Royals ***Official 2022 Royals Season Repository Thread*** - Page 43

ChiefsCountry · 01:56 PM

For all things Royals in 2022. #3 minor league system according to Baseball America. The Bobby Witt era should begin this year. Will Salvy still be the homerun king? How does the glut of infield players work out? Will the young pitchers take the next step?

Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Zack Greinke, P
Amir Garrett, P
Taylor Clarke, P

Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America
1. Bobby Witt, SS
2. Asa Lacy, P
3. MJ Melendez, C
4. Nick Pratto, 1B
5. Jackson Kowar, P
6. Kyle Isabel, OF
7. Frank Mozzicato, P
8. Ben Kudrna, P
9. Jonathan Bowlan, P
10. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B

Duncan's Top Royals Prospects

Spoiler!

WhawhaWhat · 04-10-2022, 08:34 PM

FINAL: Guardians 17, Royals not 17
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 10, 2022

**RollChiefsRoll** · 04-10-2022, 10:04 PM

Bubic is only 1.5 points away from a 69.00 ERA.

Nice.

KChiefs1 · 04-10-2022, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan

Not that this is their thinking, but we get the extra year of team control for Pratto and enough time to determine whether we can trade Santana or just need to DFA him. After two scoobale plays at 1st the last two games (that Santana missed), I'm all-in on letting the Santana era end one way or the other once we get to June. Pratto makes the infield defense other-worldly elite.

Adding Pratto to 1B would give the Royals the best defense in MLB with 4 elite gloves in the infield & 2 gold gloves in the outfield along with Whit. No team could match that.

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KChiefs1 · 04-11-2022, 06:59 AM

https://sportsnaut.com/chicago-white...s-trade-price/

Quote:

The Chicago White Sox are in desperate need of starting pitching in the aftermath of injuries to Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito. While Frankie Montas is the ideal solution to Chicago’s issues, the asking price could be a problem.

One of the biggest storylines from the 2022 MLB offseason was the Oakland Athletics teardown. The club is trading off its best players, including pitchers Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea and All-Star first baseman Matt Olson.

Frankie Montas contract: $5.025 million salary (2022), arbitration-eligible in 2023.

The rebuild is still ongoing after Opening Day with Montas generating interest across the league. However, Oakland is placing a premium value on its ace and that is proving to be an issue for the White Sox at a time of dire need.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Chicago had multiple conversations in recent months with the Athletics about acquiring Montas. Unfortunately for the White Sox, Oakland wants slugger Andrew Vaughn in exchange.

It’s understandable why the Athletics are setting the bar high for any return. Most MLB teams aren’t looking to trade any starting pitching right now, especially a front-line starter. Montas is on an organization-friendly contract, making him even more valuable.

Chicago reportedly came close to landing Manaea before the San Diego Padres acquired him. It’s left Montas as the only logical solution for a pitching staff that needs a young starter who can eat up innings and can pitch like an ace.

Frankie Montas stats (2021): 3.37 ERA, 207/57 K/BB ratio, 2.6% K-rate, .230 BAA across 187 IP

The White Sox also have plenty of reasons to not budge on moving Vaughn. Drafted with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-4 slugger is under team control through 2026. While he struggled at times as a rookie, there is still plenty of belief he has an All-Star caliber bat with the ability to hit 30-plus homers in his peak years.

At some point, Chicago will need to revisit its conversations with the Athletics. Lynn isn’t returning until June and Giolito will miss two starts, at minimum, with the abdominal issue. Suddenly, one of the top rotations in MLB lost its best starters and lacks pitching depth.

Many put the White Sox a tier ahead of their AL Central competitors before the season starter. However, Lynn and Giolito’s injuries narrow the gap and that only adds pressure to add more pitching.

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TomBarndtsTwin · 04-11-2022, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan

We're 2-1. Long season, fellas. Take off your football hats and put on your baseball hats. Ugly losses will happen it's still an "L", regardless of the score. And one game on day 4 of the season tells us nothing. If this team is going to compete, the players will forget today and get after it tomorrow.

The 'L' doesn't bother me. I mean, this team isn't realistically competing for a playoff spot this year, anyway.

What bothers me is the seemingly lack of development by our much heralded 2018 pitching class. Bubic is extremely inconsistent and isn't generating soft contact, people are crushing him when they make contact. Kowar hasn't seemed to figure out how to pitch in MLB yet. Can dominate in AAA, but comes up here and seemingly gets shelled every time out, this year and last year. Singer seems to be regressing since his start with us in 2020 (which looked very promising). Part of that is his own stubborness, but for whatever reason, no one has seemed to be able to get through to him yet about the importance of using a 3rd pitch. Maybe Greinke helps with that? Lynch has looked dominant at times and lost at others. Just never know what you're gonna get with him. He's probably the highest ceiling of the four, so hopefully he gets off to a good start this year.

