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.

[gblowfish]

The Royals ARE the most pathetic franchise in all major sports. And to prove it, they plan to go out and get swept by the worst team in baseball today.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

The Royals ARE the most pathetic franchise in all major sports. And to prove it, they plan to go out and get swept by the worst team in baseball today.

"Plan"? "Plan"?

Ned Yost don't got no "plan". He said so himself last week.

[1moreTRich]

Originally Posted by Shogun

I'm pretty okay with trading anybody away at this point. This team is not going to go anywhere spectacular this season barring a miracle. I've seen a pretty good sample size of this team, this GROUP of guys to know that only a few of them have been playing at a major league level. Have not learned to take pitches, certain pitches, and its constant, such a breakdown in development. I feel like we should be listening on anybody. If we can ship Yost to the Wingnuts for a baseball then do that too.

You leave my Wingnuts alone. They are my only outlet for enjoyable baseball to watch being that they can actually hit the ball and win games.

[C3HIEF3S]

8th times a charm

[TEX]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

The Royals ARE the most pathetic franchise in all major sports. And to prove it, they plan to go out and get swept by the worst team in baseball today.

By the WORST team the past 3 seasons...

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

The Royals ARE the most pathetic franchise in all major sports. And to prove it, they plan to go out and get swept by the worst team in baseball today.

Team has no heart.

[ChiefsCountry]

The lack of home runs isn't what really concerns me, its the lack of hits with RISP. I don't know how many times we have had baserunners and couldn't get them in. This team is a pretty good doubles hitting team and has great speed. Infante being out has hurt, the second base hole is just a black hole without him. Combine that with third base black hole and that's really bad offense.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

The lack of home runs isn't what really concerns me, its the lack of hits with RISP. I don't know how many times we have had baserunners and couldn't get them in. This team is a pretty good doubles hitting team and has great speed. Infante being out has hurt, the second base hole is just a black hole without him. Combine that with third base black hole and that's really bad offense.

It should concern you, because the total is unacceptably low. Nobody's saying they should be a power team, but they are less than half the league average (20 vs. 47). That's just way too few. That makes runs too hard to come by for a team already struggling to amass baserunners (see below), and it also means opposing pitchers don't have to worry about making mistakes in the strike zone, because those balls are going to stay in the park.

(BTW, this SHOULD be a good doubles hitting team, but so far this year they are just league average in that department.)

As for RISP, it's bad but really no different then their hitting without RISP:

Overall batting: .252/.306/.348
RISP: .241/.308/.346

Indeed, the problem is they don't have enough baserunners, period. They are 14th in the AL in OBP, again far below the league average. So even if they were hitting better with RISP, there would be few opportunities to do so.

[Prison Bitch]

An AL general manager (and staff) actually tried to create an offense without anyone who walks + anyone with power. He must be insane to think that would work.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

An AL general manager (and staff) actually tried to create an offense without anyone who walks + anyone with power. He must be insane to think that would work.

Contact and speed! /1976

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

It should concern you, because the total is unacceptably low. Nobody's saying they should be a power team, but they are less than half the league average (20 vs. 47). That's just way too few. That makes runs too hard to come by for a team already struggling to amass baserunners (see below), and it also means opposing pitchers don't have to worry about making mistakes in the strike zone, because those balls are going to stay in the park.

The reason power doesn't concern me is because there was only 3 players I expected to have any power on this team and one of them is in Omaha right now. Hosmer and Butler sucking is what concerns me. The rest of them are pretty much expected.

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Contact and speed! /1976

We were 4th in the AL in OPS that year.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

We were 4th in the AL in OPS that year.

Yes, because it was a different environment. That was the point. Baseball of the 2000s is different than the game of the 1970s. Pitching is different, ballparks are different, philosophies are different.

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Yes, because it was a different environment. That was the point. Baseball of the 2000s is different than the game of the 1970s. Pitching is different, ballparks are different, philosophies are different.

Right, right. Just pointing out that even the quintessential team of the 1970s -- the Royals -- they weren't winning with speed, defense, and pitching alone.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Right, right. Just pointing out that even the quintessential team of the 1970s -- the Royals -- they weren't winning with speed, defense, and pitching alone.