***Official 2022 Royals Season Repository Thread***

[ChiefsCountry]

For all things Royals in 2022. #3 minor league system according to Baseball America. The Bobby Witt era should begin this year. Will Salvy still be the homerun king? How does the glut of infield players work out? Will the young pitchers take the next step?

Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Zack Greinke, P
Amir Garrett, P
Taylor Clarke, P

Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America
1. Bobby Witt, SS
2. Asa Lacy, P
3. MJ Melendez, C
4. Nick Pratto, 1B
5. Jackson Kowar, P
6. Kyle Isabel, OF
7. Frank Mozzicato, P
8. Ben Kudrna, P
9. Jonathan Bowlan, P
10. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B

Duncan's Top Royals Prospects

Spoiler!

1. Bobby Witt, Jr., SS. MLB.
This status lasts about another 4 weeks, but let’s take a moment to appreciate having the top guy in the minor league prospects lists for at least a little while longer. Witt has prodigious ability and the question is really just IF he can meet it. They have not had a prospect like this in my lifetime, and really probably ever. Combine insane raw physical skills (right there with Adalberto Mondesi and Willie Wilson in the ranks right behind Bo Jackson) with unbelievable work ethic, a humble-but-confident nature, and already having shown he can struggle and overcome to achieve big success, and you have the tools for a show-stopping centerpiece. Oh, and throw in the former-player’s kid aspect on it on top of things, and there is every reason to believe he’s going to succeed and succeed big.
2. M.J. Melendez, C, AAA Omaha.
I was early on putting him in this slot last year, and I don’t regret it. The power, the ability to be a good defender behind the dish as well as having the athletic ability to play 3B or LF, too, and you have a really valuable overall piece and FANTASTIC understudy for Salvador Perez.
3. Asa Lacy, LHP. AA Northwest Arkansas
Whoa, let’s get crazy again. Lacy has outstanding stuff. Top of the system. He got hurt and lost his command during COVID times, but appears to be back on track so far this spring. If his command sticks, this is a guy who can move quickly. And his ceiling is really second to nobody in the minor league pitching ranks.
4. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B. AA Northwest Arkansas
Vinnie starts the season back at AA due to the guy who follows him on the list here. He just hits, folks. I love his combination of contact, loud contact, plate discipline, and lack of strikeouts. The Billy Butler comparisons are annoying (in that I will NEVER refer to this man as Italian Breakfast except in the instance that just occurred), but the Billy Butler comparisons are also fairly apt… if you made Butler a lefthanded hitter, AND improved his body/athleticism from a 20 to a 40, AND if you added that little extra touch of power we all wished Butler could consistently find.
5. Nick Pratto, 1B, AAA Omaha.
Hey, let’s stay at 1B. Pratto has flashy power and I love his batting eye AND his hand-eye coordination. The hair he’s been rocking this spring is also pretty sweet. I slot him just behind Pasquantino simply because I think his bat profile is more volatile. The glove and arm are sweet/plus for 1B, though.
6. Jonathan Bowlan, RHP, AAA Omaha
Bowlan is coming back from Tommy John surgery, and this ranking is assuming that recovering is successful. If it his, you’re talking about a big, consistent SP who throws hard enough and has enough of a repertoire to really make things happen. If the recovery goes well, he may be shuttling to the majors in July to reinforce the rotation.
7. Nick Loftin, CF, AA Omaha.
Loftin is a guy who has really grown on me. I saw him as a quasi super-utility guy when the Royals drafted him, The full-time shift to CF (which means they think he has the speed and the overall defensive ability to handle CF in Kansas City) adds a lot of value here. The ultimate positive offensive upside is similar to peak Whit Merrifield, maybe with a touch more early power.
8. Michael Massey, 2B, AA Northwest Arkansas.
Massey was an absolute revelation last year, hitting for power and average and keeping his K rate down while playing a really strong 2B. He has a very sweet, short lefthanded stroke. This is another aggressive rating, but Massey has proven himself through a tough minor league assignment already, and the arrow is pointed up.
9. Ben Kudrna, RHP, Rookie Ball
Kudrna is a big, physical specimen with a lot of upside and potential. The fastball and slider are already nearly MLB-level in terms of velocity and movement (command needs work). Kudrna is a guy who, with luck, and health, and good development, could ascend to the top of a rotation.
10. Frank Mozzicato, LHP, Rookie Ball.
Mozzicato has a curveball that suggests he has a feel for spin. If you want to dream, you hope that the next 2-3 years turn the 175 he weighed when drafted into a rock-solid 220/225 and carries with it an increase in fastball velocity from 90-91, sitting 87-88, to 96-97, sitting 93-94. You pair his ability to spin the ball (which also suggests he should be able to easily master a sweeper slider) with that type of fastball velo and a changeup he already has a feel for, and it’s an exciting profile.