Take all that into account together and it paints a big red bullseye on the back of Cal Eldred. For whatever reason, these guys just don't appear to be developing under him at the major league level. Whether that's his fault, Matheny's fault or both, it's just not working.

For the sake of the Royals and their future and hoping to contend as early as next year, I pray the front office will see the light and move on from Cal, as it's clear Mike won't do it, even if it ends up costing him his own job at some point.

KChiefs1 · 04-11-2022, 09:01 AM

College prospects to watch for KC at pick #9.

Carson Whisenhunt is suspended for the season, Landon Sims had Tommy John Surgery, Blade Tidwell is back, but I’m in a holding pattern with him, etc. So, we’re a little over a month into the college season. Here’s about how I think the draft is lining up at the moment in terms of college prospects in play for KC at #9.

Carter Young, SS, Vanderbilt

+ Defender
Good power traits
Good runner
Decent approach
Decent hit tool
Young is still striking a bunch, but he absolutely hammers baseballs and is maybe the best defensive SS in this draft class. He’s got a .516 SLG% and .412 OBP at the moment, so his strikeouts are the only concern of mine because he does a ton of other things well. He may have to sign for under slot value at #9 at the moment, but that would be more than fine with me for Kansas City.

Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly

++ Hit tool
+ Raw power
Switch hitter
Might have to move to 3B long-term
This will be the last time I feature Brooks Lee on this article. He’s got 26 BB, 6 K, and 6 HR on the season and there is just no way he’s still available for Kansas City at #9. So, we’ll go ahead and move on from him after this.

Jacob Berry, OF, LSU

++ Hit tool
++ Raw power
Great approach
Not much of a defender
If the rumors I’m hearing are true about Berry falling out of the first round, it would be a classic example of teams overthinking the bat. Berry is hitting .371 with 9 HR and just 12 K on the season and we’re a few weeks into SEC play. He’s got more BB (13) than K and a 1.112 OPS. Maybe teams are worried about the defensive ability, and I get that, but even if Berry is just a 20 HR guy in the big leagues, he’ll probably run into 40 doubles too and his hit tool is going to keep him from every having issues with strikeouts. Would love to see Berry get to KC at #9.

Cade Doughty, 3B, LSU

+ Hit tool
+ Raw power
+ Approach
+ Athlete
++ Intangibles
Doughty has exploded up draft boards this spring and is out hitting Berry in almost every way so far. He’s got a 1.123 OPS, 21 XBH, 3 SB, and while he does have 22 K in 136 PA (16.2%), he also has 18 walks and is a legitimate defender at 3B. I don’t think he’s probably an option at #9 but if he’s willing to come in at a discount…I’d be for it.

Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech

+ Hit tool
++ Approach
++ Raw Power
Not a great defender
This will also be the last time Jung appears on this list because he has also hit his way into probably a top-5 pick. Literally five minutes after I wrote that sentence, Baseball America dropped their second mock draft of the year with Jace Jung to the Royals at #9. I cannot tell you how excited I would be to have him in Royal blue. He’s legitimately probably the best college player in the class. He may be a little bit homeless on defense, but who freaking cares when you can hit like that. He’s batting .412 at the moment with a 1.328 OPS, 17 K, 31 BB, and 9 HR. This is simply one of the best college seasons any player from a Power 5 conference has had in a while. He would be a NO BRAINER at #9.

Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison

+ Runner
++ Arm
++ Raw power
+ Hit tool
Chance to stick in CF
DeLauter is absolutely hammering baseballs after a slow start to his season where he looked a little overmatched against what has been a dominant Florida State pitching staff. He’s got a1.296 OPS with 6 HR and a 25:20 BB:K ratio after being the best player on the Cape last summer. I think there’s a good chance he’s still there for KC at #9, but the way some mock drafts are falling, it’s kind of a toss-up at this point.

Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech

+ Runner
+ Hit tool
++ Raw power
+ Defender in the COF
Cross was mocked to the Royals in Baseball America’s first mock draft earlier this year, and he’s since been mocked down to the Tigers at #12. Cross has dramatically improved his decisions at the plate this spring, with 12 BB and just 10 K in 23 games. The tools are fun, but I think he’s a corner OF long-term and…I don’t know. The exit velocities are loud but I’m not sure how much I love the profile overall. Definitely prefer a couple other guys to him at the moment, but wouldn’t mind him at #9 either.

