replacement for some of the young guys who hit free agency.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

. I like this new guy.

I do too. Will be a fun follow this year:

Andy McCullough ‏@McCulloughStar 59m
Alex Gordon is no longer in today's lineup. The rest of the outfield is debating whether Russell Wilson is "elite." Let's get weird.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

If "Ace" Ventura develops as we hope, then there's no reason why the Royals can't remain competitive after Shields leaves for at least another couple years and maybe even 2017 if we extend Gordon.

2018 is obviously looking iffy unless we find a bunch of cash or find a replacement for some of the young guys who hit free agency.

Yes, what's lost a little bit in the excitement about the development of Ventura, Manaea, Zimmer and Almonte is that the hitting prospects are not nearly as exciting.

I love RA Mondesi, but he's more of a contributing offensive player than a lineup-carrier. .280/15/30 SB from a SS is a tanatalizing line and within his reach, but that's more of a good No. 2 hitter or lower-order hitter than a middle of the lineup star.

Dozier is a nice prospect at 3B but is probably more of a nice contributor than huge impact guy, too (Kyle Seager is a good comparison/target, I think).

Bonifacio is Billy Butler lite, but able to play RF.

Beyond those three, you're having to hope a lot. If Starling can figure out the hit tool enough to be a .260 major league player, he's a useful offensive player. Especially if he continues to post an OBP 75-90 points higher than his average (That upside would make him basically Nick Swisher if Swisher was a Gold Glove-level CF).

Elier Hernandez and Alexis Rivera and Cheslor Cuthbert are all younger, high-priced LA signings, but none has EXPLODED onto the scene yet. Also hear good things about Samir Duenez. But like I said, there's a lot of hope involved with those guys.