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-USA TODAY Sports

Under the rules of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams are allowed to carry a 26th man for a day/night double header. Earlier on Saturday, it was announced that the Royals would face the Red Sox at their scheduled time of 12:35 p.m. CST on Sunday and then again that evening at 6:00 p.m. to make up Friday’s game, which was postponed due to the unusual circumstances in Boston and the hunt for a suspected terrorist.

Smith has been pitching well in Omaha, covering 16 innings in three starts for the Storm Chasers. He’s allowed five earned runs, good for a 2.81 ERA and has struck out 23 batters, walking just six. His last start was on April 16, so this lines up with his next scheduled day. Ned Yost has already hinted that he’ll likely be pitching Ervin Santana in the early game and Jeremy Guthrie in the late game. Luis Mendoza‘s last start was scheduled to be skipped after a scheduled off day on Thursday, so the Royals find themselves loaded with long relief options if either starter falters early. Bruce Chen would also be available.

The Royals starters have mostly been successful through the first three weeks of the year, but Smith was one of the better performers during spring training before being optioned down to Triple A. Smith struck out ten in 11 innings in Surprise, allowing two earned runs. Last year, Smith made 16 starts in the big leagues, with a 5.32 ERA in 89.2 innings.

However, after looking over projections, it struck me that Will Smith fits in nicely as a starting rotation option relative to others. To this point, we know what Bruce Chen will be. He’ll have some good games. He’ll have some bad ones. He’ll settle in nicely as a #5 starter if he can get through six innings a start and get a quality start most times out. That’s fine. It’s bland, it’s uninspired, but it’s fine. There’s not a lot of upside to starting Bruce Chen. The league isn’t going to be surprised by Bruce Chen.

Similarly, Hochevar’s struggles for consistency have been well-documented here as well as in the traditional media. The only sort of consistency he has is his inconsistency. It’s maddening. He’s a former number one overall pick. He’s shown the ability to have fantastic starts at times. Starts that get everyone back on the bandwagon. But it’s difficult to trust what he can do. Plus, he’ll turn 30 this season, so that does limit some of his upside. I suppose it’s not too late, but who can blame a guy for being highly skeptical?

Jul 24, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Will Smith (53) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Knowing how the Royals operate, they’ll give either of those two the first crack at the last spot in the rotation. But Smith should get a look if either falters. Overall, his 2012 numbers look rough. His big league debut in Yankee Stadium went poorly after he gave up three homers in 3.1 innings. He followed that up with a good second showing, but gave up another three homers to the Minnesota Twins on June 4 and with the Royals playing starting pitcher roulette, he was sent back to Omaha with a 9.00 big league ERA.

He gave up another nine runs in 10.1 innings over his next two starts once he returned to Triple A.

Some were claiming that throwing him into the fire of Yankee Stadium intimidated him. Broke his confidence. Maybe there was a bit of that going on – Smith gets hit hard in New York, gets sent down, tries to make it up. Maybe he tries too hard and it follows him to Triple A. But after his shaky return to Omaha, he sorted things back out. Over four starts from June 26 to July 13, Smith threw 27.2 innings, struck out 29, walked only five and gave up just four earned runs. He earned his way back to the majors.

Once he made it back, Smith went right back into the starting rotation and stayed there through the end of the season. He made it through at least six innings in eight of his final thirteen starts and over that return stretch had an ERA of 4.64 (and a full season ERA of 5.32). Not great, of course, but the second stretch gives hope that he can be productive. Smith is only 23 years old and turns 24 in July. In the minors, he showed good control (2.1 BB/9) and could harness it again going forward. He’s been able to get ground balls throughout his professional career and has a decent record (in the minors) of keeping the ball in the park (and after he returned to Kansas City, he gave up only six more homers in 75.2 innings after July 19.

The Royals like Smith’s makeup and if he can progress a little, he should at least equal a potential contribution of Hochevar or Chen. He outperformed Hochevar’s ERA last season as it is and wasn’t far off from Chen’s 5.07. Right now, the choice might look like Hochevar or Chen, but it doesn’t have to be.