Dylan Beavers, OF, California

+ Runner
+ Hit tool
++ Raw power
Chance to stick in CF
Beavers was one of my favorite under-the-radar candidates heading into this season and nothing he’s done this year has changed that. The 6′ 4″ LHH has some of, if not THE, best power in the college draft class and has his strikeout rate at a VERY manageable 18.8% this season to go with a 14.5% BB% and 11 HR in 28 games. I *think* he’d have to be under slot at #9, but honestly I’d be okay with this pick regardless at the moment. The Royals need outfielders and Beavers would move quickly through the lower minors.

Jud Fabian, OF, Florida

++ Raw Power
+ Defender in CF
+ Runner
Good Approach
Average Hit Tool
Fabian slipped out of the first round last year after being one of the favorites to go in the top 10 early on. His strikeout rates were more than worrisome and didn’t quite justify the power. This year, Fabian has 13 HR, a 1.155 OPS, and 27 BB (20.2%) to 24 K (17.9%) in 29 games for the Gators. His defensive ability in CF and offensive potential at the plate absolutely makes him a candidate for KC at #9 as long as he keeps hitting like this through SEC play.

Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola College

++ Raw power
+ Hit tool
++ Athlete
Chance to be good at 3B
Collier started the year on absolute fire, but has since cooled off a bit. The only reason he’s still here is that he is 17 years old and should be playing in high school right now. Instead, he graduated early to enroll at Chipola College before and classify himself for the 2022 draft class. He’s got some of the most upside of any college hitter in this class and should absolutely be in play at #9, though I understand being cautious and wanting a safer bet, which there are a lot of in this class.

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KChiefs1 · 04-11-2022, 09:04 AM

Craig Brown

The Class of ‘18 is in danger of flunking out.

Again, and I can’t stress this enough, it’s important that we limit the overreactions to the first three games of the season. Still, this pitching box score from Sunday’s debacle really stood out.

Three Royals pitchers got lit up against the Guardians. All three are from the celebrated pitching draft class of 2018.

If you tuned in to the game to see Kris Bubic unveil his new slider, it was a no-show. Literally. He didn’t throw it. Not that he had the opportunity, sticking around for only five batters. In his abbreviated afternoon, Bubic got Guardian hitters to swing nine times. The result was four balls in play, five fouls and no whiffs.

Bubic will tell you, locating the fastball is key to his success. He had zero control on Sunday and his secondary pitches were all over the place.

He was in the middle of the dish too frequently with his 90 mph fastball. That’s going to get hit. And when he’s not hitting spots with his change and curve, those pitches are easy takes.

His linescore looks worse given he left the game with the bases loaded and Taylor Clarke unloaded them by serving a grand slam to Mercado. Jackson Kowar can’t really offer a similar excuse.

You really don’t want to be mentioned in the same Tweet as Vin Mazzaro. Ever.

Sixteen Guardian batters put the ball in play against Kowar. Eight of them hit the ball harder than 95 mph, earning them a “barrel.” A 50 percent barrel rate? Still not as bad as being mentioned in a tweet with Mazzaro, but really not good.

And Singer was Singer. Sixty pitches to get nine outs with a bunch of hits and runs thrown in the mix.

So while the Royals took a deserved victory lap for having five pitchers from the 2018 draft playing in the big leagues in 2021—including their first four selections—the results have put quite the damper on any celebration.

Singer has been the most successful of his class, being the first to pitch in The Show and posting a 3.0 fWAR in the first two seasons of his career. Bubic owned a 0.8 fWAR through 2021 while Kowar brought up the rear at -0.3 fWAR.

All of these pitchers have major league experience and all have looked stagnant since arriving. There have been little signs of progress. These guys have all rocketed through the minor league system and the alternate site set up due to the Covid shortened 2020 season, and when they arrived in Kansas City the results have been mostly underwhelming. The heat absolutely has to be on pitching coach Cal Eldred specifically and the organization as a whole. Their track record of developing starting pitching has been less than stellar. If there is no positive movement in 2022, not only will that set The Process 2.0 back, it will beg the answer to some questions I don’t know the organization is comfortable asking…such as who is accountable for the failure to develop starting pitching?

Again, it’s one game out of 162. The season is long and honestly, there will be days like this. But we’ve seen parts of this movie before. And we know how it usually ends.

All eyes on Daniel Lynch in his start in St. Louis on Tuesday.

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dallaschiefsfan · 04-11-2022, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

The 'L' doesn't bother me. I mean, this team isn't realistically competing for a playoff spot this year, anyway.

