Royals Official Royals Repository, Part 5 *** - Page 57

duncan_idaho · 10-06-2015, 10:54 PM

This time: With more playoffs

Our beloved Kansas City Royals take on the plucky upstart Houston Astros in the ALDS; Can they remind the Astros that they're supposed to be a year away from this?

Can an AL team manage to beat the Royals this postseason?

Duncan’s Top 20 for 2016:

Spoiler!

1. Raul Adalberto Mondesi, SS, BOTH: Tools, tools, tools. RA has tools galore. At his best, he’s an All-Star SS who plays elite D, hits 15-20 HR, swipes 40 bags, and is an ideal 1, 2 or 3 hitter. At his worst, I think he looks a lot like Alcides Escobar. Plate discipline is his biggest challenge at this point, but evaluators are confident that will come with time. Clear No. 1
2. Kyle Zimmer, RHP: He’s pitching again and staying healthy, which is nice. He’s pitcing out of the bullpen to build back his arm strength, which is less nice. But still has that high upside, just a lower floor now. Ideally, the team will use him as a bullpen weapon in September (because he has earned it) and then give him a chance to transition back to starting for 2016.
3. Miguel Almonte, RHP: Still love the body, FB/CH combo. Results aren’t eye popping, but he’s still low enough and early enough in the development to prize those things over performance. Still a solid No. 3 starter upside, and just a year and some change away from potentially being ready to contribute at the MLB level.
4. Jorge Bonifacio, RF, RH: Emilio’s little brother got off to a horrible start in 2015 but has heated up as the season went on. He also is translating BP power to game power for the first time, with 15 HR just past the mid-way point of his season. Despite his disappointing 2014, he has a chance to build his way back into legit prospect status – and still is only 22. Next challenge for him should be Omaha, but that may wait for the start of the 2014 season.
5. Scott Blewett, RHP: Blewett has a nice two –pitch mix already and is off to a strong start. With his size (6-6) and a good fastball/curveball combo, Blewett could eventually turn into a good No. 3 starter, with a MLB-average changeup.
6. Nolan Watson, RHP: The Royals’ 2015 sandwich pick is a polished prep arm who is adding velocity and explosiveness to a good, polished base. Likely to move quickly.
7. Ashe Russell, RHP: The 2015 top pick probably needs more work than Watson, but the upside is really nice. Again, advanced two-pitch mix that will depend on him adding a changeup. Could be a very good NO. 2 if it all adds up.

Spoiler!

8. Bubba Starling, CF, RH: Starling has been up and down this year but put himself back on the map by greatly improving his K rate while also improving across the slash line as a hitter. His defense and baserunning are MLB ready; if Starling can work himself into a league average hitter, he can be a solid MLB regular who plays great D in CF while hitting 15 HR and swiping 20 bags.
9. Balbino Fuenmayor, 1B/DH, RH: The Balbino came out of basically nowhere in 2015 to earn a Futures Game spot. Big power and an improved two-strike approach have turned the late bloomer into a legit prospect. He’s blocked at the MLB level currently by Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales, but Fuenmayor’s combination of power hitting and good average/strike zone control makes him intriguing.
10. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, RH: Cheslor probably is not going to be the star KC was hoping for when signing him out of Nicaragua, but he does look like he can be a solid reserve for an MLB club. Good defense at 3B paired with a solid plate approach and some gap power plays fine off the bench. He becomes a lot more interesting if they think he can stick as a 2B, which they have experimented with.
11. Chase Vallot, C/DH/1B: I really like Vallot’s power and plate discipline combo. His bat will probably force him from behind the plate, but he’s held his own despite being extremely young for every level he has faced.
12. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, OF, RH: Escalera-Maldonado earned a promotion to Wilmington at age 20, which is pretty advanced movement for that age. He’s an athletic outfielder who has shown some plate discipline at an early age, which is encouraging. Doesn’t sound like he can stick in CF long term for KC, but his bat has become one to watch.
13. Pedro Fernandez, RHP: I haven’t seen much of him, but like the reports I’ve heard on his fastball and general makeup. Could become the next Almonte/Mondesi, though he’s more likely to land in the pen than either of them.
14. Elier Hernandez, OF, RH: Elier Hernanez teamed with Escalera-Maldonado in breaking out at Low-A and earning a promotion to Wilmington. It’s still early for this guy – he is just 20 years old – but he doesn’t take walks and hasn’t developed the prodigious power many thought he had the potential for. Still worth watching.
15. Hunter Dozier, 3B, RH: Dozier is reworking his swing mid-season, which generally will cause production to do what his has done: Nose dive. The changes he made entering the season (seemingly geared towards increasing his power production) were a disaster, and now he’s trying to get back to what he used to be. Still looks great and checks most of the scouting boxes, but the performance hasn’t matched, and it almost knocked him out of the list.
16. Christian Binford, RHP: After a breakthrough 2014, Binford struggled mightily at AAA and suffered a demotion. His upside remains similar – a back-end starter who can eat innings – but Binford’s lack of velocity and reliance on command have caught up to him so far.
17. Marten Gasparini, OF, SH: Gasparini is intriguing because of his speed and athleticism. He’s a LOOOOONG ways from the majors and young for his level, but reports on his bat speed, swing, and speed remain positive enough to keep him on the bubble.

