Royals *** Official 2016 Royals Repository, Version 1 *** - Page 175

duncan_idaho · 04-03-2016, 09:48 AM

And so it begins: The Royals' second straight attempt to repeat as AL Champions, and first attempt to repeat as World Series champions.

In this thread, we'll track all non-gameday action. Roster moves, prospect news, etc.

I'll start the thread as usual, with division rivals thoughts. I still like KC to repeat as AL Central champs. Here's how I see the rest of it shaking out:

2) Indians - they have the pitching (and seem to have at least semi-Kluber-ed Cody Anderson, who added 3 mph to his fastball in the offseason). Will the offense hold up? I think this is a team that ends up looking a lot like the 2014 Royals. Francisco Lindor will solidify their IF defense over the full season, and is a help with the bat. I think this club is still a year away from really breaking through - the offense still has a lot of question marks - but I like them to nab a wildcard spot.

Key Player(s): Michael Brantley. When Brantley returns - and how he hits when he does - will be critical to the Indians' ability to be good enough on offense.

Jason Kipnis. Kipnis has been an enigmatic offensive performer for the past several years. If he finally has a good offensive campaign from start to finish, Cleveland could make real noise.

Something of interest to me: For all the acclaim the Twins' farm system gets, I look at the Indians young players, and would much rather have them. Brad Zimmer is going to be a very good all-around CF. Clint Frazier has huge power potential and should arrive soon (2017). Lindor is a young stud.

3) Tigers - Old and dependent on a few stars. If Verlander and Sanchez are healthy and effective, they will be playoff contenders. I'm sure JD Martinez will continue to hit roid-aided bombs. I'm also pretty sure Victor Martinez's days as a huge power threat are gone.

Key player: Justin Verlander. Detroit people would have you believe he figured out how to succeed without his big fastball in September of last year. If that's true, and he returns to dominant form, Detroit will likely contend again.

Something of interest to me: Will Jose Iglesias stay healthy and not try to kill teammates in the dugout? His defense makes the whole group much better.

4) Twins - They won't lead the division or be in playoff contention for as long this year, but Minnesota will avoid the cellar.

Key Player: Miguel Sano. Huge power, huge K rate. Can he continue to drive the ball and be a plus offensive player? Probably needs to cut that 35 percent K percentage to do so.

Something of interest to me: Will teams challenge Sano inside with hard stuff? Working away, away, just lets his power play up. Also - will Mike Berardino continue to be the biggest beat writer homer in MLB?

5) White Sox - still managed by a shitty manager who can't control his clubhouse (The blame for the LaRoche thing really should fall on him, not the GM). Still have a shitty overall defense and a lot of douchebags on the team. They will once again look better on paper than they actually perform.

Key player: Carlos Rodon. The White Sox need Rodon to take a big step forward to make an actual move this season. He's got the talent...

And, as always, here are the prospects.

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. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
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.

Spoiler!

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.
18. Eric Skoglund, LHP: Skoglund had a nice year at Wilmington. I'm skeptical because his K rate is lower than I like to see for a guy at A+ - just 7/9, and usually guys lose a strikeout or two/9 as they move up the chain from there - but he has excellent control, walking 1.17 batters/9. 6-7 lefties with great control who get lots of ground balls - like Skoglund - have a chance to overcome bad K rates.
19. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/LF: A lefty stick with power, O'Hearn was a savings signing as an 8th round pick, but a change in his approach increased his power - while increasing his K rate. After Vallot, probably the best pure power prospect in the Royals system.
20. Josh Staumont, RHP: I was terrified of this guy's control problems, and he walked nearly a batter an inning in his pro debut (32 BB in 40 1/3 IP). Staumont's nasty, nasty stuff (plus-plus fastball, plus slider) could make him a very good late-inning reliever who strikes out more than a batter an inning, if he can develop average or slightly below-average control. If he really masters the control, you're talking about a potential Greg Holland type, but that's a TALL task.