What bothers me is the seemingly lack of development by our much heralded 2018 pitching class. Bubic is extremely inconsistent and isn't generating soft contact, people are crushing him when they make contact. Kowar hasn't seemed to figure out how to pitch in MLB yet. Can dominate in AAA, but comes up here and seemingly gets shelled every time out, this year and last year. Singer seems to be regressing since his start with us in 2020 (which looked very promising). Part of that is his own stubborness, but for whatever reason, no one has seemed to be able to get through to him yet about the importance of using a 3rd pitch. Maybe Greinke helps with that? Lynch has looked dominant at times and lost at others. Just never know what you're gonna get with him. He's probably the highest ceiling of the four, so hopefully he gets off to a good start this year.

Take all that into account together and it paints a big red bullseye on the back of Cal Eldred. For whatever reason, these guys just don't appear to be developing under him at the major league level. Whether that's his fault, Matheny's fault or both, it's just not working.

For the sake of the Royals and their future and hoping to contend as early as next year, I pray the front office will see the light and move on from Cal, as it's clear Mike won't do it, even if it ends up costing him his own job at some point.

I'm definitely not a fan of Eldred, but it's rarely a singular boogie-man. Much like the overhaul of hitting development, they could probably use the same in minor league pitching development. The fact that Singer hasn't established a preferred grip on his changeup is weird. I'm guessing the Royals are like most orgs and have their pitchers throw the changeup exclusively when they play catch to warm up on off days and in spring training. I mean...if they're doing that, how do you not find a grip that works? It's a feel pitch. So you throw it constantly in low stakes moments. If Singer is not doing that, nobody is to blame but Singer.

louie aguiar · 04-11-2022, 11:35 AM

Jackson Kowar has been dogshit - the royals have really struggled drafting and developing pitching.

The last 9 Royals pitchers to allow at least 5 runs in an appearance, either as a starter or a reliever (including today):

Jackson Kowar
Kris Bubic
Jackson Kowar
Jackson Kowar
Jackson Kowar
Carlos Hernandez
Jackson Kowar
Brady Singer
Jackson Kowar
— Kurtis Seaboldt �� (@KSeaboldt) April 11, 2022

Prison Bitch · 04-11-2022, 12:08 PM

Dayton: “pitching is the currency of baseball”

Fans: Then why don’t you ever have any?

Archie Bunker · 04-11-2022, 12:19 PM

Can someone who has watched the kid pitch more than me, clue me in a bit. Million dollar arm .05 head? Can't handle the spotlight? Best AAAA pitcher ever?

Always thought he’d be the best one and he’s a dumpster fire.

**ChiTown** · 04-11-2022, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Dayton: “pitching is the currency of baseball”

Fans: Then why don’t you ever have any?

It's a fair question to ask. Our inability to develop starting pitching is off the charts bad.

louie aguiar · 04-11-2022, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Dayton: “pitching is the currency of baseball”

Fans: Then why don’t you ever have any?

That 2018 draft class is looking pretty shitty right now. There's still time but is anyone optimistic that any of these picks project out to be legit MLB starters at this point?

Singer
Kowar
Lynch
Bubic
Bowlan

TomBarndtsTwin · 04-11-2022, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louie aguiar

That 2018 draft class is looking pretty shitty right now. There's still time but is anyone optimistic that any of these picks project out to be legit MLB starters at this point?

Singer
Kowar
Lynch
Bubic
Bowlan

Still have high hopes for Daniel Lynch. He's got the ability to dominate if he puts it all together. Yeah, I know, pitching for the Royals it's a big IF.

Singer I think still has the ability to be a solid #3 or #4 if would just quit being so damn stubborn and work on his change and utilize it.

Bowlan is coming off the TJ and will need a little time, but he looked pretty damn good last year before going down. He was dominating at AA.

Prison Bitch · 04-11-2022, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiTown

It's a fair question to ask. Our inability to develop starting pitching is off the charts bad.

He’s been here 17 years and in that time he’s produced only 2 starters worth a piss: Duffy and Yordano. If we really squint we can give him partial credit for Jake Odorizzi & Sean Manea.

