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]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

I still don't get why the fans get shit for not showing up last year.

They shouldn't, and for the most part haven't outside of a few message board posters. If the fans fail to show up in 2014, then at that point its on them.

The life cycle of a returning fan-base is pretty well-known by now. At the beginning of 2013 the people who didn't show up in 2012 aren't following the team, aren't aware that they may improve, and are completely out on the Royals in April. When a losing team starts to win, the fans who were out on them will not commit to buying a ticket, but they will cautiously start to watch them on TV. We saw that last year, ratings on FSKC skyrocketed.

The offseason after that first good year, then fans who were out and transitioned to TV are now in, start to follow offseason news, and by the time April comes back around, they are ready to buy tickets. If we do not sell 2 million tickets, then the fanbase should hang their collective heads in shame. I'm hopeful for 2.25MM, and if the Royals start out hot we just might get close to 2.5MM, if not this year then maybe 2015 when the next wave of fans buy in.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Chapman's head after surgery:

Holy ****!

[C3HIEF3S]

This made me laugh

Finally, Mike Moustakas had an at-bat where he did not hit a ball hard. Instead, he walked.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 21, 2014

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Chapman's head after surgery:

Unreal

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

This made me laugh

Finally, Mike Moustakas had an at-bat where he did not hit a ball hard. Instead, he walked.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 21, 2014

/shakes fist RT @ryanmatheny16: so...it wasn't an at-bat then?

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 21, 2014

[CaliforniaChief]

I can't wait for this season. The team should be good. The beat writer might be better. HE has just the kind of snark this fan base needs.

[AndChiefs]

Originally Posted by alnorth

/shakes fist RT @ryanmatheny16: so...it wasn't an at-bat then?

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 21, 2014

[C3HIEF3S]

Something I've noticed too is that a lot of announcers refer to a walk as an AB too, just seems to be a gray area within the game.

[Halfcan]

Looks like another year of good pitching and no hitting-hope I am wrong.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by Halfcan

Looks like another year of good pitching and no hitting-hope I am wrong.

Based on what? The majority of our offense has been raking in ST.

[nychief]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

I still don't get why the fans get shit for not showing up last year. The Royals didn't even reach .500 until what? August? Having 2 winning seasons in the last 20 years doesn't exactly excite the casual fan. Now if the Royals are 10 games over .500 in June and competing for the central division and the fans still aren't there, then yeah it's a problem.

I would love to see 40,000 people at The K more than 2-3 times a year though, that's for sure.

EDIT: Royals reached .500 (51-51) on July 28th.

They get shit, because they didn't show up for a rare winner. It works both ways, you can't call yourself a great baseball town then sit on your fat ass at home and complain about beer prices when the team is finally worth a shit.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by nychief

They get shit, because they didn't show up for a rare winner. It works both ways, you can't call yourself a great baseball town then sit on your fat ass at home and complain about beer prices when the team is finally worth a shit.

Rare winners won't draw consistently large crowds, it just doesn't work like that. It doesn't matter how good of a baseball town you are (or say you are), if the product is mediocre, the fans won't pay for it.

Once again, I hope like hell we can see The K absolutely packed this year. Last year it isn't that big of a deal to me, but they absolutely need to show up this year if the Royals are in it, I agree.

[C3HIEF3S]

He got it right this time

Another plate appearance, or whatever, for Moustakas means another walk.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 21, 2014

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Yeah, but "being good consistently" isn't easy. They probably didn't make money last year, and they'll probably lose money this year unless they sell more tickets.

If they did sell an extra 750k-1MM tickets, that would probably enable (barely) a 9-digit payroll for as long as it lasts, but it wouldn't be a game-changer. TV is a lot more important.

This. Just my opinion, but having nearly every home game on TV has hurt the gate attendance. Especially in small market KC which hasn't had a tradition of winning for 20 years.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Coach]

Wait....

2 walks for Moose?