Mama Hip Rockets · 07-03-2016, 07:20 PM

One thing that really stands out to me looking at the stats halfway through the season is how much more they are striking out this year. Last year the whole team only had 973 strikeouts. This year they are on pace for 1188.

Hosmer - 108 Ks in 2015, on pace for 136 this year.
Escobar - 75 Ks in 2015, on pace for 102 this year.
Perez - 82 Ks in 2015, on pace for 134 this year.
Cain - 98 Ks in 2015, on pace for 128 this year.
Morales - 103 Ks in 2015, on pace for 120 this year.
Gordon - on pace for 20,000,000 Ks in both years if he doesn't get hurt.

Part of the thing that made this team so fun to watch last year was how much they put the ball in play and how little they struck out. They finished 2nd in the AL in batting average last year, and believe it or not they're still 2nd in the AL this year. But they've gone from 6th in the league in runs last year to 14th this year. This is all with virtually the same team OBP and OPS.
I have to think that the increase in strikeouts is really hurting this team. You can afford to strike out a lot if you're a team like the Astros or the Blue Jays that can overcome that with power. But the Royals are not built to be a team that strikes out a lot.

**Anyong Bluth** · 07-03-2016, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

This Duffy is a pretty solid No 1. He's not an elite ace but would slot into that second tier of SPs (where James Shields used to reside.

I don't think either costs the same type of Haul as Cueto or Zobrist commanded.

Cueto had five years of excellence/top 10 performance in his history. Rich Hill's sample size is really small. Something more like Kazmir's cost would make sense there.

No idea on Reddick. He'd be a nice fit in KC, though.

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I didn't want to overplay my hand, but it think that is reasonable assuming he can avoid being erratic. Doesn't have to be perfect or dominate 7, just no innings the wheel's fall off or surrender 5+ every 5 or 6th start.

**Anyong Bluth** · 07-03-2016, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thurman merman

One thing that really stands out to me looking at the stats halfway through the season is how much more they are striking out this year. Last year the whole team only had 973 strikeouts. This year they are on pace for 1188.

Hosmer - 108 Ks in 2015, on pace for 136 this year.
Escobar - 75 Ks in 2015, on pace for 102 this year.
Perez - 82 Ks in 2015, on pace for 134 this year.
Cain - 98 Ks in 2015, on pace for 128 this year.
Morales - 103 Ks in 2015, on pace for 120 this year.
Gordon - on pace for 20,000,000 Ks in both years if he doesn't get hurt.

Part of the thing that made this team so fun to watch last year was how much they put the ball in play and how little they struck out. They finished 2nd in the AL in batting average last year, and believe it or not they're still 2nd in the AL this year. But they've gone from 6th in the league in runs last year to 14th this year. This is all with virtually the same team OBP and OPS.
I have to think that the increase in strikeouts is really hurting this team. You can afford to strike out a lot if you're a team like the Astros or the Blue Jays that can overcome that with power. But the Royals are not built to be a team that strikes out a lot.

Everyone on and off the DL really messes with seeing the ball well. In part, at least.

Prison Bitch · 07-03-2016, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Everyone on and off the DL really messes with seeing the ball well. In part, at least.

Hosmer and Esc haven't been on the DL, and Cain/Gordon were striking out like mad before going on.

Gordon is at -0.1 war. He's been replacement level. He has the same war Rey Fuentes has (having 4x the plate appearances as Rey). He has to pick it up for us to go anywhere. He's not contributing anything

**Bowser** · 07-03-2016, 10:09 PM

Preview of the Royals at the trade deadline -

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2016/7/3...adline-preview

Prison Bitch · 07-03-2016, 10:23 PM

Position players have made 18 appearances, most in the expansion (1961-) era. They gave a 5.19 ERA. The Reds team era is 5.51.

mr. tegu · 07-04-2016, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thurman merman

One thing that really stands out to me looking at the stats halfway through the season is how much more they are striking out this year. Last year the whole team only had 973 strikeouts. This year they are on pace for 1188.