I don’t expect Smith to break out of spring training and win a spot in the rotation. This is where roster trickery steps in. Smith has two options left, and unless there’s an injury or he vastly outperforms Chen and Hochevar in Surprise, he’ll start the year in Triple A where he can pitch on a regular schedule, but he’ll probably be the first starter called up if an opening comes up. Last year was the first season in which Chen surpassed 190 innings since 2005. Hochevar isn’t reliable (as the next terrible start is always lurking) and should be on a short leash. Luis Mendoza could step in, but the Royals seem content to stick with him in a long relief role. That makes Smith an easy option in that situation.

By the end of the 2013, season, Smith should be installed in the rotation. If he can progress, he may not be much more than a fourth starter on most teams, but league-average starters who can throw 200 innings a year are plenty valuable. Smith fits that bill nicely.

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:

August 9, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Will Smith (53) pitches in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Royals defeated the Orioles 8 – 2. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

Smith put runners two runners on to start an inning three times but managed to sneak out of each jam. In the first, the leadoff and second batter both singled, but a Perez throw to second on a stolen base attempt cut off Jamey Carroll for the second out and Smith struck out Justin Morneau to end the inning. In the fourth he gave up a hit and a walk but a double play got two outs and he got out of trouble again. Perez caught another runner stealing in the fifth after back to back walks opened the inning.The Twins never put together much of anything against him.

Along with the strikeouts, Smith got six outs via ground balls and only two from fly balls. Johnny Giavotella started a double play with a nice flip from his glove to Alcides Escobar at short, then he gloved a grounder up the middle with a backhand and threw the runner out.

Behind all that, the Royals bats came alive.

Lorenzo Cain got the first big hit in the second with a fly ball that Josh Willingham lost that went for a triple that scored Jeff Francoeur and Eric Hosmer. After a double to lead off the game and a single, Cain finished the night a homer short of the cycle. He was hit in the helmet by Luis Perdomo but was fine after shaking it off and scored on Escobar’s triple, the Royals third on the night.

The Royals pounded out 16 hits with five batters getting multiple hits. Hosmer and Giavotella were productive at the bottom of the order with three hits apiece. Hosmer doubled and homered to the opposite field and Giavotella ripped a double in to the left field gap and drove in a run on a single up the middle as well.

Perez filled up the stat sheet. He went 2-4, extending his hitting streak to 15 games (a team high), threw out two runners, advanced to third on a wild pitch and drove in a run.

The only Royal who didn’t get a hit was Mike Moustakas, but he still walked once, so every batter reached base. Cain is now 12 for his last 29, Perez is hitting .349 during his streak and Giavotella is 10-27 in the month of September.

Tomorrow night, the Royals will send Luke Hochevar against P.J. Walters. In Hochevar’s last start against the Twins, he was pulled after 1.2 innings after giving up eight runs. He threw 6.1 innings against the Rangers his last time out, giving up four runs.

Will Smith opens the series for the Royals tonight at Camden Yards against the Orioles. Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

These two teams haven’t seen each other since May 25-27 when they met at Orioles Park at Camden Yards. KC was coming off losing two-of-three in New York against the Yankees but after taking the series in Baltimore finished the trip beating the Indians twice in Cleveland on that nine game road trip.

Season Series …

KC trails the season series 3-2 but did win two of the previous three at Baltimore in May. The season series began in May with O’s coming to town taking the series winning both games.

Royals fans won’t forget the 15-inning game with Jonathan Broxton blowing the save and Nate Adcock saving the ‘pen. The next day Kansas City built a 3-0 lead that Luke Hochevar and crew couldn’t hold onto losing 5-3.

In the first game at Baltimore the birds knocked Bruce Chen out with a five run fifth en route to a 8-2 victory. Jason Hammel handcuffed KC in six innings no allowing a run on five hits while striking out seven. DH Chris Davis went 2-for-4 driving in three runs, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones drove in two runs each.