He’s spent most of his R1 premium picks on position guys sontgat explains a bit. But he hasn’t hit on much of anything re: pitching. He switched to college guys in 18 and that looks like it’s unraveling. Singer and Lynch should be ok, but a couple ok guys doesn’t cut it in a small market. Here’s his roster of R1 draftees:

Hochevar
Montgomery
Crow
Summer
Manea
Finnegan
Foster Griffin
Ass Russell
Nolan Watson
Singer
Kowar
Lynch
Lacy
Mozzicato

Jeezus. He could’ve let you or I just pick BPA and we’d be better off

01-01-2022, 11:07 AM
ChiefsCountry The Insider Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lake of the Ozarks Casino cash: $2318752	*Official 2022 Royals Season Repository Thread* For all things Royals in 2022. #3 minor league system according to Baseball America. The Bobby Witt era should begin this year. Will Salvy still be the homerun king? How does the glut of infield players work out? Will the young pitchers take the next step? Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions Zack Greinke, P Amir Garrett, P Taylor Clarke, P Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America 1. Bobby Witt, SS 2. Asa Lacy, P 3. MJ Melendez, C 4. Nick Pratto, 1B 5. Jackson Kowar, P 6. Kyle Isabel, OF 7. Frank Mozzicato, P 8. Ben Kudrna, P 9. Jonathan Bowlan, P 10. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B Duncan's Top Royals Prospects Spoiler! 1. Bobby Witt, Jr., SS. MLB. This status lasts about another 4 weeks, but let’s take a moment to appreciate having the top guy in the minor league prospects lists for at least a little while longer. Witt has prodigious ability and the question is really just IF he can meet it. They have not had a prospect like this in my lifetime, and really probably ever. Combine insane raw physical skills (right there with Adalberto Mondesi and Willie Wilson in the ranks right behind Bo Jackson) with unbelievable work ethic, a humble-but-confident nature, and already having shown he can struggle and overcome to achieve big success, and you have the tools for a show-stopping centerpiece. Oh, and throw in the former-player’s kid aspect on it on top of things, and there is every reason to believe he’s going to succeed and succeed big. 2. M.J. Melendez, C, AAA Omaha. I was early on putting him in this slot last year, and I don’t regret it. The power, the ability to be a good defender behind the dish as well as having the athletic ability to play 3B or LF, too, and you have a really valuable overall piece and FANTASTIC understudy for Salvador Perez. 3. Asa Lacy, LHP. AA Northwest Arkansas Whoa, let’s get crazy again. Lacy has outstanding stuff. Top of the system. He got hurt and lost his command during COVID times, but appears to be back on track so far this spring. If his command sticks, this is a guy who can move quickly. And his ceiling is really second to nobody in the minor league pitching ranks. 4. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B. AA Northwest Arkansas Vinnie starts the season back at AA due to the guy who follows him on the list here. He just hits, folks. I love his combination of contact, loud contact, plate discipline, and lack of strikeouts. The Billy Butler comparisons are annoying (in that I will NEVER refer to this man as Italian Breakfast except in the instance that just occurred), but the Billy Butler comparisons are also fairly apt… if you made Butler a lefthanded hitter, AND improved his body/athleticism from a 20 to a 40, AND if you added that little extra touch of power we all wished Butler could consistently find. 5. Nick Pratto, 1B, AAA Omaha. Hey, let’s stay at 1B. Pratto has flashy power and I love his batting eye AND his hand-eye coordination. The hair he’s been rocking this spring is also pretty sweet. I slot him just behind Pasquantino simply because I think his bat profile is more volatile. The glove and arm are sweet/plus for 1B, though. 6. Jonathan Bowlan, RHP, AAA Omaha Bowlan is coming back from Tommy John surgery, and this ranking is assuming that recovering is successful. If it his, you’re talking about a big, consistent SP who throws hard enough and has enough of a repertoire to really make things happen. If the recovery goes well, he may be shuttling to the majors in July to reinforce the rotation. 7. Nick Loftin, CF, AA Omaha. Loftin is a guy who has really grown on me. I saw him as a quasi super-utility guy when the Royals drafted him, The full-time shift to CF (which means they think he has the speed and the overall defensive ability to handle CF in Kansas City) adds a lot of value here. The ultimate positive offensive upside is similar to peak Whit Merrifield, maybe with a touch more early power. 