Royals *** Official 2016 Royals Repository, Version 1 *** - Page 313

duncan_idaho · 04-03-2016, 09:48 AM

And so it begins: The Royals' second straight attempt to repeat as AL Champions, and first attempt to repeat as World Series champions.

In this thread, we'll track all non-gameday action. Roster moves, prospect news, etc.

I'll start the thread as usual, with division rivals thoughts. I still like KC to repeat as AL Central champs. Here's how I see the rest of it shaking out:

2) Indians - they have the pitching (and seem to have at least semi-Kluber-ed Cody Anderson, who added 3 mph to his fastball in the offseason). Will the offense hold up? I think this is a team that ends up looking a lot like the 2014 Royals. Francisco Lindor will solidify their IF defense over the full season, and is a help with the bat. I think this club is still a year away from really breaking through - the offense still has a lot of question marks - but I like them to nab a wildcard spot.

Key Player(s): Michael Brantley. When Brantley returns - and how he hits when he does - will be critical to the Indians' ability to be good enough on offense.

Jason Kipnis. Kipnis has been an enigmatic offensive performer for the past several years. If he finally has a good offensive campaign from start to finish, Cleveland could make real noise.

Something of interest to me: For all the acclaim the Twins' farm system gets, I look at the Indians young players, and would much rather have them. Brad Zimmer is going to be a very good all-around CF. Clint Frazier has huge power potential and should arrive soon (2017). Lindor is a young stud.

3) Tigers - Old and dependent on a few stars. If Verlander and Sanchez are healthy and effective, they will be playoff contenders. I'm sure JD Martinez will continue to hit roid-aided bombs. I'm also pretty sure Victor Martinez's days as a huge power threat are gone.

Key player: Justin Verlander. Detroit people would have you believe he figured out how to succeed without his big fastball in September of last year. If that's true, and he returns to dominant form, Detroit will likely contend again.

Something of interest to me: Will Jose Iglesias stay healthy and not try to kill teammates in the dugout? His defense makes the whole group much better.

4) Twins - They won't lead the division or be in playoff contention for as long this year, but Minnesota will avoid the cellar.

Key Player: Miguel Sano. Huge power, huge K rate. Can he continue to drive the ball and be a plus offensive player? Probably needs to cut that 35 percent K percentage to do so.

Something of interest to me: Will teams challenge Sano inside with hard stuff? Working away, away, just lets his power play up. Also - will Mike Berardino continue to be the biggest beat writer homer in MLB?

5) White Sox - still managed by a shitty manager who can't control his clubhouse (The blame for the LaRoche thing really should fall on him, not the GM). Still have a shitty overall defense and a lot of douchebags on the team. They will once again look better on paper than they actually perform.

Key player: Carlos Rodon. The White Sox need Rodon to take a big step forward to make an actual move this season. He's got the talent...

And, as always, here are the prospects.

Duncan’s Top 20 for 2016:

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. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
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.

Spoiler!

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.
18. Eric Skoglund, LHP: Skoglund had a nice year at Wilmington. I'm skeptical because his K rate is lower than I like to see for a guy at A+ - just 7/9, and usually guys lose a strikeout or two/9 as they move up the chain from there - but he has excellent control, walking 1.17 batters/9. 6-7 lefties with great control who get lots of ground balls - like Skoglund - have a chance to overcome bad K rates.
19. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/LF: A lefty stick with power, O'Hearn was a savings signing as an 8th round pick, but a change in his approach increased his power - while increasing his K rate. After Vallot, probably the best pure power prospect in the Royals system.
20. Josh Staumont, RHP: I was terrified of this guy's control problems, and he walked nearly a batter an inning in his pro debut (32 BB in 40 1/3 IP). Staumont's nasty, nasty stuff (plus-plus fastball, plus slider) could make him a very good late-inning reliever who strikes out more than a batter an inning, if he can develop average or slightly below-average control. If he really masters the control, you're talking about a potential Greg Holland type, but that's a TALL task.

Why Not? · 08-23-2016, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Is what it is, so just get it done.