Game two of the series saw the Orioles again jump out to a lead of 3-0 but the Royals scored the game’s final four runs. Humberto Quintero of all players put KC ahead driving in Eric Hosmer with a double to the left. Hosmer extended the lead in the eighth driving in Mike Moustakas on a single, also to note Greg Holland picked up the win with Broxton the save.

The final game of the series was back and forth with the teams exchanging the lead. Hochevar took the no-decision going 4 2/3 innings striking out six. Jeff Francoeur gave the Royals the lead with a solo homerun and Quintero added an insurance run with another double that scored Alcides Escobar.

5/16 – Orioles 4 @ Royals 3 F/15
5/17 – Orioles 3 @ Royals 5
5/25 – Royals 2 @ Orioles 8
5/26 – Royals 4 @ Orioles 3
5/27 – Royals 4 @ Orioles 2

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):

Thursday, 6:05 pm – Will Smith (2-4, 6.00)  v. Wei-Yin Chen (10-6, 3.46)
- Smith will be seeing Baltimore for the first time in his career on Thursday night in his eighth MLB start.
- While 1-4 in his last five starts he’s gone 5+ four times, the lone win game at the Angels in which might be his best start going seven innings allowing one run on two hits.
- Chen took a no-decision in his May 27^th start against KC after going six innings and allowing two runs. He’s won his last two starts against Oakland and at Tampa Bay.
Friday, 6:05 pm – Luke Hochevar (7-9, 5.04) v. Miguel Gonzalez (3-2, 3.80)
- Hochevar is 0-1 with a ND this season against the O’s this season.
- In the start at Baltimore he threw 109 pitches striking out six, allowing seven hits.
- Gonzalez will be making his first career start against KC and has alternated wins/losses during his last five starts with the last being a win over Tampa Bay which he went seven innings.
Saturday, 6:05 pm – Luis Mendoza (5-8, 4.36) v. Chris Tillman (5-1, 2.38)
- Mendoza comes in as probably the Royals most consistent starter being 2-4 in his last six starts going back to July 4.
- His last two starts saw him go 7.1 innings both starts which he’s 1-1 (beat Cleveland and lost at Chicago).
- Tillman since losing his long game of 2012 has won four straight starts. Wins have come at Cleveland, Tampa Bay, at New York and Seattle, against the Mariners he went seven innings.
Sunday, 12:35 pm – Bruce Chen (8-9, 5.51) v. Tommy Hunter (4-7, 5.55)
- Chen suffered his fifth loss of the season on May 25 in Baltimore when he allowed six runs on seven hits going only four innings.
- In his career he’s 2-2 against the O’s in five career starts but has only thrown 25.2 innings.
- Hunter has losses in three of his last four starts with a no-decision at New York. On May 16 he also got a ND against the Royals at the K which he went seven innings.

Alex Gordon will look to continue his recent hot streak as the Royals visit Seattle for the only time this season. Photo Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

As mentioned the M’s were at the K just last week when they took three of four against Kansas City. Seattle traded Ichiro Suzuki earlier this week to the New York Yankees, who went 7-for-20 with five runs scored, one double and triple.

Season Series …

Ichiro wasn’t the only Mariner to hurt the Royals last week left fielder Casper Wells drove in seven runs over the four game series. Jesus Montero was 8-for-17 scoring five runs plus drove in eight runs against KC. Pitching wise the M’s got solid efforts from three of their four starters which was capped by Felix Hernandez eight inning performance.

In the opener Seattle put the final nail in the Jonathan Sanchez coffin scoring five first inning runs and knocking him out after an inning and a third. Jason Vargas went six innings allowing three runs but was picked up by his ‘pen allowing one run over the final three innings. Alex Gordon had three hits with Mike Moustakas providing two in the 9-4 defeat.

Game two was similar to game one with the Royals not getting a long outing from its starter when Ryan Verdugo made his MLB debut and only went 1 2/3 innings. Verdugo allowed six runs on eight hits in his rough debut. KC fought back from a six-run deficit twice in the game but ultimately lost 9-6, Lorenzo Cain had a two-run pinch hit home run.

