Royals *** Official Royals Repository, Part 4 *** - Page 55

duncan_idaho · 10:46 PM

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.

SPchief · 08-06-2015, 08:08 AM

Also different from last year. I can only get postseason strips for my 2 tickets instead of the 2 plus an additional 4. There's just waayyy more ST holders this year

**Bearcat** · 08-06-2015, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPchief

Also different from last year. I can only get postseason strips for my 2 tickets instead of the 2 plus an additional 4. There's just waayyy more ST holders this year

Damn... well, nevermind then, guess I just missed my chance, didn't realize the 10 and 20 game packs were that popular this year.... but, I'll probably still make it to a game or two via stubhub.

kcfanXIII · 08-06-2015, 11:17 AM

Going to vent about this here. Just signed up for mlb.tv premium so I can watch the Royals on my phone when I'm away from my tv. What wasn't made clear to me is since I am inside KC's television market, all live broadcasts of the Royals are blacked out on the app. What a crock of shit. What the hell are you paying for then? I even looked through the fine print before purchasing and saw nothing to make me think EVERY Royals game would be blacked out. Just got off the phone with them, and I'm getting my money back, but what took them 5 minutes to charge my account is going to take 2-10 business days to refund. I'm livid about this. The only reason I keep my Uverse package where it is, is to watch the Royals. I was hoping to drop it with this app, but nope.

KChiefs1 · 08-06-2015, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

Going to vent about this here. Just signed up for mlb.tv premium so I can watch the Royals on my phone when I'm away from my tv. What wasn't made clear to me is since I am inside KC's television market, all live broadcasts of the Royals are blacked out on the app. What a crock of shit. What the hell are you paying for then? I even looked through the fine print before purchasing and saw nothing to make me think EVERY Royals game would be blacked out. Just got off the phone with them, and I'm getting my money back, but what took them 5 minutes to charge my account is going to take 2-10 business days to refund. I'm livid about this. The only reason I keep my Uverse package where it is, is to watch the Royals. I was hoping to drop it with this app, but nope.

I think you can change your location & get it but I'm not sure how to do it.

WhawhaWhat · 08-06-2015, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

Going to vent about this here. Just signed up for mlb.tv premium so I can watch the Royals on my phone when I'm away from my tv. What wasn't made clear to me is since I am inside KC's television market, all live broadcasts of the Royals are blacked out on the app. What a crock of shit. What the hell are you paying for then?

Welcome to 2005.

kcfanXIII · 08-06-2015, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Welcome to 2005.

Guess I missed the memo. And they wonder why piracy is so prevalent... There are no legal options for me to watch the Royals online. I'd gladly pay for it, but I guess I'll go back to strikeout.co

Fansy the Famous Bard · 08-06-2015, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Didn't they get rid of him in the middle of the season?

They gave him 1.5 seasons of suckage before they finally did anything.

The year before he was a -2.7 WAR player. But he was kept around because of his salary.

**Bob Dole** · 08-06-2015, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

I think you can change your location & get it but I'm not sure how to do it.

Tell them you have a lake house somewhere out of market.

cosmo20002 · 08-06-2015, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

They gave him 1.5 seasons of suckage before they finally did anything.

The year before he was a -2.7 WAR player. But he was kept around because of his salary.

So you really believe that a manager and GM, who presumably want to win games, take a look at the roster, recognize that a lower-paid player is better, but instead make a conscious choice to play a player--who they believe to be worse and hurts the team--just because he is being paid more?

**Anyong Bluth** · 08-06-2015, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcfanXIII

Going to vent about this here. Just signed up for mlb.tv premium so I can watch the Royals on my phone when I'm away from my tv. What wasn't made clear to me is since I am inside KC's television market, all live broadcasts of the Royals are blacked out on the app. What a crock of shit. What the hell are you paying for then? I even looked through the fine print before purchasing and saw nothing to make me think EVERY Royals game would be blacked out. Just got off the phone with them, and I'm getting my money back, but what took them 5 minutes to charge my account is going to take 2-10 business days to refund. I'm livid about this. The only reason I keep my Uverse package where it is, is to watch the Royals. I was hoping to drop it with this app, but nope.

