***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.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Cool.

Let him pay for all of it then.

Stupid.

All of these things add value to KC. He can take the team somewhere else if he needs to and KC loses out on a ton of great things. This is how this works, get used to it.

[nychief]

I wonder with Dayton being raptured, if Salvy's status as untouchable changes... I doubt it, but I imagine everything is on the table now.


I expect a young analytics manager to be hired in tandem with a like minded GM.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by nychief

I wonder with Dayton being raptured, if Salvy's status as untouchable changes... I doubt it, but I imagine everything is on the table now.


I expect a young analytics manager to be hired in tandem with a like minded GM.

Salvy's contract makes him near untradeable, it's a ton of money for an aging catcher who's shown to have some injury issues.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Moore isn't wrong about porn. Its some really bad shit for you. It's just a dopamine hit and makes you addicted to it. That's not religious viewpoint either.

It's a viewpoint from the types of people that think video gaming causes mass shootings.

[DJ's left nut]

Wait. Dayton Moore got fired?

NOOOOOOO!!!! How's Matheny gonna fall below a .500 career record when there's nobody else in baseball dumb enough to hire him?

Eh...there's always the Pirates. They're always looking for a 'culture change' and now Mikey Dreamboat has experience 'rebuilding' with a young roster. He's perfect for them!

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Salvy's contract makes him near untradeable, it's a ton of money for an aging catcher who's shown to have some injury issues.

These deals are what loser franchises do. I like Salvy fine and he alone isn’t the reason we lose 95 games. Obviously. But as DM admitted “we haven’t been transactional”. TB and Cleve rarely give out big contracts. If you aren’t named Jose Ramirez or Wander Franco you are on the trading block the day you arrive.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan

Props to those that recognize the immense difficulty in winning with a smaller franchise and who don't try to re-write history. Nobody "lucks" into two WS appearances back-to-back. That's just stupid and shows a lack of knowledge on how hard it is.

DM will be in the Royals HOF eventually. He should be. If you can't appreciate that, I don't know what to say. I'm good with this move and thought this might be the furthest extent of the changes Flanny referenced. I at least wanted the MLB level staff gone, sans hitting department. Based on what Sherman's been telegraphing, I was hoping JJ would be given carte blanche to do with the pitching department what he's done with the hitting department. I think that's all but certain now. I think Sherman inserts himself into the manager-search process and uses his connections for the pitching development aspect (Cleveland, mainly).

The favorite thing about this move is that all the bitches out there won't have DM as a punching bag for their tired middle-schoolish bible/porn/etc comments from their position of armchair, chicken-little GM. Those comments have always been nonsense. The caricatures were just out of hand and borderline conspiracy theory level bullshit. Nobody that high in a baseball organization makes decisions around the caricatures that have been painted.

Moore brought a lot of that on himself, by the things he said publicly and also through actions. Forcing everyone in the organization to attend a seminar featuring pseudo-science about the evils of something (which, by the way, is an easier, less risky, and less damaging release when on a long road trip away from wives and girlfriends than seeking out a flesh-and-blood option)... is just a tough look to overcome.

I know there are people on here that "blame" me for the discussion on this topic in this thread. But it isn't just me driving it. It's the organization, what it says, and its actions. And reaction to that by people who cover the team, especially on Twitter.

[smithandrew051]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

These deals are what loser franchises do. I like Salvy fine and he alone isn’t the reason we lose 95 games. Obviously. But as DM admitted “we haven’t been transactional”. TB and Cleve rarely give out big contracts. If you aren’t named Jose Ramirez or Wander Franco you are on the trading block the day you arrive.

Lifetime achievement award contracts rarely work out well in any sport

[Sure-Oz]

Anyone else surprised there wasn't just an announcement of GMDM doing something else and leaving instead of being fired? Seems like the owner definitely is pissed about losing but I'm surprised they didn't ease him out on the announcement.

[warpaint*]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

MLBN really loves Dayton Moore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will fondly remember the DM era bc never in my life did I think I’d see us win another World Series. I will always be grateful to him for his contributions to that championship.

Clearly it was time for him to go and I’m ecstatic it happened but at the same time I’m forever a DM fan.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Anyone else surprised there wasn't just an announcement of GMDM doing something else and leaving instead of being fired? Seems like the owner definitely is pissed about losing but I'm surprised they didn't ease him out on the announcement.

Doing it before the season ended, not having him just resign, not moving him to another position all that is pretty telling that he was just like yea this guy sucks.

[duncan_idaho]

I think it speaks to an end-of-year review that did not go well for Moore/wasn’t heading in the direction Sherman wanted.

I’m positive Sherman was driving for more of the things he talked about yesterday and personnel shake-ups/wholesale changes.

Moore likely had a much more patient, loyal, and conservative plan.

Thus the public ouster that made it clear it was a firing.

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Moore brought a lot of that on himself, by the things he said publicly and also through actions. Forcing everyone in the organization to attend a seminar featuring pseudo-science about the evils of something (which, by the way, is an easier, less risky, and less damaging release when on a long road trip away from wives and girlfriends than seeking out a flesh-and-blood option)... is just a tough look to overcome.

I know there are people on here that "blame" me for the discussion on this topic in this thread. But it isn't just me driving it. It's the organization, what it says, and its actions. And reaction to that by people who cover the team, especially on Twitter.

Dayton Moore failed at his job and the dismissal was long overdue. Regarding his religious beliefs and seminars on pseudo-science and all of that, very tedious to read the complaints. I'm a non-believer, and don't have much use for it, but find the lack of self-awareness of the complainers stunning. I have to attend crap like that all the time at work, and it is *not* Christian-based moral indoctrination, but make no mistake, it is moral indoctrination.

[Prison Bitch]

Yeah the idea he was fired for a seminar is too dumb to take seriously. He was the same dude back in 14-15 and he wasn’t getting fired when he was going to the WS

Personally I think his tone deaf comments to Flanagan showed he wasn’t a good bet to actually fix the pitching woes . The fact Sherman didn’t wait 2 weeks implies he heard the comments and didn’t like them

[Mecca]

The thing is, anyone that knows much about sports knows rebuilding the same team twice is much harder. When you get a new job you aren't tied to anyone, those aren't your players or prospects, it's easy to cut bait.

The second time around you have attachment because you picked all those guys...guys like Dozier and O'Hearn can't be let go because Dayton Moore has attachment to them, he doesn't seem them for who they really are.