After starter Chris Dwyer allowed four runs over 5.1 innings (but left with the win), the Omaha bullpen duo of Blaine Boyer and Donnie Joseph allowed six runs over the game’s final two innings.

The Storm Chasers out-hit the Sky Sox 14-9 (five of those hits were doubles), as five starters collected multi-hit games. Max Ramirez and Anthony Seratelli each picked up three hits.

NW Arkansas played Springfield into the morning, as the Naturals won 5-4.

Both teams used two position players to pitch each. Mitch Canham, who was 2-for-7 at the plate, pitched three scoreless innings (the 15th-17th). Canham then moved to first base, as Matt Fields came on to pitch. He loaded the bases with nobody out in the 18th, but escaped the jam. He then walked to lead off the 20th inning and came around to score on Juan Graterol‘s first homerun of the season. Fields earned the win and also went 2-for-5 at the plate (including a two-run homerun).

It got a little dicey in the bottom of the 20th, as Fields allowed three straight singles to score a run with one out. After a fly out moved the tying run to third base, he induced a ground out to FINALLY end the game. The two teams will be back on the field for the finale this afternoon.

There wasn’t a ton of offense to talk about, as most of the hitters saw their averages drop. The two teams combined for 41 strikeouts and 32 men left on base.

Former Royal Ruben Gotay took the loss, despite being the reason the game went into extra innings. He hit a three-run homerun in the 8th inning (the only runs the Cardinals scored until the 20th). Outside of those two innings, the Naturals pitching staff combined for 18 scoreless innings.

Wilmington‘s five-run 6th inning gave them a 6-4 win over host Frederick in Game 1 of their doubleheader. In that inning, the Blue Rocks had four hits, a walk, and a sac fly, while being helped out by a Frederick error.

Kyle Zimmer started, but did not earn the win because he was pulled after four innings (he threw 78 pitches). He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out three. Cody Fassold picked up the win with two perfect innings of relief.

On offense in the win, Justin Trapp and Parker Morin picked up two hits.

The Blue Rocks exploded in the late innings to beat the Keys, 18-5 in the second game. They were down 5-0 heading into the fourth and capped the game with an eight-spot in the seventh. In that eight run outburst, Wilmington sent 12 men to the plate.

Every hitter had a multi-hit game except for two. Kenny Diekroeger and Alex Hudak each picked up two hits, including two out home runs. Jack Lopez fell a double short of the cycle and drove in seven runs. Jorge Bonifacio went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Malcom Culver earned his first win with three scoreless innings of relief of John Lamb, who only lasted four innings (5H, 5R, 2BB, K, 2HR).

The two games totaled 5 hours and 28 minutes and the start was delayed 33 minutes due to wet field conditions from an afternoon thunderstorm. Frederick had to cancel their fireworks show because the game did not end until 12:01am ET (one hour after their curfew).

*In roster news, first baseman Murray Watts was released and the Blue Rocks received Jared Schlehuber from extended spring training. Schlehuber went 2-for-5 with four RBIs in the second game.

Lexington won Game 1 over West Virginia, 2-0. Colin Rodgers picked up the win with six shutout innings. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out six. Mark Peterson earned his fifth save of the season.

Raul Mondesi and Jin-Ho Shin each picked up two hits in the win and both drove in a run (in the fifth and sixth innings).

The Legends lost the second game, 4-3. Josh Bell hit a two-run home run to give the Power the lead in the top of the seventh.

On offense in the loss, Terrence Gore went 3-for-4 with two runs scored from the leadoff spot (they only had six hits).

Starter Daniel Stumpf pitched well, but only lasted four innings (4H, R, BB, 6K). Alec Mills took the loss, as he allowed the two run home run, along with an inherited runner in the sixth.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; World pitcher Yordano Ventura throws a pitch during the first inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, at this point we all know Ventura, the short, wiry fireballer who landed in the Royals top five prospects this offseason. He’s been making a steady ascent through the Royals minor leagues starting with a successful 2010 where he struck out more than a quarter of the batters he faced in Rookie ball as a 19-year-old, then a thoroughly dominant turn at Wilmington to start last year that landed him in Double A by season’s end.

He had an impressive spring training where he struck out seven batters in 11.2 innings, walking just two, and the Royals sang his praises throughout. That success has carried over into 2013′s Double A season where he’s racked up 29.1 innings for Northwest Arkansas with 43 strikeouts (13.2 K/9). Even better, he’s only walked 11 batters. He’s given up one homer in a power-friendly Texas League.

Coming into the season, there were questions about if he could be a starter or if he’d be relegated to the bullpen. The Royals want to keep him lined up as a starter until he shows that he can’t cut it there, which is a good approach. Ventura’s biggest weapon is his fastball, which he can dial up to triple digits deep into games – Baseball Prospectus named it the best fastball in the minors before the season started. He gets tremendous arm speed with his delivery despite his small stature. He’s put on some weight so the 5’11″ 140 pounds he was listed at in 2010 isn’t quite so alarming. He’s not the prototypical starter, but many scouts and analysts are starting to believe he could handle the workload.

His curveball is developing into a huge pitch for him as well. The fastball/curveball combination would be lethal if he were to end up in the back end of a bullpen, but he’s making strides towards average in a recent start, according to a Jason Parks scouting report.

If both secondary pitches develop, he could have a brutal curveball as another out pitch along with a good enough changeup to prevent anyone from sitting on his two primary offerings. To me, a starter really has to have at least three regular pitches, to get through lineups and as an alternative if his best stuff isn’t there with a key pitch.

He will have to prove that he can handle the workload. His career high in innings was last year when he reached 109.1. Obviously, he’ll need to increase that at some point if he were to be taken seriously as a starting candidate. And then he’ll have to continue to maintain a heavy workload to where he’ll be able to make 30 starts on a big league roster. His stuff is so electric that it’s tempting to let him settle into a bullpen role, but if he can still get the same dominance from his pitches with more work, 180 innings is more valuable than 70.

So far, he hasn’t been pushed too hard in the early days of the season. Monday’s start was the highest pitch count he’d reached in 2013 when he hit 98 pitches. To an extent he may always have higher pitch counts. Strikeout pitchers tend to use up more pitches because they’re trying to miss bats and their stuff is good enough to miss bats. But he’ll also give up less fluke hits that happen to find a whole since less balls will end up in play. It’s rare for a batter to score on a strikeout, but they can score after reaching from a seeing eye single on a perfect pitch they happened to get in the right spot.

That being said, Ventura’s averaging 17.18 pitches per inning this year, which is still on the high end, but one or two more efficient starts can settle that number down.

Right now, Ventura is overmatching the Texas League. By the end of the month, he could easily be pushing the Royals to give him a look in Omaha to see if his dominance continues. He’s showing right now that he’s ready for the tryout.

From the ace down to the last man in the ‘pen, there’s a lot to like. Since this post got a little bit long (I can sometimes get a little too excited when I start writing about our kids), I figured I better split it down the middle. Here’s a tiny bit about our moundsmen, with 2013 stats thus far (as of April 30th) and a few observations I’ve made. 

Bryan Brickhouse, RHP

0-3, 3.00 ERA, 5 starts, 27 IP, 25 hits allowed, 9 ER, 1 HR, 3 HBP, 5 BB, 21 K, 1.11 WHIP

It’s hard to call it a success.

Humberto Arteaga, Elier Hernandez and Bubba Starling wait for their turn in the cage. Photo: Michelle Meade

Starling opened the year by going 2 for his first 26, a stretch that included 11 strikeouts in 28 plate appearances. Both hits were singles and he walked just twice. When you pay a player $7.5 million as a first round selection, you hope for much more than a .077/.143/.077 start to the season.

It confirmed a lot of the opinions about how Starling would have extreme bust potential, but that it was offset by enough upside if things came together. Starling was pitched as the prototypical five-tool player. So far he’s got four of those working fairly well for him.

The problem, though, is that the most important tool hasn’t been working and it’s hampering everything else. Bubba Starling has had trouble simply hitting the ball. If he can’t hit the ball, then it doesn’t matter how much power he has, and he’s not getting on base to utilize his speed. Reports are that his defense and his throwing arm are coming along fine, but he wasn’t signed to be a no-hit all-field center fielder.

After that initial 2-for-26 stretch, Starling has hit better, but he’s still not there. Since April 12, Starling has hit .246/.313/.508. Better, for sure. He has eight extra base hits in that stretch, including four homers.

Even with more power and better contact, he’s still struck out in nearly a third of his plate appearances in this favorable stretch. He’s hit left-handed pitching much better, but in 19 plate appearances he’s struck out six times. He has five hits otherwise against lefties. That gives him a dynamic split: .927 OPS when facing lefties, but just .569 against righties.

Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus has filed a scouting report that discusses Starling’s struggles (it was written during his first seven games, but Starling has had some of the same contact issues at every stage from instructional days to now) in light of his athletic prowess. Parks’s theory is that Starling, as a multi-sport athlete, isn’t recognizing pitches as well as other players his age or younger who focused more on baseball growing up. The slight delay in picking up a pitch is enough to keep him from making good contact (if he makes it at all). Now, when he connects, it can go a long way, but he’s not connecting enough to realize his potential.

It’s still possible that Starling could turn it around. He’s still young and the Royals knew he’d be more of a slow development project when they drafted him. But Parks makes the comparison to young children learning language compared to older people. Young people are able to absorb things differently since connections are still forming and the brain adapts. He referenced Rany Jazayerli’s study on draft age and future performance. Players who were of a younger draft age seem to provide greater return.

Starling was nearly 19 when the Royals drafted him. He’s still going to be a project. He’s hit better as the month has gone on, so perhaps that bodes well for the rest of the year and it’s far too soon to call him a bust. Realistically, though, we can’t quite pencil him into the Royals 2015 lineup just yet.

Terrance Gore, LF

2013:

16 games, 52 AB, 12 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 11 SB

Speed, speed and more speed: that’s what you get with Gore. I’ve had him as fast as 3.78 to first, so far, and he slipped on his way there. Also got him at 7 seconds flat on a double. He’s fast, is the general idea I’m wishing to convey here. But there’s more to him than just blazing speed.

Gore makes frequent contact at the plate, can lay down some excellent bunts (which he’ll usually beat out, regardless of where they lay), and steals bases seemingly at will. He gets out of the box quickly and hits his stride about half-way to first. Rounding on doubles, he’s nearly at full-speed by the time he’s a few steps off first. In the field, he covers far more than his share of real estate. His plus-plus range and solid arm will lend itself to lots of befuddled looks from opposing baserunners, as he runs down certain base hits with regularity. This aspect of his game is somewhat overlooked; when you have that kind of speed, most people think “base stealer” before they think “fast outfielder”.

Nevertheless, and in my estimation, Gore isn’t likely to spend the year in Class A ball. If he can keep his average up and continue to swipe bags as he has done, I’d think he would be in Wilmington or even NW Arkansas by mid-season.

Bubba Starling, CF

2013:

16 G, 56 AB, 8 H, 7 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 24 K, .143 BA, .463 OPS

As some of you may have noticed by now, Starling is struggling mightily at the dish. From what I’ve seen and heard, Bubba has been putting much pressure on himself and has had difficulty adjusting mainly due to this. The physical tools are all there: quick bat, good wheels, great arm and glove in center, etc. The problem, as I see it, is mostly mental. I expect his batting will be on the upswing in the next couple of weeks.

However, while he has demonstrated these exceptional tools, I have noticed that he’s been late on a few fastballs. At other times, he appears to be swinging from the heels and perhaps trying to do too much. Expectations weigh heavily on a young player, sometimes.

In the field, he covers plenty of ground. He moves fluidly, like you would expect from an athlete of his caliber, and his arm is easily plus for center. He’s got enough to play right, if he gets moved over at the higher levels. There’s no question of that. It’s hard to say how well he runs the bases, as I’ve seen him reach so few times.

At this level, when his swing comes around, you can definitely expect power and speed in abundance. A full season at Class A should bring a 20/20 season from Starling, with 30+ doubles. Even after the last two weeks being essentially a loss, this will be no stretch.

Ethan Chapman, RF

2013:

16 G, 51 AB, 11 H, 5 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 9 SB, .216 BA, .516 OPS

Chapman might have been lost in the abundance of potential here in Lexington, had it not been for Ford’s move to first after Threlkeld went down in the very first AB of his 2013 season. He’s not put up impressive numbers, that’s true. The thing you’ll notice about him is that he’s pure hustle. He has the classic “overachiever” look to him, although that term suggests that he’s not naturally talented.

The truth is, he seems to have excellent baseball instincts. He simply knows how to play the game. At bat, he’s a rocket out of the box on even sure groundouts. He takes a hard and aggressive (but level) swing, though sometimes he pulls his lead shoulder a bit early. He reads pitchers’ moves and steals as well or better than anyone on the team, and he’s aggressive on the basepaths. For the relatively few times he’s been on base, he’s definitely made the most of those chances.

In the field, he’s all-out on any ball hit in his direction. He even made MiLB.com’s home page highlight reel with a catch he made last week vs. Greenville, where he made friends with the infield tarp roll in pursuit of a quickly sinking fly. He has enough arm to stick in right (for now), and displays at least average range that cannot be downplayed since he never gives up on a fly or liner. I’m hoping that Threlkeld’s return and Ford’s move back to right won’t limit Chapman’s at-bats much, but I’m afraid he’ll be coming off the bench next week.

So there’s a bit about our outfielders, certainly an enviable group in terms of talent and potential. Next up: pitchers. I’d like to see a bit more of some of them before I make an assessment, so look for that post in the next week. Stay tuned, true believers. 

