*** 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.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

People are already bitching about this among the Toronto fans/media, so you know if it goes wrong, the organization/Price will take some shit for it. If Price doesn't think he needs the work, though, I think you have to trust him.

You do what makes the guy comfortable. Whether it works or not is irrelevant really.

[Deberg_1990]

That Rangers game today. What a disaster.

Fans are pissed at Bannister

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by okcchief

You do what makes the guy comfortable. Whether it works or not is irrelevant really.

Well I know that, but you know how these things go with fans. It's not like they're going to force him to pitch if he doesn't think he needs it, though.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

That Rangers game today. What a disaster.

Fans are pissed at Bannister

Crazy ending. Not much exactly the manager could have done about it. I'd have pulled Tolleson after he gave up those two HRs too.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Well I know that, but you know how these things go. It's not like they're going to force him to pitch if he doesn't think he needs it.

Sure.

They will get blasted if it doesn't work out. If I'm in their boat I do what my ace thinks helps him the most, and live with it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Homefield doesn't matter a lot, and the Blue Jays are playing so well I don't think they care who they play.

[baitism]

I still think the energy and emotion the BJs used to make the postseason run will wear on them in the playoffs. They didn't rest many players until the very end.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

People are already bitching about this among the Toronto fans/media, so you know if it goes wrong, the organization/Price will take some shit for it. If Price doesn't think he needs the work, though, I think you have to trust him.

Canadian pete/baitism/whynot must be livid.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by baitism

I still think the energy and emotion the BJs used to make the postseason run will wear on them in the playoffs. They didn't rest many players until the very end.

You bitched for 4 weeks about Ned resting starters.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by baitism

He should. This team started going south when he decided resting 2-3 starters over a month from the end of the season was a good idea...

So, you don't find it an odd coincidence that this team started to tank when Ned started dicking with everything

From 9/29. These are just a couple. It's nice to have the search function back.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

People are already bitching about this among the Toronto fans/media, so you know if it goes wrong, the organization/Price will take some shit for it. If Price doesn't think he needs the work, though, I think you have to trust him.

Shit will hit the fan if God forbid the Royals lose and Toronto trots out giving a bunch of guys the day off and they blow a very winnable game. Maybe the players don't care about it all that much?

Price saying he has no interest in pitching this weekend when he could make a significant difference in how the playoff seeding shakes out seems like he's being a little bitch. You'd like if the guy was gung-ho about helping his team over his own personal preference?

I do think home field advantage through out would be maybe more important to the Royals team filled with young guys who still pretty green and their taste of success is still new. Another achievement to put another feather in their cap.

Just another incentive to get them even hungrier for pushing for eclipsing last year's postseason success.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Well I know that, but you know how these things go with fans. It's not like they're going to force him to pitch if he doesn't think he needs it, though.

Since when do guys dictate their starts?

How would people around here react if Cueto came out and said he won't pitch today, and wants to wait until the playoffs?

[CaliforniaChief]

Molitor said on his radio show that he's playing the young players today. Toronto won't be happy

— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) October 4, 2015

[Prison Bitch]

I really wanted to play Texas. Not the WC winner. ALCS 40 years of history; Home field 19-21

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I really wanted to play Texas. Not the WC winner. ALCS 40 years of history; Home field 19-21

You could get both. We could wind up playing Texas after they've exhausted their pitching staff by losing a tiebreaker game to the Astros and then beating the Yanks in the Wild Card game.

I find the 40 years of history to be less relevant than the distance to the Blue Jays outfield fences. Meaningful stats are more useful than random historical stats.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Canadian pete/baitism/whynot must be livid.

You should see them today after they threw the game away with the Buehrle start. There have been calls for Gibbons' firing.