suzzer99 · 10-26-2015, 09:54 PM

Quote:

They made a miscalculation on Butler’s market value. They declined an $11.5 million option on him for 2015, originally thinking they might resign him at a lower annual number. The A’s surprised the Royals and much of baseball by signing Butler to a three-year, $30 million deal, so Moore began to think of an old target.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

Thank you Billy Beane!!!

okcchief · 10-26-2015, 10:04 PM

The rotation is perfect IMO.

I hadn't heard about Zobrist's wife. It seems that Royals players like fathering babies with October due dates. Let's hope he doesn't miss any games.

Has anyone ever made their major league debut in the World Series? I would think not. That would be ****ing crazy, and I hope to not see it

Coach · 10-26-2015, 10:14 PM

All right, monitoring stubhub to see if I can snag some tickets for the WS game 1. First time doing this, any tricks and tips? I did see the 2015 ALCS stubhub charts that Alnorth did, so I'm going to patiently wait until 5 hours before game time to see if I can pull the trigger on getting some lower level seats.

Any others has experience on this kind of thing?

TIA.

ChiefsCountry · 10-26-2015, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

So who do the Royals go after in the offseason to take his place in the rotation?

Or do they promote from within? Zimmer?

Ian Kennedy

tk13 · 10-26-2015, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okcchief

The rotation is perfect IMO.

I hadn't heard about Zobrist's wife. It seems that Royals players like fathering babies with October due dates. Let's hope he doesn't miss any games.

Has anyone ever made their major league debut in the World Series? I would think not. That would be ****ing crazy, and I hope to not see it

She's actually not due for another couple weeks... but I guess due to the stress, she started having contractions in the middle of game 6. Jeff Passan tweeted about it. So I guess they're going to be prepared.

okcchief · 10-26-2015, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

She's actually not due for another couple weeks... but I guess due to the stress, she started having contractions in the middle of game 6. Jeff Passan tweeted about it. So I guess they're going to be prepared.

She needs to stop watching the games then

suzzer99 · 10-26-2015, 10:26 PM

Hell I was having contractions in game 6. One more inning like that I would have plopped out a litter of kittens.

A Salt Weapon · 10-26-2015, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROYC75

True, but to be fair, Gut's was OK in that game. A shutout or even shutout innings would have been better. Our ~~bats~~ strike zone just disappeared with MadBaum on the mound.

FIFY

duncan_idaho · 10-26-2015, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy makes sense, and is someone I've liked for a while.

Mike Leake is another guy in that General realm. Kennedy probably has a little more upside, but Leake is a safer choice.

tk13 · 10-26-2015, 10:54 PM

If you have 15 minutes to kill, Rex Hudler had a hilarious interview on MLB Network today.

**alnorth** · 10-26-2015, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach

All right, monitoring stubhub to see if I can snag some tickets for the WS game 1. First time doing this, any tricks and tips? I did see the 2015 ALCS stubhub charts that Alnorth did, so I'm going to patiently wait until 5 hours before game time to see if I can pull the trigger on getting some lower level seats.

Any others has experience on this kind of thing?

TIA.

Only thing that I can add is that face value for World Series tickets is a LOT higher than the ALCS, so sellers are going to be more stubborn. Don't expect a great deal, go into it thinking you'll probably pay $250 for a bad upperdeck seat and then patiently wait them out to get the best seat possible.