8. Michael Massey, 2B, AA Northwest Arkansas. Massey was an absolute revelation last year, hitting for power and average and keeping his K rate down while playing a really strong 2B. He has a very sweet, short lefthanded stroke. This is another aggressive rating, but Massey has proven himself through a tough minor league assignment already, and the arrow is pointed up. 9. Ben Kudrna, RHP, Rookie Ball Kudrna is a big, physical specimen with a lot of upside and potential. The fastball and slider are already nearly MLB-level in terms of velocity and movement (command needs work). Kudrna is a guy who, with luck, and health, and good development, could ascend to the top of a rotation. 10. Frank Mozzicato, LHP, Rookie Ball. Mozzicato has a curveball that suggests he has a feel for spin. If you want to dream, you hope that the next 2-3 years turn the 175 he weighed when drafted into a rock-solid 220/225 and carries with it an increase in fastball velocity from 90-91, sitting 87-88, to 96-97, sitting 93-94. You pair his ability to spin the ball (which also suggests he should be able to easily master a sweeper slider) with that type of fastball velo and a changeup he already has a feel for, and it’s an exciting profile. He has a little more to go in terms of growing into that projectability than Kudrna, which is why he slots right behind him. 11. Alec Marsh, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas Marsh missed a lot of 2021 to injury, but the hard-throwing righthander is another guy who could move quickly once the minor league season starts. He’s undeniably got the stuff of a quality major-league pitcher. The question is if he can master enough command to cash it in. This guy is a great example of TINSTAAPP. 12. Angel Zerpa, LHP, AAA Omaha Zerpa might quickly outperform this slot. His stuff ticked up in 21 and he ended the season making a start in the majors. He’s nice depth to have, and honestly, I’m a big fan of just throwing numbers at pitching. Zerpa definitely helps create the depth you need to generate a top-notch and reliable home-grown rotation. 13. Maikel Garcia, SS, AA Northwest Arkansas Garcia is a really intriguing hitter, a righthanded hitter who has a nice combination of contact skills and control of the strike zone (this cousin of Alcides Escobar is less savvy with the glove and more savvy at the plate). The Royals protected him for a reason (he’s on the 40-man). 14. Carter Jensen, C, A ?? Jensen is a local product whose bat will probably push him off C (as well as the Royals depth at that spot throughout the organization). This is a future 1B profile, and a nice one. He makes a lot of loud contact and shows an ability to lift the ball. Should be fun to watch this year. 15. Ben Hernandez, RHP, A+ Quad Rivers Hernandez missed a good part of 2021 but still has that butterfly changeup and a classic pitcher’s profile. He’ll need to find a reliable swing-and-miss secondary to make it in the bigs, but if not, the fastball velocity and changeup should make him a quality high-leverage reliver. 16. Dylan Coleman, RHP, AAA Omaha Speaking of relievers, Coleman is a hard-throwing righthander who probably spends most of 22 in the Royals’ pen. ½ of the compensation for the Rosenthal trade a few years back, Coleman has a big fastball and nasty breaking ball. 17. Will Klein, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas Speaking of relivers, everything I just said about Coleman? Yeah, you can say it about Klein, too. Klein regularly toyed with hitters at high A last year, striking out 121 hitters in just 70 1/3 innings pitched. For those counting at home, that’s a 15.5 K/9 rate. Yep. That’ll play. 18. Anthony Veneziano, LHP, AA Northwest Arkansas Here’s another big, power arm. Veneziano hasn’t been relegated to bullpen only yet, though. His fastball bumped into the high 90s last year on a starter’s workload. He’s still looking for a changeup, but if he doesn’t find it, you’re looking at a really promising future bullpen fireballer. 19. Erick Pena, OF, A ? Pena did… not have a strong 2021 full season debut. His struggles look a lot like those of Pratto and Melendez in 2019. Pena has the same type of raw toolkit to work from as those two, with great hands and natural power. He needs to fix a hitch in his swing and calm it down, but so did Melendez. Of this second ten grouping, Pena has the highest upside and could jump right into the top 5 of the org ranks. 20. Darryl Collins, OF, A+ Collins is an international signing out of Europe. I like the hitting package here – good eye and contact skills. He needs to make more loud contact, but if he can, really a nice guy. Overall takeaways: This is a system with a lot of depth. We could go another 10-12 deep and still be talking about guys with a good shot to make the majors. The changes to the organization’s approach are bearing fruit, as even less-heralded draftees are stepping forward. The combination of upside (Witt, Melendez, Lacy), depth, and guys you can dream on is fun. It may not produce quite as much as the 2011 group did, but it does offer a more sustainable system, less reliant on a few big-ticket guys. Last edited by ChiefsCountry; 04-03-2022 at 01:56 PM..
Posts: 49,605

