Some names aren’t mentioned very often. Some are the first you’d think of among Royals farmhands.

In Omaha, Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi were named Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, to nobody’s surprise. Both await their callups – though they may be waiting until next season.

The Royals first pick in 2010, Christian Colon, won Player of the Year for Northwest Arkansas following up on a disappointing 2011. He spent some time on the disabled list at Double A, and again after being promoted to Triple A after fouling a pitch off that came back and hit him in the face. He’d hit .301/.376/.413 across all levels.

Michael Mariot, who was recently promoted to Triple A, was named the Pitcher of the Year at for the Naturals. He’s a right-handed pitcher who the Royals took in the 8th round in 2010 and has consistent numbers since joining the organization. He threw 113.2 innings in Double A this year with an ERA of 3.40 with a 1.240 WHIP.

Yordano Ventura is a rising prospect in the system. After striking out 98 batters in 76.1 innings for Wilmington and accumulating a 3.40 ERA, he was promoted to Double A, where he’s been since mid-July. He’s the High A level’s Pitcher of the Year, though a case could be made for Jason Adam (3.61 in 152 IP), though he wasn’t as dominant as Ventura.

Whit Merrifield, who was recently tabbed as one of the Royals Fall League players, is the Blue Rocks Player of the Year.

At Kane County, Angel Baez put up a 3.17 ERA in 96.2 innings. He’s a tall righty from the Dominican Republic who signed in 2008. He’s also the Cougars Pitcher of the Year. You can check out a scouting report here.

One of the prospects expected to break out this year, Jorge Bonifacio followed up winning Player of the Year in the Dominican Summer League in 2010 and last year’s Burlington Player of the Year. He hit .282/.336/.432 as a 19-year-old outfielder. Along with that, he hit ten homers, 20 doubles and six triples in 448 plate appearances. He’s an easy top ten prospect next year.

A couple of 2012 draftees earned the Idaho Falls Chukars distinctions. Ethan Chapman is the Player of the Year after a .313/.384/.409 line in 62 games in the short season league. The Royals second round pick, Sam Selman, ran away with the Pitcher of the Year honor. In all 12 appearances, the lefty has struck out more batters than innings pitched, totalling 84 in 55.1 innings since turning pro. He has a 2.11 ERA and is sure to be put at a more challenging level next season.

Colin Rodgers was the Royals third round pick in 2012. He’s also Burlington’s Pitcher of the Year as an 18-year-old after a 2.05 ERA in 48.1 innings. He didn’t strike out a lot (4.7 K/9) but batters couldn’t make good contact off of him (.226 batting average against).

Bubba Starling was the Player of the Year for Burlington after a promising first pro season. He had 10 homers in 53 games and finished the regular season with a .275/.371/.485 line and a big reason why the B-Town Bomb Squad is playing for the Appalachian League championship.

The Surprise (AZ) Royals named Matt Tenuta the Pitcher of the Year. He’s a 25th round pick from this year’s draft who didn’t have amazing numbers, but he only allowed one homer in 39.1 innings pitched. The AZL Royals also named Alexis Rivera the Player of the Year. He turned 18 in June, then went and hit .341/.413/.477 in his first pro league over 206 plate appearances. He’s 6’2″ and 225 pounds and could be an impact prospect in a couple of seasons.

Finally, the Dominican League’s Pitcher of the Year was Miguel Almonte, who was dominant over 50 innings of work, striking out 46 batters and walking only eight in the DSL. He threw another 27 innings and struck out 28, walking just five. Overall, he had a 1.75 ERA after both levels, with a 74/13 K/BB ratio.

The Player of the Year is Wander Franco, who won’t even be 18 years old until December. In 66 games, he drove in 38 runs, scored 44 of his own and had 21 extra base hits.

Some names are familiar, and some you may just be learning, but there were some impressive performances over the minor league season across all levels of the organization. Most of these players will be moved up a level next season. Some will move higher on prospect rankings, and hopefully, the strong performance continues. Selman could use a challenge, as he outmatched the Pioneer League. Bonifacio was a trendy breakout pick last year and didn’t disappoint. Rodgers jumped right into pro ball out of high school and had no problems at all.

The All-Stars in the Appy League were also announced this week and three Royals were named to the list. Patrick Leonard was named Third Baseman of the Year. He is tied for first in the league with 14 homeruns and is tied for third in RBIs. He had just three hits last week (3-for-26). Mark Threlkeld was named the DH of the Year. He is hitting .282 with ten homeruns and 40 RBIs. He went 6-for-29 (.207) last week (he played in all nine games). Bubba Starling made the year-end All-Star team as a utility outfielder. He is hitting .283 with ten homeruns and 33 RBIs to go along with ten stolen bases. He went 6-for-19 (.316) last week. Tommy Shields was named Manager of the Year.