He has a little more to go in terms of growing into that projectability than Kudrna, which is why he slots right behind him.
11. Alec Marsh, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Marsh missed a lot of 2021 to injury, but the hard-throwing righthander is another guy who could move quickly once the minor league season starts. He’s undeniably got the stuff of a quality major-league pitcher. The question is if he can master enough command to cash it in. This guy is a great example of TINSTAAPP.
12. Angel Zerpa, LHP, AAA Omaha
Zerpa might quickly outperform this slot. His stuff ticked up in 21 and he ended the season making a start in the majors. He’s nice depth to have, and honestly, I’m a big fan of just throwing numbers at pitching. Zerpa definitely helps create the depth you need to generate a top-notch and reliable home-grown rotation.
13. Maikel Garcia, SS, AA Northwest Arkansas
Garcia is a really intriguing hitter, a righthanded hitter who has a nice combination of contact skills and control of the strike zone (this cousin of Alcides Escobar is less savvy with the glove and more savvy at the plate). The Royals protected him for a reason (he’s on the 40-man).
14. Carter Jensen, C, A ??
Jensen is a local product whose bat will probably push him off C (as well as the Royals depth at that spot throughout the organization). This is a future 1B profile, and a nice one. He makes a lot of loud contact and shows an ability to lift the ball. Should be fun to watch this year.
15. Ben Hernandez, RHP, A+ Quad Rivers
Hernandez missed a good part of 2021 but still has that butterfly changeup and a classic pitcher’s profile. He’ll need to find a reliable swing-and-miss secondary to make it in the bigs, but if not, the fastball velocity and changeup should make him a quality high-leverage reliver.
16. Dylan Coleman, RHP, AAA Omaha
Speaking of relievers, Coleman is a hard-throwing righthander who probably spends most of 22 in the Royals’ pen. ½ of the compensation for the Rosenthal trade a few years back, Coleman has a big fastball and nasty breaking ball.
17. Will Klein, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Speaking of relivers, everything I just said about Coleman? Yeah, you can say it about Klein, too. Klein regularly toyed with hitters at high A last year, striking out 121 hitters in just 70 1/3 innings pitched. For those counting at home, that’s a 15.5 K/9 rate. Yep. That’ll play.
18. Anthony Veneziano, LHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Here’s another big, power arm. Veneziano hasn’t been relegated to bullpen only yet, though. His fastball bumped into the high 90s last year on a starter’s workload. He’s still looking for a changeup, but if he doesn’t find it, you’re looking at a really promising future bullpen fireballer.
19. Erick Pena, OF, A ?
Pena did… not have a strong 2021 full season debut. His struggles look a lot like those of Pratto and Melendez in 2019. Pena has the same type of raw toolkit to work from as those two, with great hands and natural power. He needs to fix a hitch in his swing and calm it down, but so did Melendez. Of this second ten grouping, Pena has the highest upside and could jump right into the top 5 of the org ranks.
20. Darryl Collins, OF, A+
Collins is an international signing out of Europe. I like the hitting package here – good eye and contact skills. He needs to make more loud contact, but if he can, really a nice guy.