Kansas City fell behind 1-0 in game three but tagged Kevin Millwood for three runs in the second inning. Gordon and Cain each drove in two runs and six of the seven Royals starters drove in a run in the 8-7 win, Bruce Chen took a no-decision. Billy Butler was the hero in the game with a walkoff HR to left centerfield.

Will Smith gave KC a 6 1/3 inning start which he struck out five walking just two in what was largely a good start. Facing King Felix proved difficult even with Kansas City getting eight hits, they were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays. Montero drove in four runs in the Mariners 6-1 victory.

7/16 – Mariners 9 @ Royals 4
7/17 – Mariners 9 @ Royals 6
7/18 – Mariners 7 @ Royals 8
7/19 – Mariners 6 @ Royals 1

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Thursday, 9:10 pm – Luis Mendoza (4-6, 4.31) v. Jason Vargas (10-7, 3.91)
- Mendoza picked up his first victory at home on Saturday night against the Twins going 6 1/3 well pitched innings in a 7-3 win.
- In his career he’s 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA against Seattle in four games which includes one start.
- Vargas has won his last three starts and has been given run support of 7 (at Oak), 9 (at KC) and 2 (at TB) runs in these starts. He hasn’t won at home since May 9, 2-1 against Detroit at Safeco Field.
Friday, 9:10 pm – Jeremy Guthrie (3-10, 6.49)  v. Blake Beavan (5-6, 5.54)
- Guthrie made his Royals debut on Sunday at home against the Twins allowing five runs in five innings, striking out four and walking three.
- He’s faced the Mariners ten times with each appearance being a start, his record is 2-6 both wins were complete games.
- Beavan threw last week at the K picking up the win going six innings, he allowed five runs and struck out three.
Saturday, 3:10 pm – Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.54) v. Kevin Millwood (3-8, 4.13)
- Chen’s last start came in the third game of the series last week in which he got the ND throwing 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits striking out six without issuing a walk.
- Last week was the first time in his career that Bruce faced the M’s.
- Millwood got rocked in during his five innings at Kansas City last week which he allowed seven runs on 10 hits. On June 8^th he was part of a combined no-hitter for the team against the Dodgers in Seattle.
Sunday, 3:10 pm – Will Smith (2-3, 6.26) v. Felix Hernandez (9-5, 2.80)
- Smith started Tuesday night in Anaheim going seven innings in the Royals 4-1 victory allowing just two-hits.
- He’ll get another shot at King Felix who he faced in the series finale last week where he worked into the seventh inning before being pulled.
- Hernandez like Smith pitched and won on Tuesday night the only game of the previous series for his team. Against the Yankees he went 7 1/3 innings allowed four hits and two runs.

Will Hosmer have another series like he did last time the Royals played the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

KC and LAA haven’t seen each other since the first week of the season when the Royals took two-of-three against the Angels. Los Angeles won the opening game before Kansas City took the next two, my how things have changed during the year for both franchises during the season.

Season Series …

In the season opener LA won 5-0 in a well pitched game from Bruce Chen but it was Jared Weaver who got the win as Aaron Crow took the loss. Erick Aybar hurt the boys in blue driving in three runs during the five run eighth which was the difference in game one.

The next day Kansas City touched up Dan Haren en route to a 6-3 victory evening up the series. Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4 driving in two, Eric Hosmer batting in the third spot was 2-for-5 which he scored twice with an RBI. Not to be forgotten Luke Hochevar went 6 1/3 innings allowing two runs with four strikeouts.

Easter was the last time these teams played with the Royals beating the Angels 7-3 moving to 2-1. KC struck Ervin Santana for three runs in the highlighted by Billy Butler hitting a two-run homer that brought in Hosmer. Country Breakfast and Hos combined for six of the seven runs Kansas City scored, Jonathan Sanchez picked up the win to show how long ago this was.

