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.

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Yost's reasoning on batting Escobar 2nd: He doesn't want to mess with rest of the order. "I’ve got my guys lined up, where I want them."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

If you excuse me, I'm going to duck now.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

And this is why Yost is going to eventually be fired. To his credit, he's learned several lessons from his failures. Lineup construction - which is admittedly overrated - and in-game tactics will continue to dog him. He simply has no "feel" for those types of things. Escobar should never bat anywhere other than last until or unless he proves he can take a walk OR hit above .300 consistently.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by AustinChief

I don't get this. If you can't teach a 17 year old how to be an average 1st baseman there is something wrong. (unless he's a midget)

1st base doesn't really count as a defensive position. If a guy is 17 and the thought is that he's either a LF or a 1B, they really don't have a true defensive position.

Duenez has a small chance of sticking in LF, but most think he's 1B only.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Three7s

This better not be the case when Infante is in the lineup.

Not sure you understood. Infante isn't in Milwaukee, so Yost decided to replace him with Escobar.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Yost's reasoning on batting Escobar 2nd: He doesn't want to mess with rest of the order. "I’ve got my guys lined up, where I want them."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

If you excuse me, I'm going to duck now.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 28, 2014

[alnorth]

That last RT is just a spectacular display of wrong. Too many jokes to choose just one, but Yost really wants to bat MLB's worst hitter 2nd.

— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) March 28, 2014

If you or someone you know loves Ned Yost, talk some sense into him. I know the Royals watch this account. Someone help him.

— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) March 28, 2014

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan

And this is why Yost is going to eventually be fired. To his credit, he's learned several lessons from his failures. Lineup construction - which is admittedly overrated - and in-game tactics will continue to dog him. He simply has no "feel" for those types of things. Escobar should never bat anywhere other than last until or unless he proves he can take a walk OR hit above .300 consistently.

There is no excuse for having a .240 hitter batting 2nd over a proven, consistent hitter in Infante. Completely stupid.

[alnorth]

I think I've written 100 posts pushing back against lineup overreactions. The order for #2-#5 or #3-#6 shouldn't matter, but this is too much.

You put your bad hitters #8 and #9 for one simple reason: you don't want them to bat more often than they have to. Putting your #9 at #2 is stupid unless he's some OBP freak with infield dirt power (which isn't Escobar), and even then its very questionable.

[-King-]

Is a spring training lineup where the projected #2 hitter is injured such a big deal?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Three7s

There is no excuse for having a .240 hitter batting 2nd over a proven, consistent hitter in Infante. Completely stupid.

He's not batting 2nd instead of Infante.

Infante is in Arizona, and Yost is bumping Escobar up to #2 to replace him.

Obviously what he should do is bat Gordon 2nd when Infante is not playing, but Escobar should be safely at the bottom if Infante is healthy.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by alnorth

He's not batting 2nd instead of Infante.

Infante is in Arizona, and Yost is bumping Escobar up to #2 to replace him.

Obviously what he should do is bat Gordon 2nd when Infante is not playing, but Escobar should be safely at the bottom if Infante is healthy.

I figured that's what it was for, but judging by the tweets, it wasn't made perfectly clear.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by -King-

Is a spring training lineup where the projected #2 hitter is injured such a big deal?

If it carries over into the regular season where we have a legitimate shot to contend in a tight race, then yes.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Three7s

I figured that's what it was for, but judging by the tweets, it wasn't made perfectly clear.

Infante has been #2 all spring, and Yost has said many, many times that he's going Aoki-Infante at the top.

So, if Infante is healthy (knock on wood), then we have nothing to worry about, but batting Escobar 2nd if Infante is not available is so stupid, it warrants a big twitter reaction.

If nothing else, we now have another reason to care a lot about Infante's elbow.

[Sure-Oz]

Escobar should never bat higher than 9th

[BlackHelicopters]

No sense at all to this.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

If it carries over into the regular season where we have a legitimate shot to contend in a tight race, then yes.

Yeah I know that, but I don't get people who freak out about something like this. The other day Dyson played DH. I just don't see anything wrong with freaky spring training lineups.