Overall takeaways:
This is a system with a lot of depth. We could go another 10-12 deep and still be talking about guys with a good shot to make the majors. The changes to the organization’s approach are bearing fruit, as even less-heralded draftees are stepping forward.

The combination of upside (Witt, Melendez, Lacy), depth, and guys you can dream on is fun. It may not produce quite as much as the 2011 group did, but it does offer a more sustainable system, less reliant on a few big-ticket guys.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Excited to start working with Amir Garrett! Have been a fan of his work and really enjoyed his interviews with @PitchingNinja and now will be helping him learn where best to use those sliders and fastballs to attack hitters in what are truly their weak spots!
👍 @Amir_Garrett pic.twitter.com/NpQ5mXoiOs

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 29, 2022

So the pitching coach seems to have lost some of the players...

Can't imagine why . . . . . . . .

It's been such a productive relationship up until this point.

[dlphg9]

This is a quote from Royals insider Josh Vernier

"I understand that you don't want a clubhouse all jovial when you're one of the four worst teams in Major League Baseball, but I've never really been in a professional clubhouse as quiet, as tense, from Day 1 until here, game number 71," Vernier said. "I've never really been in a clubhouse likes this 2022 Kansas City Royals clubhouse ... There's quite a bit of tension inside that clubhouse."

This is extremely damning of this entire coaching staff and the front office. These clowns shouldn't be anywhere near ML baseball players. If John Sherman is just going to let the team be run like this then the whole organization can just **** right off and move to a different state. They don't deserve a ****ing dime from the tax players.

Now we have a pitcher basically telling the pitching coach to **** off and is using a Twitter account for help pitching. There are some quotes from some of the younger pitchers this year that make it seem like they don't trust Cal. I don't think a single pitcher likes the guy.

There isn't a single starter with an ERA below 4.5. The fact that this coaching staff hasnt been able to improve this team is sickening and Dayton is fine with it because they are raising them the right and Godly way!

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Looking at some potential Beni trade locations:

Yankees - Trey Sweeny looks like a potential target according to all the Yankees sites. SS who could slide to 3rd. Yankees first round pick last year
Padres - most of their top 10 list is in rookie ball it seems but a good system
Rays - top 5 system

Kansas City Royals: Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi will become a free agent at the end of the season, so the Royals would be best served to move 2021’s Gold Glove-award-winning left fielder. Benintendi’s production at the plate has returned to the type of levels that made him a first-round pick. He’s only 27 years old and he’s currently batting .299 with a .367 on-base percentage. He also has the lowest strikeout rate of his career (14.2 percent). A team needing an impact bat will come calling, and considering the Royals’ lost season, a deal is imminent. — Alec Lewis


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[KChiefs1]

MLB Trade Deadline: Top 12 candidates to be traded
Jim Bowden


5. Andrew Benintendi, LF, Royals

Age: 27
Slash line: .295/.360/.390 HR: 3 RBI: 25
WAR: 1.4 OPS+: 114

Benintendi won the American League Gold Glove for left fielders last year and should challenge for the award again this year. He ranks in the 65th percentile in Outs Above Average for all outfielders. His batting average dipped below .300 this week, but he’s reaching base at a 36 percent clip. He has figured out his best role: to create traffic at the top of the lineup and prevent runs with his leather. Benintendi is eligible for free agency after the season, and if the Royals aren’t going to be able to re-sign him, they should trade him before the deadline.

Best team fits: Padres, Marlins, Yankees, Rays, Brewers, Braves



9. Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF, Royals

Age: 33
Slash line: .232/.277/.318 R: 33 SB: 9 2B: 15
WAR: -0.7 OPS+: 69

Merrifield has led the AL in hits twice, stolen bases three times, doubles once (last season) and triples once. But, at age 33, he’s having the worst year of his career. Merrifield can play second base, right field and left field, versatility that helps his trade value. He is making $7 million this year, and if he spends fewer than 110 days on the injured list in 2022, he’ll make $6.75 million next year plus another $500,000 when the Royals buy out his $18 million mutual option for 2024. He has to play better leading up to the deadline for the Royals to get anything significant back in a trade. If he doesn’t, they’ll have to wonder if they waited a year too long to trade him.

