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.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by okcchief

Yost needs to be fired and the whole approach at the plate needs to change. It needs to be done now while the season can still be salvaged.

It's not just Yost. Pervasive throughout the organization.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by okcchief

Yost needs to be fired and the whole approach at the plate needs to change. It needs to be done now while the season can still be salvaged.

Firing Yost wont do a damned thing. Either this team is a playoff team, or it is not. The manager is almost irrelevant.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by KevB

It's not just Yost. Pervasive throughout the organization.

Then shit can the whole lot.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Firing Yost wont do a damned thing. Either this team is a playoff team, or it is not. The manager is almost irrelevant.

They don't work the count and swing at horrible pitches. It's either a philosophy or we have the worst god damn hitters ever. Blow the whole ****ing thing up and start over. You have no chance when your offense is this pathetic.

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by okcchief

They don't work the count and swing at horrible pitches. It's either a philosophy or we have the worst god damn hitters ever. Blow the whole ****ing thing up and start over. You have no chance when your offense is this pathetic.

You know, this is something that me and my father in law were talking about at the game today. We have pretty decent front row seats behind home plate in the upper deck so we have a good idea of what's strikes and what isn't. It seemed like after the first inning Verlanders zone increased some on the outsideportion of the zone. At the same time, Varas' to us shrank in the same area. So we talked about hitting approaches from each team. Detroit could sit on anything outside because it wasn't being called and we surmised that the Royals had to change they're approach on the outside pitches because it was being called strikes for Verlander and they had to protect with swings. Could be wrong, just something that both him and I saw. He's had these seats for the last 10 years and we've had ours for the last 2.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by SPchief

You know, this is something that me and my father in law were talking about at the game today. We have pretty decent front row seats behind home plate in the upper deck so we have a good idea of what's strikes and what isn't. It seemed like after the first inning Verlanders zone increased some on the outsideportion of the zone. At the same time, Varas' to us shrank in the same area. So we talked about hitting approaches from each team. Detroit could sit on anything outside because it wasn't being called and we surmised that the Royals had to change they're approach on the outside pitches because it was being called strikes for Verlander and they had to protect with swings. Could be wrong, just something that both him and I saw. He's had these seats for the last 10 years and we've had ours for the last 2.

Umpire not calling the game both ways... must be Ned's fault.

[CoMoChief]

Well a pitcher like Verlander is going to get those calls more times than not.

It's the Michael Jordan rule. If you're one of the best, the discretion usually rules in your favor.

[SPchief]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Well a pitcher like Verlander is going to get those calls more times than not.

It's the Michael Jordan rule. If you're one of the best, the discretion usually rules in your favor.

Leads to a different conversation. After a called k for Verlander we both went ballistic yelling that there's no way that was a strike. Next inning (I think it was top of the 3rd) Vargas throws the same pitch on a 3-2 count and ump just stands there for the walk on Martinez if I recall correctly. Tiger fan behind us says, that that's why Verlander is Verlander and Vargas is Vargas. Then he proceed to rumble off stats for Verlander. I'm a purist for the most part, but it's absolutely frustrating when the same pitches from different pitchers are called differently.

[DeepSouth]

The Royals just played one of the best teams in baseball. There's a reason the Tigers have won the Central the last few years. It's disheartening to get swept but it happens.
The Royals now get to play seven games against two teams that have losing records. Plus, Billy will get to sit on the bench for the first three. Can the Royals pitchers bat into more double plays per game than Billy?
My feelings are, if the Royals are still playing 500 ball at the end of May, they have a chance to make the playoffs. If they'd have been playing 500 ball at the end of May last year, they'd have won the Central. The Royals were 7 - 7 against the Tigers after the All-Star-Break last year.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by SPchief

You know, this is something that me and my father in law were talking about at the game today. We have pretty decent front row seats behind home plate in the upper deck so we have a good idea of what's strikes and what isn't. It seemed like after the first inning Verlanders zone increased some on the outsideportion of the zone. At the same time, Varas' to us shrank in the same area. So we talked about hitting approaches from each team. Detroit could sit on anything outside because it wasn't being called and we surmised that the Royals had to change they're approach on the outside pitches because it was being called strikes for Verlander and they had to protect with swings. Could be wrong, just something that both him and I saw. He's had these seats for the last 10 years and we've had ours for the last 2.

There were a few pitches like that but for the most part we were swinging at bad pitches. We just go up there and swing. And in Homser's case he goes up there and tries to knock the cover off the ball with every swing.

[Archie F. Swin]

5 - 13 in the division?


**** it. Drop a low grade nuke on the K and forget Kansas City ever had a baseball team. I'm sick of GMDM's koolaid. I'm going to go eat rat poison.

[SPATCH]

Royals Apathy Mode: Engaged.

[ChiTown]

I made it to Sat and Sundays games. It was disappointing, frustrating and awful to watch. My biggest issue isn't that we got swept by the Tigers, it's that we looked so dysfunctional in this series. It's almost like we just mailed it in after Shields got pounded on Friday night. Awful performances all the way around - pitching and hitting.

Very important 7 game West Coast trip. Would love to go 5-2 and get back to above .500, but I envision something much worse, more like 2-5. Starts with a big game tonight. Need a money performance by Ace.

[OmahaChief]

Instead of a banner we all need to chip in some money for a bus load of skanks to be the teams slumpbusters. I think that might be the only thing to save the season.

[C3HIEF3S]

I would love nothing more than Ventura going out there tonight and dealing. Need him to stop this slide.