On the pitching front, the Royals have a few pitchers who are having solid seasons. Mark Peterson carries a 6-0 record with a 1.16 ERA into the season’s final week. Last week in three appearances (totaling 5.2 innings), he allowed two unearned runs on two hits while striking out seven. Daniel Stumpf has just a 0.94 ERA with five saves. In two appearances last week (two innings), he allowed two hits while striking out three. John Walter leads the Royals in saves with nine (and has a 2.36 ERA). His nine saves are second in the Appy League. In two appearances last week (totaling 2.2 innings), he did not allow a base runner while striking out four.

Despite losing his last start, Christian Binford has pitched well (2.03 ERA in eight starts). In his last start, he allowed just one run on four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out six. He is a Tommy John survivor, as he had it during his sophomore year of high school.

Idaho Falls went 3-4 last week and sit in last place in the South Division of the Pioneer League at 14-14 (though they are just 2.5 games back with ten to play). The Chukars have off today before their short two-game home series against Grand Junction.

Ethan Chapman has been “the” offensive star for the Chukars this season, despite his recent struggles (8 for his last 30). He is hitting .315 and is second in the league with 21 stolen bases (compared to just seven caught stealings). Chapman is also third in the league in triples with eight. He also has 28 walks compared to 36 strikeouts in 241 at-bats. Third baseman Diego Goris is in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak. Last week, he went 9-for-25 (.360) with six runs scored and five RBIs. Catcher Jin-Ho Shin went 5-for-18 (.278) with five RBIs.

2012 second round draft pick Sam Selman was named the Pioneer League’s Pitcher of the Year. He currently leads the league in ERA (2.11) and strikeouts (84), while carrying a 5-3 record. He has lost his last three starts and has struggled in his last two. Over those two starts last week (totaling eight innings), he allowed ten runs (six earned) on nine hits and six walks while striking out 11.

Selman is listed at 6’3″ and 190 lbs. from Austin, Texas.  He sports a fastball that ranges from 90-95 mph and also offers a slider and change up that both need some polishing up.  He certainly has the potential to be a power arm from the left side for the Royals in a few years.  It’s important for him to continue his development and throw more innings as he refines his delivery to one that is a bit more consistent.  One of his down falls throughout his collegiate career was the lack of consistency in his delivery and the walks that would follow.  It would seem as if he may have found a remedy as he has allowed only 16 walks through his first 47.1 professional innings pitched.

It’s still to be determined how fast Selman could rise through the minors, but he’s definitely pushing for his next promotion right now.  Selman is completely dominating the Pioneer League this summer.  His last 5 starts he has thrown 27 innings and tallied up 46 strikeouts while only allowing 11 walks and 13 hits.  These are some astonishing numbers and have to delight Royals fans who are constantly looking for promising young pitchers to someday grace the mound at Kauffman Stadium.

I already like the pick of the young Austin, Texas native.  In my opinion, drafting Selman was well worth it.  He shows tremendous upside and only has a few tweaks to make to his game, the most important being the consistency of his delivery.  While, like most pitchers, his secondary pitches need a little work, they are still very formidable for the lower minor leagues.  However, to hold up in the upper minors and in the big leagues, he will need his slider to be sharper and his changeup to fade.  This should come with more seasoning in the minors and more repetition.

I’m hoping to give Selman the praise he deserves so far, as well as bring his name to light to other Royals fans.  I’m very excited we had the opportunity to take this kid, and I’d love to see him turn into a great number 2 or 3 starter for us down the line.  Realistically, I think that will be his calling as he continues to develop into a very promising young hurler.  Also feel free to give Sam a follow on his twitter page @crazylegsselman

Burlington

Mark Threlkheld has cracked the top ten in hitting in the Appy League (tenth) with a .294 batting average. He has 33 RBIs, which ranks him ninth (in a tie). He went 6-for-23 (.261) with five runs scored and four RBIs. Patrick Leonard is tied for second in the Appy League in RBIs with 42 and dropped to second place in homeruns with 13 (he hit just one last week). He did hit .333 (8-for-24) last week. Fred Ford is third with 12 homeruns (one of his three hits last week).

It was another tough week for prospect Bubba Starling. He went 4-for-23 (.174) with 12 strikeouts.