4/6 – Royals 0 @ Angels 5
4/7 – Royals 6 @ Angels 3
4/8 – Royals 7 @ Angels 3

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 9:05 pm – Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.57) v. C.J. Wilson (9-6, 2.82)
- Chen has two no-decisions in his last two starts for the Royals
- In his last start against the Mariners he left the game after 5 1/3 innings when Ned Yost might of left him in too long. Chen struckout six, allowing four runs on seven hits.
- Wilson who came over from the Rangers in the offseason will be facing the Royals for the first time this season. In his career he’s 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA against Kansas City in 13 career appearances.
Saturday, 9:05 pm – Will Smith (1-3, 7.97) v. Garrett Richards (3-1, 3.53)
- Smith who was drafted by the Angels in the seventh round of the 2008 draft will face his original team for the first time.
- Last week against the M’s he went 6 1/3 innings taking the loss giving up four runs on eight hits. He did strike out five walking just two Seattle hitters.
- Richards three wins have come against the Mariners, Diamondbacks and most recently the Tigers last week in Detroit. He went seven innings allowing three hits, striking out two with four walks.
Sunday, 2:25 pm – Luke Hochevar (6-8, 4.91) v. Jered Weaver (10-1, 2.20)
- Hochevar like Chen has no-decisions in his last two starts but the impressive stat is how he’s gone at least five innings in each of his last eight starts.
- Luke went seven innings against Minnesota on Friday night which the Royals lost 2-1 in 11 innings but struck out six without a walk allowing just a run.
- Weaver was masterful on Opening Night against KC and his only loss came on May 13 at Texas. Like Hochevar he went seven innings on Friday but picked up his 10^th win against the Rangers in Anaheim.

Wil Myers remained with the Storm Chasers following the All-Star break and went 2-for-3 with a double. Will Smith picked up the win with seven solid innings. He allowed one run on seven hits and a walk while striking out six.

NW Arkansas lost via a walk-off walk to Springfield, 2-1 in 13 innings. After a leadoff double and a fly out moved the runner to third base, the Naturals chose to intentionally walk the next two batters to load the bases. Problem was, they didn’t change pitchers and Ethan Hollingsworth walked the next batter on five pitches to drive in the winning run.

Both teams scored single runs in the 9th inning via solo homeruns. Paulo Orlando gave the Naturals a quick 1-0 lead with his third homerun of the season. Former Natural Jamie Romak hit his fourth homerun of the season with two outs in the bottom of the inning.

That negated the solid start by Michael Mariot, who did not allow a run over 7.2 innings. He allowed four hits while striking out three (though he walked four), but he threw just 79 pitches and wasn’t in trouble.

Manny Pina caught the first nine innings and went 0-for-4. The Naturals collected eight hits, but went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Jason Adam

The Wilmington Blue Rocks finally won with Jason Adam on the mound, as they beat visiting Potomac, 3-1. Adam finally picked up his second win of the season, as he allowed one run (a solo homerun) over seven innings.

The Blue Rocks collected eight hits, with the top two in the order (Angel Franco and Orlando Calixte) picking up four of them.

The P-Nats had rehabbing big leaguer Xavier Nady in the lineup again (no Drew Storen tonight) and he went 2-for-4.

Kane County received another stellar start from Angel Baez, as they beat South Bend, 2-1. Baez allowed an unearned run on two hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out ten.

Both teams only collected four hits and both teams scored their runs in the 4th inning.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling did not play again tonight as Burlington and Kingsport were once again postponed (that’s three in a row).

June 04, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Will Smith (53) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Omaha defeated Albuquerque, 6-0. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 6th inning when Wil Myers hit a three-run homerun.

Will Smith was dominant against the Isotopes, as he pitched six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and a walk while striking out nine. Ryan Verdugo made his second appearance out of the Storm Chasers bullpen, with one scoreless inning (he struck out two).

NW Arkansas beat Corpus Christi, 2-1. Sugar Ray Marimon earned his first Double-A victory with 5.2 scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits (though he walked four).

Naturals catcher Julio Rodriguez gave them the 1-0 lead with his first homerun of the season (he had two hits). Rey Navarro and Eric Duncan also had two hits.

Former Royal Kevin Chapman pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Hooks.

The one not-so-good start of the night came from Wilmington, but the Blue Rocks beat Frederick, 8-7. It got ugly in the 9th inning, as the Keys came back with three runs, but Sam Runion came in and picked up the two out save.