Gallagher runs the show behind the dish in Lexington (photo Clinton Riddle)

Following up from my previous post on the infielders at The Bank, here’s a look at what’s going on behind the plate for our latest Legends squad.

As any baseball enthusiast worth his/her salt would know, a large part of building strong defense involves having a catcher who knows his craft well. A strong arm, quick reflexes, and an understanding of the opposing hitters’ weaknesses are all important components of a catcher’s game. Weakness in any one of these areas can often be overcome, though any catcher must know how to call a game effectively in order to avoid getting bumped to first or third (for example).

With that in mind, the Legends of 2013 are firmly set at catcher. I’ve covered our three current catchers on my blog in short blurbs, though KoK will provide more frequently updated info on their site. It all starts with Cameron Gallagher:

Cam Gallagher

2012 (@ Burlington)

36 games, 139 PA, 13 runs, 35 hits, 10 doubles, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .276 BA, .756 OPS

Gallagher behind the plate (photo Clinton Riddle)

In terms of batting, Gallagher has enough pop to knock 15-18 over the fence this year; in the coming years he should certainly develop ML-average power for the position, batting near-league average or just over (around .270). He hasn’t shown much interest in walking, but neither has he struck out a great deal. In 70 career games in the minors, he’s walked 21 times against 36 strikeouts in 282 PA. He goes to the plate looking to swing, and odds are very good that he’s going to put the ball in play. In 25 at-bats this year he’s gone down on strikes once.

He can handle the running game rather well; in 5 games this year he’s thrown out 7 of 11 would-be thieves, which is a very small sample size but indicative of his awareness and arm strength. He fared much worse in 2012, with a paltry 26% caught-stealing percentage, but I see that as being more a matter of adjusting to pro ball.

Also something to keep in mind: Gallagher’s pedigree is excellent. An Aflac All-American after his junior year in high school, he was drafted in the 2^nd round in 2011. His brother Austin plays in the Dodgers system and his father Glenn pitched for the Jays organization after being drafted in the 3^rd round in 1981.

Shin Jin-Ho

Shin on the field (photo Clinton Riddle)

The 21 year-old Korean native (the first Korean-born player in Royals history) is a sizable backstop, as well. At 6’2”, 200, Shin is fairly mobile and can block in the dirt reasonable well. His lateral movement could use some work, and he may never be more than fringe-average in terms of quickness and agility. In 143 career minor-league games he has thrown out only 20% of stolen base attempts, a figure that alone could doom him to backup duty permanently without serious improvement. He has also made 23 errors and allowed 33 passed balls in 142 games behind the plate; also, a number that relegates him to the bench.

He has shown a little bit of power in his four seasons of pro ball, with 31 doubles and 13 homers in 175 total games, and he has both the time and the physical ability to develop more. He will likely always strike out more than you’d care to see, but it should be noted that Shin is thought of more highly than his numbers might suggest he should be. As he is only 21 this year, and since it traditionally takes a bit longer for catchers to progress up the ladder, I’ll take a ‘wait and see’ attitude with him. He has enough of an eye at the plate to cut down on the Ks and perhaps draw a few more walks, but thus far his ceiling appears to be as a steady backup to a starter who rarely misses his turn.

Alexander Marquez

2012 (@ Burlington):

21 games, 51 PA, 6 hits, 0 doubles, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .143 BA

The youngest catcher for the Legends, Marquez is a defensive specialist in-the-making (photo Clinton Riddle)

OK, first off: he was 19 in 2012, he made it into only 21 games as a sub, and didn’t exactly have many opportunities to prove himself. In 2011 he made it into 17 games as catcher while the AZL Royals used 5 other catchers at different times throughout the season. Even now, he appears forever stuck behind Shin and Gallagher, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.

Marquez is the youngest catcher on the roster (at 20), and has been the bullpen catcher for the Legends thus far. He has plenty of time to grow and develop, assuming there’s a spot open ahead of him.

On pure numbers, he’s well ahead of Shin. In 60 games at the position he’s made 7 errors (though this comes along with 22 passed balls), and apart from an abysmal year in 2010 when as a 17 year-old first-year player runners stole on him at will, he has thrown out over 30 percent of attempted thefts.

Beyond this, I cannot speak intelligently on his other abilities; I have not seen him in any capacity other than in the ‘pen.

So there we are. Long story short: Gallagher could be one of the better catchers in the SAL, though perhaps not an All-Star quite yet. Shin is still a couple of years away from a real breakthrough, offensively. Marquez is blocked by the two of them, for now, but deserves a shot at least as a defensive late-inning sub. 

Media Day brings us the first look at each year’s newest edition of the Legends, and this year certainly didn’t disappoint. After following the Astros’ minor leaguers since 2010, it was somewhat bittersweet to join the Kansas City Royals as their newest affiliate, but that’s the nature of minor league baseball. Affiliations can change, technically, every two years. You don’t usually see that happening, but it can. Anyway, our Player Development Contract expired, Houston declined to renew it, and life goes on.I’ll miss our players far more than I’ll miss the Astros. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, Kansas City is well-known for drafting some excellent talent, and from what I’ve seen they certainly seem to know how to handle them. Regardless of the record at the ML level over recent years, I think the results speak for themselves. Kansas City has a LOAD of talent at the top level, with only the starting rotation seeming to be a bit weak in recent times. With the trade for James Shields and Wade Davis (I see Davis as a starter, in the long run), they’ve addressed that concern rather well.But I digress. Back to the subject at hand, learning more about the new Legends, starting with infielders:

Infielders

Geez, where do I begin? This infield is locked down. First things first…at first. Base. Yeah.

Mark Threlkeld

2012 (@ Burlington):

62 games, 240 PA, 37 runs, 62 hits, 18 doubles, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 15 BB, 40 SO, .283 BA, .333 OBP, .863 OPS

Nicholas Cuckovich

2012 (@ Idaho Falls Chukars):

66 games, 288 PA, 44 R, 69 H, 12 2B, 8 3B, 3 HR, 43 RBI, 9-11 SB, 33 BB, 68 SO, .280 BA, .376 OBP, .807 OPS

First off, we’ve got Mark Threlkeld and Nicholas Cuckovich at first. Both are adept with the glove, with Threlkeld showing a plus arm for a first baseman. I have quick rundowns on both of these guys on my blog @ The Grand Old Game.

From what I saw of these two, I like the footwork, they position themselves well, and they both have a good arm for their position (Threlkeld has the edge here, thus far).

It should be noted that Cuckovich is listed as a third baseman and left fielder on the Legends roster, and is likely just filling in at first for now. He did struggle mightily at third in 2012, with 15 errors in 43 games, but there’s lots to like about him. He’s going to be versatile as he can cover left (avg-plus speed), third (as he becomes more accustomed to the glovework) and now first (with which he should have no problem at all). He’s got a good eye already, as demonstrated by his .376 OBP last year in Idaho Falls, and he also popped 23 extra-base hits in 66 games. His developing gap power, combined with his speed, could make him especially valuable if he ends up sticking at third. Whatever happens, Cuckovich is a valuable addition to this or any roster, in my opinion.

As for Threlkeld, I’m pretty high on this kid. This is especially so when you consider that he was a 25^th round pick. Granted, that was in 2011, and he turns 23 in May, but I don’t put a ton of stock in that whole “old for his level” business. At least, not as much as others do. For now, he’s just a shade old for the level (we’re talking a matter of months, basically), but don’t let that dissuade you. In 62 games at Rookie-League Burlington last year, he batted .283 with 10 homers, 40 RBI, and 18 doubles. He certainly squared the ball up in BP, and spread it around like fertilizer on a flower bed. I see him as the starting first baseman, when whatever happened to him in the first game (HBP, left game, no updates yet) is resolved. So to summarize: strong D, avg-plus power, frequent contact, low strikeouts thus far in his career.Now, to the middle of the diamond. Man, oh man:

Adalberto “Raul” Mondesi, SS

2012 (@ Idaho Falls Chukars):

50 games, 232 PA, 35 runs, 60 hits, 7 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 11-13 SB .290 BA, .346 OBP

Humberto Arteaga, 2B

2012 (@Burlington):

58 games, 262 PA, 40 runs, 64 hits, 13 doubles, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 7 SB, .274 BA, .694 OPS

 These two play the middle like they were born to play it together. They came out of the womb and turned two.

They’re just that good.

I’m known to get excited about prospects, from time to time, and sometimes there’s a bit of the ol’ hyperbole in what I write, but let me just say this: I’d buy a ticket just to watch these two work their magic. That’s a fact.

To begin with, Mondesi has some of the softest hands I’ve ever seen. Anywhere. I’ve seen a few shortstops, in my time. This kid could be one of the best in the Majors, glovewise. His range is already well into “plus” territory, though being as young as he is (SEVENTEEN) he often will chase after balls which he would be better off letting go. He’ll get to the vast majority of the most difficult-to-reach grounders, true, but he then finds himself in poor position to actually complete the play. This will change and improve with time. I was actually surprised that he was bumped up to A ball this year, but the idea seems to be to keep him paired with Arteaga up the chain. In a perfect world, they make it to The Show together and hold down the middle for 15 years. They may very well end up becoming a classic double play combo for many years, sort of in the Trammell-Whitaker mold, but with more glove and less bat.On that subject, Mondesi is wiry-thin but already seems to put a bit of a hurt on the ball. He’s all wrist at the plate, but he’s got a firm, upright base and good balance, with a short swing. He keeps his feet awfully close together, which could lead to him becoming overwhelmed by the better fastballers in the league until he adjusts appropriately. Notably, he drove in 30 runs in Idaho Falls last year on only 12 XBH in 50 games. He also stole 11 bases, which may be more a testament to his advanced baserunning skills than his raw speed.

Arteaga was Burlington’s shortstop in 2012, being bumped over for Mondesi. This is rightly so, though they could be interchangable if the need presented itself and little (if anything) would be lost in terms of defense. Both Arteaga and Mondesi have superior defensive skills, though Arteaga has the advantage on Mondesi at this stage, while Mondesi has the superior range to Arteaga. As an 18-year-old in rookie ball, he hit 13 doubles and drove in 29 in 58 games. Neither Arteaga nor Mondesi could buy a walk, but that may be due more to youthful exuberance than pure selectivity. Arteaga is more of a groundball hitter at this point, but sprays it gap-to-gap and can go opposite-field with ease relative to his age and experience.

He is quite nearly a carbon copy of Mondesi, although he appears to have put on perhaps 10 pounds in the off-season. That would make him 6’1”, 170, which is right about where he will stay for some time. Guys like Mondesi and Arteaga, with slight builds and very small bone structure, do best to keep themselves as near their ideal weight as possible.

At third:

Mike Antonio

2012 (@ Kane County Cougars, Class A, Midwest League):

123 games, 464 AB, 51 runs, 99 hits, 23 doubles, 5 HR, 64 RBI, 32 BB, 79 K, .569 OPS

Antonio is repeating A ball, but was ranked the 16^h best prospect in the Royals system as recently as 2012′s preseason. He was also the highest draft pick from NYC’s high schools since 1996. This kid shows good lateral movement in the field, keeps his center of gravity low and stays on top of grounders well. He also shows at least average arm for the position. What stood out for me was the power in BP; sounds like someone’s firing a .22 in the box. He’s aggressive with his swings but he’s not wild or a free-swinger. He hit a couple of bombs in BP, as I remember, and I expect him to be a solid run producer in the Legends lineup this year.

Yowill Espinal, 3B-SS

2012 (@ Kane County, 21 games; @ NW Arkansas, 7 games):

28 games, 76 AB, 10 runs, 19 hits, 4 RBI, 23 K

I’m not so sure what to think of this kid. First of all, I don’t expect he’ll ever be a run producer of any great substance, although I’ve been wrong before about guys like this. He’s going to be a ground-ball guy who can run a bit, and if everything goes right for him may end up being a bottom-of-the-order tablesetter. Those guys, I like. And for whatever reason, I honestly feel like he could force his way into a lineup on his glove alone; he can cover third, second, or short, and do so with better-than-average range (despite what John Sickels may think).

Adrian Morales, 3B-1B

2012 (@ Burlington):

31 games, 94 AB, 11 runs, 16 hits, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 8 RBI

A 49^th round pick of the Royals in 2011, Morales is notable for being a part of the South Carolina team that won it all in 2010 and 2011. To begin with, this kid is literally built like a brick outhouse. Good Lord, he’s stout. He certainly hasn’t put up huge numbers since advancing beyond the Arizona League, but I suspect there’s some hidden power in his bat. He did put some distance on the ball in BP; I don’t recall if he hit any out, though. Nevertheless, I’m watching him. He’d be a guy I would want to test, to see what’s there. On this team, he may end up being a bat off the bench, and you could do a lot worse. There’s power potential, here.

Catchers are next up (Cam Gallagher, Alexander Marquez, Jin-Ho Shin), followed by a stunningly powerful outfield. Stay tuned, true believers.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura (73) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

MiLB.com pointed out two of the Royals full-season affiliates as they picked out the minor leagues’ best starting rotations. They picked Northwest Arkansas in the Texas League as one:

• Yordano Ventura
• Jason Adam
• J.C. Sulbaran
• Noel Arguelles

Wilmington in the Carolina League was the other rotation:

• Kyle Zimmer
• John Lamb
• Sam Selman
• Kyle Smith

Side note: Jake Odorizzi and Mike Montgomery were a part of the Durham Bulls’ International League-best rotation.

Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus did a final wrap up of what he saw on the backfields in Arizona while scouting out prospects. He had high praise for the usual suspects. On Zimmer, he stated he had #2 starter stuff and raved about his curveball. He also heaped praise upon Adalberto Mondesi calling him a “monster prospect in the making”. It wasn’t all big names, though. He made a point to mention Lexington’s Michael Antonio as a prospect with some tools but more development to do and brought up Aroni Nina as a big arm in Low A. There are more prospects mentioned, as well.

Royals Review’s Jeff Zimmerman shot some video in Surprise of Bubba Starling, Mondesi, Elier Hernandez and Cameron Gallagher. I won’t repost all of Jeff’s videos, but here’s a teaser of Elier Hernandez:

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Christian Colon (72) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Lee Warren’s covering the Omaha Storm Chasers again for Yahoo Sports and one of his recent pieces shed some light on Christian Colon‘s approach after suffering a fluke injury to his eye last year. Colon rebounded, playing well in the Puerto Rican Winter League and showing no ill effects of the injury. The key quote gives us an idea of what the Royals may do with him, position-wise. He told Warren that he anticipates playing 60 percent shortstop in Triple A and 40 percent at second. With Colon, Johnny Giavotella, Irving Falu, and Anthony Seratelli, Omaha isn’t hurting for middle infielders.

If you’re looking for a particular prospect during full season play, we’ve got the full opening rosters lined up here and Jen Nevius will be providing nightly updates on how the Royals affiliates are performing.

Along with that, they’ve set preliminary rosters for their four full-season affiliates.

This isn’t my ideal roster. Swap out Irving Falu for Miguel Tejada, Donnie Joseph or Louis Coleman for J.C. Gutierrez and Johnny Giavotella at second over Chris Getz* and given the players that were available for selection, that would work better in my mind.

*Of course Getz won the job. My approach is, as I’ve always stated, to go for the upside of Giavotella over the safe choice of Getz. Getz celebrated winning the job by going 6-for-6 in a spring training game, akin to spiking the ball and doing the worm in the endzone after a touchdown. So he showed me. 

 Omaha Storm Chasers – Triple A

Donnie Joseph should see action in 2013. (Photo: Minda Haas)

That’s a lot of left-handed pitching. There’s plenty of depth here in case the Royals suffer a rash of injuries. Smith would be the first starter up if necessary, and Coleman, Joseph and Bueno could be easy callups if J.C. Gutierrez falter

 Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Double A 

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; World pitcher Yordano Ventura throws a pitch during the first inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Some of the speculation didn’t pan out for the Naturals. What could have been a dynamite rotation of John Lamb, Yordano Ventura, Jason Adam and Kyle Zimmer will instead be Ventura, Adam and others. Lamb will continue to get comfortable after Tommy John surgery recovery and Zimmer, while on a fast track, isn’t being pushed too far too fast yet. I’m interested to see if Brett Eibner (34% strikeout rate last year) can make enough contact to take advantage of a much better hitting environment.

Orlando Calixte is also intruiging.

Wilmington Blue Rocks – High A

Cheslor Cuthbert via Jen Nevius

There’s the good stuff. Zimmer and Lamb are the big names in the rotation, but Selman was great last year and skips Low A. Kyle Smith should be a very good High A #4 starter. Wilmington has interesting position players as well with Bonifacio and Cuthbert being the big names but Lopez was a big bonus draft signing, Mateo has had some success, and Watts has been a power/on base combo.

Lexington Legends – Low A

Mark Peterson, Mark Threlkeld and Bubba Starling on the field in Surprise during spring training. Photo: Michelle Meade

The Royals newest affiliate gets the privilege of seeing three of their top ten prospects in Starling, Almonte and Mondesi. The outfield in particular is full of names. Ford had the second most homers in Burlington last year, Chapman has promise, and Gore is the fastest guy in the organization. Arteaga is no slouch either and Gallagher is their top catching prospect. Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus dubbed Lexington as his “must-see” affiliate in the Royals organization and pegged Almonte and Mondesi as breakout candidates.

The rosters were originally listed on milb.com’s official page for each affiliate. In entering them into tables, I’ve taken the occasion to reorder them from how they’re listed on each individual team page in some cases to place the more interesting players higher in the order. There was no rhyme or reason to it, other than I wanted Zimmer, Adam, etc listed towards the top. 

If you follow the Royals’ minor league system at all, there is one theme.  Wilmington is a tough place to hit.  Being a position player in the system and getting a promotion to high A ball is the equivalent of the Royals Brass telling you that they would like to see how you handle failure.  It is a pitchers park of nearly epic proportions.  Cuthbert’s 2012 line of .240/.296/.322 is definitely scary, and maybe completely meaningless as well.  I went back and looked for Royals in Wilmington going back to 1994 to see who hit well there.  Plenty of players, including Johnny Damon, Mike Sweeney, and even Ken Harvey had nice seasons for the Blue Rocks, but there is a consistent similarity among them all, and that is that they were all in their early 20s.  Only one player under age 20 had a significant amount of playing time in Wilmington and had good hitting numbers.  Wil Myershad a nice half season in is age 19 season.

Cheslor Cuthbert via Jen Nevius

The best parallel for Cheslor is Carlos Beltran.  Beltran was actually a year older at each stop, but had a similar path of decent rookie ball year and a pretty good line between low A and A ball.  Then he arrived in Wilmington and struggled to a line of .229/.311/.363 as a 20 year old.  The following year he repeated his time at high A, and did much better, getting a promotion to AA where his numbers exploded.  That is the hope for someone like Cuthbert in 2013.  Getting a chance to age and repeat could lead to similar growth as a player.  Not only that, but the fact that he is following a similar path at a younger age means that the ceiling for him may be very high.

Digging into last season there were some good signs.  Away from his home park, Cuthbert’s average was similar, but his OBP was 20 points higher and his slugging was 60 points higher.  Also, after three really awful months, his OBP in the last two months (a little over 100 PAs) of the season were .343 and .364 with the usual small sample size caveats.  Everyone is loving up Adalberto Mondesi this spring, and for good reason, but don’t forget about Cheslor Cuthbert.  It would not at all be surprising to me if next year he was in AA and/or AAA and creating questions about how to handle the log jam at third base.

General Manager Dayton Moore shipped away four blooming prospects, including Minor Leauge Baseball’s top prospect last season and the Royals’ top pitching prospect, for the pitching services of James Shields and Wade Davis.

August 05, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (left) with general manager Dayton Moore (right) before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Moore traded away some major pieces to the farm, but for the most part, the farm system is still intact and developing. However, it will be Moore’s and his player evaluation staff to patch the holes left by the departure of Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard (but mainly Myers and Odorizzi).

The Royals will hope to restock the pantry through the draft, starting with a very important pick at No. 8. Now, the Royals can go a few ways with this. There is an abundance of talent in this class, possibly not as deep as recent drafts, but certainly a variety of options.

When you look at the big league roster as a whole, you see lots of young talent. There will be very few needs from an age perspective seeing as the oldest every day player will be Jeff Francoeur at 29 years old. However, the key loss in the Shields-Davis trade was obviously Myers, a young, 22-year-old slugging outfielder with one of the highest ceilings on a prosect from a hitting perspective. This leads me to the first scenario for the Royals.

Sitting at No. 8 gives the Royals the advantage of gaining legit talent ahead of just about everyone else. Some names which continue to cover the boards in connections to the Royals:

        Austin Wilson-Jr.-Stanford-OF

       Wilson is a big strong kid, 6-5, 245 pounds, who some describe as raw but exploding with potential. In 2012, Wilson hit .285, with 10 home runs, all while driving in 54 RBI. This season will dictate whether he’s seen as that top 10 type prospect, or if his stock will plummet. It should be noted that through 11 games this season, Wilson only has three plate appearances with two strikeouts

       Dominic Smith-Sr. (HS)-California HS-1B/OF

       Smith is one of those guys who has still yet to lockdown his premier position. Some say the 6-1. 200-pound lefty, lacks the defensive skills to play outfield,  but has the bat to supply power from either position. He excels at making consistent hard contact and while his defensive skills may need to be refined, scouts say he has a very strong arm to field the position.

        Clint Frazier-Sr. (HS)-Loganville HS-OF

         Frazier may not be catching headlines like some of his classmates, but after watching only a few seconds of his HR Derby tape, you see why his name is legit mention in the first round. The 6-1 righty has lightning quick hands (think Bryce Harper fast) and can really extend his arms for some major pop. He’s young, talented and committed to Georgia, so this pick may come with a bit of a risk factor.

         Trey Ball-Sr. (HS)-New Castle HS-LHP/OF

         Ball definitely benefits from being a left-hander, gaining attention as an outfielder and standout pitcher. His arm speed was clocked at 93 MPH on the hill, but his 6-6 frame and athleticism indicates he could show some flash as an outfielder. His bat is described as smooth and strong, with power and strength to come as he matures. Ball could definitely be groomed to be a major league pitcher, as well.

         Phillip Ervin-Jr.-Samford-OF

         Ervin is my dark horse at No. 8 in the outfield group. The 5-10, 200-pound outfielder collected MVP honors over the summer in the Cape Cod League, hitting .323 with 10 home runs and 11 stolen bases. At Samford, Ervin is on an offensive tear, hitting .340 with six home runs and 12 RBI. Last season, he batted .327 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI.

The Royals can definitely afford to go after a big bat and outfield impact with the pick, but there will be plenty of pitchers for Moore to choose from, if he so chooses. Most of the arms the Royals should be interested in are already at the college level, but a few high school pitchers will certainly catch the eye of the Royals.

           Mark Appel-Sr.-Sanford-RHP

           Appel was selected last year by the Pirates, but chose not to sign and return to Sanford for one more season. The righty is projected to go ahead of the Royals, but still carries a risk to sign, which could turn off some teams ahead of KC. Appel is 2-1 this season for the Cardinals and has a sub-1.20 ERA to start the season. He’s by far the most advanced and big league-ready arm in the draft.

          Jonathan Crawford-Jr.-Florida-RHP

          Crawford has some critics who doubt he will have the ability to make it as a big league starter. Crawford currently only uses two pitches, a mid-90s fastball and sweeping slider, and pitches from a funky delivery which some say uses too much effort and will causes problems later down the road. However, the kid went 6-2, with a 3.13 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 72 innings of work.

          Jordan Sheffield-Sr. (HS)-Tullahoma HS-RHP

          The big knock against Sheffield is his size. At 6-3, 195-pounds, some say his frame is too small for a big time work horse in the pros, but his strong arm and use of secondary and third pitches could make him a steal. He has a standing commitment to Vanderbilt, but being taken in the top 10 would be a hard thing to pass up over a college career. Rumors swirled that Sheffield peaked  out in the upper-90s over summer.

          Robert Kaminsky-Sr. (HS)-St. Joseph Regional HS-LHP

          Kaminsky measures in at 6-foot, 190 pounds, but already has the measures of an advanced arm when it comes to his pitching ability. The lefty sits mid-to-low 90s on his fastball, with a healthy back up of off-speed pitches. Many agree he is legitimate first-round talent, but not sure where he exactly falls. The Royals may want to take a gamble on Kaminsky at No. 8 for his advanced potential.

As you can see, the player scouting and evaluation department for the Royals has a bit of a task on their hands. There’s plenty of talent out in the draft this year, some which may make a late push to the top of the boards as the season progresses.

The hardest part with evaluating baseball talent is the shear amount of talent in the United States. With so many rounds and picks, it can be a gargantuan task finding the talent to fill all the picks. As June approaches, the Royals will make it clear their intentions on who will fill the No. 8 spot on the big board.

That winter, the Royals were bestowed the titled of best minor league system on Planet Earth and landed nine prospects on Baseball America’s top 100 list. Montgomery and Lamb were both in the top 20. Duffy was #68, then-newly-acquired Jake Odorizzi was #69, and Chris Dwyer (who’d made four starts for the Naturals) was #83.

All five were tantalizingly close to the majors entering 2011. Montgomery gave up one run and struck out seven batters in nine innings that spring. He walked eight batters as well, but there was still he may have had a shot to open up the year on the big league roster or at least be a call-up in the first half. Danny Duffy opened the year in Omaha and struck out 48 batters in 42 innings and was in Kansas City in late May 2011. Odorizzi started the year striking everything out in the Carolina League and landed in Double A to finish the year. Lamb had a 3.09 ERA through eight starts. Dwyer, well, he came out struggling in 2011, but you can’t win them all, right?

Of course we know how this story ends. Lamb needed Tommy John surgery after those eight starts. Duffy would need it about a year after Lamb’s. Montgomery fell off the radar with control issues and Odorizzi made steady improvements but still didn’t make the majors until September of 2012 and even then was coddled by facing only the Indians (who still smacked him around a little in two starts). Dwyer is still struggling and has battled back issues and a thyroid problem last year. Montgomery and Odorizzi were traded. The Royals won’t see Duffy until June at the earliest. Lamb isn’t any closer to the big leagues.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura (73) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

But the system keeps churning and there’s depth rising through the ranks now. Once again, Northwest Arkansas could be the focus of the next great pitching hopes.

Earlier today, Paul Nielson of NWAOnline.com passed along news from Eric Edelstein, GM of the Naturals, that Lamb could be the opening day starter for the club and that 2012 first round pick Kyle Zimmer could start out in the NWA rotation as well in 2013. They would likely also be joined by Yordano Ventura, who’s pitching well in spring training, but only had six starts at Double A last season, and Jason Adam, who J.J. Picollo basically confirmed as headed to Double A in 2013 after Adam handled High A last year.

