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.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Apparently Dayton blamed Kauffman Stadium for our inability to draw walks again today. That's a discouraging sign considering our lineup for next year.

What's the rationale behind this?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Apparently Dayton blamed Kauffman Stadium for our inability to draw walks again today. That's a discouraging sign considering our lineup for next year.

It's pretty clear that Dayton doesn't understand a lot of the more modern advancements in baseball and that grinding out walks and at-bats is not about being able to hit HR. That's a very antiquated thought process.

Look at the Cardinals... they played in a park that depressed HR totals last year at a rate very similar to the K and still were able to draw a ton of walks. Or the Rays, who led the major leagues in BBs despite playing at the Trop.

Drawing walks is about going to the plate with an approach that accepts a walk and is willing to work two strike counts and foul off pitches on the outside part of the plate until the pitcher gives them something that can be put into play.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Pablo

What's the rationale behind this?

A lot of old-school baseball people think you only draw a lot of walks if the opposing team is scared of your home run power.

HR power helps, but is less important than the things I mentioned in my last post.

Wish I'd been there. I would have asked him why, then, were the Orioles - who play in a place that INCREASES HR output substantially - so bad at drawing walks last year, while their division rivals, the Rays - who play in a place that notoriously DECREASES HR output - were so good at it?

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

A lot of old-school baseball people think you only draw a lot of walks if the opposing team is scared of your home run power.

HR power helps, but is less important than the things I mentioned in my last post.

Wish I'd been there. I would have asked him why, then, were the Orioles - who play in a place that INCREASES HR output substantially - so bad at drawing walks last year, while their division rivals, the Rays - who play in a place that notoriously DECREASES HR output - were so good at it?

Thanks. I'll readily admit I didn't really start watching baseball until last season regularly.

That sort of stuff is totally foreign to me.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Apparently Dayton blamed Kauffman Stadium for our inability to draw walks again today. That's a discouraging sign considering our lineup for next year.

Does he think there's something wrong with the K's batter's eye?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Pablo

What's the rationale behind this?

Because DM is functionally illiterate when it comes to any form of advanced metrics. Seriously, in some areas of analysis he is truly one stupid mother****er.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Does he think there's something wrong with the K's batter's eye?

I wish the true answer was something like that. But if there was an issue with the batter's eye, they could fix it (and Royals opponents/K park factor would not be so neutral when it comes to walks).

It's slightly below average in terms of BB rate in a park, but not by much.

Pretty clear the Royals have some old school organizational thought that they won't be able to draw walks consistently because they don't have guys who have power to hit the ball out of the yard and therefore be respected and frequently walked.

Jack Maloof was just stupid enough to share those types of comments in a public forum and be made to take the fall for it.

One bright side... at least Grifol is from outside Dayton Moore's Atlanta/Old School brain trust and seems to understand some of the more modern aspects of the game.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Does he think there's something wrong with the K's batter's eye?

Unfortunately, he specifically cited how difficult it is to hit home runs at the K when making the comment.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Unfortunately, he specifically cited how difficult it is to hit home runs at the K when making the comment.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Unfortunately, he specifically cited how difficult it is to hit home runs at the K when making the comment.

Oh, for crying out loud.

Sure, if you have a powerful lineup and/or a tiny ballpark that strikes fear in the hearts of your opponent, that might have a small impact on walks, but patient hitters can draw walks anywhere, because pitchers are not going to radically alter how they pitch from game to game. If you have a finesse guy he's always going to aim for the corners wherever he's pitching, and if you have a guy who throws 99 with movement, he's going to pump them into the strike zone regardless of ballpark.

[Sure-Oz]

I still can't wait till GMDM is fired

[stonedstooge]

Fever and Hud discussed the lack of walks last year several times on tv. Royals are a HITTING team and don't need no stinking walks

[BlackHelicopters]

No one walks to a WS win-GMDM

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

I still can't wait till GMDM is fired

So you are hoping for a bad season so he is fired sooner rather than later?

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

So you are hoping for a bad season so he is fired sooner rather than later?

Def not hoping for a bad season....I just think GMDM does some really stupid shit and his success wont last long.