04-10-2022, 08:34 PM	#631
WhawhaWhat MVP Join Date: Feb 2013 Casino cash: $1581116	FINAL: Guardians 17, Royals not 17 — Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 10, 2022
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04-10-2022, 10:04 PM	#632
RollChiefsRoll I don’t care for Auburn Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Sweet Home Alabama Casino cash: $4790340	Bubic is only 1.5 points away from a 69.00 ERA. Nice.
Posts: 6,680

04-11-2022, 09:01 AM	#636
KChiefs1 I’m a Mahomo! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mid-Missouri Casino cash: $6771021	College prospects to watch for KC at pick #9. Carson Whisenhunt is suspended for the season, Landon Sims had Tommy John Surgery, Blade Tidwell is back, but I’m in a holding pattern with him, etc. So, we’re a little over a month into the college season. Here’s about how I think the draft is lining up at the moment in terms of college prospects in play for KC at #9. Carter Young, SS, Vanderbilt + Defender Good power traits Good runner Decent approach Decent hit tool Young is still striking a bunch, but he absolutely hammers baseballs and is maybe the best defensive SS in this draft class. He’s got a .516 SLG% and .412 OBP at the moment, so his strikeouts are the only concern of mine because he does a ton of other things well. He may have to sign for under slot value at #9 at the moment, but that would be more than fine with me for Kansas City. Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly ++ Hit tool + Raw power Switch hitter Might have to move to 3B long-term This will be the last time I feature Brooks Lee on this article. He’s got 26 BB, 6 K, and 6 HR on the season and there is just no way he’s still available for Kansas City at #9. So, we’ll go ahead and move on from him after this. Jacob Berry, OF, LSU ++ Hit tool ++ Raw power Great approach Not much of a defender If the rumors I’m hearing are true about Berry falling out of the first round, it would be a classic example of teams overthinking the bat. Berry is hitting .371 with 9 HR and just 12 K on the season and we’re a few weeks into SEC play. He’s got more BB (13) than K and a 1.112 OPS. Maybe teams are worried about the defensive ability, and I get that, but even if Berry is just a 20 HR guy in the big leagues, he’ll probably run into 40 doubles too and his hit tool is going to keep him from every having issues with strikeouts. Would love to see Berry get to KC at #9. Cade Doughty, 3B, LSU + Hit tool + Raw power + Approach + Athlete ++ Intangibles Doughty has exploded up draft boards this spring and is out hitting Berry in almost every way so far. He’s got a 1.123 OPS, 21 XBH, 3 SB, and while he does have 22 K in 136 PA (16.2%), he also has 18 walks and is a legitimate defender at 3B. I don’t think he’s probably an option at #9 but if he’s willing to come in at a discount…I’d be for it. Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech + Hit tool ++ Approach ++ Raw Power Not a great defender This will also be the last time Jung appears on this list because he has also hit his way into probably a top-5 pick. Literally five minutes after I wrote that sentence, Baseball America dropped their second mock draft of the year with Jace Jung to the Royals at #9. I cannot tell you how excited I would be to have him in Royal blue. He’s legitimately probably the best college player in the class. He may be a little bit homeless on defense, but who freaking cares when you can hit like that. He’s batting .412 at the moment with a 1.328 OPS, 17 K, 31 BB, and 9 HR. This is simply one of the best college seasons any player from a Power 5 conference has had in a while. He would be a NO BRAINER at #9. Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison + Runner ++ Arm ++ Raw power + Hit tool Chance to stick in CF DeLauter is absolutely hammering baseballs after a slow start to his season where he looked a little overmatched against what has been a dominant Florida State pitching staff. He’s got a1.296 OPS with 6 HR and a 25:20 BB:K ratio after being the best player on the Cape last summer. I think there’s a good chance he’s still there for KC at #9, but the way some mock drafts are falling, it’s kind of a toss-up at this point. Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech + Runner + Hit tool ++ Raw power + Defender in the COF Cross was mocked to the Royals in Baseball America’s first mock draft earlier this year, and he’s since been mocked down to the Tigers at #12. Cross has dramatically improved his decisions at the plate this spring, with 12 BB and just 10 K in 23 games. The tools are fun, but I think he’s a corner OF long-term and…I don’t know. The exit velocities are loud but I’m not sure how much I love the profile overall. Definitely prefer a couple other guys to him at the moment, but wouldn’t mind him at #9 either. Dylan Beavers, OF, California + Runner + Hit tool ++ Raw power Chance to stick in CF Beavers was one of my favorite under-the-radar candidates heading into this season and nothing he’s done this year has changed that. The 6′ 4″ LHH has some of, if not THE, best power in the college draft class and has his strikeout rate at a VERY manageable 18.8% this season to go with a 14.5% BB% and 11 HR in 28 games. I think he’d have to be under slot at #9, but honestly I’d be okay with this pick regardless at the moment. The Royals need outfielders and Beavers would move quickly through the lower minors. Jud Fabian, OF, Florida ++ Raw Power + Defender in CF + Runner Good Approach Average Hit Tool Fabian slipped out of the first round last year after being one of the favorites to go in the top 10 early on. His strikeout rates were more than worrisome and didn’t quite justify the power. This year, Fabian has 13 HR, a 1.155 OPS, and 27 BB (20.2%) to 24 K (17.9%) in 29 games for the Gators. His defensive ability in CF and offensive potential at the plate absolutely makes him a candidate for KC at #9 as long as he keeps hitting like this through SEC play. Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola College ++ Raw power + Hit tool ++ Athlete Chance to be good at 3B Collier started the year on absolute fire, but has since cooled off a bit. The only reason he’s still here is that he is 17 years old and should be playing in high school right now. Instead, he graduated early to enroll at Chipola College before and classify himself for the 2022 draft class. He’s got some of the most upside of any college hitter in this class and should absolutely be in play at #9, though I understand being cautious and wanting a safer bet, which there are a lot of in this class. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________
Posts: 54,038

