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.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

There's definitely a disturbing trend in terms of becoming too contact oriented over the past 2-3 years, not just with Eric Hosmer but with all the Royals hitters.

Hosmer looked to have regained the ability to loft the ball over the last 4 months of last season. Not sure where that went over the offseason, but it's damned disappointing.

He's still hitting the ball hard a lot and hitting a lot of screamers... but he's not generating any loft.

You could say similar things about Gordon and Butler, too.

The sad thing is... this team doesn't need those guys to be 40 HR boppers to be good. It doesn't even really need them to hit 30 HR apiece. It needs 20 HR and 40 2B or so each, all numbers they're quite capable of producing.

Hud needs to teach them how to get that backspin.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Clearly Butler's gravitational pull is causing all of our hitter's homeruns to die and lose momentum keeping them in the park, and leaving us with an abundance of warning track power.

You are way off base here. I don't recall many balls even making it near the warning track to be honest. This team has completely evolved into a slap hitting\ground ball bonanza.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Fish

What ****ing team would trade for a DH who can't hit HRs, hits way too many groundouts, has a .238 BA for the year, has never had a BA over .318, and couldn't even beat either Mustard, Ketchup, or Relish in a race to first base?

You realize .318 is an extraordinarily good batting average, right?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

You are way off base here. I don't recall many balls even making it near the warning track to be honest. This team has completely evolved into a slap hitting\ground ball bonanza.

WAYYYYY too much "see ball, hit ball" and not enough focus on finding pitches they can hit hard and drive.

[DeezNutz]

You know, I think what the Royals need is a lead-off hitter who cannot get on base, hits for less power than Dyson, and plays shit defense.

If we can lock this down, we're set.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Butler with the groundout to right field... . #fat'nKC

That is what happens when no one respects your power.

What is funny, I did that to someone in softball when I played. He was pissed, raged on me for not letting him on. They were one of the old men teams that were great when they were younger, placement hitting team now. I just grinned. I could play on their team now as I throw like a girl since I hurt my shoulder.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Aoki: .264/.320/.318

Love the look of that flashy slash. Mediocre OBP, highlighted by lesser slug. That takes a special kind of suck.

Be Royal.

Sad thing is, I do not think anyone in our system could improve those numbers.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by Valiant

That is what happens when no one respects your power.

What is funny, I did that to someone in softball when I played. He was pissed, raged on me for not letting him on. They were one of the old men teams that were great when they were younger, placement hitting team now. I just grinned. I could play on their team now as I throw like a girl since I hurt my shoulder.

So you were that guy?

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

I still think Butler is the best hitter on this team...there are bigger problems then him. I'm just surprised how he's fallen.

What happened to him is the bigger problem. Same with everyone else on the team. Prima donna bitches. No heart. Whiny.

I am surprised our pitching staff has not given up more games from lack of caring. At this point I would rather them send down most of the fielders and send replacements from AAA. Well excluding Mooseknuckle.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

So you were that guy?

Unless you are blowing them out, you always try for the out.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Hud needs to teach them how to get that backspin.

He's too busy teaching hungry rats to eat cheese

[gblowfish]

Hud Swallows.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

You know, I think what the Royals need is a lead-off hitter who cannot get on base, hits for less power than Dyson, and plays shit defense.

If we can lock this down, we're set.

I feel like the Royals have 9 light hitting lead off hitters most nights.

[gblowfish]

Actually, Hudler was a career .261 hitter. That's not bad for a utility guy. He hit 16 HRs with the Angels one year. That's better than what Hosmer, Butler, or Moose will do this year.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I feel like the Royals have 9 light hitting lead off hitters most nights.

Pretty accurate.