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.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Well, for one, it shows up as a small blue question mark for me.

Hmm... strange.

See if this works.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_rgGNHw6mh7M/...y+Jackson3.JPG

[Coach]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

Jackson was a lefty?

Bingo.

So Danny Jackson is a lefty, and that card clearly shows a righty..... we can reasonably assume that it's not Danny Jackson.

Which begs the question. Who the hell is the guy on the card?

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Coach

Bingo.

So Danny Jackson is a lefty, and that card clearly shows a righty..... we can reasonably assume that it's not Danny Jackson.

Which begs the question. Who the hell is the guy on the card?

Oh hell. I'll be up all night now.

[stonedstooge]

I looked it up. It was an error card. I never would have guessed it, but the name was familiar after I saw it. I never would have got "close" guessing who it was. That's a hint there

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

I looked it up. It was an error card. I never would have guessed it, but the name was familiar after I saw it. I never would have got "close" guessing who it was. That's a hint there

Steve Farr?

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by BCD

Steve Farr?

DING DING DING DING DING. We have a WINNAH

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

DING DING DING DING DING. We have a WINNAH

Are you sure? Farr usually had a stache and longer hair.

[siberian khatru]

I think it's Frank Wills

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Are you sure? Farr usually had a stache and longer hair.

That's what the baseball card error site said. Could be another error though

[Infidel Goat]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

I think it's Frank Wills

Willis wore 19. That looks like a "6" as the second number which fits with Steve Farr's 26.

At any rate, it's not Amos Otis.

ETA: If it is Willis, it's even funnier because he was a Mariner that year. He played for the Royals in '84, though, so it's still possible I guess.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

Willis wore 19. That looks like a "6" as the second number which fits with Steve Farr's 26.

At any rate, it's not Amos Otis.

ETA: If it is Willis, it's even funnier because he was a Mariner that year. He played for the Royals in '84, though, so it's still possible I guess.

You've got better eyes than I do, because I can't make out any numbers.

Wills was kind of a shot in the dark -- he got traded to the M's in January 85.

Just doesn't look like Farr to me.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

DING DING DING DING DING. We have a WINNAH

Couldn't be Farr, because he had a stache.

Wills is the one I was thinking.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

Willis wore 19. That looks like a "6" as the second number which fits with Steve Farr's 26.

At any rate, it's not Amos Otis.

ETA: If it is Willis, it's even funnier because he was a Mariner that year. He played for the Royals in '84, though, so it's still possible I guess.

Well the photo could have been taken in '84, as typically most card companies use prior year photos on their cards at the time, I imagine.

It looks like a 9 to me, since the 6 and the 9 section can match, just could not tell the exact number because of his left arm is in the way/blocking the view.

[Coach]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1985-BB-Donru...-/310835601920

There's a better quality photo of the card in question.

[stonedstooge]

It looks like it could be Jim Sunberg looking at his cards from that year