Matt Ridings picked up the win after 3.1 hitless innings of relief.

The Blue Rocks offense was alive, collecting 16 hits and going 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They hit three homeruns: Brett Eibner‘s tenth, Jose Bonilla‘s second, and Matt Fields‘ first. Angel Franco, Lane Adams, and Cheslor Cuthbert each had three hits. Only one starter did not pick up a hit (Geulin Beltre).

Kane County added four runs of insurance in the top of the 9th inning, as they beat Peoria, 7-2. Dean Espy hit a two out, three-run homerun in that inning.

Jason Mitchell earned the win, as he allowed two runs on seven hits over five innings. Jonathan Dooley followed that up with three scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit.

Bubba Watch: He got Sunday off, as Burlington lost 7-3.

Mike Moustakas homered and doubled twice. Eric Hosmer drove a ball deep the other way for a sacrifice fly, then doubled sharply into the gap later in the game. Jose Mijares struck out three in 1.1 innings. The Royals scored seven runs.

The bad news is that the Twins scored ten. Will Smith gave up three more homers. The Twins scored ten times.

The 10-7 loss is tough to swallow because the Royals had opportunities to score more.

Down 4-1 in the fourth, Johnny Giavotella led off against Cole De Vries, a 27-year-old rookie with a 4.01 ERA as a minor leaguer. Billy Butler ripped a hard single to left. Mike Moustakas hit his first double to drive in Giavotella and put runners on second and third with no outs.

Then the Twins tried to help the Royals out. Jeff Francoeur ripped a liner to short but Brian Dozier didn’t catch it and it slipped into left field. Eric Hosmer hit a chopper to Alexi Casilla, who slipped trying to make the play and everyone was safe. Three runs had scored, runners were on first and second and De Vries hadn’t been fooling anyone with the Royals getting a second look at him. Alcides Escobar, who’s actually been hitting all year and is third on the team in hits, came up and Ned Yost called a sacrifice bunt.

If I can borrow a line from Dennis Hopper – pop quiz hotshot, you have a batter hitting .300 and showing signs of being capable of putting the ball in play. The starting pitcher is on the ropes. His defense is falling apart behind him. Your next two batters are Jarrod Dyson and Humberto Quintero, your eighth and ninth batters. What do you do?

I’m not a fan of the bunt in general anyway, but in this case, to set up your last two batters – one with four extra base hits in 138 plate appearances to start the night and who’s struck out as many times as Eric Hosmer but in 2/3 the appearances (Dyson) and your catcher who was coming off of a May when he hit for a .578 OPS during the month (Quintero) – and with a pitcher about to fall apart, it shut down any momentum in the inning. Yost handed them a free out in the name of baseball convention.

Dyson and Quintero struck out looking to end the inning.

And no, I wouldn’t have felt any better about the bunt had either batter gotten a hit. You’ll have to take my word on that. It was another in a long line of free outs the Royals have given their opposition. Had the bunt been to set up Alex Gordon or Moustakas or Butler or Hosmer, perhaps I’d lighten my criticism. Still, on a night where the ball was carrying, the Royals starter was obviously shaky and it looked like the Royals were going to need runs, they gave up an out for a chance to manufacture one. Sometimes it’s okay to sit back and see if you can get a big inning. Maybe the result is the same, but the mean by which you get there are different, and that’s what’s important. It’s worth noting that Yost pinch-hit for Quintero in the ninth after expecting a “big hit” from him before.

Will Smith came back and gave up three more runs immediately after the Royals squandered their opportunity. After giving up a homer to Justin Morneau and with Louis Coleman ready Yost left Smith in. He gave up another homer to Trevor Plouffe, then was lifted.

The Royals tried to chip back into it in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

Kansas City will go back out tomorrow with Bruce Chen trying to even out the series. Francisco Liriano goes against him.

