***Official 2021 Royals Season Repository Thread***

[ChiefsCountry]

For all things Royals for the new year.

Free Agent Signings:
Carlos Santana
Mike Minor
Michael Taylor
Ervin Santana

Top 10 Prospects:
1 Bobby Witt Jr., SS
2 Asa Lacy, LHP
3 Daniel Lynch, LHP
4 Jackson Kowar, RHP
5 Erick Pena, OF
6 Nick Loftin, SS
7 Kyle Isbel, OF
8 Khali Lee, OF
9 Jonathan Bowlan, RHP
10 Carlos Hernedez, RHP

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BWillie

He doesn't suck, I just find it hilarious how people on the internet who have never seen him pitch outside of some YouTube video wanted to anoint him the best pitcher in the draft no matter what. If a GM took ANYONE but Rocker, he was a blithering buffoon. Just familiarity bias.

I don't know why you keep hammering this point. You think you're pwning the thread or something?

How many people in here do you think are actually scouting guys as they form their opinion, and how many do you think are reading/consuming the opinions of experts who have scouted players?

It's a lot more of the latter than the former.

Rocker was the consensus top player in the MLB draft entering the 2021 baseball season, based on expert/scout analysis (MLB, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, Fangraphs, PitcherList - all had him as their top pitcher before the college and high school seasons started).

He was inconsistent and had some velocity decreases/spikes that caused him to fall from "sure-fire top 1 talent" to "sure-fire top 5 talent" in the estimation of scouts watching him pitch.

The same publications had people watching guys like Frank Mozzicato and Kudrna, and without exception had Rocker much, much higher. (Kiley McDaniel had Mozzicato highest at #21 but still had Rocker around 15 spots higher).

People didn't think it was a weird reach to take a presumed healthy Mozzicato over a presumed healthy Rocker because they watched Rocker on TV. They thought it was a weird reach because all these publications' scouts (Many of whom are former MLB scouts) had a big disparity in their rankings.

Those same well-respected prospect evaluators then started popping midseason top 50 and top 100 prospect lists and every one I looked at had Rocker in them. The one I think does the best job evaluating pitchers had him 40 or 41 before throwing a professional point.

Sure, Mozzicato might end up being a much better major league pitcher. Especially now that Rocker will spend a year in independent ball (which is usually not a great indicator for success).

But that doesn't change what it looked like leading up to the draft or when the pick was announced.

And I say all this fully preferring Khalil Watson to Rocker at #7 last month (Watson signed with the Marlins, BTW, for less than the Royals slot).

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I don't know why you keep hammering this point. You think you're pwning the thread or something?

How many people in here do you think are actually scouting guys as they form their opinion, and how many do you think are reading/consuming the opinions of experts who have scouted players?

It's a lot more of the latter than the former.

Rocker was the consensus top player in the MLB draft entering the 2021 baseball season, based on expert/scout analysis (MLB, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, Fangraphs, PitcherList - all had him as their top pitcher before the college and high school seasons started).

He was inconsistent and had some velocity decreases/spikes that caused him to fall from "sure-fire top 1 talent" to "sure-fire top 5 talent" in the estimation of scouts watching him pitch.

The same publications had people watching guys like Frank Mozzicato and Kudrna, and without exception had Rocker much, much higher. (Kiley McDaniel had Mozzicato highest at #21 but still had Rocker around 15 spots higher).

People didn't think it was a weird reach to take a presumed healthy Mozzicato over a presumed healthy Rocker because they watched Rocker on TV. They thought it was a weird reach because all these publications' scouts (Many of whom are former MLB scouts) had a big disparity in their rankings.

Those same well-respected prospect evaluators then started popping midseason top 50 and top 100 prospect lists and every one I looked at had Rocker in them. The one I think does the best job evaluating pitchers had him 40 or 41 before throwing a professional point.

Sure, Mozzicato might end up being a much better major league pitcher. Especially now that Rocker will spend a year in independent ball (which is usually not a great indicator for success).

But that doesn't change what it looked like leading up to the draft or when the pick was announced.

And I say all this fully preferring Khalil Watson to Rocker at #7 last month (Watson signed with the Marlins, BTW, for less than the Royals slot).