It also might be good to check the site every 10-15 minutes or so, because if a seller gives up and really slashes their price crazy-low, you won't have much time to see it, recognize that its a deal you won't see again, and jump on it before someone else does. If you aren't lucky enough to snag one of those, then the rest of the ticket prices will drift low enough that 5 hours before the game you'll still at least find a seat for about $250. (plus fees that stubhub rapes us on for world series, so it'll probably be close to $300)

cosmo20002 · 10-26-2015, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okcchief

The rotation is perfect IMO.

I hadn't heard about Zobrist's wife. It seems that Royals players like fathering babies with October due dates. Let's hope he doesn't miss any games.

Has anyone ever made their major league debut in the World Series? I would think not. That would be ****ing crazy, and I hope to not see it

Just looked it up and...nope.

Prison Bitch · 10-26-2015, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Ian Kennedy

Lol

DeepSouth · 10-27-2015, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Ian Kennedy makes sense, and is someone I've liked for a while.

Mike Leake is another guy in that General realm. Kennedy probably has a little more upside, but Leake is a safer choice.

I assume these four will be a lock for the 2016 rotation;
Volquez, Ventura, Duffy, and Medlin.

Any chance they bring back Chris Young?

The KC affiliates are not empty of pitching prospects but I do not know how close they are to being major league ready;

Altmonte, Zimmer, Andy Ferguson, Chris Binford, and Luke Farrell.

**ChiTown** · 10-27-2015, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

If you have 15 minutes to kill, Rex Hudler had a hilarious interview on MLB Network today.

- Holy shit, that was outstanding!