Daniel Hernandez is ninth in the Appy League in ERA (3.64) and he leads the Royals in innings pitched (59.1 innings). He’s been getting roughed up a bit as of late. Last week, he allowed six runs on 11 hits over two starts (12.2 innings). The strikeout to walk ratio still continues to be great (13 to 2 last week). Yender Caramo is right behind Hernandez in innings pitched (59). Last week, he made one start and allowed just one run over six innings. He did allow nine hits, but did not walk a batter while striking out four.

Reliever Daniel Stumpf has been dominant throughout the 2012 season for the Royals. It was no different in his two appearances last week. Over four innings, he allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out four.

Idaho Falls went 3-4 last week. The Chukars are tied for second place in the South Division of the Pioneer League at 11-10. They also return home for a nine-game homestand (around an off day). Of the Chukars losses last week, only one was by more than three runs.

The top offensive performers for the Chukars have cooled off a bit. Ethan Chapman dropped to .322, as he only played in three games (3-for-11 with four RBIs). Nick DelGuidice dropped his average to .298, as he 4-for-17 with three RBIs. Adalberto Mondesi‘s average dropped to .285 after going just 4-for-26 with 13 strikeouts.

The one positive on offense for the Chukars last week was third baseman Diego Goris. He went 7-for-20 (.350) with seven runs scored and six RBIs.

Check out MiLB’s feature on 2012 second round draft pick Sam Selman, who leads the Pioneer League in ERA (1.31) and strikeouts (73). In his one start last week (August 14th), he allowed one run on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out 11.

Cory Hall made two relief appearances last week and allowed three hits over 2.1 scoreless innings. He struck out three.

The Nationals were 69-93 in 2010. They were 80-81 last year. Today, they have the best record in the big leagues and, not coincidentally, their starting pitching has given up the least amount of runs in the league. Similarly, Tampa Bay, Oakland and Pittsburgh are all in the top ten among starting rotations in runs allowed per game and are in the playoff hunt.

The Royals scored more runs in 2000 than any other Royals team in franchise history. Their 879 runs scored eclipsed the old record of 856 runs set in – wouldn’t you know it?  - 1999. In those two seasons, they scored 1735 runs. They won 141 games and lost 192. The offense was around the top third in all of baseball, but the pitching staffs gave up the second most runs in the majors in 1999 and the third most in 2000. A strong offense can’t erase awful pitching.

Now, the Royals find themselves with a lineup that feels like it should be able to produce runs over the long-term (or at least, that’s what the scouts say), but the key to success will be pitching, specifically starting pitching.

That’s as true today as it was on the last day of the season in 2011 as it was on the first day that pitchers and catchers reported. The Royals entered 2012 needing pitching and in the middle of August, they still need starting pitching. Injuries have hurt. If all goes well with recovery, they should see Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino return next July or so, but their contributions may only have an impact if he Royals can manage to piece together some winning months prior to the duo’s return.

The team’s relative inactivity in the offseason to add significant depth to a potential rotation gives me pause about hoping for significant upgrades in the rotation, although some may be on the Royals radar this winter. The Royals ideal situation is to develop pitching via the farm system as the Rays have done with James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson et al; like the Nationals have done with Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler. Hopefully, the Royals go after some of the arms available in free agency or through trade because, in the meantime, while there are a number of strong performances in the minor leagues by pitchers who compose what could be the next wave of talent, most aren’t ready to make the jump yet.

Jake Odorizzi has a rotation spot waiting for him in KC. (Photo Credit: Minda Haas)

Jake Odorizzi has performed well since his promotion to Omaha, allaying concerns that he might struggle early in a tougher league. Last year, he’d racked up 108 strikeouts in 78.1 innings for Wilmington, but became homer-prone in the Texas League and ended his 12 start stint in Northwest Arkansas with a 4.72 ERA. He started his 2012 season back in Double A, put in seven good starts and earned a promotion.

Since then, he’s been putting up good numbers in Omaha, capped off by an outing on Tuesday where he went 6.2 innings before allowing a hit. In 89.1 innings in Triple A, he’s got a 2.92 ERA (though his walk rate is up and he’s giving up more hits, so there could be some good fortune in that ERA). He’s a flyball pitcher, so it will likely make him home run prone once he gets to the big leagues, but he can miss enough bats and should have pretty good control to allow him to limit damage. He projects as a number three starter with some upside and should get to Kansas City in September for a couple appearances.

