*** Official Royals Repository, Part 4 ***

[duncan_idaho]

In this thread: All things related to the AL Champions.

Duncan's Official Team Record prediction: 90 wins
One month in: Looking strong
All Star Break: Looking strong, probably should adjust up to 93-94 wins.
Duncan's Official Team MVP prediction: Eric Hosmer
One month in: Upstaged by his best friend MIKE MOOTACOS, MAN. Tell us bout your hittin, bro!
All Star Break: Lorenzo Cain starting to run away with this one.

Division Preview
Clearly, overlooking the Twins was a mistake at this point. I still don't believe in that team long-term, but they're starting to get that Magic Season twinkle about them.

Detroit is toast. Garbage rotation beyond Price and Sanchez, Miggy out.

And Cleveland... Cleveland still is dangerous if it ever clicks offensively, because the starting pitching is good enough for them to real off a 15-5 stretch and get right back into the playoff picture.

The Royals will be a division winner IF ...
1) Ventura and Duffy combine for 375+ innings of high-quality work
2) Eric Hosmer delivers on his potential with a FULL season of success rather than bursts
3) The deeper bullpen lessens the critical load on Herrera, Davis and Holland
4) Lorenzo Cain stays healthy
5) Either Alex Rios or Kendrys Morales bounces back to 2013 form

The first of these is clearly not going to happen. The second looked good through the end of May but is now eating Cain's dust (Hosmer has still been improved this year, though, lessening his valley. If he has a really hot second half, he can get right back in it). Item three is definitely the case. Item four should probably be first at this point. And Morales has more than bounced back.

Duncan’s Top 20 for mid-season 2015:

Spoiler!

1. Raul Adalberto Mondesi, SS, BOTH: Tools, tools, tools. RA has tools galore. At his best, he’s an All-Star SS who plays elite D, hits 15-20 HR, swipes 40 bags, and is an ideal 1, 2 or 3 hitter. At his worst, I think he looks a lot like Alcides Escobar. Plate discipline is his biggest challenge at this point, but evaluators are confident that will come with time. Clear No. 1
2. Kyle Zimmer, RHP: He’s pitching again and staying healthy, which is nice. He’s pitcing out of the bullpen to build back his arm strength, which is less nice. But still has that high upside, just a lower floor now. Ideally, the team will use him as a bullpen weapon in September (because he has earned it) and then give him a chance to transition back to starting for 2016.
3. Miguel Almonte, RHP: Still love the body, FB/CH combo. Results aren’t eye popping, but he’s still low enough and early enough in the development to prize those things over performance. Still a solid No. 3 starter upside, and just a year and some change away from potentially being ready to contribute at the MLB level.
4. Jorge Bonifacio, RF, RH: Emilio’s little brother got off to a horrible start in 2015 but has heated up as the season went on. He also is translating BP power to game power for the first time, with 15 HR just past the mid-way point of his season. Despite his disappointing 2014, he has a chance to build his way back into legit prospect status – and still is only 22. Next challenge for him should be Omaha, but that may wait for the start of the 2014 season.
5. Scott Blewett, RHP: Blewett has a nice two –pitch mix already and is off to a strong start. With his size (6-6) and a good fastball/curveball combo, Blewett could eventually turn into a good No. 3 starter, with a MLB-average changeup.
6. Nolan Watson, RHP: The Royals’ 2015 sandwich pick is a polished prep arm who is adding velocity and explosiveness to a good, polished base. Likely to move quickly.
7. Ashe Russell, RHP: The 2015 top pick probably needs more work than Watson, but the upside is really nice. Again, advanced two-pitch mix that will depend on him adding a changeup. Could be a very good NO. 2 if it all adds up.

Spoiler!