Hosmer - 108 Ks in 2015, on pace for 136 this year.
Escobar - 75 Ks in 2015, on pace for 102 this year.
Perez - 82 Ks in 2015, on pace for 134 this year.
Cain - 98 Ks in 2015, on pace for 128 this year.
Morales - 103 Ks in 2015, on pace for 120 this year.
Gordon - on pace for 20,000,000 Ks in both years if he doesn't get hurt.

Part of the thing that made this team so fun to watch last year was how much they put the ball in play and how little they struck out. They finished 2nd in the AL in batting average last year, and believe it or not they're still 2nd in the AL this year. But they've gone from 6th in the league in runs last year to 14th this year. This is all with virtually the same team OBP and OPS.
I have to think that the increase in strikeouts is really hurting this team. You can afford to strike out a lot if you're a team like the Astros or the Blue Jays that can overcome that with power. But the Royals are not built to be a team that strikes out a lot.

That is just a little over one more strikeout per game. I don't see that as being the reason for the lower run production. I think it is pretty simply the long stretches of the poor play of some mainstays (Gordon, Morales, Cain) combined with all of the injuries.

duncan_idaho · 07-04-2016, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

Preview of the Royals at the trade deadline -

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2016/7/3...adline-preview

And preview that gives any thought to Danny Valencia being brought back is off base. They traded the guy for peanuts because he's a clubhouse cancer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Position players have made 18 appearances, most in the expansion (1961-) era. They gave a 5.19 ERA. The Reds team era is 5.51.

Weird how Lamb (era near 6), finnegan (era now at 4.50 and trending up) and Reed (era of 9 through two starts) aren't saving that staff, huh?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Hosmer and Esc haven't been on the DL, and Cain/Gordon were striking out like mad before going on.

Gordon is at -0.1 war. He's been replacement level. He has the same war Rey Fuentes has (having 4x the plate appearances as Rey). He has to pick it up for us to go anywhere. He's not contributing anything

The huge increase in strikeouts has definitely hurt. Morales seems to come out of his funk, they'll need Gordon to do the same to get out of his.

I don't think what we've seen from Gordon is a sign of detioration, just him out of whack and lacking confidence. He hasn't seen the ball well and he's trying to pull everything. Needs to start letting the ball get deep and hit it to LF rather trying to pull everything and rolling over all the time.

Hopefully yesterday is a sign of things to come for him/building block.

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Fansy the Famous Bard · 07-04-2016, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

That is just a little over one more strikeout per game. I don't see that as being the reason for the lower run production. I think it is pretty simply the long stretches of the poor play of some mainstays (Gordon, Morales, Cain) combined with all of the injuries.

Actually, when your roster\game is built on putting the ball in play, and that decreases it your effectiveness. I don't think it's the only reason, but it's certainly a contribution - much like the other things you mentioned.

Mama Hip Rockets · 07-04-2016, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

That is just a little over one more strikeout per game. I don't see that as being the reason for the lower run production. I think it is pretty simply the long stretches of the poor play of some mainstays (Gordon, Morales, Cain) combined with all of the injuries.

When pretty much every major piece of your roster is having a significant increase in strikeouts at the same time, it hurts your production. This is a team built on putting the ball in play and "keeping the line moving." The inability to do that is definitely hurting the team.

KC_Connection · 07-04-2016, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

And preview that gives any thought to Danny Valencia being brought back is off base. They traded the guy for peanuts because he's a clubhouse cancer.

Could you give any more description on this? The Jays did exactly the same thing last year with him (while he was playing quite well) and it was rumored it happened for the same reason you're talking about (but with no real specifics).

How is it exactly that he pisses teammates off so much?