Another prospect to dream on is John Lamb, who has finally made it back to the mound. He underwent Tommy John surgery last June and in the process of maintaining his conditioning, aggravated a tendon in his ankle and had to hold off on game action.

On Tuesday, he started for the Arizona Royals in Surprise, throwing a scoreless inning and striking out two. A batter reached on an error, but Lamb gave up no hits or walks.

The Royals will probably be very patient with him for the rest of this season, just getting him worked back into game speed. I think we’d all like to see him make a start at each level until he got back to Double A, but I think he’ll work within the rookie levels, then into instructional leagues. J.J. Picollo said on a recent Royals TV broadcast that they’re looking for Lamb to start in Double A next year and be on the fast track. Lamb’s got a good shot to make that happen – he’s been touted for his temperament before even being drafted, and has come back from significant injury before. He might see Kansas City late in 2013, possibly on a similar path as Odorizzi has been on this year of a few starts for the Naturals, a long stint in Omaha and then Kansas City in late August or as a September callup.

Yordano Ventura

Yordano Ventura is another guy to keep an eye on. He’s possibly got the most upside of any starter in the system, but those types usually have some risk. In his case, the Royals are probably going to have to resist the urge to turn him into a reliever if he encounters any bumps in the road. He’s small (listed at 5’11″ 140 pounds, though he looks like he’s filled out since) and the perception is that smaller pitchers are fragile or can’t hold up to the rigors of 200 inning seasons.

That being the case, he has the potential to be a high strikeout pitcher if he starts, has shown decent control, and has the type of stuff that misses bats. He can hurl a fastball into the triple digits, his curveball is developing into a solid secondary pitch and his changeup could be more than adequate. He’s currently on the disabled list in Double A with carpal tunnel symptoms in his wrist, but should finish the year there, start back there next year and hit Omaha in the summer months.

Of course, Kyle Zimmer should be in this discussion. The Royals first rounder in 2012 is only 20 years old coming out of college and has already started to shine in Low A Kane County’s rotation. He’s made eight pro starts, building up 33.2 innings, striking out 39 batters and walking just seven. He’s also been getting a decent amount of grounders in his short pro career. Strikeouts plus low walk totals plus groundball tendencies are great components for a future star to have. He’s had one rough start of those eight, but all of his others have been dominant. He’ll start next year at High A Wilmington and might be up in mid-2014 if he keeps rolling.

One pitcher who needs a new challenge is Sam Selman. The lefty from Vanderbilt has been destroying the Pioneer League and will hopefully get a shot at a higher level to see how his dominance continues. He’s striking out 13.9 batters per nine innings at Idaho Falls.

Kyle Smith struck out 11 batters in five innings in his first pro start for Idaho Falls and was moved to Kane Country afterwards. He’s continued to perform well there, making nine starts and striking out 58 batters in 45.2 innings. He has nearly a 5/1 K/BB ratio as a pro. He’ll turn 20 next month and isn’t the big, tall pitcher the Royals usually go for as a starter, but he deserves a look as he moves up the minor league ladder. His best start came two weeks ago when he went seven scoreless innings, gave up just three hits and struck out 12 while walking none against Cedar Rapids. More of that, please.

Jason Adam

Another good arm in the system is Jason Adam. He started the season off well for Wilmington, hit some rough patches in May and June, but has righted the ship and is pitching well. His 5-11 record is deceiving, as he’s hardly gotten any run support in most of his starts, best demonstrated by a May 19 start when he went six innings, struck out seven and gave up two runs, and the Blue Rocks got no-hit. He’s surpassed seven innings in six starts to lead Wilmington and has a good share of 6+ IP starts as well.

As a result, he’s probably thrown too many innings to get anything more than a courtesy start in Double A. At 141 innings this year, he might be shut down soon. He’s a strong candidate to start the year in Double A next year after demonstrating enough ability to miss bats (7 K/9) and prevent walks (2 BB/9) this year while also inducing his share of ground balls. He has good stuff, but it’s not dominating, though he’s been adding velocity recently. He’s hit the mid-90s with his fastball before, and if he can build up to that level, it gives him more upside. He’s another guy who scouts suggest could be a #3 starter down the line.

Unfortunately, for the moment, this is all just dreaming on these guys, because Odorizzi’s the closest to the big leagues and won’t have much time in the big leagues if at all by next spring and it may keep him from making the team out of Surprise. Lamb and Ventura will probably hit Triple A next year, but among Zimmer, Adam, Selman and Smith, there’s not a single pitch at the Double A level yet. That puts them some ways away from the big leagues.