Said it 1000x, and I'll say it again for this team. You avoid months like July, which a few seasons ago happened in May, etc, etc... yada, yada, yada, then down the stretch it's way more manageable.

Definitely

**Anyong Bluth** · 08-23-2016, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Trying to bag a Red Sox player now?

What's more impressive?

Her list of jerseys chased, or the fact she manages to land a job in every damn town on her tour.

Sure-Oz · 08-23-2016, 06:17 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...e97184242.html
*
AUGUST 22, 2016 2:42 PM

The Royals will not make the playoffs, and here are two reasons why

BY SAM MELLINGER

smellinger@kcstar.com
*
The Royals have lived in a strange otherworld for so long, with so much joy and so many doubters proven wrong that the following sentence is both absolutely true and perhaps a bit jarring:

They have virtually no chance at making the playoffs. Still.

This is true, even now, with eight straight wins and 11 of the last 12. This is true, even now, with a wild-card deficit cut from 9**1/2*games to 3**1/2*. This is true, even now, with the starting rotation soaring and Alex Gordon hitting and Paulo Orlando making a sneaky case for team player of the year.

This is true, even now, for two main reasons:

Math, and July.

The math is simple enough. Ninety wins is a good guess on what will be required for a wild-card spot. To get there, the Royals would need to win 26 of their final 38 games. They have not won 26 of 38 this year, which is probably self-evident, but even a year ago, when they won more games than anyone in the league, they did not have a stretch of 26-12.

The Royals won 26 of 38 during their finishing kick of 2014, but actually, combined with what they’ve done in the last two weeks this would be a 37-13 finish. The Royals have not won 37 of 50 since 1980, when George Brett was batting .400. In the last five years, only the 2013 Dodgers and 2015 Blue Jays have been that good over 50 games.

Which brings us to July. The Royals would not be in this situation if they did not do the baseball equivalent of turning an entire month’s worth of games into a flaming bag of human waste. The Royals won just seven games in July.

They had not won fewer in a month of at least 20 games since April 2012 — that was the year they were booed 16 minutes into the home opener, and did not win a home game until May.

They have not had a worse win percentage in a month (.269) since August 2008 — that was the year general manager Dayton Moore sensed the team quitting on manager Trey Hillman, making a rare appearance in the clubhouse to call them out, sparking an 18-8 September finish that actually had people debating whether Kyle Davies could be a viable big-league starting pitcher.

You probably noticed that the Royals’ win total and percentage were each worse in July than their May of 2013, which was so bad the team fired the hitting coaches, replacing them with Pedro Grifol and George Brett to, in Moore’s words, “rescue us mentally.”

The Royals finished off a four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, running their winning streak to eight games. Danny Duffy won his 10th straight decision.

But that month is a fairly good reference point here. The Royals were eliminated from the playoffs in the last week of the season — back then, that was an accomplishment — and talked about how they’d have made it if not for that one rotten month. They were right, of course.

Take away May, and the 2013 Royals had a .582 win percentage, a pace for 94 wins.

Well, take away July, and the 2016 Royals have a .581 percentage.

This is the path of teams that are good enough to*almost*make the playoffs.

The Royals’ current situation is further complicated by the number of teams they are competing with. The Orioles are in the second wild-card spot right now, but merely catching them may not be enough. The Royals are one of five teams to begin Monday within four games of a playoff spot.

If you’re looking at the schedule, Tuesday’s series in Miami begins a stretch of 12 straight games against winning teams. It loosens some after that — 17 of their final 26 are against losing teams — but it’s not that simple. The Tigers have 10 left against the Twins, for instance.

Look, there’s a lot to feel good about right now. The Royals are playing as well as they have all season, and as well as they did at any point last season, when they were the best team in the American League.

In two weeks, Alex Gordon has gone from his manager — consciously or not —already talking about next year*to being one of the American League’s hottest hitters. The rotation has been holding the Royals back all season, but now has just three bad starts in the last 17. The bullpen hasn’t given up a run in more than a week.