Best team fits: Padres, Brewers, White Sox


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[dlphg9]

I guarantee Whit isn't traded. **** I could see them holding onto Beni too.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Beni will get traded, it's a foregone conclusion.

Whit, meh. I could see them holding onto him. Although, they need to trade him at this point. It's not just about trade value (whats left) or him getting older or Royals not being competitive this year (all good reasons to trade him), but he's blocking second base.

Either for Nicky Lopez (who, admittedly, is struggling right now) or Massey, who will probably get a call up at some point (and needs to) assuming Whit is not still here.

But, hey, we'll just keep him. Along with MAT (whose trade value will never be higher than it is right now), O'Hearn, our wonderful pitching coach and our inspiring manager. Let's just keep everyone! I'm sure that will work out for the best . . . . . .

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

9. Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF, Royals

Age: 33
Slash line: .232/.277/.318 R: 33 SB: 9 2B: 15
WAR: -0.7 OPS+: 69

He has to play better leading up to the deadline for the Royals to get anything significant back in a trade. If he doesn’t, they’ll have to wonder if they waited a year too long to trade him.

You think?

There was absolutely no reason, IMO, not to dump him last year at the trade deadline. How much more blood did they think they were going to be able to squeeze from the Whit turnip?

[myselff77]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

This is a quote from Royals insider Josh Vernier
There isn't a single starter with an ERA below 4.5. The fact that this coaching staff hasnt been able to improve this team is sickening and Dayton is fine with it because they are raising them the right and Godly way!

What's James Shields doing these days? Fire Eldred, bring in Shields to work with these young arms, and have him bring back his neon light in the clubhouse to award the king of the game and bring some levity back to the team.

[poolboy]

great job by Greinke today

[KChiefs1]

Greinke might bring back a haul if he keeps pitching like this.


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[DJJasonp]

Jack Nicholson (as the Joker): "This team needs an enema!"

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

This is a quote from Royals insider Josh Vernier

"I understand that you don't want a clubhouse all jovial when you're one of the four worst teams in Major League Baseball, but I've never really been in a professional clubhouse as quiet, as tense, from Day 1 until here, game number 71," Vernier said. "I've never really been in a clubhouse likes this 2022 Kansas City Royals clubhouse ... There's quite a bit of tension inside that clubhouse."

This is extremely damning of this entire coaching staff and the front office. These clowns shouldn't be anywhere near ML baseball players. If John Sherman is just going to let the team be run like this then the whole organization can just **** right off and move to a different state. They don't deserve a ****ing dime from the tax players.

Now we have a pitcher basically telling the pitching coach to **** off and is using a Twitter account for help pitching. There are some quotes from some of the younger pitchers this year that make it seem like they don't trust Cal. I don't think a single pitcher likes the guy.

There isn't a single starter with an ERA below 4.5. The fact that this coaching staff hasnt been able to improve this team is sickening and Dayton is fine with it because they are raising them the right and Godly way!

Meh. Quiet guys are also good at baseball. See Alex Gordon, Lo Cain, Mike Trout and others.

[poolboy]

going to twitter for pitching tips? twitter is a shitshow so no

[KChiefs1]

JP Morosi just mentioned on MLBN that the Phillies have interest in Benintendi.


Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi is reportedly a potential target if the Philadelphia Phillies dip in to the trade market to help replace Bryce Harper, who's out indefinitely after suffering a broken left thumb on Saturday.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Wednesday that Benintendi is a "name to watch" given the limited financial impact of his expiring contract and his connection to Phillies president Dave Dombrowski after four years together with the Boston Red Sox.

A single trade isn't going to fill the massive void left by Harper. The reigning National League MVP was putting together another terrific season with a .318/.385/.599 slash line, 15 home runs and nine stolen bases through 64 games before the injury.

Would clear the way for Nick Pratto.


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[BigCatDaddy]

Ehh