Ideally, the Royals will be able to add these arms to the mix in the future. They won’t have much impact next season so if the Royals are to build up their rotation (which they need to do), they’ll have to go after those free agent targets. They may have to put one of these arms into a trade to get a better return on a starter with another team. The Royals want to bring their star starters up from the minor leagues and have a homegrown staff, and that’s commendable, but for the moment, unless Mike Montgomery (5.71 ERA in 41 innings after his demotion to Double A) or Chris Dwyer (6.21 ERA in Omaha) figure things out – sooner rather than later – the homegrown pipeline of pitching talent will remain a pipe dream.

Burlington

Outfielder Alex Hudak joined the Royals from the AZL and has been on fire over his first six games. He went 7-for-16 with four doubles, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Bubba Starling has struggled a bit at the plate, as he went 6-for-25 (.240) with a double, a homerun, two runs scored, and four RBIs. He struck out 12 times and broke his strikeout streak on Sunday (six straight games).

Patrick Leonard still leads the Appy League in homeruns with 12 (though there is now a tie). Fred Ford is third with 11 and Kenny Diekroeger and Starling are tied for fourth with eight homeruns. Terrance Gore still leads the league in stolen bases with 27 and has only been caught twice. He also leads the league in runs scored with 41.

John Walter made three appearances this past week and picked up two saves (he now has eight). Two of those appearances (2.1 innings) were perfect. Over 4.1 innings, he allowed one run on two hits while striking out two.

Idaho Falls sits in second base in the second half (9-8), one game back in the South Division of the Pioneer League. The Chukars went 4-2 last week. They begin a seven-game road trip against Billings tonight.

Ethan Chapman continues to be the Chukars top hitter (.325), but struggled last week (5-for-27). Adalberto Mondesi has surged over .300 (.307 to be exact). He went 8-for-22 (.364) last week with five runs scored. Shortstop Nick DelGuidice has also surged over .300 (.308). He went 9-for-19 (.474) with four doubles, a triple, five runs scored, and six RBIs.

2012 draft pick Sam Selman leads the Pioneer League in strikeouts with 62 (compared to just 15 walks). He made one start last week and allowed just one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out 11.

Joe Lopez made two appearances for the Chukars last week. He allowed three hits over four shutout innings of relief. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Burlington went 2-4 this past week. Despite the losing record over the week, the Royals still sit atop the East Division of the Appalachian League at 27-13 (good for a four game lead). They finish up their series with Pulaski today.

There is still no hitter hitting above .300, but uber-prospect Bubba Starling is the closest at .298. Over the last week, he went 8-for-25 (.320) with three homeruns and five RBIs. The strikeouts are still an issue (eight in 25 at-bats). He now has seven homeruns total.

Speaking of homeruns, Fred Ford hit another one this week to tie teammate Patrick Leonard atop the leaderboard in the Appalachian League with 11. Leonard now has 32 RBIs, which ranks him fifth. Ford has watched his average climb to .281, as he went 6-for-18 (.333) this past week. Kenny Diekroeger also hit another homerun, his eighth, to keep him fourth in the league.

Mark Threlkeld had a big game on August 2nd in the Royals 15-5 win. He went 4-for-6 with five RBIs.

Colin Rodgers now qualifies for the top pitching categories with his 34.1 innings pitched. He is second in the league with a 1.83 ERA in eight starts. The third round pick of the Royals this past June has allowed just 21 hits and one homerun so far in his professional debut.

Idaho Falls went 3-4 this past week. In the second half, the Chukars are 4-4, good for a tie for second place in the South Division of the Pioneer League. They finished the first half in third place at 17-21. They begin a three-game series tonight against Ogden.

Ethan Chapman has raised his average to .347, but dropped to ninth in the league in batting average. He continues to be the Chukars leading hitter. This past week, he went 10-for-27 (.370) with six runs scored.

Sam Selman lowered his ERA to 1.49, but struggled with his control in his last start. He allowed an unearned run on two hits over four innings with seven strikeouts. The problem was, he walked five. Fellow 2012 draft pick Alec Mills made two solid starts last week. Over 11 innings, he allowed four runs on six hits and no walks while striking out 13. Unfortunately, he picked up a loss on Sunday.

Two back end relievers have been pitching well: Joe Lopez and Cory Hall. They have combined for five saves. In two relief outings last week, Lopez allowed just three hits over four scoreless innings. He struck out five. Hall allowed just one hit over 2.2 innings while striking out four (three appearances).

