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.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Fun Stat of the Night:

Royals record in one run games this year . . . . 9-17. Worst mark in baseball.


Last year the Royals were 31-25 in one run games.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

Fun Stat of the Night:

Royals record in one run games this year . . . . 9-17. Worst mark in baseball.


Last year the Royals were 31-25 in one run games.

Bullpens and managers typically have the largest affect on one run games.

[KChiefs1]

These single hitting slap hitters are killing me.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

Bullpens and managers typically have the largest affect on one run games.

I'm sorry but you could have a team full of Ichiro's and it's highly unlikely that you are going to slap three singles in the 8 or 9th inning to score a run and win a ball game. This team loses because of hitting.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

Bullpens and managers typically have the largest affect on one run games.

And yet we have the best 1-2 back of the bullpen and one of the best managers......oh wait, nevermind.

[C3HIEF3S]

The largest role a manager plays in the AL is scapegoat. The problems people have with Yost are the same problems 13 of the other 14 fan bases have with their manager.

[Ceej]

I Just saw last night's boxscore.

3 runs on thirteen hits. Because Royals.

Impressive.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

The largest role a manager plays in the AL is scapegoat. The problems people have with Yost are the same problems 13 of the other 14 fan bases have with their manager.

"Butler hasn’t always had a heads up when he was demoted or omitted from the lineup, a common courtesy for veteran players of a certain stature. Yost and the coaching staff failed him there, but Butler needs to be mature enough to handle it better."

On this Yost failed. How hard is it to communicate with your players? If your Butler, and your only chance to contribute is your bat, and then you find yourself surprised by lineup demotions or omissions you are going to start pressing and lose focus. Watching Butler this year has been painful, but damn the guy deserves a veterans heads up. The Royals are a strangely ran organization from my perspective.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by KevB

And yet we have the best 1-2 back of the bullpen and one of the best managers......oh wait, nevermind.

I don't really see any issue with Ned's management of the bullpen.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

The largest role a manager plays in the AL is scapegoat. The problems people have with Yost are the same problems 13 of the other 14 fan bases have with their manager.

There's truth in this. Ned gets no passes for a few reasons:

1) He's not tactically consistent. He goes by his gut rather than having a pretty solid thought process and sticking with it. One time he'll drop the sac bunt in the key spot late in a close game. Another time he'll have his guy swing away. It's akin to being a blackjack player who constantly changes his mind about hitting on 16.

So because Yost flip-flops his decisions around based on his gut, there's no sense of reasoning, and his decisions become harder to defend when they go wrong.

2) Which leads to the biggest problem for Ned... he's an arrogant dick who treats people in the media like shit, and who condescends towards the fans really badly (not very Christian of him!). We've seen this with a lot of people, but his treatment of Andy McCullough really stands out.

As a friend of mine says: "You can be an asshole and be good at your job, and people you work with will tolerate you. You can be a nice guy and be bad at your job, and people you work with will still tolerate you. But if you're an asshole who's bad at your job? You're gone."

[Canofbier]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

There's truth in this. Ned gets no passes for a few reasons:

1) He's not tactically consistent. He goes by his gut rather than having a pretty solid thought process and sticking with it. One time he'll drop the sac bunt in the key spot late in a close game. Another time he'll have his guy swing away. It's akin to being a blackjack player who constantly changes his mind about hitting on 16.

So because Yost flip-flops his decisions around based on his gut, there's no sense of reasoning, and his decisions become harder to defend when they go wrong.

2) Which leads to the biggest problem for Ned... he's an arrogant dick who treats people in the media like shit, and who condescends towards the fans really badly (not very Christian of him!). We've seen this with a lot of people, but his treatment of Andy McCullough really stands out.

As a friend of mine says: "You can be an asshole and be good at your job, and people you work with will tolerate you. You can be a nice guy and be bad at your job, and people you work with will still tolerate you. But if you're an asshole who's bad at your job? You're gone."

You may be right on the higher level, but I always got the vibe that Andy and Ned were just yanking each others' chains.

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by The God Hypothesis

"Butler hasn’t always had a heads up when he was demoted or omitted from the lineup, a common courtesy for veteran players of a certain stature. Yost and the coaching staff failed him there, but Butler needs to be mature enough to handle it better."

On this Yost failed. How hard is it to communicate with your players? If your Butler, and your only chance to contribute is your bat, and then you find yourself surprised by lineup demotions or omissions you are going to start pressing and lose focus. Watching Butler this year has been painful, but damn the guy deserves a veterans heads up. The Royals are a strangely ran organization from my perspective.

Here is a effin idea Butler, should worry more about hitting the ball and getting into shape then worrying about his feelings being hurt becuase he was moved down in the batting order. He doesn't deserve anything. He is a grown man who should know his place and when he is not hitting should expect to be moved down in the effing order just like any other player would expect that. Eff Butler and Yost, neither one are doing a very good job.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Canofbier

You may be right on the higher level, but I always got the vibe that Andy and Ned were just yanking each others' chains.

I think McCullough does a good job of making it come off that way... but if they truly were just yanking each other's chains, I don't think Andy ever remarks about any of that stuff publicly. (As someone who has been in the locker room/clubhouse during those interviews)

Ned's conduct towards McCullough (and many others, including Josh Vernier and Nate Bukaty) is incredibly unprofessional and petulant.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Ned's conduct towards McCullough (and many others, including Josh Vernier and Nate Bukaty) is incredibly unprofessional and petulant.

I always liked the playback of all of Ned's responses to Nate on the 810 morning show. Too bad be isn't on FSKC anymore to be there on a regular basis.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

I always liked the playback of all of Ned's responses to Nate on the 810 morning show. Too bad be isn't on FSKC anymore to be there on a regular basis.

Nate: "Why did you bunt in the first inning with a man on second and nobody out?"

Ned: "Well, NATE, I was trying to score a run."