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.

[Bowser]

Chen is better used out of the bully, imo. He's a good starter, but a great setup/long relief guy. At least that's the impression I got watching him before they re-inserted him in the rotation last season. He didn't suck as a starter by any means, but....

[duncan_idaho]

I'm still convinced the plan with Chen is for him to make around 10 starts and cover the innings they want out of his spot in the rotation but know they can't get out of Duffy (because he's limited to 140-150 this year) or Zimmer.

I'd rather see Duffy in Omaha continuing to work on his slider than pitching out of the bullpen, but using him out of the Royals pen at the start of the year DOES allow them to limit his innings while still having his work supervised by Eiland.

I wonder, too, how much Duffy's development would have been helped if they'd just let him start throwing a slider 3-4 years ago rather than insisting he stick to a curveball as his breaking pitch. His arm slot is probably more conducive to a slider, and it works better off of his fastball than a curve (and is harder to recognize, improving the swing and miss ability of both pitches).

[alnorth]

Interesting article on the star today. The Royals are doing a bunch of different things to try to keep Salvy from suffering another concussion.

They are trying out more padding in his helmet this spring, and they ordered a heavier old-fashioned solid steel mask to replace his lightweight mask. (the lightweight masks are more comfortable, but they don't disperse impact as well as the old-fashioned steel masks) They also want Salvy to inch up closer to the plate to make foul balls less likely to hit his head.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Interesting article on the star today. The Royals are doing a bunch of different things to try to keep Salvy from suffering another concussion.

They are trying out more padding in his helmet this spring, and they ordered a heavier old-fashioned solid steel mask to replace his lightweight mask. (the lightweight masks are more comfortable, but they don't disperse impact as well as the old-fashioned steel masks) They also want Salvy to inch up closer to the plate to make foul balls less likely to hit his head.

I wonder what sport costs more money in injuries throughout the USA: baseball or football..

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

I wonder what sport costs more money in injuries throughout the USA: baseball or football..

Football easily.
Posted via Mobile Device

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

I wonder what sport costs more money in injuries throughout the USA: baseball or football..

Football it would seem.

[C3HIEF3S]

Dyson displaying his power

[C3HIEF3S]

Gio displaying his power

3-0 KC over a split squad Cubs team.

[alnorth]

Shields: 10K in 6IP, only 75 pitches

[C3HIEF3S]

He's mowing em down.
Too bad it's not only a split squad team, but a Cubs split squad team

Still nice to see though no doubt.

[C3HIEF3S]

Rauch and Collins give up 3 runs each and the SS Cubs take the lead 6-5.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Unsmooth-Moment

He isn't competing with Chen. Looks like the only spot in rotation available currently is the ventura/duffy spot.

I hope that changes later in season. Duffy needs to keep innings down as well.

Hes not competing directly, no. But in a way he is. If he was any good, then he would push the weakest other starter (Chen) out.


Chen is ok as long as hes not overworked.. IMO the reason he played well last season is because he wasnt overworked the beginning of the year. He was used sparingly, and still had enough in the tank the last half of the year.

[WhawhaWhat]

Dodgers started a 17 year old today against the Padres.

In a last hour switcheroo, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to start 17-year-old phenom Julio Urias during Game 1 of their split squad doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

Urias handled one inning of work against the San Diego Padres and was absolutely flawless, striking out two on only 14 pitches. He started off the inning with a strikeout of six-year pro and left-handed hitting Will Venable despite falling behind in the count 3-0.

How's that for poise under pressure?

After getting Chris Denorfia on a grounder to third, Urias struck out another left-hander swinger with major league experience in Yonder Alonso.

All three players will be on the Padres opening day roster, so it's not like the Dodgers threw him into a cupcake matchup. And based on the information coming from Camelback Ranch, he's already an extremely tough at-bat for left-handed hitters. Now just imagine how much better he'll be with experience and a little bit of seasoning.

It's a scary thought if you're not a Dodgers fan.

[alnorth]

The Tigers just lost their shortstop for most of 2014.

[alnorth]

Everyone now expects the Tigers to rescue Stephen Drew from QO purgatory, but that would probably be a downgrade.