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.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Can anyone explain to me how WAR is a legitimate statistic?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/ab...xplained.shtml

[CoMoChief]

Watch them get swept at the K this weekend by SEA

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

http://www.baseball-reference.com/ab...xplained.shtml

I guess I understand the thought behind it, but I still think it's a bullshit stat. Way to many variables that can't be accounted for.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Watch them get swept at the K this weekend by SEA

Is that a prediction?

(Please say it is.)

[Three7s]

If Como is saying this team sucks, then they'll probably win the WS.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Mark that CoMo prediction. Probably ought to revive the thread.

[teedubya]

I've taken data from the latest social buzz around the Royals and did some data visualization. What about these ideas as shirts? Would anyone here buy shirts like these with data driven graphics?



What about 1985?

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Watch them get swept at the K this weekend by SEA

YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!!!!

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

I guess I understand the thought behind it, but I still think it's a bullshit stat. Way to many variables that can't be accounted for.

There's nothing odd about it since they know long term what replacement level players produce when they're in the Bigs. There are not any variables either since the game of baseball has had the same basic rules and stats for over a hundred years. Every data set has a bell curve by rule, and players on each tail end are vastly different from the bulk sitting in the middle


In Erica's case, we know by simply sorting te hitting data that this sissy is one of the very worst hitters of all 1B. So it only makes sense that you could plug in a AAAA player to give you about what the pussy is providing

[Prison Bitch]

They'll stick with him at 1B for a while since he's so cheap. But internally I guarantee they're irritated by his act. If he thinks he's getting a big future contract by hitting .250 with 10 home runs and wearing cool faux-hawks, he's got another thing coming

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

They'll stick with him at 1B for a while since he's so cheap. But internally I guarantee they're irritated by his act. If he thinks he's getting a big future contract by hitting .250 with 10 home runs and wearing cool faux-hawks, he's got another thing coming

Yeah, I wonder if we can swap hosmer and moose for Arizona's starters and maybe cash or minor leaguers.

[Don Corlemahomes]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I cannot stand Erica Hosmer and his arrogant face. I wondered why nobody had beaned that douche but why would they? At a negative WAR, who wants him out of the my lineup?


He and Moose are disgusting creatures and we would win this division without the dragging us down. Even replacement level guys would be superior!!!

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

In Erica's case, we know by simply sorting te hitting data that this sissy is one of the very worst hitters of all 1B. So it only makes sense that you could plug in a AAAA player to give you about what the pussy is providing

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

They'll stick with him at 1B for a while since he's so cheap. But internally I guarantee they're irritated by his act. If he thinks he's getting a big future contract by hitting .250 with 10 home runs and wearing cool faux-hawks, he's got another thing coming

Dude, we get it. But please spare us of this pathologic hate you have for certain players. The Royals are in first, and we are enjoying it like most fans of a perennially bad team would.

Just stop, please.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Can anyone explain to me how WAR is a legitimate statistic?

I'm honestly curious.

WAR has the potential to be the single most relevant stat in the game, if it is done correctly and if we have confidence that most things have been accounted for.

The most valuable aspect of WAR is it enables you to compare players who play wildly different roles. It also reinforces many things that we "know" but often forget or perhaps underestimate, like a great relief pitcher isn't all that great if you compare him to a great anything else, or a good hitter who plays DH can be a worse player overall than an average hitter who plays a decent SS or CF. (I'm a big fan of the position adjustments)

The biggest outstanding issue with WAR is always whatever is the biggest issue in sabermetrics in general since WAR tries to combine everything. The biggest issue in sabermetrics is measuring defense, so therefore the defensive part of WAR is probably the thing that needs the most work. We pretty much have offense, pitching, adjusting for your park, etc more or less figured out.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by Valiant

Yeah, I wonder if we can swap hosmer and moose for Arizona's starters and maybe cash or minor leaguers.

Arizona's starter at 1b? Maybe they would trade him for two Royals but they would be Ventura and Gordon at least. And even that is highly doubtful.

[Prison Bitch]

Yost claims "I've never been wrong about young talent" and says the keystone cops are fine. Does anyone in our media ever call him out by pointing the facts? Instead of looking at Smardjia we ought to be looking at 1B (and frankly DH since fatty isn't comin back). Our rotation looks ok even next year but until we can hit from our hitting positions we won't be a threat