Here’s that potential rotation with ages on April 4, 2013:

• John Lamb (22)
• Yordano Ventura (21)
• Jason Adam (21)
• Kyle Zimmer (21)

Noel Arguelles (23 years old) may start out there as well. So far he’s throwing harder this spring, but his command is still off. Robinson Yambati (22 years old) is another possibility, though most of his success in 2012 was out of the bullpen.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher John Lamb (38) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Again, that group is tantalizingly close. If Lamb can get back on track, he’s very likely to be in Triple A before the All-Star break and has an outside shot of hitting Kansas City in September. Ventura’s name has popped up repeatedly all winter to the point that there’s suggestion that they want to see him in Kansas City by the end of the year as well. Zimmer would be skipping High A Wilmington entirely if Edelstein’s hunch is correct.

Zimmer had just six starts with Low A Kane County last year and the jump from High A to Double A is steep enough. If he shows the Royals what they want to see in minor league camp to where they feel confident in that sort of jump, that’s an aggressive move. Scouts love his stuff and delivery, but he’s only been pitching for a few years after converting in college. He doesn’t have a lot of experience on the mound. He doesn’t have long-term bad habits either.

But pushing Zimmer to Double A signals a message from the Royals that they expect these guys to be pushing for a spot in the rotation as early as 2014 (assuming everyone stays healthy and has the progression the Royals think they’ll have). Quite a lot has to go right for that to be the case, and luck hasn’t been on the Royals side. It’s seemed like they’ve been more conservative in the past in challenging their pitchers, so if this is a shift in philosophy on the developmental side, it’ll be interesting to see how other pitchers farther down are handled.

Picollo pointed out on the Kansas City Baseball Vault two weeks ago that the organization tries to base those decisions on the individual pitcher, so perhaps that speaks to how much more advanced they feel Zimmer and Ventura are relative to Montgomery et al in 2010. Entering that season, Duffy was promoted to Double A (after a spring hiatus) in late July at the age of 21. Dwyer was 22 when he made it to Double A in July 2010. Montgomery opened the year as a 21-year-old in Wilmington before jumping up after four starts. Lamb was just barely 20 years old  when he made it to Springdale. Maybe it’s just by a few months, but the second wave hitting Double A could be a few months ahead of the first if they all start the year in Northwest Arkansas rather than lower levels. Also, Lamb and Ventura have to be penciled in to Omaha’s late-season rotation.

Now they just have to perform better than the first wave had (Texas League Championship notwithstanding).

Photo credits for photo on homepage: Kyle Zimmer – US Presswire File Photo; Yordano Ventura – Jake Roth – USA Today Sports; Jason Adam – Jen Nevius – Kings of Kauffman/Aerys Sports.

No surprises as the same trio of Royals made the list – Yordano Ventura came in just outside the top 50 prospects (who were announced on the MLB Network) at #59, Kyle Zimmer was ranked #34 and Bubba Starling was ranked #26. I covered my thoughts and perceptions of these three on Monday, so let’s solicit some other opinions of the three prospects.

On Yordano Ventura

JJ Cooper of Baseball America on 12/2/12 episode of the Kansas City Baseball Vault: “It’s fair to say that he’s going to get plenty of chances to be a starter because the reality is they need him as a starter more than they need him as a reliever. So he’s another guy by the end of the year or especially by 2014 I’d expect to see in Kansas City.”

Cooper also compared Ventura to Kelvin Herrera. Both have similar big fastballs and while Herrera may have slightly better secondary stuff, Ventura has a better record of staying healthy.

Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus on 12/7/12 episode of the Kansas City Baseball Vault: “Kansas City certainly feels like he’s a starter. That’s a promising thing. They know the value he has as a reliever. They know that they could put him in relief and he can just throw gas. That’s what he was known as before this year. I saw him in spring training and thought ‘Oh, here’s Ventura, here comes 100 and nothing else’ and then he’s throwing a hammer and a good change up and I’m like ‘Well this is different. This changes things. This kid’s about to blow up.’”

“There’s something about this kid, but I can’t put my finger on it. You don’t see it all the time. You’ll get a dominant reliever as a floor, but if he can start, he’s a lot bigger value.”

On Kyle Zimmer

Cooper said he expected to see Zimmer in Kansas City by September of 2013, but also noted that there are a lot of pitchers to mix in before that happens. Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino‘s returns will also complicate that ascent, in Cooper’s opinion.

Parks:  ”This is a guy, he’s probably going to move fast because he’s got a really advanced, hyper-intense arsenal, but he’s not going to be on the top of a rotation any time soon. It may be 2016 that he taps into his potential.”

JJ Picollo, Royals assistant GM, echoed the belief that Zimmer could be a fast riser in the Royals system in 2013.

On Bubba Starling

Cooper: In response to if Starling will hit enough to realize his potential, Cooper answered “We don’t know yet … If the hit tool comes along then, absolutely. If it doesn’t, then that’s going to limit him dramatically as far as his ceiling.”

Parks: On Starling in relation to other phenoms like Bryce Harper or Mike Trout who have debuted at a young age:  ”He’s not ready for that level of acceleration yet. He’s a tremendous athlete [but] he’s not a baseball player yet. He could be a four year guy in the minors.”

Picollo was impressed with Starling’s defensive instincts in center field in his first professional season.

For anyone scoring at home, Wil Myers ranked fourth overall on MLB.com’s list, while Jake Odorizzi was ranked the 45th best prospect in baseball.

It cannot be right-handed pitcher Jake Odorizzi because he was also included in that trade.

Kyle Zimmer Credit: US Presswire File Photo

Baseball America ranked right-handed pitcher Kyle Zimmer as the Royals number two prospect. Would you just slide him up to the top spot? I am one of those people who has a hard time putting a player who has yet to play a full professional season of games into the top spot for any team. I know I’m probably in the minority as both the guys at Pine Tar Press and Rant Sports rank Zimmer as the Royals new top prospect.

Sure, Zimmer reached Low-A three starts after signing out of college following last June’s draft. But he only pitched in a total of nine games before having elbow surgery to remove bone chips (which he had at the time of the draft). The potential is there though.

The same can be said of outfielder Bubba Starling, who Baseball America and most other rankings had him as the third best prospect. Sure Starling has all the tools to be a top prospect, but he was hardly stellar with rookie level Burlington in 2012 and he has still yet to play a full season of professional baseball since being drafted in 2011. Plus, the strikeouts (70 in 200 at-bats) and errors in centerfield (four in 53 games) are a concern.

What about the flame-thrower Yordano Ventura? He dominated at times in High-A, but struggled after his promotion to Double-A. I saw him make one start for Wilmington and his fastball was better at 90-94 than when he increased his velocity. But then again, that was a start that he did not make it out of the second inning and he couldn’t locate his high-velocity fastball. He was more consistent with his offspeed pitches.

Or maybe outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, who did not cool off in Low-A until a wrist injury put him in a slump in 2012. He now takes over as the best pure hitter in the Royals farm system after the trade of Myers. He is also now the best replacement in right field for the Royals future.

Some say Adalberto Mondesi is now the Royals top position player prospect. Does that make him the Royals TOP prospect? He’s a shortstop and was very impressive in his professional debut as a 17-year old in rookie level Idaho Falls. He hit .290 with seven doubles, two triples, and three homeruns in 50 games. That’s impressive because he was the youngest player in the league and he is from the Dominican Republic (and most kids start their careers in the Dominican Summer League). Mondesi has all the tools to be great not to mention he has good bloodlines (his dad is Raul Mondesi).

So I need your help.

I just cannot decide who should be named the Royals top prospect as I work on my own Royals top prospects list. Let me know in the comments section your pick with your reason why.

Justin Marks from the 2011 season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. (Photo: Jen Nevius)

Lefty Justin Marks has been a relative unknown since coming over from Oakland in the David DeJesus deal. However, 2012 was his breakout season (despite a solid 2011 in High-A).

It started in Double-A, where NW Arkansas pitching was battered all season long. Marks was one of only three starters (Jake Odorizzi and Michael Mariot were the others, but Mariot was a reliever for the bulk of the season) to have an ERA under 4.00. He was just 3-5 in 17 starts, but had a 3.80 ERA over 85.1 innings. He struck out 73, walked 38, and had a 1.37 WHIP. He made one start at the end of the season in Triple-A which was disastrous.

The walks per nine innings was high in Double-A (four), but he allowed less than a homerun a game in a hitter’s league. He also left about 74% of base runners on base.

Marks then traveled to Surprise to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. The Royals did not send any elite prospects to the league, but Marks became one of the AFL’s top starters. He was the only Royal to be named to the AFL’s top prospect list following the season. In the AFL, he was 5-1 with a 2.58 ERA over seven starts. Over 24 innings, he walked just five while striking out 22.

With Surprise, he only had two starts where he allowed more than an earned run, one of those being his last. Marks did not walk a batter over his final four starts. In his first two starts, he only allowed one hit and that came in his second start.

The 2012 season culminated with Marks being added to the Royals 40-man roster.

I thought he had a shot, though a long one, to crack the Royals rotation in 2013. Then the team acquired James Shields and Wade Davis. Now, he will be lumped in with a large group competing for that one spot in the rotation this spring. Unless, the Royals decide to try him out as a left-handed reliever. The only one guaranteed a spot is Tim Collins, but there are also guys like Bruce Chen, Will Smith, and Everett Teaford fighting for that second spot in the bullpen.

Injuries always occur, so there is still hope for Marks. Putting together a solid 2013 in Triple-A should at least garner him a September callup. Or a shot at a 2014 roster spot.

Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus recently released his top ten prospects report for the Royals minor league system and was kind enough to talk with the Kansas City Baseball Vault about the rankings, the Royals development process and the level of talent in the Royals system.

He also offered his opinion on the potential of a Wil Myers-for-James Shields trade, and the philosophy behind trading prospects in general. Parks offered a long-term look at each of his top ten prospects, including telling us about the two names he felt like he could have placed higher.

Parks sees a lot of the Royals players as his initial work in baseball writing was in regards to the Rangers system, a team which shares a spring training complex with the Royals. He also weighed in on the Royals training methods, management, David Glass and gave an update on life at BP after Kevin Goldstein.

You can catch up on old episodes of the Kansas City Baseball Vault here on Kings of Kauffman. Episodes of the Royalman Report are available on the site as well.

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

As the hot stove warms up, it was time to cover the latest roster moves by the Royals in advance of the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

One year after being named the Kansas City Royals top prospect according to Baseball America and being one of the late cuts during spring training, left-handed starter Mike Montgomery ended the 2012 season with a demotion to Double-A.

Montgomery has struggled with his delivery and command of his fastball (which leads to deep pitch counts). He has a plus changeup, but no other plus offspeed pitches. He has also given up the long ball in the last two seasons, 24 in 2012 and 15 in 2011.

After struggling in his final 22 outings in Triple-A in 2011, it was his first hiccup of his career. The Royals and scouts were not worried about long-term issues. However, the hiccup carried over for another season and his confidence has faltered. The Royals did show some confidence by putting him on the 40-man roster.

He started the 2012 season in Triple-A for a second consecutive season. He was no better than the year before. In 17 starts, he was 3-6 with a 5.69 ERA. In 91.2 innings, he allowed 110 hits and 43 walks compared to 67 strikeouts. In his demotion to NW Arkansas, he was worse. In ten starts totaling 58 innings, he allowed 69 hits and walked 21. He did strike out 44, but was just 2-6 with a 6.67 ERA. In his final two starts of the season, Montgomery allowed 13 runs over 12 innings. Though he only walked two, he allowed 16 hits and six homeruns.

MLB.com still ranks Montgomery as the Royals sixth best prospect, but Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star dropped him to 12th. It will be interesting to see what the Royals do with Montgomery in 2013. Maybe they will keep him in extended spring training to start the season and then decide on what level to ship him off to.

Bubba Starling Takes a Swing For Team USA (mlb draft insider)

Royals fans were thrilled that Starling signed with his hometown team coming out of high school as the fifth overall pick in 2011. It has just taken awhile for him to get on the field.

Starling has dealt with injuries a bit. The Royals held him back this past season and he did not get onto the field until late June with rookie level Burlington (many thought he would reach Low-A but did not).

Starling had an up-and-down first professional season, but did show glimpses of of being a five-tool player. He hit .313 in 24 games in July with five homeruns, 20 RBIs and five stolen bases. However, he only hit .247 in August, though he still hit five homeruns and stole five bases. Over his final ten regular season games, he was just 7-for-32 (.219).

Overall, Starling hit a respectable .275 in 53 games with eight doubles, two triples. and ten homeruns. He scored 35 runs and drove in 33 for a Burlington team that made it to the Appalachian League finals. He stole ten bases and was caught just one time. The strikeouts are a bit of a concern (70 in 200 at-bats).

Starling played centerfield exclusively and had six outfield assists. He also was a part of three double plays. The downside was that he made four errors in 142 chances. But that is expected of someone playing in his first season.

Both Bob Dutton and MLB.com still rank Starling as the Royals second best prospect.

I was surprised that the Royals held Starling back in 2012, so who knows what they will do in 2013. I expect that he leads a young prospect-laden Lexington team in their first season affiliated with the Royals.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

EVERYONE wants to see Myers make his Major League debut after his highly successful 2012 season that saw him take every minor league award, like Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year Award. However, the Royals seem to want to hold him back (and now trade him for starting pitching).

Myers began the season back in Double-A, where he struggled in 2011. He hit .343 in 35 games with 13 homeruns. He moved up to Triple-A and was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team (he was also a postseason all-star). He started in right right for the US team at the Futures Game and everyone wanted him to stay at Kauffman Stadium following that game (except for the Royals). Remember when he shattered the camera glass behind home plate on a nasty line drive?