10-06-2015, 10:54 PM
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $-2049692	Official Royals Repository, Part 5 * This time: With more playoffs Our beloved Kansas City Royals take on the plucky upstart Houston Astros in the ALDS; Can they remind the Astros that they're supposed to be a year away from this? Can an AL team manage to beat the Royals this postseason? Duncan’s Top 20 for 2016: Spoiler! 1. Raul Adalberto Mondesi, SS, BOTH: Tools, tools, tools. RA has tools galore. At his best, he’s an All-Star SS who plays elite D, hits 15-20 HR, swipes 40 bags, and is an ideal 1, 2 or 3 hitter. At his worst, I think he looks a lot like Alcides Escobar. Plate discipline is his biggest challenge at this point, but evaluators are confident that will come with time. Clear No. 1 2. Kyle Zimmer, RHP: He’s pitching again and staying healthy, which is nice. He’s pitcing out of the bullpen to build back his arm strength, which is less nice. But still has that high upside, just a lower floor now. Ideally, the team will use him as a bullpen weapon in September (because he has earned it) and then give him a chance to transition back to starting for 2016. 3. Miguel Almonte, RHP: Still love the body, FB/CH combo. Results aren’t eye popping, but he’s still low enough and early enough in the development to prize those things over performance. Still a solid No. 3 starter upside, and just a year and some change away from potentially being ready to contribute at the MLB level. 4. Jorge Bonifacio, RF, RH: Emilio’s little brother got off to a horrible start in 2015 but has heated up as the season went on. He also is translating BP power to game power for the first time, with 15 HR just past the mid-way point of his season. Despite his disappointing 2014, he has a chance to build his way back into legit prospect status – and still is only 22. Next challenge for him should be Omaha, but that may wait for the start of the 2014 season. 5. Scott Blewett, RHP: Blewett has a nice two –pitch mix already and is off to a strong start. With his size (6-6) and a good fastball/curveball combo, Blewett could eventually turn into a good No. 3 starter, with a MLB-average changeup. 6. Nolan Watson, RHP: The Royals’ 2015 sandwich pick is a polished prep arm who is adding velocity and explosiveness to a good, polished base. Likely to move quickly. 7. Ashe Russell, RHP: The 2015 top pick probably needs more work than Watson, but the upside is really nice. Again, advanced two-pitch mix that will depend on him adding a changeup. Could be a very good NO. 2 if it all adds up. Spoiler!** 8. Bubba Starling, CF, RH: Starling has been up and down this year but put himself back on the map by greatly improving his K rate while also improving across the slash line as a hitter. His defense and baserunning are MLB ready; if Starling can work himself into a league average hitter, he can be a solid MLB regular who plays great D in CF while hitting 15 HR and swiping 20 bags. 9. Balbino Fuenmayor, 1B/DH, RH: The Balbino came out of basically nowhere in 2015 to earn a Futures Game spot. Big power and an improved two-strike approach have turned the late bloomer into a legit prospect. He’s blocked at the MLB level currently by Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales, but Fuenmayor’s combination of power hitting and good average/strike zone control makes him intriguing. 10. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, RH: Cheslor probably is not going to be the star KC was hoping for when signing him out of Nicaragua, but he does look like he can be a solid reserve for an MLB club. Good defense at 3B paired with a solid plate approach and some gap power plays fine off the bench. He becomes a lot more interesting if they think he can stick as a 2B, which they have experimented with. 11. Chase Vallot, C/DH/1B: I really like Vallot’s power and plate discipline combo. His bat will probably force him from behind the plate, but he’s held his own despite being extremely young for every level he has faced. 12. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, OF, RH: Escalera-Maldonado earned a promotion to Wilmington at age 20, which is pretty advanced movement for that age. He’s an athletic outfielder who has shown some plate discipline at an early age, which is encouraging. Doesn’t sound like he can stick in CF long term for KC, but his bat has become one to watch. 13. Pedro Fernandez, RHP: I haven’t seen much of him, but like the reports I’ve heard on his fastball and general makeup. Could become the next Almonte/Mondesi, though he’s more likely to land in the pen than either of them. 14. Elier Hernandez, OF, RH: Elier Hernanez teamed with Escalera-Maldonado in breaking out at Low-A and earning a promotion to Wilmington. It’s still early for this guy – he is just 20 years old – but he doesn’t take walks and hasn’t developed the prodigious power many thought he had the potential for. Still worth watching. 15. Hunter Dozier, 3B, RH: Dozier is reworking his swing mid-season, which generally will cause production to do what his has done: Nose dive. The changes he made entering the season (seemingly geared towards increasing his power production) were a disaster, and now he’s trying to get back to what he used to be. Still looks great and checks most of the scouting boxes, but the performance hasn’t matched, and it almost knocked him out of the list. 16. Christian Binford, RHP: After a breakthrough 2014, Binford struggled mightily at AAA and suffered a demotion. His upside remains similar – a back-end starter who can eat innings – but Binford’s lack of velocity and reliance on command have caught up to him so far. 17. Marten Gasparini, OF, SH: Gasparini is intriguing because of his speed and athleticism. He’s a LOOOOONG ways from the majors and young for his level, but reports on his bat speed, swing, and speed remain positive enough to keep him on the bubble.
Posts: 22,424

10-26-2015, 10:04 PM	#842
okcchief MVP Join Date: Jul 2008 Casino cash: $9849890	The rotation is perfect IMO. I hadn't heard about Zobrist's wife. It seems that Royals players like fathering babies with October due dates. Let's hope he doesn't miss any games. Has anyone ever made their major league debut in the World Series? I would think not. That would be ****ing crazy, and I hope to not see it
Posts: 6,703

10-26-2015, 10:14 PM	#843
Coach Champs! Join Date: Mar 2004 Casino cash: $3758476	All right, monitoring stubhub to see if I can snag some tickets for the WS game 1. First time doing this, any tricks and tips? I did see the 2015 ALCS stubhub charts that Alnorth did, so I'm going to patiently wait until 5 hours before game time to see if I can pull the trigger on getting some lower level seats. Any others has experience on this kind of thing? TIA. __________________ Super Bowl IV, LIV, LVII & LVIII Champions 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, & 2025 AFC Champions 1985 & 2015 Major League Baseball World Series Champions 1980, 1985, 2014, & 2015 Major League Baseball American League Champions 2015 American League Central Division Champs
Posts: 54,699

10-26-2015, 10:26 PM	#847
suzzer99 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: L.A. Casino cash: $-715716	Hell I was having contractions in game 6. One more inning like that I would have plopped out a litter of kittens.
Posts: 28,360

10-26-2015, 10:54 PM	#850
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-1817500	If you have 15 minutes to kill, Rex Hudler had a hilarious interview on MLB Network today. Your browser does not support iframes.
Posts: 56,682