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.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by confused

Brandon Finnegan will be our # 1 starter in the future. I love the pick.

For who? AA Northwest Arkansas?

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

The painful thing about that pick is that apparently Chris Sale and Matt Harvey were the backup options. Ouch.

Absolutely brutal.

[cmh6476]

so does anyone else get a sense that since we're winning again we're kinda stuck with what we got and no moves are going to be made, either in the lineup or through callus/ senddowns?

[C3HIEF3S]

Ortiz just hit a 3-run moonshot in the 9th to give the Red Sox a 5-3 lead over the tigers.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Ortiz just hit a 3-run moonshot in the 9th to give the Red Sox a 5-3 lead over the tigers.

Boom mother ****ers I just watched this.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Ortiz just hit a 3-run moonshot in the 9th to give the Red Sox a 5-3 lead over the tigers.

That was awesome. I had no idea Joba Chamberlain was even on the Tigers. It looks like he's had a pretty good year, but he looked really rattled out there tonight. Anybody know the scoop with their closer situation? Is Nathan officially demoted, or was he just not available tonight?

[TambaBerry]

Nathan has like an 8 era he blows

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by cmh6476

so does anyone else get a sense that since we're winning again we're kinda stuck with what we got and no moves are going to be made, either in the lineup or through callus/ senddowns?

I think since "in some ways, we won the World Series" last year, that no matter what, this team will stand pat.

Of course we aren't going to make the post season. You cannot place all the pressure the pitchers to win every game 3-2 or 2-1.

There are 99 games left. In order to win 85 this team of #9 hitters has to go 54-45. To win 90, 58-41.

Not a chance.

[C3HIEF3S]

Ortiz knew exactly what was coming, got his pitch, a slider right down the pipe and just BLASTED it over the RF fence.

Yeah Nathan is terrible this year. His ERA is over 7, can't find how many saves he's blown so far though.

Seems like buying a closer through free agency is a bad idea. At least between Nathan and Balfour.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Ortiz knew exactly what was coming, got his pitch, a slider right down the pipe and just BLASTED it over the RF fence.

Yeah Nathan is terrible this year. His ERA is over 7, can't find how many saves he's blown so far though.

Seems like buying a closer through free agency is a bad idea. At least between Nathan and Balfour.

Nathan is 13/17 on save chances. Chamberlain is 2/4.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Of course we aren't going to make the post season. You cannot place all the pressure the pitchers to win every game 3-2 or 2-1.

There are 99 games left. In order to win 85 this team of #9 hitters has to go 54-45. To win 90, 58-41.

Not a chance.

It's way too early to be making that statement. They have a much better record right now than they did last year at this time, and they ended up winning 86 last year.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

It's way too early to be making that statement. They have a much better record right now than they did last year at this time, and they ended up winning 86 last year.

They had the 2nd best record in baseball last year after the all-star break. Chances of that happening again are pretty low.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

It's way too early to be making that statement. They have a much better record right now than they did last year at this time, and they ended up winning 86 last year.

TM, I just cannot envision that same second half record while the pitchers carry, Butler, Achoki, Hosmer and Poooostakous. Carry one? Yes. But all 4 of these hacks? No way.

I pray I'm wrong.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Colon was a consensus top 15 pick in that draft, and it was pretty uneven after the big 3 (Harper, Taillon and Machado were on a clear and different level). There was a lot of back and forth about who the fourth best player in that draft was. Basically, anybody after those first three and before 15-20 could have been taken at 4, and no one would have really been surprised.

The Royals took a middle infielder with a high floor who they thought could move quickly and at least have a plus bat at a MI spot. Universal thought was that he was a lock to stick at 2B and probably could stick at SS for at least a few year in the majors.

The Royals have not done a great job developing him, but the weight gain seems to be the biggest issue. He packed on about 20 pounds during his second offseason with the Royals and has never hit the ball with authority since.

He's also probably a guy that would have been exposed more if he hadn't had the opportunity to play with trampoline bats in college.

The painful thing about that pick is that apparently Chris Sale and Matt Harvey were the backup options. Ouch.

I'm not disagreeing with anything that you're writing here, but when your highlight video shows you chopping grounders and short-hopping the first baseman, you probably at least sip from the dick sock; someone in the FO who saw this kid play should have been able to understand this.

[siberian khatru]

Since 5/13/14, Eric Hosmer sports a .167 AVG (18/108), .202 OBP with a .241 SLG. 4 BB 25 K. 52B, 1 HR, 8 RBI. @ssjwhb @nate_bukaty

— Conrad McGorkin (@ConradMcGorkin) June 9, 2014