With Omaha, Myers hit .304 in 99 games. He hit 24 homeruns and drove in 79 runs. He helped Omaha to their second straight PCL championship appearance. Unfortunately, the Storm Chasers lost to Reno and Myers struggled throughout the postseason.

Despite his struggles on offense in 2011, his strikeouts were not too bad (87 compared to 52 walks in 354 at-bats). With more at-bats in 2012 (522), his strikeout totals rose to 140. That could be a HUGE issue against big league pitching.

The biggest question mark (besides when he will make his debut) is what position Myers will play. He hasn’t quite adjusted to the outfield, which may be the reason the Royals have held him back. He even played some third base this season, but made two errors in just 31 chances. In the outfield, he had just one assist compared to three errors in 153 chances.

Myers is now the consensus number one prospect for the Royals.

Who knows if Myers will even be with the Royals when spring training rolls around in February? His name has been swirling all offseason in trade talks, mainly with Boston and Tampa Bay, and it will only get stronger with the Winter Meetings next week. Hopefully, he is still a Royal and is starting in the outfield when the season opens in April.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA pitcher Jake Odorizzi delivers a pitch during the first inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

In 2012, Odorizzi started the season in Double-A and finished it with two starts in the big leagues. Many clamored for his promotion when he started for the US in the Futures Game, but those fans had to wait until September.

Odorizzi has a nice, easy delivery, which makes his fastball look faster. He is still refining his offspeed pitches.

He started the season back with NW Arkansas, and made just seven starts (3.32 ERA), before being promoted to Triple-A. With Omaha, he was 11-3 with a 2.93 ERA over 19 games (18 starts). He then struggled a bit in his big league debut.

The biggest problem for Odorizzi is the high pitch counts. I saw it in 2011 when he was with Wilmington. He seems to fall in love with the strikeout, but needs more than three pitches to put the hitters away. He also tries to be too fine with his pitches, which leads to walks (40 in Omaha and four in 7.1 big league innings).

I like Odorizzi and I think he could be great if he just attacks hitters instead of trying for the strikeout. It’s hard to think of him as a top three rotation piece when he has yet to throw 150 innings in a season in the minors. Over his final ten regular season starts with Omaha, he threw seven innings just three times.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks Odorizzi as the Royals fourth best prospect. MLB.com has him coming in at number three. Odorizzi should get a shot at a spot in the Royals rotation in spring training. However with the moves the team has already made, it is more likely he will start the season back in Triple-A.

Brian Fletcher was the Royals “priority player”, ensuring he would be granted maximum playing time.  Unfortunately, Fletcher did not do too much with this time.  He hit .203 with only one home run and 9 runs batted in.  He struck out 24 times which was the second highest total on the team.  Shortstop Orlando Calixte was the designated member of the “taxi squad”, which meant he was only eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  In his limited time he hit .275 in 40 at bats to go along with one home run and 14 strike outs.

Whit Merrifield, who had a pretty good year at Wilmington followed up that showing with a decent showing in the AFL.  His average wasn’t solid, at .250, but he did have a home run to go along with nine stolen bases and 15 runs scored.  While some of his numbers were below average, it is nice to see a guy have more walks than strike outs, with ten and eight.  Alex McClure completes the list of position players the Royals placed on the roster and he did not have the best showing either.  In 37 at bats he tallied four RBI to go along with a .216 average 11 strike outs compared to only two walks.

Edwin Carl

The big story for the Royals comes from Justin Marks, who led the league with five wins.  He was the only Royals representative selected to the AFL’s Top Prospects Team.  He finished the fall with a 2.59 ERA in seven starts while fanning 22 in 24 1/3 innings of work.  On top of those gaudy numbers he walked only five batters.  Edwin Carl also had a strong fall.  In 13 innings he allowed nine hits and four earned runs, good for a 2.77 ERA.  He also struck out eight while walking only three and recorded a WHIP of .92.  The other three pitchers did not fair as well as Marks and Carl.  Jon Keck threw 9 2/3 innings and allowed 15 hits and five walks which equates to a 2.07 WHIP.  J.C. Sulbaran left due to an arm injury and in his brief time he allowed two earned runs in 3 innings.  He was replaced by Malcom Culver midseason, who was able to throw in five games and collect a loss and a 6.35 ERA.

While the Royals, collectively, didn’t have a great showing in Arizona, they did have a few good performances.  It’s nice to see one of your own be observed as one of the two best starting pitchers in the league.  Marks will be 25 as we head into the spring and does have one Triple-A start under his belt, although it’s a very forgettable one.  Maybe he can carry over his AFL success into the spring and summer just like Wil Myers did this past season after his strong AFL stint.

Cheslor Cuthbert via Jen Nevius

Carolina League pitchers proved to be a bit much for the teenager, and he hit just .240. He struggled to pick up curveballs and regularly chased pitches out of the strike zone.

Cuthbert seemed to figure it out over the final month of the season, as he hit .308. He carried that momentum to instructional league and then back home with him to Nicaragua, as he impressed during his home country’s time in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Panama. He even hit a homerun off Royals teammate Sugar Ray Marimon in a loss to Columbia.

His size has been an issue and many think he will not be able to stay at third base. Right now, the Royals believe he can stay at third base as long as he keeps up with his conditioning. Cuthbert looked pretty good during the WBC last weekend (though he did make an error that cost Nicaragua a run). He made 20 errors with Wilmington in 2012 in 268 chances (124 games).

The biggest concern with Cuthbert is the effort he gives. He seemed to find himself on the bench this season for his lack of effort and lack of hustle. This could be a maturity factor, but he will not move far if his attitude does not change.

Baseball America expects Cuthbert in the big leagues by age 22. He could still reach the Majors by then, as he has just turned 20. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star dropped Cuthbert in his prospect rankings to tenth. MLB.com has him ranked as the Royals seventh best prospect.

I expect him back with the Blue Rocks to start the 2013 season. The Royals do not have depth in front of him at third base, so if he hits with a return trip to the CL, I expect him in Double-A before the All-Star break.

John Lamb is working his way back. Photo: James Lamb

Lamb was on the fast track to the big leagues after dominating Class A ball in 2010. Then he strained his oblique during 2011′s spring training and lost velocity. However, when the velocity did not return when his oblique was healthy, he succumbed to TJS. He was the Royals top pitching prospect prior to the surgery.

Lamb commanded his fastball and changeup well before the surgery and because of his feel for his delivery, the Royals believe the command will return.

Unfortunately, it has been a bumpy road of recovery for Lamb. He hurt his ankle early in 2012 that set him back. He was FINALLY back on the mound in a game on August 14th for Surprise in the Arizona Rookie League. He made four starts there before finishing the season with rookie level Idaho Falls (two starts).

The kiddie gloves will still be on in 2013 for Lamb, as he will be hitting the two year removed from TJS mark, but since he has yet to take on much of a workload, they will have to be careful with him. The Royals could keep him in extended spring training to start the 2013 season and slowly move him up the ranks. I’m hopeful that Lamb makes a stop in Wilmington so I can see his progress.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks Lamb as the Royals third best prospect. MLB.com has Lamb ranking ninth. He was added to the Royals 40 man roster on Tuesday.

In the wake of the Miguel Cabrera vs. Mike Trout debate, Jeff and Mike responded to the apparent eyes vs. numbers argument put forth by Mitch Albom. Spoiler: Neither were very pleased with Albom’s characterization of the sides of the debate.

We also talked about some of the Royals recent moves, including the signing of Brandon Wood and how the former prospect might fit within the organization, as well as the trades of Tommy Hottovy and Jeremy Jeffress. Additionally, we talked about Joakim Soria and bidding wars, the Royals and player development and reclamation projects, and then brought up some trade ideas – including offering opinions on the infamous Jeffrey Loria fire sale trade between the Marlins and Blue Jays last week.

You can catch up on old episodes of the Kansas City Baseball Vault here on Kings of Kauffman. Episodes of the Royalman Report are available on the site as well.

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

September 19, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera (40) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

The fireballer excelled with a move to the bullpen in 2011, where he started the season with High-A Wilmington and finished it in the big leagues. Herrera is now seen as the Royals closer of the future.

He averaged 98.5 mph on his fastball in 2012 and topped at 103 mph. With that type of fastball, he can exploit hitters with his offspeed pitches. Batters only put his high 80s changeup into play about a quarter of the time.

Herrera was 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in 76 games (with three saves). He was a key cog in a bullpen that had the American League’s fourth best ERA.

However he was MUCH better in the second half of 2012 (where he picked up all of his saves). From May 1st on, he struck out 69 in 74.1 innings while walking twenty. He did not allow a homerun.

At the end of his rookie season, Baseball America named him to their All-Rookie Team (as their closer). Herrera led all rookie relievers in games and innings pitched. He also had a ground ball rate of 55%.

It will be interesting to see how manager Ned Yost uses his bullpen in 2013. Will it be Greg Holland getting the ball in the ninth inning, or will it be Herrera?

Jason Adam via Jen Nevius

It was a tough season for the local kid who grew up a Royals fan and went to high school just a few miles from Kauffman Stadium. Adam was in High-A for the first time, but struggled to pick up victories due to a lack of run support (he went 1-9 in the first half).

Not sure if that frustrated him, but then he began to struggle. In May and June, he of course went winless, but allowed 31 runs (12 homeruns) in 60 innings. Adam only walked ten in those ten starts, but allowed 64 hits.

Adam’s second half was a lot better (6-3 with a 3.24 ERA), though I was shocked he wasn’t shut down. Even when I interviewed him, he was sure he would have an innings limit. In his final two regular season starts, he allowed just one run over 12 combined innings. In the Carolina League Divisional Series, he pitched into the 8th inning and picked up the win (7IP, 5H, 2R, ER, 3BB, 4K).

JJ Picollo, the Royals assistant general manager, saw a lot of good things out of Adam in 2012:

“I consider that adversity to be a plus,” Picollo said. “A young pitcher could easily have gotten frustrated … he’s big, strong and durable. There’s still ceiling and, with his work ethic, he’s going to reach that ceiling.”

I saw a good amount of Adam with Wilmington in 2012 and not having a legitimate third pitch hurt him. He relied too heavily on his curveball as his out pitch and most hitters knew it was coming. He also allowed way too many homeruns (18) in a pitcher’s league and in his ballpark (where power hitters go to die).

In his second professional season, Adam threw 167 innings, 63 more than in 2011. That is more than normally advised, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Royals held him back in extended spring training in 2013 before sending him to Double-A. However, Adam takes pride in his conditioning and has yet to have arm issues (knock on wood), so he could be in NW Arkansas’ rotation when the season opens in April. He mentioned when I interviewed him that he needed to be more consistent to earn a promotion. Well, he did that at the end of 2012 so Naturals fans should enjoy watching him in 2013.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks Adam as the Royals 9th best prospect. MLB.com has Adam coming in at thirteen.

Via Jen Nevius

It has been a rough go for Dwyer since his first full season in 2010, which he split between High-A and Double-A after signing in 2009 as a draft eligible freshman out of Clemson. Delivery issues have been his problem, as he tends to throw across his body and not finish pitches. That takes away the bite on his 12-to-6 curveball.

The Royals envisioned him as a middle of the rotation starter but he has not harnessed his pitches. In 2011 with NW Arkansas, he was 8-10 with a 5.60 ERA in 27 starts. Over 141 innings, he allowed 124 hits (14 homeruns) and walked 78, compared to 126 strikeouts.

Dwyer returned to the Naturals to start the 2012 season, but he went 5-8 with a 5.25 ERA in 17 games (16 starts). He allowed 79 hits (13 homeruns) and walked 44 in 85.2 innings. He struck out 71. Despite his struggles, the Royals pushed him to Triple-A, where he was worse. In nine starts, he allowed 73 hits (ten homeruns) and walked 24 in 50.1 innings. He struck out 33, but opponents hit .349 against him and he finished with a 6.97 ERA.

The Royals could send Dwyer back to Omaha, but they could also send him back to Double-A, as he has yet to master that level. He will be 25 in April, so his prospect status is running out.

MLB.com ranks Dwyer as the Royals 12th best prospect. Interestingly, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star does not rank him as a top prospect.

Check out this video by kcscoliny from the 2011 Royals Futures Game, as Dwyer faces second baseman Johnny Giavotella:

Yordano Ventura via Jen Nevius

The 21-year old out of the Dominican Republic has added about ten miles per hour to his fastball since signing at 17 as he’s gained weight and cleaned up his delivery. Still, throwing 100mph for a 5’11, 160 pounder is impressive.

Ventura has gotten into trouble when he worries more about the radar gun and I was witness to that during a start for High-A Wilmington in 2012. The harder he threw, the more erratic he was. When he was around 93mph, he commanded his fastball better and made his 79-83 mph changeup that much harder to hit. The overthrowing also causes his plus potential curveball to flatten. The loss of command also leads to shorter outings (which I also was witness to).

The Royals have pushed Ventura since he responds well and he reached Double-A at midseason. With the Blue Rocks, he was 3-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts. Over 76.1 innings (which is a little less than five innings per start), he allowed 66 hits (seven homeruns) and walked 28, compared to 98 strikeouts. Those numbers got him named to the Carolina League All-Star team and had him starting the Futures Game for the World Team at Kauffman Stadium.

Ventura struggled a bit after his promotion to NW Arkansas. In six starts, he threw just 29.1 innings. He allowed 23 hits and walked 13, compared to 25 strikeouts. He also had a 4.60 ERA.