Despite the successful week, the Royals do not have a .300 hitter. They do, however, hit homeruns. Patrick Leonard leads the league with 11. He also has 29 RBIs, which ranks him sixth in the league. Teammate Fred Ford is second with ten homeruns. Kenny Diekroeger is fourth with seven. Terrance Gore gives the team some speed, as he leads the league with 18 stolen bases (he has been caught twice). That speed has led to him leading the league in runs scored (31).

Daniel Hernandez and Patrick Conroy have anchored the starting rotation (they are a combined 5-0). Hernandez is 8th in the league in ERA (2.70 in seven starts). Conroy carries a 3.27 ERA in five starts (seven appearances). The two have combined for 59 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 69.2 innings.

In 12 relief appearances, John Walter is tied for second in the league in saves with six. He is also 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA. Walter has struck out 22 in 15.1 innings.

And for all of you out there who want to know how THE prospect is doing, Bubba Starling is hitting .292 with four doubles, two triples, four homeruns, 20 runs scored, and 18 RBIs. The strikeouts have been a bit of an issue (29 in 96 at-bats compared to 15 walks).

Idaho Falls wasn’t as successful as Burlington, but they ended up with a 6-6 record. The Chukars finished the first half with a 17-21 record (third place). The second half in the Pioneer League has just begun and the Chukars are 1-0, good for a tie of first place in the South Division.

Ethan Chapman is the Chukars top hitter, as he ranks eighth in the league in hitting (.342). The outfielder brings the speed: he has five triples, 30 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. His strikeout to walk ratio is also good (17 walks to 21 strikeouts). He is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.

Their catching combination of Parker Morin and Jin-Ho Shin have been putting up respectable numbers. Morin is hitting .280 in 28 games, while Shin is hitting .279 in 34 games. Shin leads the team in homeruns (four) and doubles (ten).

On the pitching side, 2012 second round pick Sam Selman has led the way. He leads the league with a 1.67 ERA in six starts (seven appearances). In 32.1 innings, he has struck out 44 compared to just eight walks. Selman has allowed just 24 hits. He made two starts in the last two weeks and allowed just one run on five hits and three walks over 12 innings. He struck out 19.

Tonight we continue an exciting new venture for Kings of Kauffman and its podcast, the Royalman Report.

Jeff Logan of the Kansas City Baseball Historical Society joins forces with us to form the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Kansas City’s ESPN 1510 AM from 6-7 p.m. every Thursday night. Listeners can tune into traditional radio or streaming live on 1510.com.

Tonight’s guest is Bill Fischer, a former Kansas City Athletic (1961-1963) as a pitcher. He currently serves as the Royals special pitching assistant.

We’ll also go over what we’re watching for the rest of the season as the Royals spiral towards another 90-loss year.

It all starts at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN 1510 AM in Kansas City or 1510.com if you’re out of the area.

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.

The Royals top pick in this June’s draft, Kyle Zimmer, made his debut for the AZL Royals on July 13th. He allowed one run on two hits over two innings. He struck out three while not walking a batter.

Idaho Falls are 12-15, four games back in the Pioneer League’s South Division. From July 2-9, the Chukars went 3-4. From July 9-15 (which included a day off and a rain out), they went 2-4. One of those losses came to Orem, 20-6.

In his last ten games, catcher Parker Morin is hitting .424. Outfielder Ethan Chapman has a hit in seven of his last eight games (11-for-31). First baseman Rainier Bello has a hit in nine of his last ten games (10-for-31) with three doubles, a homerun, three runs scored, and four RBIs.

The Chukars have had shaky pitching and lost one of their best starters, Andy Ferguson, to a promotion to High-A Wilmington. Ferguson was 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts. 2012 second round draft pick Sam Selman made three starts, two solid ones over the last two weeks. In his past two starts, he allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits and four walks over 10.1 innings. He struck out 14.

Alec Mills made three relief appearances (though he hasn’t pitched since July 9th). He allowed two runs on nine hits and one walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight. Right-hander Ali Williams has been racking up the strikeouts so far for the Chukars (28 Ks in 22.1 innings). He made two starts over the last two weeks. In his last start (July 12th), he struck out 11 over six shutout innings. He only allowed three hits and one walk.

The Burlington Royals are just one game back in the East Division of the Appalachian League at 14-9. From July 2-8, the Royals went 6-1.

Bubba Starling‘s big game came on July 2nd, when he hit two homeruns (the first of his career) and drove in six runs. He picked up two hits the next day, but has struggled a bit since (3-for-19 with eight strikeouts).

