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.

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

its like me watching a Royals game....

[duncan_idaho]

Missed the Fernandez ACL injury. That's terrible, but considering how hard he throws I guess it isn't all that surprising.

That seems to be the main contributor for guys blowing elbows.

Still doesn't make the Bubba Starling pick feel any better, though.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Missed the Fernandez ACL injury. That's terrible, but considering how hard he throws I guess it isn't all that surprising.

That seems to be the main contributor for guys blowing elbows.

Still doesn't make the Bubba Starling pick feel any better, though.

or watching Anthony Rendon, the next pick in that draft, having great success at MLB level while Starling continues to be a failure at the A ball level.

Rendon also plays 3B and 2B, which is greatly needed at this point.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

or watching Anthony Rendon, the next pick in that draft, having great success at MLB level while Starling continues to be a failure at the A ball level.

Rendon also plays 3B and 2B, which is greatly needed at this point.

I'll just leave this here and slowly back away...

6) Anthony Rendon
7) Archie Bradley
8) Franicsco Lindor
9) Javier Baez
10) Corey Spangenberg (Not much yet but at least not a colossal failulre at MiLB level)
11) George Springer
12) Taylor Jungmann (Meh)
13) Brandon Nimmo (close. Great OBP skills, can play CF)
14) Jose Fernandez

[CaliforniaChief]

Is it that we can't draft or that we can't develop?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Is it that we can't draft or that we can't develop?

Yes.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Is it that we can't draft or that we can't develop?

The Royals have drafted well in most years under Dayton Moore. The 2010 and 2011 drafts are kind of black holes when you look at the first round picks. There are a few picks in each of those drafts later that could save the overall draft class, but Christian Colon and Bubba Starling are two big, ugly marks.

Minor league development is better now than it was, but I think it's pretty clear there's a problem with developing hitters. I believe his name is "Jack Maloof."

Pitching development seems to have gotten better since they minimized Bill Fischer (another dinosaur like Maloof). Can only hope the hitting development has done the same since Maloof was fired as hitting coach last year.

[siberian khatru]

Dayton Moore sees a 19-19 team and whines about everybody asking about the 3B who's hitting .148 instead of praising the bullpen and starting pitching.

Compare that to John Mozeliak's reaction to the Cards' 20-20 start:

"The fact you're not winning baseball games is concerning. ... This is a talented club and I still believe in it. But having a belief in something is far different than actually getting it done. It's still early in the season where you can't hit the panic button, but you have to see the trend line changing."

"The clock is ticking, but it's not a panic mode or reactionary place where you have to do something just to do something. People have to be aware that this is not acceptable baseball at this point."

http://msn.foxsports.com/midwest/sto...aseball-051414

[mr. tegu]

In case anyone was wondering we now have more wins already this May than we had all of last May.

Edit - Is what I will be posting when we win three more games this month.

[AndChiefs]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

In case anyone was wondering we now have more wins already this May than we had all of last May.

I feel like we just won the Stanley Cup.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

In case anyone was wondering we now have more wins already this May than we had all of last May.

I thought we won 8 games in May last year? We are currently at 6 I believe.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

I thought we won 8 games in May last year? We are currently at 6 I believe.

Stop reading my future posts! But, yes you are correct. I was thinking it was five last season for some reason.

[Fish]

Anybody hear Moose's post game interview?

3-4 different reporters asked him about his game winning hit, and he completely refused to talk about it. Every time someone asked about his hit, he would simply praise Ventura's pitching. They then asked why he wasn't answering the question about his hit, and he repeated praise for Ventura again.

He came off like a bitter childish douche..

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Fish

Anybody hear Moose's post game interview?

3-4 different reporters asked him about his game winning hit, and he completely refused to talk about it. Every time someone asked about his hit, he would simply praise Ventura's pitching. They then asked why he wasn't answering the question about his hit, and he repeated praise for Ventura again.

He came off like a bitter childish douche..

Royals appear to be a bunch of douche lords based on this article:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/learnin...the-clubhouse/

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Fish

Anybody hear Moose's post game interview?

3-4 different reporters asked him about his game winning hit, and he completely refused to talk about it. Every time someone asked about his hit, he would simply praise Ventura's pitching. They then asked why he wasn't answering the question about his hit, and he repeated praise for Ventura again.

He came off like a bitter childish douche..

I thought it was awesome. If the media is going to spend all day and night talking bad about him, they should be prepared for his reaction to that, good or bad.