04-11-2022, 09:04 AM	#637
KChiefs1 I’m a Mahomo! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mid-Missouri Casino cash: $6771021	Craig Brown The Class of ‘18 is in danger of flunking out. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, it’s important that we limit the overreactions to the first three games of the season. Still, this pitching box score from Sunday’s debacle really stood out. Three Royals pitchers got lit up against the Guardians. All three are from the celebrated pitching draft class of 2018. If you tuned in to the game to see Kris Bubic unveil his new slider, it was a no-show. Literally. He didn’t throw it. Not that he had the opportunity, sticking around for only five batters. In his abbreviated afternoon, Bubic got Guardian hitters to swing nine times. The result was four balls in play, five fouls and no whiffs. Bubic will tell you, locating the fastball is key to his success. He had zero control on Sunday and his secondary pitches were all over the place. He was in the middle of the dish too frequently with his 90 mph fastball. That’s going to get hit. And when he’s not hitting spots with his change and curve, those pitches are easy takes. His linescore looks worse given he left the game with the bases loaded and Taylor Clarke unloaded them by serving a grand slam to Mercado. Jackson Kowar can’t really offer a similar excuse. You really don’t want to be mentioned in the same Tweet as Vin Mazzaro. Ever. Sixteen Guardian batters put the ball in play against Kowar. Eight of them hit the ball harder than 95 mph, earning them a “barrel.” A 50 percent barrel rate? Still not as bad as being mentioned in a tweet with Mazzaro, but really not good. And Singer was Singer. Sixty pitches to get nine outs with a bunch of hits and runs thrown in the mix. So while the Royals took a deserved victory lap for having five pitchers from the 2018 draft playing in the big leagues in 2021—including their first four selections—the results have put quite the damper on any celebration. Singer has been the most successful of his class, being the first to pitch in The Show and posting a 3.0 fWAR in the first two seasons of his career. Bubic owned a 0.8 fWAR through 2021 while Kowar brought up the rear at -0.3 fWAR. All of these pitchers have major league experience and all have looked stagnant since arriving. There have been little signs of progress. These guys have all rocketed through the minor league system and the alternate site set up due to the Covid shortened 2020 season, and when they arrived in Kansas City the results have been mostly underwhelming. The heat absolutely has to be on pitching coach Cal Eldred specifically and the organization as a whole. Their track record of developing starting pitching has been less than stellar. If there is no positive movement in 2022, not only will that set The Process 2.0 back, it will beg the answer to some questions I don’t know the organization is comfortable asking…such as who is accountable for the failure to develop starting pitching? Again, it’s one game out of 162. The season is long and honestly, there will be days like this. But we’ve seen parts of this movie before. And we know how it usually ends. All eyes on Daniel Lynch in his start in St. Louis on Tuesday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________
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04-11-2022, 11:35 AM	#639
louie aguiar Veteran Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Missoura Casino cash: $4223533	Jackson Kowar has been dogshit - the royals have really struggled drafting and developing pitching. The last 9 Royals pitchers to allow at least 5 runs in an appearance, either as a starter or a reliever (including today): Jackson Kowar Kris Bubic Jackson Kowar Jackson Kowar Jackson Kowar Carlos Hernandez Jackson Kowar Brady Singer Jackson Kowar — Kurtis Seaboldt �� (@KSeaboldt) April 11, 2022
Posts: 4,274

04-11-2022, 12:08 PM	#640
Prison Bitch Rabbi Goldmann Join Date: Nov 2012 Casino cash: $5450159	Dayton: “pitching is the currency of baseball” Fans: Then why don’t you ever have any?
Posts: 87,025	1 0

04-11-2022, 12:19 PM	#641
Archie Bunker The Wait Is Over Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Random Small Town Casino cash: $2018978	Can someone who has watched the kid pitch more than me, clue me in a bit. Million dollar arm .05 head? Can't handle the spotlight? Best AAAA pitcher ever? Always thought he’d be the best one and he’s a dumpster fire.
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