*** Official 2018 Royals Repository ***

[duncan_idaho]

The season is upon us, even if spring is not.

2018 MLB Draft Picks
#18
#33 - Compensation (Eric Hosmer)
#34 - Compensation (Lorenzo Cain)
#40 (Competitive Balance Round A)

018 Draft Names to Watch

RHP Kumar Rocker, N Oconnee HS, Georgia.

Spoiler!

Possibly goes top 10 but is a big, physical SP with ace potential. Moore and co. will be all over him if he slips a bit and could offer top 10 money at No. 16

OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukasha West HS, WI

Spoiler!

Kelenic is the top prep bat, toolsy OF. Royals would be ecstatic to have shot at him.

1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (FL).

Spoiler!

Tremendous raw power, best in HS bats. Royals typically like HS arms or HS bats with "special" tools. He qualifies.

RHP Carter Stewart, Eau de Gallie HS (Ga).

Spoiler!

Another big, physical specimen with huge upside. More likely to be available mid-first than Rocker.

ANY Any, Any (Any). Any current top projected pick who slides for injury concerns. Includes current top prospect prospect SP Brady Singer, U of Florida.

Current Prospects to Watch:

OF Seuly Matias - Huge tools. Hit 2 HR in Lexington (A) season opener.

1B Nick Pratto - Top pick in 17 has advanced approach and good glove; needs to start tapping into power in first full year in minors. Also at Lexington.

OF Michael Gigliotti - Good defender in CF, good OBP skills, plus baserunner. Next mainstay in CF for KC, IMO. Advanced college bat also starting at Lexington.

OF Khalil Lee - Probably has highest upside in Royals' system. Could hit 30 HR in majors, could steal 30 bases. Plus defensive ability in RF. Nice test at Wilmington this year.

3B Emmanuel Rivera - Really nice approach and good contact skills. Power is still developing. Also getting a good test at Wilmington.

SP Foster Griffin - Made nice strides in 2017. Needs to continue to progress in 2018. Could be a lefty version of Jakob Junis (good breaking ball that he can really manipulate, OK fastball, good command).

1B Samir Duenez - Duenez still is intriguing, hoping for a step forward in his power production this year at Northwest Arkansas, which would turn him into a legit prospect.

Others to keep an eye on:
SP Gerson Garabito (Wilmington), OF Marten Gasparini (Lexington), C MJ Melendez (Lexington), RP Tyler Zuber (lexington), RP Richard Lovelady (Omaha), SP Dan Tillo (Lexington), SS Nicky Lopez (NWA), SP Scott Blewett (NWA), OF Brewer Hicklen (Idaho Falls),

In general, Lexington and Wilmington are the most interesting spots to watch. Nice depth and a lot of interesting pieces at both.

[OKchiefs]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

We made it through the 90’s and 2000’s with some of the worst baseball eyes have ever seen. 2014-2015 was the reward. I’m good for another 5-7.

Tank, get top 3 picks the next 3 years. Between that and our talent in the low minors now, we’ll be ready to roll come 2022.


Been a fan since 82 and a die hard since 87, so this will be a piece of cake.

I'm fine with getting top 3 picks, but "The draft is a crapshoot" excuse can't be accepted anymore. A lot of it is bad luck, but taking bums like Starling, Zimmer, Russell, Colon, etc. can't happen anymore. We HAVE to start hitting on picks or we're going to be stuck with shit teams for a long time. I'd argue that Moore has still never drafted a single true superstar talent in his tenure here. Moustakas and Hosmer have been good players, but neither is a top 20 type player. I'm happy with the success that we've had, but that was mostly a flash in the pan and not nearly the amount of sustainable success I would have liked. I think the current regime should be on the hot seat going forward.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

I'm fine with getting top 3 picks, but "The draft is a crapshoot" excuse can't be accepted anymore. A lot of it is bad luck, but taking bums like Starling, Zimmer, Russell, Colon, etc. can't happen anymore. We HAVE to start hitting on picks or we're going to be stuck with shit teams for a long time. I'd argue that Moore has still never drafted a single true superstar talent in his tenure here. Moustakas and Hosmer have been good players, but neither is a top 20 type player. I'm happy with the success that we've had, but that was mostly a flash in the pan and not nearly the amount of sustainable success I would have liked. I think the current regime should be on the hot seat going forward.

Drafting good players is hard.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Drafting good players is hard.

It's been exceptionally hard for us.......

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

It's been exceptionally hard for us.......

You could say its been impossible.

[Pitt Gorilla]

I remember everyone, EVERYONE, hating the Colon pick. You don't have to be a good GM to know that pick was bizarre. Starling was toolsy, but that one had bust written all over it from day 1.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by sedated

I've never heard of half these guys, and the ones I do know are way past their prime.