You can solve this in about 2 minutes.

Download the app Fake GPS. Move your location out of the home market for either team playing you want to watch and set it. Open the MLB app and watch...

It's that easy.

okcchief · 08-06-2015, 05:51 PM

Butera has 1 less HR than Rios. That's all you really need to know. Pull a random minor leaguer and they will at least do what he's doing. Yeah, unless he becomes a changed man overnight there isn't a god damn reason he should play a game after Gordon comes back. Even if you play Zobrist at second there are better right field options.

I really hope Ventura gets it together, but that's not looking promising either. Hopefully, Duffy can do what Ventura did last year and we'll be good. Seems like it might be time to start stretching Medlen out

Fansy the Famous Bard · 08-07-2015, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

So you really believe that a manager and GM, who presumably want to win games, take a look at the roster, recognize that a lower-paid player is better, but instead make a conscious choice to play a player--who they believe to be worse and hurts the team--just because he is being paid more?

lol.... you are clueless....

cosmo20002 · 08-07-2015, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

lol.... you are clueless....

Gee...well...I know Dyson is better than Rios...and Dyson would be better to help us win...but gee...we're paying Rios more...so...I'll play him and if we lose...well...there was no choice...because higher salary

tomahawk kid · 08-07-2015, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Andy Mcollough seems to think Gordon won't be back next season on 610. Also said Infante likely to stick at 2b due to def chemistry and Zobrist goes to rf when Gordon comes back. Rios dfad or bench.

**Bob Dole** · 08-07-2015, 07:07 AM

If Ned trots Madson out in the next week, Bob Dole is going to find him and punch him in the throat.

07-14-2015, 11:05 PM
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $1590308	* Official Royals Repository, Part 4 * 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. Last edited by duncan_idaho; 10-06-2015 at 10:46 PM..
Posts: 21,139

08-06-2015, 08:08 AM	#811
SPchief In Search of a Life Join Date: Feb 2004 Casino cash: $1682905	Also different from last year. I can only get postseason strips for my 2 tickets instead of the 2 plus an additional 4. There's just waayyy more ST holders this year __________________ http://give.somo.org/site/TR/Plunge/...nal&fr_id=1244 ^^^^^^^^^^ Click here to help with a special cause. Please help me out
Posts: 36,007

08-06-2015, 11:17 AM	#813
kcfanXIII Ride on! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Galaxy far far away Casino cash: $10013172	Going to vent about this here. Just signed up for mlb.tv premium so I can watch the Royals on my phone when I'm away from my tv. What wasn't made clear to me is since I am inside KC's television market, all live broadcasts of the Royals are blacked out on the app. What a crock of shit. What the hell are you paying for then? I even looked through the fine print before purchasing and saw nothing to make me think EVERY Royals game would be blacked out. Just got off the phone with them, and I'm getting my money back, but what took them 5 minutes to charge my account is going to take 2-10 business days to refund. I'm livid about this. The only reason I keep my Uverse package where it is, is to watch the Royals. I was hoping to drop it with this app, but nope. __________________ Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed, overcomes the fear of death.
Posts: 5,470

08-06-2015, 05:51 PM	#821
okcchief MVP Join Date: Jul 2008 Casino cash: $9849890	Butera has 1 less HR than Rios. That's all you really need to know. Pull a random minor leaguer and they will at least do what he's doing. Yeah, unless he becomes a changed man overnight there isn't a god damn reason he should play a game after Gordon comes back. Even if you play Zobrist at second there are better right field options. I really hope Ventura gets it together, but that's not looking promising either. Hopefully, Duffy can do what Ventura did last year and we'll be good. Seems like it might be time to start stretching Medlen out
Posts: 6,703

08-07-2015, 07:07 AM	#825
Bob Dole King Shit of **** Mountain Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texarkana, Texas Casino cash: $2424497	If Ned trots Madson out in the next week, Bob Dole is going to find him and punch him in the throat.
Posts: 48,629