It must have seemed like forever since the Royals played a game this past week. Their July 9th game in Bluefield was suspended. Then, their three-game series in Kingsport was rained out. Then their first game in Princeton was postponed. The Royals finally got back on the field on Sunday, as they split a doubleheader against Princeton.

Terrance Gore has struck out 13 times so far this season, but has cut back as of late (just three over his last eight games). In that span, he is 8-for-31 (.258) with three walks and four stolen bases. Kenny Diekroeger (the 4th round pick this year), was 10-for-31 (.323) with three homeruns, six runs scored, and six RBIs. Patrick Leonard leads the Royals in homeruns with seven, but hit just one over his last eight games (8-for-30).

Unlike the Chukars, the Royals have received very good pitching. They have three pitchers with ERA’s under two and three more with ERA’s under three.

Daniel Hernandez has been very good since returning from Tommy John surgery. He made three starts over the last two weeks, totaling 17.1 innings. He allowed four runs on 11 hits and just two walks while striking out 17. Colin Rodgers made one start (July 6th) and pitched six hitless innings (the lone baserunner came via a hit batter). He struck out three.

Daniel Stumpf, who retrieved both of Starling’s homerun balls for Bubba, is also pitching pretty well. He’s carrying a 0.84 ERA over six relief outings (he hasn’t pitched since July 8th). In his two most recent outings, he allowed three hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out six. Jossiel Martinez is making his professional debut in the US. In his last two relief outings, he has allowed just one run on four hits and one walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out six.

Patrick Conroy made one start (July 4th) and picked up the win. He allowed two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

Idaho Falls is 4-3 to start the Pioneer League season, two games back in the South Division. They have seen a few players already promoted to Low-A Kane County (Jack Lopez, Julio Aparicio, Bryan Brickhouse, and Kyle Smith).

2012 30th round pick Ethan Chapman is hitting .360 over six games (9-for-25). He has two triples and six RBIs. Catcher Parker Morin (2012 14th round pick) is hitting .333 in four games.

The Chukars have quite a few 2012 draft picks in the pitching ranks, six to be exact. Kevin Allen (23rd round) has made two appearances out of the bullpen, while picking up a save. He has allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks. Alec Mills (22nd round) has also made two relief appearances. Over three innings, he has allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits. Sam Selman (2nd round) picked up a win in one relief appearance (2.2IP, H, 0R, 0BB, 3K).

Zeb Sneed (11th round), one of the best names to be drafted this year, has made two appearances (one start). Over six innings, he allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three. Matthew Strahm (21st round) has made two relief appearances. He allowed six runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks over 1.2 innings. Andrew Triggs (19th round) has also made two relief outings (3.2 innings). He has allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out three.

Burlington is 4-2 in the Appalachian League, one game back in the East Division.

Dan Hernandez returned from Tommy John surgery and pitched five perfect innings in his first start. 2012 draft pick Patrick Conroy (32nd round) has pitched in two games (one start). He has allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. Fellow 2012 draft picks Daniel Stumpf (9th round) and Colin Rodgers (3rd round) have yet to allow a run. Stumpf has pitched four innings over two relief appearances. He walked just one while striking out two (no hits allowed). Rodgers has made one start (two innings). He allowed one hit and two walks while striking out two.

Catcher Beau Maggi has seen some more playing time with the injury to Cameron Gallagher (injured his hand on catcher’s interference). Maggi, a 2012 24th round pick, is 0-for-14 in five games, though he has walked five times. Gallagher was 2-for-12 with two RBIs in four games before getting hurt. Stanford 2012 draft pick (4th round) Kenny Diekroeger has played in three games (1-for-15) at second base. 2012 7th round pick, outfielder Fred Ford, is 4-for-19 in five games.

The power hitter for the Royals is third baseman Patrick Leonard, who has four homeruns in six games (four of his six hits). He was a 5th round pick in 2011 and is in his first professional season.

Some key names:

2011 first round pick Bubba Starling will be in Burlington, North Carolina to start his professional career. He’s been in Arizona working with the Royals as he refines his skills. Starling has a ton of upside, but he’s raw. Bryce Harper is younger and already excelling in the big leagues, but Starling had his attention diverted between football, basketball and baseball. He’s the best athlete in the entire Royals organization, but there’s some risk that baseball acumen never matches his tools. If it does, though, his potential is limitless.