Most of these guys never had a prime.

This guy here is dead.

Bahahhahah

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

I'm fine with getting top 3 picks, but "The draft is a crapshoot" excuse can't be accepted anymore. A lot of it is bad luck, but taking bums like Starling, Zimmer, Russell, Colon, etc. can't happen anymore. We HAVE to start hitting on picks or we're going to be stuck with shit teams for a long time. I'd argue that Moore has still never drafted a single true superstar talent in his tenure here. Moustakas and Hosmer have been good players, but neither is a top 20 type player. I'm happy with the success that we've had, but that was mostly a flash in the pan and not nearly the amount of sustainable success I would have liked. I think the current regime should be on the hot seat going forward.

I agree. Need to hit on those Top 3 picks (at least 2 of them), like they did with Moose and Hoz. No, they never became ‘superstars’, but they became solid Top 50 players that were exactly what the Royals needed come playoff time.
They performed in the clutch. That’s what you need to win championships.

If they can hit on at least 2 Top 5 picks in the next 3 years, I feel like they’ll be in pretty good shape to be potentially contending come 2022, when you look at the talent that is in the low minors right now.

We’ll see, I guess . . . .

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

I remember everyone, EVERYONE, hating the Colon pick. You don't have to be a good GM to know that pick was bizarre. Starling was toolsy, but that one had bust written all over it from day 1.

The worst part about that is, reportedly, they were going to pick Chris Sale instead, but some Royals people worried about him holding up as a starter Long term.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

I'm fine with getting top 3 picks, but "The draft is a crapshoot" excuse can't be accepted anymore. A lot of it is bad luck, but taking bums like Starling, Zimmer, Russell, Colon, etc. can't happen anymore. We HAVE to start hitting on picks or we're going to be stuck with shit teams for a long time. I'd argue that Moore has still never drafted a single true superstar talent in his tenure here. Moustakas and Hosmer have been good players, but neither is a top 20 type player. I'm happy with the success that we've had, but that was mostly a flash in the pan and not nearly the amount of sustainable success I would have liked. I think the current regime should be on the hot seat going forward.

The current regime should absolutely face some pressure because of its draft record. Being about average in hitting on first round picks makes succeeding in Kansas City a tough proposition.

I think the 2010-2012 years were especially rough. Not much depth from those years.

Colon is a painful, painful miss considering Sale was their rumored preferred pick until about 15 min before the pick.

I think they’ve done much better in the past 2-3 drafts. 2013, they did a good job leveraging their draft position.

They have the most draft pool to spend this year, which should put KC in that more comfortable territory of pre-slotting... where they could give Wil Myers top 15 money in Round 3, or give Jake Junis second-round money in round 27.

They’ve done a great job in those types of setups in the past. Hopefully that continues.

They’ll have a top 10 pick next year almost certainly, which should mean another large pool.

And they have a nice complement of players at A and A+ in the minors. Add to that group with good drafts in 18 and 19, and you’re right back to where KC needs to be.

As far as drafting a superstar, that’s usually a matter of:

1) good draft position (its easy to get a superstar when you have 1 in a draft that has a legit superstar prospect or two or three).

Had the Royals lost one more game in 2008, they would have picked third and taken Manny Machado.

2) Luck (that prospect stays healthy and on track). Kyle Zimmer looked like an absolute superstar smash success ... until his body failed him.

3) good evaluation AND luck (identifying someone you can tweak slightly or project slightly and have them turn into a monster)

Bubba Starling and Mike Trout has nearly identical profiles coming into their drafts,
Though Starling was more highly regarded and had been a big success with the USA u18 team.

Getting Mike Trout in the middle of the First was luck. Knowing he has superstar tools was a matter of evaluation.

[ChiefsCountry]

Rumor mill is swirling that expansion is on the horizon for MLB. Portland and Montreal are the lead cities for that. I've also heard that the A's are looking into moving to Nashville.

Couple of expansion franchises would have another influx of cash into the payroll.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Rumor mill is swirling that expansion is on the horizon for MLB. Portland and Montreal are the lead cities for that. I've also heard that the A's are looking into moving to Nashville.

Couple of expansion franchises would have another influx of cash into the payroll.

But why though? The divisions are perfect as they are.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

But why though? The divisions are perfect as they are.

They really aren't perfect. 15 is a pain the ass to schedule. 16 in a league and you would have almost perfect scheduling. And for the Royals no more Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland division either, hello California or Texas.

[baitism]

Expansion would further dilute the talent pool, of which, is already lacking.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by baitism

Expansion would further dilute the talent pool, of which, is already lacking.

That isn't true. The talent pool in baseball isn't lacking. The sport is very strong right now.

[Titty Meat]

Would Montreal play in that shithole stadium again? It's kinda cool watching games played at that dump on tv