These are all good things, and it’s true that playoff teams don’t necessarily need to be great teams. But they don’t often essentially give away an entire month of the season, either. This current streak has the feel of turning what could’ve been a miserable season into a more respectable one, but expecting the postseason now means ignoring the gravitational pull of baseball.

Of course, I thought the exact same thing two years ago, too.

Sam Mellinger:*816-234-4365,smellinger@kcstar.com*,*@mellinger

DeepSouth · 08-23-2016, 06:49 AM

More detailed article on the Valencia / Butler altercation;

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/...dt3?li=BBnba9I

duncan_idaho · 08-23-2016, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

More detailed article on the Valencia / Butler altercation;

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/...dt3?li=BBnba9I

This is why the national guys who suggested KC would look at Valencia in trade were so hilariously off base.

KC is aware of what a piece of crap teammate he is.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Archie F. Swin · 08-23-2016, 07:18 AM

Busta....err....Bubba Starling is now 28th on the Royals top prospect list

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=kc

nychief · 08-23-2016, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

More detailed article on the Valencia / Butler altercation;

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/...dt3?li=BBnba9I

i dunno... sure.... but Billy sounds like a real childish twat.

**ChiTown** · 08-23-2016, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Busta....err....Bubba Starling is now 28th on the Royals top prospect list

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=kc

At 24, he's certainly still a prospect, but I think next season is make or break with Bubba in KC. Either he gets it and will be able to break into a lineup that will need some OF help in 2018, or he will be a part of a trade piece before the deadline next year. JMHO

nychief · 08-23-2016, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Busta....err....Bubba Starling is now 28th on the Royals top prospect list

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=kc

what a disappointment.

KChiefs1 · 08-23-2016, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nychief

what a disappointment.

Even bigger disappointment if you look at who the Royals could have drafted.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Prison Bitch · 08-23-2016, 08:15 AM

Can people please stop referring to him as Raul ADALBERTO Mondesi like in the link? He's not the second coming of the messiah. He doesn't deserve a three name title

DeepSouth · 08-23-2016, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Can people please stop referring to him as Raul ADALBERTO Mondesi like in the link? He's not the second coming of the messiah. He doesn't deserve a three name title

Is that why you no longer go by "Little Prison Bitch"?

Why Not? · 08-23-2016, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...e97184242.html
*
AUGUST 22, 2016 2:42 PM

The Royals will not make the playoffs, and here are two reasons why

BY SAM MELLINGER

smellinger@kcstar.com
*
The Royals have lived in a strange otherworld for so long, with so much joy and so many doubters proven wrong that the following sentence is both absolutely true and perhaps a bit jarring:

They have virtually no chance at making the playoffs. Still.

This is true, even now, with eight straight wins and 11 of the last 12. This is true, even now, with a wild-card deficit cut from 9**1/2*games to 3**1/2*. This is true, even now, with the starting rotation soaring and Alex Gordon hitting and Paulo Orlando making a sneaky case for team player of the year.

This is true, even now, for two main reasons:

Math, and July.

The math is simple enough. Ninety wins is a good guess on what will be required for a wild-card spot. To get there, the Royals would need to win 26 of their final 38 games. They have not won 26 of 38 this year, which is probably self-evident, but even a year ago, when they won more games than anyone in the league, they did not have a stretch of 26-12.

The Royals won 26 of 38 during their finishing kick of 2014, but actually, combined with what they’ve done in the last two weeks this would be a 37-13 finish. The Royals have not won 37 of 50 since 1980, when George Brett was batting .400. In the last five years, only the 2013 Dodgers and 2015 Blue Jays have been that good over 50 games.

Which brings us to July. The Royals would not be in this situation if they did not do the baseball equivalent of turning an entire month’s worth of games into a flaming bag of human waste. The Royals won just seven games in July.

They had not won fewer in a month of at least 20 games since April 2012 — that was the year they were booed 16 minutes into the home opener, and did not win a home game until May.

They have not had a worse win percentage in a month (.269) since August 2008 — that was the year general manager Dayton Moore sensed the team quitting on manager Trey Hillman, making a rare appearance in the clubhouse to call them out, sparking an 18-8 September finish that actually had people debating whether Kyle Davies could be a viable big-league starting pitcher.