Baseball America believes Ventura has the potential to be a front-line big league starter, but he could end up at the back end of a bullpen if he doesn’t repeat his mechanics. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star currently ranks Ventura as the Royals sixth best prospect. MLB.com puts him at number five.

I believe Ventura will be back with the Naturals to start the 2013 season. He could see Triple-A if he has a solid first half.

Were you surprised by who they selected? Well most were and some hadn’t even heard of him.

Shortstop Christian Colon was the Royals selection out of Cal State Fullerton. He had a good bat in college and with Team USA and was a leader of both of those teams. However, he was not considered a first round selection (or at least that high). The Royals selected him because they did not have a shortstop prospect in their system, but mainly because he would sign quickly and for slot money.

Colon did sign quickly and began his professional career in High-A Wilmington that summer, where he more than held his own (.278 average in 60 games).

Then the Royals traded for Alcides Escobar and Colon stalled in Double-A in 2011. Colon played second base for the first time in the Arizona Fall League in 2011 and proved he could be a plus defender at that position.

He returned to NW Arkansas in 2012 and hit .289 over 73 games. He scored 33 runs and drove in 27, mainly batting 1-2 in the order. He also walked (31) more than he struck out (27). Those numbers earned him a spot on the Texas League All-Star team. They also earned him a promotion to Triple-A.

With Omaha, Colon went 7-for-17 (.415) in five games before fouling a bunt off his face, which ended his season. He began play in the Puerto Rican Winter League yesterday (0-for-5) to make up some at-bats.

Colon has some speed, as he has stolen 32 bases over his career. However, he has been caught stealing 18 times.

In 2012, Colon played more games at shortstop (58) than second base (18). He made 17 errors at short in Double-A in 231 chances and did not make an error in Triple-A (in 17 chances). He did not make any errors at second base at either level (in 88 chances).

MLB.com has Colon keeping with the 11 ranking. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star has Colon coming in at number 14. With Johnny Giavotella’s struggles with the bat at the big league level, the door is WIDE open for Colon to steal the second base job in 2013. If not, he will be back in Omaha switching between shortstop and second base, waiting for his opportunity.

via Jen Nevius

Many scouts believed Eibner would take off as a pitcher once he focused solely on pitching after being drafted out of Arkansas, where he was a two-way player. He wanted to hit, so the Royals have catered to that.

But how long will the Royals allow him to hit?

Eibner is a very good centerfielder. His arm is his best tool and I had a chance to see him show it off many times during the 2012 season while he played centerfield for High-A Wilmington.

The problem is, his offense leads A LOT to be desired. Eibner had one of the worst offensive seasons in minor league baseball. He hit just .196 in 120 games and struck out a whopping 165 times (over 423 at-bats). He did walk 57 times, but regularly took good pitches, putting himself into an 0-2 hole. I saw quite a few Blue Rocks games in 2012 (18 total) and there was only one game where he did not strike out.

The power is there, as he homered 15 times and doubled 26 times in a pitchers’ league and pitchers’ ballpark. However, he constantly tries to hit the ball in the air. That doesn’t work well at Frawley Stadium, where the ball does not carry.

He has also spent a good amount of time on the DL over his first two seasons. He hurt his shoulder in 2011 making a diving play and re-injured it in spring training of 2012, delaying his start to the season. He also had some back issues later in the 2012 season.

MLB.com ranks Eibner as the Royals 15th best prospect. However Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star does not even rank him. Does this mean the Royals have lost hope?

I expect to see Eibner return to Wilmington for the 2013 season. I’m hoping his time in instructional league fixed some of his hitting flaws. If not, the move to the mound is imminent.

via Jen Nevius

Jeffress was drafted in 2006, but is still trying to harness his fastball. His 12-to-6 curveball is another plus pitch, but he struggles to command that too. A slight tweak to his mechanics in 2011 made his curve more of an 11-to-5 and he commands it better. His pure velocity makes him a closer option, but he started in 2011 to work on his command.

Jeffress made two appearances in April with the Royals before being sent to Triple-A Omaha in 2012 for 37 games. Over 58 innings, he allowed 52 hits and 25 walks (32 earned runs). He did strike out 61.

He then spent the month of August back in the big leagues before being sent to Double-A NW Arkansas for one appearance. Then it was back to the big leagues when rosters expanded in September. He pitched well during his August with the Royals (5.2IP, 4H, 2R, 0ER, 4BB, 8K), but imploded in five games in September. Well, really his last two (both against Cleveland). He allowed ten runs (nine earned) on nine hits and four walks over just three innings. He struck out just one. 46 of his 84 pitches were strikes.

Check out this video from his time in the Arizona Fall League in 2011. In this video (by Prospect D2J), he strikes out Seattle Mariners infielder Nick Franklin (who was the MVP of the Rising Stars Game):

The Royals made a flurry of roster moves last week, including the removal of Jeffress from the 40-man roster. That means, he is now subject to the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. If he were to test positive for drugs, he would receive a lifetime ban from baseball (he has already been suspended twice while with the Brewers). Jeffress’ struggles and removal from the 40-man roster probably means he will not be on Baseball America’s list for the 2013 season. Who knows, he may not even be a Royal by then (if he is claimed off waivers by another team).

According to international scouts, Hernandez has the best bat speed they have seen in recent years. His quick swing right now is more suited for line drives than homeruns. He still has work to do on pitch recognition and tapping into his above-average power potential.

Baseball America expected him to make his United States debut at the rookie-level Arizona League in 2012. Instead, the Royals pushed him to rookie-level Idaho Falls for the 2012 season (with alot of their college signees). Hernandez struggled mightily, as he hit just .208 with 66 strikeouts in 60 games (250 at-bats). He also didn’t hit any homeruns, though he did hit ten doubles.

Bob Dutton on the Kansas City Star ranked Hernandez at 11 and believes only Bubba Starling has higher potential. MLB.com has him coming in at 18th.

Will the Royals continue to push Hernandez (to Low-A Lexington) or will they hold him back and have him play at the rookie-level again in 2013?

Cougars first base coach Julio Bruno with Jorge Bonifacio (Craig Wieczorkiewicz/Midwest League Traveler)

With his power, Bonifacio projects as a solid outfielder in right field (he made just four errors in 183 chances in 2012). He also has an above-average arm (14 assists in 2012). His worst tool is his speed, unlike his brother.

Baseball America also placed him in their Midwest League Top 20 Prospects list. He came in at number 13. Bonifacio was the Cougars player of the year, an honor he also took in 2011 in Burlington and 2010 in the Dominican.

According to BA when ranking him as a Midwest League prospect:

An aggressive hitter who swings early in the count, Bonifacio focuses on using the opposite field. His quick wrists give him bat speed, and he likes to stay inside the ball. There’s some violence and length to his swing, but he still controls the barrel well and could have plus power down the road.

Bonifacio is currently playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, but has received just one at-bat over three games.

John Sickels of SBNation wrote about Bonifacio back in July (including video) and believes he is just getting better.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks Bonifacio as the Royals number eight prospect and believes he could be good enough to force Wil Myers out of right field. MLB.com ranks him as the Royals 16th prospect.

Brickhouse signed late in 2011 and made his professional debut in 2012. He started the season with Idaho Falls (rookie ball). He made just one start and was roughed up (seven runs in just 1.2 innings). He then received a promotion to Low-A Kane County (just like Baseball America predicted). There he went 3-3 with a 5.61 ERA in ten starts before being shut down (his last start came on August 11th).

He made three really good starts for the Cougars, including his last. On July 3rd, he allowed just one hit, an unearned run, and a walk over six innings (while striking out six). On July 27th, he allowed one run on three hits over six innings (after being lit up by the same team three starts earlier). In his final start of the season, he allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks over seven innings. It was the longest start of his short professional career.

Brickhouse is currently participating in instructional league at the Royals spring training complex in Surprise, Arizona. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks him as the Royals 25th best prospect.

Check out some video of Brickhouse at the Baseball Factory Under Armour All-American Game:

Noel Arguelles via Jen Nevius

Arguelles made his professional debut with High-A Wilmington in 2011 and held his own. There, the lefty was 4-5 with a 3.20 ERA in 31 starts.

That performance earned him a promotion to Double-A NW Arkansas for the 2012 season. There, he struggled until his last five starts (four of which he allowed two runs or less). Overall, Arguelles was 4-14 with a 6.41 ERA in 25 starts (119.1 innings). He allowed 146 hits, 12 homeruns, and 66 walks. He struck out just 59.

Arguelles’ plus command was lost a bit in 2012. When the command is there, it allows his fringy stuff to play better. His fastball sits around 87-89 mph and apparently the velocity has returned since his shoulder issues. His best pitch is his changeup, which he will throw in any count. He also throws a curveball.

The Royals still see some promise and believe he is ready to regain his potential. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star ranks Arguelles at number 24 in the Royals Top 25 prospect list at the end of the season. I expect that he will return to Double-A to start the 2013 season, but you never know. I thought I’d see him again in Wilmington in 2012 after his disastrous start with the Naturals, but never did.

Check out video from an Arguelles May 2011 start with Wilmington via royalsprospects:

Edwin Carl and Justin Marks are having pretty decent falls.  Carl has an ERA at 1.42, as he has appeared in 5 games and thrown 6.1 innings thus far.  He has tallied 4 strike outs against 3 walks and surrendered only one earned run.  Marks has started 3 games and he accounted for the win in two of them.  In 8.1 innings pitched, he has an ERA of 2.16 and has struck out 6 as opposed to 4 walks.  Two pitchers who would like to forget their fall in Arizona are Sulbaran and Jon Keck.  Keck has allowed 6 earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched, good for an ERA of 16.20.  Sulbaran on the other hand, while not as bad as Keck, got pulled from the team on Tuesday, due to continuing arm soreness.  Sulbaran was replaced by Malcom Culver, who was an 8th round pick in 2008.  Initially, Culver was an infielder but began the transition to pitching in 2011.  As of this article, he has yet to pitch an inning.

Justin Marks from last season with the Blue Rocks

There are four hitters on the Surprise Saguaros.  The first one I’m going to look at is Orlando Calixte, who is on the “taxi squad”, meaning, he is only eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Calixte is hitting .364 with one home run and one RBI.  He has had 22 at bats and has struck out 7 times while walking zero times.  Whit Merrifield has played in 9 games and is hitting .267 in 30 at bats.  He has stolen 3 bases and driven in 2 runs for Surprise.

Alex McClure has played in 5 games and recorded 19 at bats.  In those 19 at bats he has 5 hits which is good for a .263 average.  McClure has also driven in 3 runs and recorded two doubles in his time in the AFL so far.  The Royals designated Brian Fletcher as the “priority player” which means he will be granted maximum playing time.  Fletcher hasn’t put that time to good use.  He’s currently hitting .176 in 34 at bats.  He has totaled 6 hits, two of them being the extra base variety.  This fall he has struck out 16 times which is almost half of his at bats.

None of the Royals prospects are putting up stellar numbers in Arizona, but a few of them are still very respectable.  The Rising Stars game is set for November 3rd which is next Saturday.  The AFL season concludes on November 17th as the championship game will be played then.  If you want to stay up to date a link to the Surprise Saguaros can be found here.

When Chapman locates his 93-95 mph fastball, he can succeed solely with that pitch. He was named a 2012 Texas League All-Star. However, he has control problems and gives up a ton of hits.

In 49 games (58 innings) with Double-A Corpus Christi in the Texas League (with the Astros in 2012), he allowed 49 hits and 32 walks. He struck out 59. He only allowed two homeruns on the season. Lefties hit just .200 against Chapman, but he did walk 16 lefties in 21.1 innings.

When Chapman pitched in High-A Wilmington in 2011, I never saw him pitch well and he regularly allowed inherited runners to score. However, there were some who were upset about the trade because of his upside and ability to get lefties out.

Chapman could be an asset to the Astros as they begin a new era in the American League starting in 2013. Or he could be toiling yet again in the minor leagues.

*Check out an interview Chapman did with the guys at PineTarPress back in 2011.

Via Jen Nevius

After going 2-12 with a 4.97 ERA in 2010, he returned to High-A Wilmington in 2011 and went 11-10. He still allowed too many hits (152 in 135 innings) and walked too many (53).

Melville’s 2012 season was a bust, as he spent the majority of it on the DL. He started the season in Double-A and made six appearances (five starts). He allowed 27 hits in 23.1 innings. He walked 15 and struck out 19. He then reappeared in August with Low-A Kane County. There, Melville made just two starts before being shut down again. With the Cougars, he walked three while striking out four over six innings. He was supposed to make up some innings in the Arizona Fall League, but was replaced just as the season was about to start.

Melville’s fastball is a plus pitch but he doesn’t always command it or throw it was conviction. Scouts believed he can get better if the Royals allow him to throw a slider and two-seam fastball (he did throw a slider late in the 2011 season).

Melville can be regularly seen in the community with whatever team he is playing for. He was awarded the Matt Minker Award in 2011 by the Carolina League, honoring the league’s player who does the best job of serving his community. Melville also was honored by the Royals with the Mike Sweeney Award, which is given to the player who most represents the Royals organization.

I’m not sure what’s next for Melville. First, he obviously needs to get healthy. Then he needs to get a better feel for his pitches. Maybe a move to the bullpen will help? My guess is, he’ll drop out of the BA rankings for the 2013 season and may return to High-A to start the season (if he’s healthy).

*The youtube video is from farmsystem and taken during spring training in 2010.