8. Bubba Starling, CF, RH: Starling has been up and down this year but put himself back on the map by greatly improving his K rate while also improving across the slash line as a hitter. His defense and baserunning are MLB ready; if Starling can work himself into a league average hitter, he can be a solid MLB regular who plays great D in CF while hitting 15 HR and swiping 20 bags.
9. Balbino Fuenmayor, 1B/DH, RH: The Balbino came out of basically nowhere in 2015 to earn a Futures Game spot. Big power and an improved two-strike approach have turned the late bloomer into a legit prospect. He’s blocked at the MLB level currently by Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales, but Fuenmayor’s combination of power hitting and good average/strike zone control makes him intriguing.
10. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, RH: Cheslor probably is not going to be the star KC was hoping for when signing him out of Nicaragua, but he does look like he can be a solid reserve for an MLB club. Good defense at 3B paired with a solid plate approach and some gap power plays fine off the bench. He becomes a lot more interesting if they think he can stick as a 2B, which they have experimented with.
11. Chase Vallot, C/DH/1B: I really like Vallot’s power and plate discipline combo. His bat will probably force him from behind the plate, but he’s held his own despite being extremely young for every level he has faced.
12. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, OF, RH: Escalera-Maldonado earned a promotion to Wilmington at age 20, which is pretty advanced movement for that age. He’s an athletic outfielder who has shown some plate discipline at an early age, which is encouraging. Doesn’t sound like he can stick in CF long term for KC, but his bat has become one to watch.
13. Pedro Fernandez, RHP: I haven’t seen much of him, but like the reports I’ve heard on his fastball and general makeup. Could become the next Almonte/Mondesi, though he’s more likely to land in the pen than either of them.
14. Elier Hernandez, OF, RH: Elier Hernanez teamed with Escalera-Maldonado in breaking out at Low-A and earning a promotion to Wilmington. It’s still early for this guy – he is just 20 years old – but he doesn’t take walks and hasn’t developed the prodigious power many thought he had the potential for. Still worth watching.
15. Hunter Dozier, 3B, RH: Dozier is reworking his swing mid-season, which generally will cause production to do what his has done: Nose dive. The changes he made entering the season (seemingly geared towards increasing his power production) were a disaster, and now he’s trying to get back to what he used to be. Still looks great and checks most of the scouting boxes, but the performance hasn’t matched, and it almost knocked him out of the list.
16. Christian Binford, RHP: After a breakthrough 2014, Binford struggled mightily at AAA and suffered a demotion. His upside remains similar – a back-end starter who can eat innings – but Binford’s lack of velocity and reliance on command have caught up to him so far.
17. Marten Gasparini, OF, SH: Gasparini is intriguing because of his speed and athleticism. He’s a LOOOOONG ways from the majors and young for his level, but reports on his bat speed, swing, and speed remain positive enough to keep him on the bubble.

[Great Expectations]

What is fWar?

[RockChalk]

Only on CP would people be upset about Orlando getting optioned. My god.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

What is fWar?

it's basically like PFF ... it predicts results rather then taking into account actual results

it's ok ... I prefer bWAR (which is actual results)

otherwise you get guys like 'Hamas' and PB who think Moose had "rat shit" luck of BABIP in 2014 when anyone who watched realized he just pulled the ball into the shift every ****ing AB

[Bufkin]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

it's basically like PFF ... it predicts results rather then taking into account actual results

it's ok ... I prefer bWAR (which is actual results)

otherwise you get guys like 'Hamas' and PB who think Moose had "rat shit" luck of BABIP in 2014 when anyone who watched realized he just pulled the ball into the shift every ****ing AB

PFF is the perfect comparison. Holier than thou baseball fans and faux analysts use it like it's scripture, but in the end it's pretty shit. Guthrie has been terrible at times and solid at others. He's pretty much been what you would ask for in a 36 year old number 5 starter.

[MTG#10]

Someone told me they heard on the radio we may not be getting Cueto because one of our farm guys failed his physical. Bullshit right? Pretty sure they dont even announce until all physicals are passed.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

Someone told me they heard on the radio we may not be getting Cueto because one of our farm guys failed his physical. Bullshit right? Pretty sure they dont even announce until all physicals are passed.

Cueto sat in our dugout in full uniform yesterday ... so uh ... yeah, bullshit

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Only on CP would people be upset about Orlando getting optioned. My god.

Yeah I'm fine with it, I mean he's made alot of clutch and highlight plays, but in the aggregate, he's not as valuable as Dyson or Rios (even though it's closer). Clearly does not need to stay. Hope he continues to work though in case we need him. He's a good AAAA guy to have.

[BWillie]

Apparently Marcus Peters told reporters that he hates the Royals. (He's from Oakland, A's fan)

Someone get this guy a publicist asap.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

Someone told me they heard on the radio we may not be getting Cueto because one of our farm guys failed his physical. Bullshit right? Pretty sure they dont even announce until all physicals are passed.

Welcome to several days ago.

[Prison Bitch]

fWAR is not predictive.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Apparently Marcus Peters told reporters that he hates the Royals. (He's from Oakland, A's fan).

So he's probably also a fan of the Raiders. Too early for a trade?

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

as long as blackouts continue, we'll be fine.

if you can start buying MLB.TV without blackout restriction ... that could be a huge issue for us

Originally Posted by alnorth

I dont think MLB will do that anytime soon, barring courts or congress.

Huh? Their already planning on doing this in the near future.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

It's absolutely stupid to me. It's incredible anyone wouldn't have DVR but it's utterly astounding anyone who does have it, would decline to use it. "Here's the Chevy call to the bullpen, we'll be right back" - and you actually watch that?????

Lulz

Ya, because I'm watching the game live.

When you watch p0rn do you just fast forward to the money shot because it saves you time?

Not everything has to be about expediency.

Da Lulz

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Where's your data on that? Sports is less impacted by DVR as there are boners who watch it live but how do you prove ad revenue is increasing? Is it? Or just not declining as rapidly?


Also there's a 2nd part to sports programming people don't mention but which is more important - content. I am completely devoid of ads but I have to have FSKC and Its the main reason I have cable. If it was free I may not have cable. So sports is a way to tie you into their product in the first place, who cares if you watch the ads ?

Google it, bitch in prison

[KCUnited]

Get your wife in check and start watching the games instead of mowing through the highlights after she goes to bed.