You probably noticed that the Royals’ win total and percentage were each worse in July than their May of 2013, which was so bad the team fired the hitting coaches, replacing them with Pedro Grifol and George Brett to, in Moore’s words, “rescue us mentally.”

The Royals finished off a four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, running their winning streak to eight games. Danny Duffy won his 10th straight decision.

But that month is a fairly good reference point here. The Royals were eliminated from the playoffs in the last week of the season — back then, that was an accomplishment — and talked about how they’d have made it if not for that one rotten month. They were right, of course.

Take away May, and the 2013 Royals had a .582 win percentage, a pace for 94 wins.

Well, take away July, and the 2016 Royals have a .581 percentage.

This is the path of teams that are good enough to*almost*make the playoffs.

The Royals’ current situation is further complicated by the number of teams they are competing with. The Orioles are in the second wild-card spot right now, but merely catching them may not be enough. The Royals are one of five teams to begin Monday within four games of a playoff spot.

If you’re looking at the schedule, Tuesday’s series in Miami begins a stretch of 12 straight games against winning teams. It loosens some after that — 17 of their final 26 are against losing teams — but it’s not that simple. The Tigers have 10 left against the Twins, for instance.

Look, there’s a lot to feel good about right now. The Royals are playing as well as they have all season, and as well as they did at any point last season, when they were the best team in the American League.

In two weeks, Alex Gordon has gone from his manager — consciously or not —already talking about next year*to being one of the American League’s hottest hitters. The rotation has been holding the Royals back all season, but now has just three bad starts in the last 17. The bullpen hasn’t given up a run in more than a week.

These are all good things, and it’s true that playoff teams don’t necessarily need to be great teams. But they don’t often essentially give away an entire month of the season, either. This current streak has the feel of turning what could’ve been a miserable season into a more respectable one, but expecting the postseason now means ignoring the gravitational pull of baseball.

Of course, I thought the exact same thing two years ago, too.

Sam Mellinger:*816-234-4365,smellinger@kcstar.com*,*@mellinger

This is probably accurate. I'm just glad we have meaningful baseball in late August. As I've stated several times, at this point a winning record at the end of the season would represent a successful season to me. A little disappointing? Sure. But a decent season non the less especially considering July

siberian khatru · 08-23-2016, 08:36 AM

Brian McRae was on The Border Patrol on 810 this morning discussing the Valencia/Butler fight and clubhouse quarrels in general, and he mentioned the time when Tom Gordon pulled a knife on Bo Jackson.

Don't believe I've heard that before.

WhawhaWhat · 08-23-2016, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Brian McRae was on The Border Patrol on 810 this morning discussing the Valencia/Butler fight and clubhouse quarrels in general, and he mentioned the time when Tom Gordon pulled a knife on Bo Jackson.

Don't believe I've heard that before.

I thought Bo and Gordon were buddies for the most part.