Didn't I clarify in my last post? Because I think it's hilarious. The fact that the Mets didn't even sign him is fascinating. He now has to play independent baseball, international baseball, or hang out for 11 months and play video games. I would imagine, anyone who was anti-Rocker like myself would revel in such an outcome.

Reminds me of when Dallas fans booed Dirk Nowitzki because they wanted fat ass Robert Tractor Traylor or NCAA darling Bryce Drew...for the sole reason of familiarity bias.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Didn't I clarify in my last post? Because I think it's hilarious. The fact that the Mets didn't even sign him is fascinating. He now has to play independent baseball, international baseball, or hang out for 11 months and play video games. I would imagine, anyone who was anti-Rocker like myself would revel in such an outcome.

Reminds me of when Dallas fans booed Dirk Nowitzki because they wanted fat ass Robert Tractor Traylor or NCAA darling Bryce Drew...for the sole reason of familiarity bias.

What's hilarious is the ignorance of your point/stance.

The Mets failed to sign him because (their official story):
1) A medical issue popped up and he wouldn't sign for what they were willing to pay with this new information
(what might have actually happened)
2) They wanted an excuse to not make a pick and push it into 2022's draft, so they have a huge bonus pool

Neither of those options has nothing to do with how good he actually is, healthy.

The fans in this thread didn't him to be drafted JUST because they had heard of him. They wanted him to be drafted because of the consensus opinion of scouts and other experts on the draft and prospects agreed he was an elite prospect.

Sure seems like you're being a contrarian asshole to just be a contrarian asshole.

[WhawhaWhat]

These organizations can not only develop more players in a complex league setting, but they can also *sign* more players.

Each Rookie affiliate an organization fields—up to two domestic and up to two in the D.R.—creates an entire roster of minor league players it can sign.

— Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) August 3, 2021

[tk13]

Dayton lighting that fire.

INF Adalberto Mondesi will begin a rehab assignment with Omaha (AAA) tonight.

INF Emmanuel Rivera's rehab assignment has been transferred to Omaha.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 3, 2021

[tk13]

Also I assume this means Omaha's infield is going to be Pratto, Witt, Mondesi and Rivera? You're going to have more Royals fans interested in how that group plays than the big league group.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by tk13

Also I assume this means Omaha's infield is going to be Pratto, Witt, Mondesi and Rivera? You're going to have more Royals fans interested in how that group plays than the big league group.

Can we, uh, send Rivero down and Melendez up? Both are good prospects, but Melendez has got to be a Top 4 or 5 organizational prospect.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by tk13

Dayton lighting that fire.

INF Adalberto Mondesi will begin a rehab assignment with Omaha (AAA) tonight.

INF Emmanuel Rivera's rehab assignment has been transferred to Omaha.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 3, 2021

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Can we, uh, send Rivero down and Melendez up? Both are good prospects, but Melendez has got to be a Top 4 or 5 organizational prospect.

I’d slot him second.

Catching prospects are volatile, but he has drastically increased his power production while also cutting his K rate a ton and improving defensively.

[CatinKS]

Between Whit and Mody who plays SS. Does this push Whit to DH for a short spell?

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by CatinKS

Between Whit and Mody who plays SS. Does this push Whit to DH for a short spell?

You mean Witt?

I'd be all for Mondi to DH in AAA, but then he's SS in MLB for the rest of the year. I'm hoping they put him at CF after this season and Witt plays SS.

Hell is be fine if they put Mondi at CF for the rest of the year, because why not? Get him some valuable experience for the future. Royals won't do it, but it'd be sweet.

Be prepared for Mondi to come back and play the rest of the season healthy and absolutely take, just in time to get us all stoked for next year lol.

[louie aguiar]

Originally Posted by CatinKS

Between Whit and Mody who plays SS. Does this push Whit to DH for a short spell?

Whit doesn’t play SS

[CatinKS]

Originally Posted by louie aguiar

Whit doesn’t play SS

Sorry Typo. Just curious if they use both in the infield at AAA

[gblowfish]

First time Mondesi dives for a sinking liner in the outfield, he'll be out for three months! Mondesi's uniform should be made out of the same stuff from which they make Nerf balls!

[louie aguiar]

Originally Posted by CatinKS

Sorry Typo. Just curious if they use both in the infield at AAA

Might as well try Mondi in CF. He clearly can’t stay healthy at short.