Blue Rocks shortstop Orlando Calixte via Jen Nevius

BA believes he may outgrow the shortstop position, but he has a strong arm. He struggled immensely at the plate with a push to Low-A in 2011 (just .208), so he returned there to start the 2012 season. Despite showing homerun power (he hit ten in 62 games), he still struggled (.241).

Injuries in the upper levels of the middle infield moved everyone up, so Calixte was promoted to High-A Wilmington. He more than held his own once promoted to the Blue Rocks and impressed manager Vance Wilson with his bat, despite being just 20-years old:

Calixte’s a free-swinger. Typically a young kid like that who’s a free swinger, you get exposed even at this level. For him to be able to step up, he’s such a big part of our team. A big part of our success. Not only am I proud of him, but very, very happy for him.

He hit .281 with 17 doubles, but did strike out 65 times in 63 games in a pitcher’s ballpark and league. However, strikeouts were a problem throughout the Blue Rocks lineup.

The alarming part of Calixte’s game is his defense. At shortstop in Kane County, he made 25 errors in 278 chances. After his promotion, in the same amount of chances, he made 21 errors. So that’s 46 total errors. Sure, he gets to balls that others cannot and makes the flashy play, but it’s the routine plays that give him trouble.

He began the offseason by participating in instructional league and has since moved on to the Arizona Fall League. Calixte is a member of Surprise’s taxi squad, meaning he can only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He has played both third base and shortstop and has yet to make an error in three games (he has also hit). Hopefully Calixte can team up with the sure-handed Alex McClure and tighten up his defense.

For more on Calixte, check out a comparison between him and third base prospect Cheslor Cuthbert by Zach Mortimer at PineTar Press.

I could show you video of Calixte striking out against Baltimore Orioles uber prospect Dylan Bundy, which was much talked about around Twitter, but I’ve decided to link to one of my favorite videos of Calixte:

Who doesn’t love watching a guy get pied in the face following a walk-off win?

Clint Robinson. Photos courtesy of Minda Haas

First baseman/DH Clint Robinson came in at number 21 on Baseball America‘s annual Top Prospects listing for the Kansas City Royals heading into the 2012 season. The lefty was finally called up to the big leagues in June during Interleague Play. That was after 105 career minor league homeruns. Unfortunately, he only received four pinch-hit opportunities before being sent back to Triple-A Omaha. He was not recalled when rosters expanded in September or when Omaha’s playoff season ended.

Click HERE to read him tell about finally getting called up.

Robinson is known for his offense and two-strike approach, as he struck out just 65 times in 487 minor league at-bats this season. He walked 79 times. He did however have his worst batting average (.292) since his first full season in 2008 and his worst power numbers (just 13 homeruns) since 2009 in Wilmington (which is a pitcher’s ballpark). Robinson was a Triple-A All-Star once again (second year in a row and third straight season of making an All-Star team).

Robinson is in a Billy Butler mold, as he made 13 errors in 102 games at first base this season. Not sure what the Royals are going to do with him, but he doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors. Maybe they’ll use him as trade bait?

To hear Robinson talk about his approach with Butler and Eric Hosmer in front of him, click HERE.

Check out a few at-bats of Robinson from September of 2012:

September 16, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Will Smith (53) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

Smith was back-and-forth between Triple-A Omaha and the big leagues in May and June, but stuck in the Majors in about mid-July. He was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week after the first week of July. His final four starts for Omaha were dominant: a total of 27.2 innings, five runs allowed (four earned), five walks, and 29 strikeouts. He did not allow a homerun over those four starts.

Smith had his ups-and-downs in the Majors, but had four starts of seven innings where he allowed two runs or less (three against playoff contenders).

Smith has a two-seam fastball that he throws from 88-90 mph and a four-seam fastball that can hit 94 mph. He also has a big breaking ball and a changeup. He added a slider midway through the 2011 season to use against right-handed hitters. BA projects him to be a back-of-the-rotation starter (or at least a big league long reliever).

Meanwhile in a recent Bob Dutton article for the Kansas City Star, one top official said:

“Hopefully, Odorizzi and (Will) Smith and (Nate) Adcock are all pitching at Omaha when the season starts.”

That means the Royals are hoping to spend money on the free agent market or make a big offseason trade for a front-line starter. Haven’t fans heard that before?

However, as Dutton pointed out in his article:

Perhaps Smith and Adcock are in the mix at that point [2014], too, but the Royals hope to have several other options.

So really, Smith doesn’t seem to be in the Royals plans for the near future. Will they include him in one of those potential trades? At this point, Smith will head into the 2013 season with a chance to make the Royals change their minds about him. He needs to become more consistent from start-to-start.

Check out this video from MLB.com of Smith’s scoreless start on September 11th in Minnesota. He struck out a career-high seven in seven innings of work:

Now, he’s retiring the superfan persona. This is his statement as to why:

So here we are. Early October in KC. Of course the Royals are no longer playing baseball and the Chiefs are quickly dropping out of the race. For me October means a long deserved break, sort of. October means no baseball, no Roller Derby and normally is my vacation from life. Not so much this year but that’s a story for another article.

For me this October means putting away for the last time something I have become for three years. This October means putting away KCRoyalman one last time. I have been asked why, so many times since I made the announcement on Twitter recently and on Facebook shortly after. The reasons why it’s over will take far more than 140 characters to explain. That is why I am writing this.

I love baseball. I love it more than any other sport other than roller derby. I call Opening Day the best day of the year but this year it stopped being fun.  The Royals Organization does not care about the fans. They hide behind rules supposedly made by MLB but yet I never see the ‘rules’ at any other stadium. They treat their fan facing employees badly and make them fear firing, preventing them from giving the best experience to the fan.  They make up what they are going to enforce as they go. For 2 ½ years I stood in the same spot as Royalman. I was told many times it was fine as long as I ‘stayed behind the black line’ and out of the walkway. All of a sudden this year, standing room was foul pole to foul pole. Yes, it’s in writing that way but for 2 ½ years, that didn’t matter.

They have stripped numerous season ticket holder benefits because they could, because we were stuck if we wanted All Star Tickets. They didn’t give them back for 2013 either. What they did do for 2013 is raise prices on season ticket holders. Oh and remember how it was too difficult to give us a Royals Fan Fest in January because of the Fan Fest for the All Star Game in the middle of summer? If you buy that I have ocean front property in Nebraska for you.

Another part of why I am hanging up the suit is cost. The real me went to college on student loans which have come due. That book learnin’ isn’t cheap! Add that to the desire to buy a house and take care of other debt and it only makes sense to spend less on tickets.

Adding to the cost is the lack of time. There are 81 home games in a Royals Season and even making 60 of those is very daunting at times. How Superfan Chris has made every game for over 5 years is beyond me. I have other interests, other than baseball. Hard to believe I know, but it is true. I have been a Roller Derby Announcer for Dead Girl Derby in Riverside and Black Snake Roller Girls in St Joe since they began and that has opened doors for me to call events as large as the World Championship in Toronto so I find myself missing games in the heart of summer for that. I am also the online voice for Park University Men’s and Women’s Volleyball and one of the voices of iBN Sports High School Football. On top of that things come up (Like FIVE funerals this last summer in Nebraska). Frankly I don’t think it’s fair to claim to be a Superfan and go to half of the ball games.

Finally I need to refocus on my health. Before you all knew me I weighed over 300 lbs. I did all the right things and got down under 225lbs. Well as you can tell, I am back to the 280+ range. Its hard finding time to exercise while attending so many games and the other time issues I mentioned above. Maybe I will return as a slim trim Royalman.

So that’s the why. Now let me say, the last three years have been some of the most amazing of my life! I have met some of the most amazing people and had so much fun. Some people find it hard to believe but I never did this for attention. I did this for fun and it was. I stopped once it wasn’t. I have lived some of my dreams because of this. I have had my own radio show and have a very successful podcast because of this. I leave it behind with no regrets.  I will stay on Twitter as @KCRoyalman because like @PCBearcat said the night I announced I was hanging up the costume, ‘KCRoyalman is more than just the costume.’  It’s in my heart and will always be part of me.

I am going to thank some people and I am not going to mention some of you but that doesn’t mean I am not thankful for your contributions to the last three years of my life.

I was at the K one day thinking how the Chiefs have superfans and the Royals should too. The next year both Royalman and Superfan Chris were born at separate locations and the Royals had something special, even if they didn’t want it. I have been so grateful for all the amazing folks who have come along for this crazy ride.

Thank you to Shan Sheriff who was the first to put me on the air on 610 Radio out at the K.

To Nick Wright (@GetNickWright) for always supporting me and my work. He was one of the first ones to have backed this crazy idea and even said once I deserve a press pass. I am pretty sure this letter will not help my cause towards getting one of those.

To Jay Binkley and the guys of the original @3GuysInaGarage. Jay made me part of their show on 1510 and is a major reason why I started doing the Royalman Report (Now the Kansas City Baseball Vault). Jay has become a real friend. One of the best people on the planet.

To Ty and Jay from Soundtrack of the Week (@SOTWPodcast) you guys are the best. A little crazy, very weird, but when it came to me you were always legit. You guys are great friends.

To Bob Fescoe, Josh Klingler, Danny Parkins, Cdot Harrison and anyone from 610 I haven’t named. They have all been so supportive of me.

To the Big Dumb Fun Show. www.BigDumbFunShow.Com for promoting me and caring about me as a friend. Also for letting us use their studio very inexpensively. To Aaron Gnirk for hours of guidance and direction with the Royalman Report.

To Greg Schaum for always supporting Royalman and my show. He sent out a call to arms the night I had my car accident and was in the hospital.  I received so many tweets because of him and that made my recovery much better. This is just the surface of the many great things Greg has done.

To @PSAPrez who made my awesome KCRoyalman hat while I was in the hospital. This guy has also made the KC Baseball Vault and EKOH Website logos. Use him when you need Graphic design and shirts printed. My hat will be retired with the rest of the outfit.

To Superfan Chris for just being freaking awesome and becoming a great friend. Carry on strong my friend.

To @KCYeti, Brian McGannon, @BHIndepmo and all the folks that have been in since the beginning of Royalman. Especially Yeti who has become a good friend and ran the original server for the Royalman Report.

To Chris Kamler and Jeff Herr for their work on the show. To Chris for the home for the show for months and of course the great Kelly’s Westport Inn commercials. To both of them and all of the EKOH Network guys for being great friends. (The show will continue with Jeff, I and Mike as always)

To Michael Engel who has embraced doing a podcast with a crazy, tights -wearing superfan for two seasons now and has become someone I truly consider a friend.  The show will continue as long as we can keep it going and I have big plans for it.

To my girlfriend who has dated a man in tights for over a year and never complained. Heck she bought me a personalized bat that reads “KCRoyalman: Three years in tights for the love of the Royals.” Never had any idea it would end at the end of the year when she had the bat made.

To Matt from KCTV5 thanks for the awesome stories you did on me.

To the 2500+ of you on twitter who have supported me you have no idea how special you all are to me and how awesome it makes me feel to know how many people care.

To the haters out there. Screw you. I had fun. You made no difference to me.

Man it was fun. Thank you all so much. It was always for you, about you, the average fan. It’s not the end of an era but a changing of times.

Troy Olsen

The Kansas City Baseball Vault is a live podcast every Saturday at 12 p.m. that covers the Royals, their minor league affiliates and other aspects of baseball in Kansas City.

You can catch up on old episodes of the Kansas City Baseball Vault here on Kings of Kauffman. Episodes of the Royalman Report are available on the site as well.

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

best tools will likely be his raw right-handed power and arm strength.

Despite being big (6’3 and over 200 pounds), he has soft hands and a strong throwing arm. He made just two errors (and two passed balls) in 30 games for Burlington (rookie ball) this season. Gallagher threw out six of 23 base stealers (26%).

Gallagher came out of high school in Pennsylvania and is expected to move slowly through the system (due to his lack of experience in a shorter high school season). In his second season of rookie ball, he hit .276 with ten doubles and three homeruns in 127 at-bats. He struck out just 16 times compared to ten walks.

He’s not real athletic and his value is tied to whether he can stick at catcher. He’s a slow baserunner. Gallagher’s potential rides on his power potential, which was an eye-opening asset heading into the 2011 draft.

I expect Gallagher will finally advance to full-season ball in 2013, probably with new Low-A affiliate Lexington. He is currently participating in Instructional League at the Royals spring training complex in Surprise, Arizona.

Check out this video of Gallagher taking batting practice during the 2010 AFLAC All-American practice:

Antonio was considered to be the best player to come out of George Washington High School in New York since Manny Ramirez when he was drafted by the Royals in 2010 (third round). BA believes that he may outgrow shortstop and with the Royals abundance of up-the-middle prospects, a move to third base may be a good thing.

Problem is, he makes a TON of errors wherever you play him. In 233 chances at third base in 2012, Antonio made 29 errors. He added two more at shortstop in seven games and one error in two chances in right field while playing at Low-A Kane County.

On offense, Antonio has a long swing which has both power potential and strikeout potential. This past season, he only hit five homeruns in 464 at-bats and struck out 79 times.

After being named the Midwest League’s Player of the Week in the middle of May (he hit .294 in the month of May), Antonio struggled dramatically at the plate. He picked up just 48 hits over his final 268 at-bats (a .179 average) of the season.

With his struggles at the plate in 2012 and Cheslor Cuthbert ahead of him at third base, Antonio will most likely make a return trip to Low-A to start the 2013 season. He is currently participating in Instructional League in Surprise, Arizona.

To learn more about Antonio, you can check out an interview with Pine Tar Press and This One’s for Nick.

