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

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.

Buchanan will be in his second season at the Low-A level, after spending two seasons with rookie level Idaho Falls. Before managing, he was a first round draft pick back in 1994 by the NY Yankees out of the University of Virginia. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1998 and made his big league debut with them in May of 2000. The outfielder’s last big league appearance came in August of 2004 with the San Diego Padres. He retired as a player in 2009 (after spending two seasons in the Royals minor league system).

In 2012, he guided the Cougars to a 68-72 record and they just missed the Midwest League playoffs.

Buchanan will have a whole new coaching staff in 2013 in Lexington.

Jerry Nyman will be the new pitching coach after serving in that same capacity with Idaho Falls last season. Prior to coaching, he pitched in the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox and the Padres from 1968-1970.

The Chukars pitching staff had a 5.36 ERA over 76 games and led the league in saves with 25. They gave up more hits than innings pitched (773 hits to 672 innings), though so did every other team in the Pioneer League. The pitchers walked 280 and struck out 715, but had the second-highest WHIP in the league (1.57).

Justin Gemoll (who seems to have coached at every lower level in the Royals system) will be the new hitting coach after serving in that same capacity with rookie level Burlington in 2012. Prior to coaching, Gemoll was a 14th round draft pick by the Royals back in 2000 out of USC. The third baseman reached Triple-A in 2005 before retiring after 2006. He actually was not that bad of a minor league hitter (I had a chance to see him in Wilmington back in 2002 when he hit .310), but he had little power (29 homeruns in 2118 at-bats over a seven year career).

Burlington reached the Appalachian League finals in 2012 and had quite a few offensive prospects (including Bubba Starling). As a team, they hit .252 with 41 homeruns in 2181 at-bats. They struck out 897 times, which was second-most in the league. Their on-base percentage (.339) and slugging percentage (.411) were both the second highest in the league.

Lexington is expected to be stocked with prospects in 2013, so it will be interesting to see how this coaching staff melds the team together. Hopefully they will have a winning season and be fun to watch on the field.

From Sportslogos.net

Enter the Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League. The Royals and Legends agreed to a PDC through 2016.

According to Bob Dutton, the Royals had been looking to land in the SAL for a while due to “weather issues”. Generally the temperatures are warmer in Kentucky in April and May than in Kane County, which is near Chicago. As the lowest full season league in the organization, this could allow some prospects who signed late or only played in instructionals after the draft to start at that level with less adjustments if they’re “warm weather” players (and since many come from California, Florida, Texas or sign out of Latin America, this is often the case).

Lexington was formerly the Low A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The Royals had been affiliated with Kane County for two years starting in 2010.

The Royals other affiliates remain as they were this year. They’ve always used Omaha as an affiliate, while they’ve been in Northwest Arkansas since 2008 after having their Double A affiliation in Wichita and they’ll stay there until 2016.

Wilmington’s PDC lasts until after 2014 and the Royals rookie level teams, Idaho Falls and Burlington were just renewed through 2014.

PDCs will last two or four years. There’s usually some shuffling every other year but typically not largescale shifts.

Some players who are likely to play in Lexington next spring are Bubba Starling, Kyle Smith, Sam Selman, Fred Ford, Christian Binford, Humberto Arteaga and others from the Royals rookie league teams could start the year there with an eye towards Wilmington and further advancement within the organization.

Follow this link to see the Legends Official Team Site at MILB.com.