04-03-2016, 09:48 AM
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $1270308	* Official 2016 Royals Repository, Version 1 * And so it begins: The Royals' second straight attempt to repeat as AL Champions, and first attempt to repeat as World Series champions. In this thread, we'll track all non-gameday action. Roster moves, prospect news, etc. I'll start the thread as usual, with division rivals thoughts. I still like KC to repeat as AL Central champs. Here's how I see the rest of it shaking out: 2) Indians - they have the pitching (and seem to have at least semi-Kluber-ed Cody Anderson, who added 3 mph to his fastball in the offseason). Will the offense hold up? I think this is a team that ends up looking a lot like the 2014 Royals. Francisco Lindor will solidify their IF defense over the full season, and is a help with the bat. I think this club is still a year away from really breaking through - the offense still has a lot of question marks - but I like them to nab a wildcard spot. Key Player(s): Michael Brantley. When Brantley returns - and how he hits when he does - will be critical to the Indians' ability to be good enough on offense. Jason Kipnis. Kipnis has been an enigmatic offensive performer for the past several years. If he finally has a good offensive campaign from start to finish, Cleveland could make real noise. Something of interest to me: For all the acclaim the Twins' farm system gets, I look at the Indians young players, and would much rather have them. Brad Zimmer is going to be a very good all-around CF. Clint Frazier has huge power potential and should arrive soon (2017). Lindor is a young stud. 3) Tigers - Old and dependent on a few stars. If Verlander and Sanchez are healthy and effective, they will be playoff contenders. I'm sure JD Martinez will continue to hit roid-aided bombs. I'm also pretty sure Victor Martinez's days as a huge power threat are gone. Key player: Justin Verlander. Detroit people would have you believe he figured out how to succeed without his big fastball in September of last year. If that's true, and he returns to dominant form, Detroit will likely contend again. Something of interest to me: Will Jose Iglesias stay healthy and not try to kill teammates in the dugout? His defense makes the whole group much better. 4) Twins - They won't lead the division or be in playoff contention for as long this year, but Minnesota will avoid the cellar. Key Player: Miguel Sano. Huge power, huge K rate. Can he continue to drive the ball and be a plus offensive player? Probably needs to cut that 35 percent K percentage to do so. Something of interest to me: Will teams challenge Sano inside with hard stuff? Working away, away, just lets his power play up. Also - will Mike Berardino continue to be the biggest beat writer homer in MLB? 5) White Sox - still managed by a shitty manager who can't control his clubhouse (The blame for the LaRoche thing really should fall on him, not the GM). Still have a shitty overall defense and a lot of douchebags on the team. They will once again look better on paper than they actually perform. Key player: Carlos Rodon. The White Sox need Rodon to take a big step forward to make an actual move this season. He's got the talent... And, as always, here are the prospects. Duncan’s Top 20 for 2016: 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. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. 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. Spoiler! 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. 18. Eric Skoglund, LHP: Skoglund had a nice year at Wilmington. I'm skeptical because his K rate is lower than I like to see for a guy at A+ - just 7/9, and usually guys lose a strikeout or two/9 as they move up the chain from there - but he has excellent control, walking 1.17 batters/9. 6-7 lefties with great control who get lots of ground balls - like Skoglund - have a chance to overcome bad K rates. 19. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/LF: A lefty stick with power, O'Hearn was a savings signing as an 8th round pick, but a change in his approach increased his power - while increasing his K rate. After Vallot, probably the best pure power prospect in the Royals system. 20. Josh Staumont, RHP: I was terrified of this guy's control problems, and he walked nearly a batter an inning in his pro debut (32 BB in 40 1/3 IP). Staumont's nasty, nasty stuff (plus-plus fastball, plus slider) could make him a very good late-inning reliever who strikes out more than a batter an inning, if he can develop average or slightly below-average control. If he really masters the control, you're talking about a potential Greg Holland type, but that's a TALL task.
Posts: 21,183

08-23-2016, 06:49 AM	#4684
DeepSouth War Eagle !!! Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mobile, AL 36608 Casino cash: $9919387	More detailed article on the Valencia / Butler altercation; http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/...dt3?li=BBnba9I
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08-23-2016, 07:18 AM	#4686
Archie F. Swin This is the way Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Casino cash: $9975673	Busta....err....Bubba Starling is now 28th on the Royals top prospect list http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=kc __________________ "No Two People Will Do It The Same, You got It Down...When You Appear to Be In Pain!"
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08-23-2016, 08:15 AM	#4691
Prison Bitch Rabbi Goldmann Join Date: Nov 2012 Casino cash: $5450159	Can people please stop referring to him as Raul ADALBERTO Mondesi like in the link? He's not the second coming of the messiah. He doesn't deserve a three name title
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08-23-2016, 08:36 AM	#4694
siberian khatru 21st Century Schizoid Fan Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: The Gates of Delirium Casino cash: $2054950	Brian McRae was on The Border Patrol on 810 this morning discussing the Valencia/Butler fight and clubhouse quarrels in general, and he mentioned the time when Tom Gordon pulled a knife on Bo Jackson. Don't believe I've heard that before.
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