Justin Marks from last season with the Blue Rocks. (Photo: Jen Nevius)

Left-handed pitcher Justin Marks got the start for Surprise today, working three innings against the Peoria Javelinas. He allowed two walks and struck out two, but didn’t surrender a hit or a run. In 2012, Marks pitched primarily in Double A Northwest Arkansas but made one start in Omaha as well. His Triple A start didn’t go very well, as he lasted only 1.2 innings and gave up nine runs. In Double A, he threw 85.1 innings in 17 starts and compiled a 3.80 ERA and a 73/38 K/BB ratio. Marks was acquired with Vin Mazzaro from the Oakland Athletics for David DeJesus after the 2010 season.

The only other Royal to play today was Brian Fletcher. He spent half of his season in High A Wilmington before being promoted to Double A. While his batting average fell in the higher league, his power numbers increased (which isn’t uncommon when going from Frawley Stadium in the Carolina League to Arvest Ballpark in the Texas League). He went 1-2 on Tuesday with a single and added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. He also walked once and struck out in his other plate appearance. Fletcher is an interesting offensive prospect, but needs some work with his defense. He was drafted as an outfielder but played a lot of first base in High A before his promotion. Jen Nevius has a review of his season up right here - Fletcher was Baseball America’s #27 Royals prospect entering the year.

The Royals also added another player to their cache of minor leaguers in Surprise. J.C. Sulbaran, half  of the return from the Cincinnati Reds in the Jonathan Broxton trade, will join the group. He made six starts for Northwest Arkansas after the trade but struggled with his command, walking 22 batters in 26 innings. He did strike out 24, but that won’t matter if he’s walking a batter an inning. He also gave up 11.4 H/9 and 2.4 HR/9 for the Naturals, so his stint there went about as bad as it could have. If he can sort things out, he has some #3 or #4 starter potential.

The other Royals minor leaguers in the AFL are:

• LHP Jon Keck
• SS Orlando Calixte
• SS Alex McClure
• OF Whit Merrifield

The AFL season will run until November 17.

Jack Lopez with the Kane County Cougars during the 2012 season. Craig Wieczorkiewicz/Midwest League Traveler

The guys of BA liked his skill set both at the plate and at shortstop. They also felt that power would come once his body filled out.

Lopez began the season, well three games, with Idaho Falls (short-season rookie ball). He then made the big jump up to Low-A Kane County and hit just .222.  The power didn’t come in 2012, as he did not hit a homerun and only hit nine doubles. He also struck out 44 times in 261 at-bats.

On defense for the Cougars, he committed 16 errors in 292 chances (64 games).

You have to remember, Lopez is just 19 years old and was one of the younger players in the Midwest League (if not the youngest). He is the son of a coach (his dad is the bullpen coach for the Cincinnati Reds), so he has been around the game since he was little. This usually means an easier adjustment to pro ball.

Check out the following video of Lopez during instructional league in 2011 (after being drafted) taken by kcscoliny:

Lopez is yet another Royal participating in Instructional League in Surprise, Arizona. I have yet to see Lopez play in person, but I expect that he will begin his 2013 season back in Low-A with the Royals new affiliate in Lexington.

September 05, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Everett Teaford (61) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Teaford made the Opening Day roster for the Royals, but was sent back to Triple-A at the end of April. There, he made seven appearances (six starts). He was 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA over 33 innings and opponents hit just .207 against him.

Teaford was called back up to the big leagues for good at the end of June. He wasn’t used a whole lot (he made just ten appearances over the final two months). He had a few bumps in the month of September, but also had a few good outings. On the first against Minnesota, he allowed just three hits over 5.1 scoreless innings of relief.

In a start against Texas four days later, he allowed three runs over 4.1 innings (the runs came on a homerun in the first inning). He only allowed three hits while striking out five.

Since being left unprotected for the 2009 Rule V draft, Teaford’s velocity has increased on his fastball. That has made his breaking ball and changeup even better. It doesn’t hurt that he throws from different arms slots.

Against left-handed hitters in the minors he dominated (a .174 average and nine strikeouts in 14.1 innings). He struggled a bit with lefties in the majors. In 21.1 innings, lefties hit .300 against him. He only struck out ten compared to nine walks. That’s a ratio that will NEED to change for him to stick in the big leagues.

BA gave him a low-risk factor in their rankings, meaning he has a certain big league future. Hopefully he can stick for a full season.

When you read the title of this article, what did you think when you saw the word “Competitive”?  Did you imagine the Royals winning the World Series, or would you be satisfied with a .500 record for the season?  Maybe you pictured the Royals on top of the American League Central standings above the Tigers and White Sox.  Many of us would be content and consider our team to be competitive if we simply believed we had a real chance to win every time we went to the ballpark.

As we witnessed this season, the Royals have a long way to go before becoming competitive by any of these definitions.  But the good news is the team’s weaknesses became glaringly apparent this year, and this gives us a target to work with when repairing the broken pieces.  It’s impossible to fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is – and I think we all know what the problems are after watching the team play for the past six months.  Let’s discuss a few of the issues the Royals need to address to become competitive.

Jeremy Guthrie is one piece of the puzzle that could make the Royals competitive. (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

As we have discussed many times (ad nauseam), number one on the list of needs is starting pitching.  With two possible exceptions, I would be hesitant to say that any of the hurlers the Royals sent to the mound this year could earn a spot in the rotation of a competitive ball club.  The Royals lucked into the mid-season addition of Jeremy Guthrie who has turned into a real gem.  As George Costanza would say, “It’s like discovering plutonium by accident.”  If Guthrie has indeed found his old form, he can be one of the mainstays of a competitive rotation – assuming we can sign him.  (Message to the Royals – you better sign him, or you’ll have one massively disappointed fan base.)  Jake Odorizzi could be the real deal too, but I suggest we withhold judgment until we’ve seen a larger sample size at the big league level.

It’s easy to forget about them when they aren’t around, but the Royals have a couple of decent pitching options on the shelf this year who are recovering from Tommy John surgery.  I believe Danny Duffy can play a role in the starting five of a competitive team, and I’m not ready to completely commit yet, but I think Felipe Paulino should be given a shot too.  Add Joakim Soria back to what is already possibly the best bullpen in the major leagues and it’s lights out for the opposition anytime the Royals are ahead in the 7^th inning or later.  Unfortunately, it’s unlikely any of these pitchers will be available and contributing until sometime around the All-Star break of next season.

The Royals have a few more viable starting pitching options in the minors in Yordano Ventura, Kyle Zimmer, and John Lamb.  However, I’m skeptical that any of this group can reach Kansas City until 2014.

David Glass recently assured us that he’s willing to open the checkbook and add to our pitching staff.  What he said exactly was “when we get to the point where we’re competitive, we’ll do what we have to do to improve our position.  Yes, we’ll do what we need to do.  We are committed to improving our starting pitching.”  And there’s the dreaded “competitive” word again.  Did anyone ask Glass about his definition of competitive?  If so, I haven’t heard his answer.   My guess is we’ll probably end up with a “B” level free agent and maybe another journeyman who we hope will finally realize his potential after being cut by 5 or 6 different teams.  In other words, don’t count on our pitching solutions coming through free agency.

The Royals have the prospects and young major league talent to trade for a top-tier pitcher.  But if the price for this trade means the loss of Hosmer, Moustakas, Wil Myers or Bubba Starling plus a couple more guys with potential including one of our pitching prospects, is it really worth it?  And do you trust the Royals front office to make a trade that includes equal talent on both sides?  On the one hand, if you land a real #1, yes, it might be worth it.  On the other hand, you’ll probably just create another hole that needs to be patched, so you may just end up trading one problem for another.  In my opinion, barring a miracle, our pitching problems will only be solved when a few of our internal candidates realize their potential.

Right field is another glaring weakness with Jeff Francoeur regressing to his pre-Royals form and returning to the status of the worst player in baseball.  Wil Myers is the answer here.  Period.  Let’s move on.

And what about second base?  The Royals don’t seem to be happy with any of their options here.  It’s obvious to me that they don’t see Johnny Giavotella as the solution, and I don’t think Chris Getz is either.  The team has trotted out a number of additional players, mostly career minor-leaguers, with varying degrees of success, but none of them has performed to the level that demands the team consider him as the future of the position.

Is it possible Christian Colon, our first round pick from 2010 (the 4^th pick overall) could end up at 2^nd?   It’s possible, but I believe it’s unlikely.  I’ve never heard the Royals speak highly of him since he was drafted, although he has turned out to be exactly the type of player most scouts predicted him to be – steady, but unspectacular.  I don’t understand why the Royals drafted a player in the 1^st round that they didn’t have high expectations for.  In my opinion, there is no clear answer for the Royals at second base, which means this will be a continuing issue for the foreseeable future and something that could potentially prevent the Royals from becoming competitive.

With a couple of caveats, the rest of the team is relatively solid.  Alex Gordon has now proven to be a regular contributor that we can count on to perform well.  Although Centerfield has been a bit of a merry-go-round this year, I still believe Lorenzo Cain can do the job.  (I realize I may be in the minority, but I still like what I see from him.)  I’m convinced Mike Moustakas is only going to get better every year, and although I’m a little bit worried about Eric Hosmer, none of the well known sports prognosticators appear to be concerned, so I’m going to take their word for it.

And what about short and catcher?  I must confess I have a flaming man-crush on Salvador Perez and I think Alcides Escobar is incredibly talented.  In my opinion, I believe Escobar and Perez may be the best Shortstop and Catcher combination the Royals have ever fielded, and I’ve been watching the Royals play for a long, long, long time.  The Royals have both players tied-up long term, two of the smartest decisions Dayton Moore has made during his time in KC.

Royals fans anxiously await the return of Danny Duffy (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

So here’s the bottom line.  By almost any definition, the Royals won’t have the pitching horses to be competitive early next season.  By the All-Star break of 2013, we could see Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, and Joakim Soria return to Kauffman – and just imagine how much better they’ll be when they’re throwing to Salvador Perez!  Depending on whether Hosmer finds his bat again and if the Royals do what they are expected to do and play Wil Myers in Right Field, I believe they will begin to have a chance to win every time they take the field in the last half of 2013.  If your definition of “competitive” means that we win the division, you’ll be disappointed next year.  But if you enjoy watching fun baseball games, get yourself a ticket to watch the Royals play next August and September, I think you’ll like what you see.

Then in 2014, this is when things begin to get really exciting.  Kyle Zimmer, John Lamb, Yordano Ventura and possibly a couple of additional wild cards (Aaron Crow?  Joakim Soria?? Tim Collins???) will be competing for a position in the rotation with Jeremy Guthrie (hopefully), Danny Duffy, and John Lamb.  Hopefully Luke Hochevar will be in our rear-view mirror.  Hosmer will have his feet on the ground again and be ready to dominate.  Perez and Escobar will be poised for All-Star seasons.  Bubba Starling will be knocking on the door and pushing all the Royals outfielders to play well for fear Bubba will take their place on the field in 2015.  Surely to goodness the front office will find someone to play second base by then.

Do I think the Royals have potential to be competitive by almost any definition in 2014?  If things unfold the way I pictured them in the previous two paragraphs, then you bet your sweet bippy I do.  Does this mean we should give up on 2013?  Have you noticed where the Oakland A’s are in the AL West standings?  They are going to the playoffs with (in my opinion) less talent than the Royals have right now.  Would I bet that the Royals will be competitive in 2013?  No, I wouldn’t.  But then, I wouldn’t have bet on the Oakland A’s this year either.

Brian Fletcher via Jen Nevius

While hitting in the middle of the Blue Rocks order, he hit just five homeruns in the pitcher-friendly league. He also only drove in 25 runs in 67 games. It didn’t help that the Blue Rocks had one of the worst offenses in the Carolina League in the first half.

Upon his promotion to Double-A, Fletcher exclusively played the left field. He also struggled offensively. He hit .256 and struck out 96 times in just 65 games. He did however hit ten homeruns.

Fletcher had a very good July with NW Arkansas: he hit .293 with seven homeruns and 16 RBIs. The alarming thing was his strikeout to walk totals: 42 Ks to just four walks. That continued into August, but he only hit .224. He did end the season with hits in seven of his last eight games.

Fletcher is heading to Surprise for the prestigious Arizona Fall League that begins next week. Some wonder if the Royals will begin tinkering with his unconventional approach at the plate (since it didn’t work well against advanced Double-A pitchers). I expect he will return to the Naturals to begin the 2013 season. I’m not sure what position he will play, but both spots are blocked at both the big league and Triple-A levels.

Danny Mateo via Craig Wieczorkiewicz/Midwest League Traveler

He broke out offensively in a big way in 2011 with short season Idaho Falls (he hit .348). The switch-hitter was viewed by BA to have little to no flaws on either side of the plate (in terms of his swing).

Mateo advanced to Low-A Kane County in 2012 and hit .262 with 20 doubles, ten triples, eight homeruns, 73 runs scored, and 61 RBIs. The downside was the strikeouts: 103 in 131 games.

He struggled mightily in the second half. After hitting .302 in the first half and being selected to play in the Midwest League All-Star Game, he hit just .220 after that.

Mateo’s downfall is his defense. He combined to commit 33 errors with the Cougars (19 at second base and 14 at third base). He is currently taking part in instructional league in Surprise, Arizona.

He may return to Low-A to start the 2013 season (with new affiliate Lexington) to harness his defense and get another taste of that level. Or with a solid spring training (and instructional league), he could move up a level to High-A Wilmington. I think it all depends on what happens at the higher levels and the trickle down effect that occurs.