KChiefs1 · 07-04-2016, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevB

Bubbas first 2 at bats : double off the wall and 3 run HR. Not bad.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...52031251579349

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duncan_idaho · 07-04-2016, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Could you give any more description on this? The Jays did exactly the same thing last year with him (while he was playing quite well) and it was rumored it happened for the same reason you're talking about (but with no real specifics).

How is it exactly that he pisses teammates off so much?

Was told he is selfish, disruptive and charismatic, which is the biggest problem. His teammates listen to him/are influenced by him, but in a bad way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...52031251579349

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The hitting coach at Omaha has apparently received some recognition for his work with Bonifacio and Dozier (helped greatly with Dozier's adjustment after his slump at AAA), so maybe this move was all about getting Starling involved with him all day, every day.

Stranger things have happened. Starling has every single tool you could ask for. Just a matter of hitting enough (and by "enough", I mean being a .250/.260 hitter with the ability to OBP .060-.070 higher) to let his defense, base running, and power carry him.

Best case at this point would seem to be a Mike Cameron type. I'd settle for a Randal Grichuk - someone who can play elite d (but in CF rather than a corner) and run into a mistake every 25 ABs or so and hit it 400 feet.

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**Anyong Bluth** · 07-04-2016, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Was told he is selfish, disruptive and charismatic, which is the biggest problem. His teammates listen to him/are influenced by him, but in a bad way.

The hitting coach at Omaha has apparently received some recognition for his work with Bonifacio and Dozier (helped greatly with Dozier's adjustment after his slump at AAA), so maybe this move was all about getting Starling involved with him all day, every day.

Stranger things have happened. Starling has every single tool you could ask for. Just a matter of hitting enough (and by "enough", I mean being a .250/.260 hitter with the ability to OBP .060-.070 higher) to let his defense, base running, and power carry him.

Best case at this point would seem to be a Mike Cameron type. I'd settle for a Randal Grichuk - someone who can play elite d (but in CF rather than a corner) and run into a mistake every 25 ABs or so and hit it 400 feet.

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That's great, so why aren't they firing the AA hitting coach?

duncan_idaho · 07-04-2016, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

That's great, so why aren't they firing the AA hitting coach?

A good question, would assume he's doing well with others. Sometimes guys just don't click/work well with a guy.

Kevin Seitzer is, by all accounts, a great hitting coach. And he couldn't reach Hosmer and Moustakas.

