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.

[mr. tegu]

Royals sign Santana. Is what I hope to see everytime I click on this thread.

[TLO]

Just heard on 610 that Mike Sweeny was being brought in as some sort of special assisstant?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Just heard on 610 that Mike Sweeny was being brought in as some sort of special assisstant?

Team chaplain?

[nychief]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Just heard on 610 that Mike Sweeny was being brought in as some sort of special assisstant?

Finally get some decent steroids on this team.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Human projection systems see Hosmer as more like .300/.350/.475 with 20-25 HR and 90-100 RBI.

I'll bet my left nut he doesn't do that.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Royals sign Santana. Is what I hope to see everytime I click on this thread.

I nearly had a heart attack.......

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I'll bet my left nut he doesn't do that.

Can we hold you to that? Considering he just bettered that pace for the last 2/3 of a season...

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I'll bet my left nut he doesn't do that.

His June 1-end of year pace would have had him at:

.318/.367/.494
22 HR
36 2B
3 3B
86 RBI
92 R

Over a full season (600 AB)

I don't think .300/.350/.475 with 20-25 HR is a crazy projection for him. I'd probably be a bit more conservative - .290/.350/.450 with 20-25 HR - but either projection is a step above what PECOTA sees.

[Prison Bitch]

I get that he had a hot 2nd half of the season, but so? Lots of guys do that. Doesn't mean we can straight extrapolate it to a whole year. If he really goes 300-25-100 then he becomes a truly elite 1B in baseball given how good his glove is (defensive stats be damned, he's very good defensively). I just can't buy Hosmer as elite. Not yet.

[gblowfish]

Great.
Bringing Sweeney back to work in the front office.
Because he knows how to win.
Yeah.....

His job will be teaching Hosmer how to suck up all the available cash for the next five years, while we lose Shields, Moose, Escobar and Perez. Then as soon as he gets his huge money, he'll hurt his back and play about 30 games a year for the next four years.

Terrific.

Somewhere Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran are laughing their collective asses off, and rolling around in a giant pile of money.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/new...c&ymd=20140207

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I get that he had a hot 2nd half of the season, but so? Lots of guys do that. Doesn't mean we can straight extrapolate it to a whole year. If he really goes 300-25-100 then he becomes a truly elite 1B in baseball given how good his glove is (defensive stats be damned, he's very good defensively). I just can't buy Hosmer as elite. Not yet.

He's NOT elite yet. But he did what he did for 4 months straight at the age of 23. It wasn't just an improvement, it was a DRAMATIC turnaround and what the scouts were saying he was going to do when he got here and developed. So there is a lot of basis for optimism.

Also, I'm not as sold on Hos defensively as others are. He makes way too many routine blunders to be considered great with the glove. He will make a flashy play here and there, showing his athleticism, etc... that's fine and dandy... but the truly great defenders are much more consistent than he's shown to be. I think he's a good defender, just not gold-glove already like some proclaim him to be.

[sedated]

Buster Olney said yesterday that a bunch of teams are concerned about Santana's elbow.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

He's NOT elite yet. But he did what he did for 4 months straight at the age of 23. It wasn't just an improvement, it was a DRAMATIC turnaround and what the scouts were saying he was going to do when he got here and developed. So there is a lot of basis for optimism.

Also, I'm not as sold on Hos defensively as others are. He makes way too many routine blunders to be considered great with the glove. He will make a flashy play here and there, showing his athleticism, etc... that's fine and dandy... but the truly great defenders are much more consistent than he's shown to be. I think he's a good defender, just not gold-glove already like some proclaim him to be.

His defense comes down to glovework and throwing ability. He's nifty with the glove and throws extremely well for an IF, let alone a 1B.

His range is a little below average, it seems. Think positioning has something to do with that. He also lacks a great first step.

Offensively, Hosmer showed nice progression. I'm still not certain he's going to continue improving or even playing at the level he showed from June 1 on, once he fixed his swing and got his confidence back. But it is not unreasonable or a stretch to think he's going to do that.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Just heard on 610 that Mike Sweeny was being brought in as some sort of special assisstant?

In charge of milk and cookies.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

His defense comes down to glovework and throwing ability. He's nifty with the glove and throws extremely well for an IF, let alone a 1B.

His range is a little below average, it seems. Think positioning has something to do with that. He also lacks a great first step.

Exactly. His accuracy on throws is remarkable to me. He reminds me so much of Wil Clark. Dead ringers, but he needs to take that next step with the bat to make the comparison complete. And his positioning on the field is why his defensive metrics aren't better. His peers already recognize him as a + fielder.