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.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

It's hard to just stat-watch with minor league players, especially at levels like Low-A.

Manaea has had consistently excellent scouting reports and is throwing the ball really well (velo, movement, deception). He also is missing an absolute ton of bats. They've been limiting his innings and pitch counts pretty closely (75 pitches earlier in the year, with a 30-pitch limit in an inning) and he's had bad luck with the bullpen and his inherited runners.

A+ is usually the level where the Royals take away the pitcher's most advanced secondary pitch to have them focus on developing other pitches (for Zimmer last year, his curve, for Manaea his slider, for Almonte his changeup, etc).

I place more stock in what we hear about guys at A+ than what their stat line is.

JC Sulbaran has an OK ERA at NWA, which shouldn't be pooh-poohed away, but he also is outpitching his peripherals (not missing many bats - just 62 K in 80 2/3 IP and a high WHIP). I don't think he's a REAL prospect, but he might end up as a bullpen arm (where his stuff would play up to an acceptable level).

I don't know where you get all your info but as always, it's greatly appreciated. thanks,

I just read where Sulbaran was part of the Broxton trade that also brought the Royals Donnie Joseph.

[duncan_idaho]

OP updated. Mid-season top 20 prospect list now available for those interested.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

I don't know where you get all your info but as always, it's greatly appreciated. thanks,

I just read where Sulbaran was part of the Broxton trade that also brought the Royals Donnie Joseph.

It's an amalgamation of:

Reading several sources (BA, BP, Scout board, PineTarPress, game stories, Twitter)
Understanding minor league scouting (what matters, when to pay attention to stats, what peripheral stats matter most)
Understanding the Royals minor league philosophy (I have an inside guy who helps me a bit on this one)

I'm an amateur and am usually pulling things together from what I hear/read, but I do have some basic training in baseball scouting and do try to get to NWA and Omaha at least once a year each.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

OP updated. Mid-season top 20 prospect list now available for those interested.

You're slipping. The LINK says, "Top 15 prospects".

[WhawhaWhat]

Duffy in June: 37.1 IP, 1.69 ERA, 31 Ks, 12 BBs, BAA .169, Opp SLG .237.

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Duffy in June: 37.1 IP, 1.69 ERA, 31 Ks, 12 BBs, BAA .169, Opp SLG .237.

The ace of the staff so far this year, IMO

Shields has brought #5 starter crap the last couple of months. Not sure if he is hiding an injury or just lost his changeup, but he has been pretty "meh" lately.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

The ace of the staff so far this year, IMO

Shields has brought #5 starter crap the last couple of months. Not sure if he is hiding an injury or just lost his changeup, but he has been pretty "meh" lately.

It's all a ploy to reduce Shields' value so the Royals can afford him next year.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

You're slipping. The LINK says, "Top 15 prospects".

Whoops. Edited in Word because that's way too much to do in the edit box and ended up expanding my list a bit. Fixed now.

Originally Posted by RockChalk

The ace of the staff so far this year, IMO

Shields has brought #5 starter crap the last couple of months. Not sure if he is hiding an injury or just lost his changeup, but he has been pretty "meh" lately.

According to PitchF/X, Shields is throwing a lot more cutters this year, and that pitch has been hit pretty hard (.290 average against it). He also is not putting people away with the change like he has in the past (K rate has basically been halved on the changeup, though he's on track to throw about 200 fewer changeups this year).

Compare that to what we've seen, and it definitely seems like he's lost some of the bite on his changeup. Needs to find that pitch (and I expect once he does, we'll see vintage James Shields).

[kcxiv]

SO the Royals signed Raul Ibanez. Dudes old, but maybe he can bring a little power to the team. I know he struggled this year though.. Then again he is 42.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Duffy in June: 37.1 IP, 1.69 ERA, 31 Ks, 12 BBs, BAA .169, Opp SLG .237.

He has been lights out. I know people like to bash the offense (and deservedly so a lot of the time), but the Royals are a team that can win in the postseason if they keep pitching like this.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

He has been lights out. I know people like to bash the offense (and deservedly so a lot of the time), but the Royals are a team that can win in the postseason if they keep pitching like this.

Too bad we got Lame Game James to totally screw over our pitching stats every 5th day.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

SO the Royals signed Raul Ibanez. Dudes old, but maybe he can bring a little power to the team. I know he struggled this year though.. Then again he is 42.

Raul's theme song.....

[C3HIEF3S]

Alright here's a hypothetical scenario for you all.

We make the second wild card spot, travel on the road for a one game playoff. Who do you put on the mound?


Choose based on how the pitchers have pitched up until now, not what they could do in the second half.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Alright here's a hypothetical scenario for you all.

We make the second wild card spot, travel on the road for a one game playoff. Who do you put on the mound?


Choose based on how the pitchers have pitched up until now, not what they could do in the second half.

That is an extremely tough question. I pondered the same thing last week as I was watching Shields blow ass again. I think a case could be made for and against all five starters. Obviously, Duffy has been the best recently and I think I'd go with the hot hand. However, if Shields returns close to form he's an easy choice.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Alright here's a hypothetical scenario for you all.

We make the second wild card spot, travel on the road for a one game playoff. Who do you put on the mound?


Choose based on how the pitchers have pitched up until now, not what they could do in the second half.

Tough one. I knew Yost would put in Shields, but me? I dunno, I'd probably go with Duffy. He's been the most consistent pitcher on the roster.