This year’s first round pick, Kyle Zimmer, will stay in Arizona to start out as he nurses hamstring and groin injuries from the end of his college season. Once he’s recovered there, he’ll likely end up in Idaho Falls but could end up in Kane County. He might be able to get five or six starts in this year.

Two key international signees will start in Idaho Falls, as outfielder Elier Hernandez and shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (the Torpedo Boat). Both were among the top Dominican players available last July. They have a ways to go, as Hernandez, the elder, doesn’t even turn 17 until November.

2011 draft picks Bryan Brickhouse, Kyle Smith (both pitchers) and shortstop Jack Lopez are in Idaho as well, and while there hasn’t been an official announcement that I’ve seen that he’s signed, 2012 second round pick left-handed pitcher Sam Selman out of Vanderbilt is listed on the Chukars roster.

Last year’s second rounder, catcher Cameron Gallagher, will join Bubba Starling in Burlington. They’ll be joined by other names like pitcher Jake Junis, shortstop Humberto Arteaga and 2012 draftees Colin Rodgers (a left-handed pitcher from the third round) and outfielder Fred Ford (seventh round). The ninth round pick, Daniel Stumpf (another lefty) will be in Burlington as well. Their fourth round pick, Ken Diekroeger, signed earlier today and could possibly go to Idaho Falls.

Other notables:

The Royals have nine of their top ten picks from 2012 signed. The official announcement is still pending on Selman but it’s safe to assume he’s in the fold. Catcher Chad Johnson is still listed as being in Arizona, and pitcher Zach Lovvorn and outfielder Alexis Rivera are there too. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado signed but, seeing as how he’s the youngest player selected in the draft, he’ll probably be in Arizona receiving further instruction.

The full roster assignments as of Thursday are linked below:

• Arizona Royals
• Burlington Royals
• Idaho Falls Chukars

For those near Pulaski, Virginia or traveling that way, Bubba Starling should be in the lineup on June 19th for the Burlington Royals first game at 7:05 p.m. EST on the road against the Pulaski Mariners. He’ll debut in Burlington against Elizabethton on the 22nd.

Of their 14 picks on Tuesday, eight come out of high school and half of their picks were pitchers.

Their full draft through 15 rounds:

1. Kyle Zimmer – RHP – San Francisco
2. Sam Selman – LHP – Vanderbilt
3. Colin Rodgers – LHP – High school (Louisiana)
4. Kenny Diekroeger – SS – Stanford
5. Chad Johnson – C – High school (Illinois)
6. Zachary Lovvorn – RHP – High school (Alabama)
7. Fred Ford – OF – Jefferson College (Missouri)
8. Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado – OF – High school (Florida)
9. Daniel Stumpf – LHP – San Jacinto College (Texas)
10. Alexis Rivera – OF – High school (Florida)
11. Zebulon Sneed – RHP – Northwest Nazarene College (Idaho)
12. Jackson Willeford – 2B – High school (California)
13. Hunter Haynes – LHP – High school (Missouri)
14. “Parker” Mike Morin – C – Utah
15. Dylan Sons – LHP – High school (Virginia)

Of the seven pitchers selected on Tuesday, five are left-handed, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s followed the Royals. They love left-handed pitching in the draft.

Selman didn’t pitch much in many innings at Vanderbilt until this year when he settled into the role. MLB.com wonders if he’ll sign or return to Vanderbilt for his last year while they also note that his secondary pitches could use refinement. He struck out 80 batters in 76 innings during his junior season.

Kenny Diekroeger is interesting. He turned down big money before going to Stanford in the past, but looked like a top 10 pick at one point. If he finally signs this time, he could be a few refinements from pushing Christian Colon and Johnny Giavotella at second (where most think he’ll end up rather than shortstop).

Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado has an awesome name and just turned 17 in February. He could be interesting but that’s way down the line.

Daniel Stumpf struck out 108 batters in 111 innings in junior college. Dylan Sons was described as a “projectible lefty” by Royals scout Lonnie Goldberg.

The Royals haven’t selected a college senior yet, which has seemed to be a trend through the first 15 rounds. The Royals have around $6.2 million to allot to their first ten selections. Some of the risk noted by draft commentators is that underclassmen have some leverage to ask for a higher bonus, so the Royals may not sign all of their top 10 (which isn’t that unusual most years for any team).

They’ll look to continue to add depth and find those hidden gems in the last 25 rounds of the draft starting Wednesday at 11 a.m. CST on  MLB.com. The crew at Seedlings to Stars is going through draft selections as well while they follow the action.