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04-03-2016, 09:48 AM
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $-1979692	* Official 2016 Royals Repository, Version 1 * And so it begins: The Royals' second straight attempt to repeat as AL Champions, and first attempt to repeat as World Series champions. In this thread, we'll track all non-gameday action. Roster moves, prospect news, etc. I'll start the thread as usual, with division rivals thoughts. I still like KC to repeat as AL Central champs. Here's how I see the rest of it shaking out: 2) Indians - they have the pitching (and seem to have at least semi-Kluber-ed Cody Anderson, who added 3 mph to his fastball in the offseason). Will the offense hold up? I think this is a team that ends up looking a lot like the 2014 Royals. Francisco Lindor will solidify their IF defense over the full season, and is a help with the bat. I think this club is still a year away from really breaking through - the offense still has a lot of question marks - but I like them to nab a wildcard spot. Key Player(s): Michael Brantley. When Brantley returns - and how he hits when he does - will be critical to the Indians' ability to be good enough on offense. Jason Kipnis. Kipnis has been an enigmatic offensive performer for the past several years. If he finally has a good offensive campaign from start to finish, Cleveland could make real noise. Something of interest to me: For all the acclaim the Twins' farm system gets, I look at the Indians young players, and would much rather have them. Brad Zimmer is going to be a very good all-around CF. Clint Frazier has huge power potential and should arrive soon (2017). Lindor is a young stud. 3) Tigers - Old and dependent on a few stars. If Verlander and Sanchez are healthy and effective, they will be playoff contenders. I'm sure JD Martinez will continue to hit roid-aided bombs. I'm also pretty sure Victor Martinez's days as a huge power threat are gone. Key player: Justin Verlander. Detroit people would have you believe he figured out how to succeed without his big fastball in September of last year. If that's true, and he returns to dominant form, Detroit will likely contend again. Something of interest to me: Will Jose Iglesias stay healthy and not try to kill teammates in the dugout? His defense makes the whole group much better. 4) Twins - They won't lead the division or be in playoff contention for as long this year, but Minnesota will avoid the cellar. Key Player: Miguel Sano. Huge power, huge K rate. Can he continue to drive the ball and be a plus offensive player? Probably needs to cut that 35 percent K percentage to do so. Something of interest to me: Will teams challenge Sano inside with hard stuff? Working away, away, just lets his power play up. Also - will Mike Berardino continue to be the biggest beat writer homer in MLB? 5) White Sox - still managed by a shitty manager who can't control his clubhouse (The blame for the LaRoche thing really should fall on him, not the GM). Still have a shitty overall defense and a lot of douchebags on the team. They will once again look better on paper than they actually perform. Key player: Carlos Rodon. The White Sox need Rodon to take a big step forward to make an actual move this season. He's got the talent... And, as always, here are the prospects. 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. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. 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. Spoiler! 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. 18. Eric Skoglund, LHP: Skoglund had a nice year at Wilmington. I'm skeptical because his K rate is lower than I like to see for a guy at A+ - just 7/9, and usually guys lose a strikeout or two/9 as they move up the chain from there - but he has excellent control, walking 1.17 batters/9. 6-7 lefties with great control who get lots of ground balls - like Skoglund - have a chance to overcome bad K rates. 19. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/LF: A lefty stick with power, O'Hearn was a savings signing as an 8th round pick, but a change in his approach increased his power - while increasing his K rate. After Vallot, probably the best pure power prospect in the Royals system. 20. Josh Staumont, RHP: I was terrified of this guy's control problems, and he walked nearly a batter an inning in his pro debut (32 BB in 40 1/3 IP). Staumont's nasty, nasty stuff (plus-plus fastball, plus slider) could make him a very good late-inning reliever who strikes out more than a batter an inning, if he can develop average or slightly below-average control. If he really masters the control, you're talking about a potential Greg Holland type, but that's a TALL task.
Posts: 22,397

07-03-2016, 07:20 PM	#2611
Mama Hip Rockets You don't faze me, Gobble. Join Date: Dec 2005 Casino cash: $9915644	One thing that really stands out to me looking at the stats halfway through the season is how much more they are striking out this year. Last year the whole team only had 973 strikeouts. This year they are on pace for 1188. Hosmer - 108 Ks in 2015, on pace for 136 this year. Escobar - 75 Ks in 2015, on pace for 102 this year. Perez - 82 Ks in 2015, on pace for 134 this year. Cain - 98 Ks in 2015, on pace for 128 this year. Morales - 103 Ks in 2015, on pace for 120 this year. Gordon - on pace for 20,000,000 Ks in both years if he doesn't get hurt. Part of the thing that made this team so fun to watch last year was how much they put the ball in play and how little they struck out. They finished 2nd in the AL in batting average last year, and believe it or not they're still 2nd in the AL this year. But they've gone from 6th in the league in runs last year to 14th this year. This is all with virtually the same team OBP and OPS. I have to think that the increase in strikeouts is really hurting this team. You can afford to strike out a lot if you're a team like the Astros or the Blue Jays that can overcome that with power. But the Royals are not built to be a team that strikes out a lot.
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07-03-2016, 10:09 PM	#2615
Bowser sorta mod-ish Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: KC North Casino cash: $-98384	Preview of the Royals at the trade deadline - http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2016/7/3...adline-preview
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07-03-2016, 10:23 PM	#2616
Prison Bitch Rabbi Goldmann Join Date: Nov 2012 Casino cash: $5450159	Position players have made 18 appearances, most in the expansion (1961-) era. They gave a 5.19 ERA. The Reds team era is 5.51.
Posts: 87,025