Season Series – Cleveland 4-2, Indians swept series in KC April 13-15 with Royals taking 2-of-3 April 24-26

Can Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur keep up their hot hitting in Cleveland to close the road trip? Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Since the last time – These two foes met roughly a month ago with KC taking two-of-three after getting swept by the Tribe to open the 2012 home slate. Last time the teams met Cleveland was 9-8 and tied for the AL Central lead since they’ve gone 17-13 and leads the division by half a game over the White Sox and the Royals by six and a half games. Kansas City left the last meeting with a 5-14 record and have gone 14-13 since.

Heading into the Match-Up – Over the weekend the boys in blue took the series against the AL East leading Orioles while the Tribe were swept on the Southside being outscored 25-16 over the three-game series.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Monday, 3:05 pm – Nate Adcock (0-2, 2.33) v. Josh Tomlin (1-2, 4.67)
- Adcock In the 15-inning loss to the O’s Nate threw a then season high five innings and gave up an Adam Jones bomb to left in the only run allowed by him. His other loss came in the only start he made against the Diamondbacks going five, surrendering just one run.
- Tomlin has won his last two starts beating the White Sox twice in a five day stretch earlier this month. He’s pitched once against the Royals losing 4-2 on April 26 going 4 2/3 innings.

Tuesday, 6:05 pm – Will Smith (0-1, 13.50) v. Justin Masterson (2-3, 4.62)
- Smith had a tough welcome to the show last week getting the ball at Yankee Stadium. In his first MLB start he went 3 1/3 allowing five runs on six hits.
- Masterson is 1-3 in his last four starts for the Indians going six innings in each appearance and into the seventh in his last two. In those starts he’s 1-1 with two no-decisions in the loss he allowed six runs in a 12-1 defeat at Boston.

Monday, 11:05 am – Bruce Chen (3-5, 4.81) v. Jeanmar Gomez (3-3, 3.94)
- Chen didn’t have his best stuff Friday night in Baltimore which was surprising given his previous starts. In the loss at Baltimore Bruce went just four innings allowing six runs on seven hits in his shortest outing since the loss at Minnesota.
- Gomez I’m sure Royals fans remember Mr. Gomez from the opening series at the K. In his last three starts Gomez is 1-1 with a ND winning against Miami but losing to Chicago on Friday night 9-3 allowing six runs.

In his first big league appearance, Smith gave up five runs in 3.1 innings. He surrendered three homers, including two to Alex Rodriguez, who had looked lost almost all season.

As a result, Twitter and Kansas City sports radio has blown up, questioning why Smith was called up, why he started, and wondering if he’s damaged goods after a poor outing.

To me, it’s a lot of overreaction.

Bad starts happen. Unfortunately for Smith, his happened in his big league debut and in Yankee Stadium. That amps up the attention, good and bad. Had he thrown seven shut out innings and looked great, both sources would be touting his ability to step coolly into any situation and handle the biggest pressures. Instead, now they treat him as if he’ll vanish off the face of the earth.

It’s all or nothing. Win or lose.

A popular comparison was to Eduardo Villacis, he of the legendary meltdown in his debut. Villacis made his major league debut on May 1, 2004 in Yankee Stadium. He gave up two runs in the first inning, got through the second with no damage, then walked  two and gave up a homer in the third. After one out and a base hit in the fourth, he was pulled.

And that’s all he’s ever done in the big leagues. Villacis never threw another big league pitch.

Will Smith, however, will get another chance at some point.

Smith isn’t a big time prospect. His ceiling is of a #4 starter, and he’s more like a #5. His stuff isn’t electric, but he does have some potential in that he hasn’t walked many in the minor leagues.

So he left some pitches up, got too much of the plate. It happens. The Royals can see how he handles that failure and if he’s learned what he can’t get away with at this level that he may have been able to get by with in the minors.

Results of Will Smith's pitches.

Many are treating Smith’s start as if it was under similar circumstances as the Villacis start.

Villacis was a 24-year-old who had hardly any experience past the High A level. He wasn’t much of a long-term option and was waived within the same season. Maybe he disappointed the Royals in that one spot start to the point that he had to go, but it’s safe to say that he had no real place in the Royals plans.

Smith has at least pitched in Triple A, both in the Royals and Angels organizations. He’s added a bit of velocity and added a slider and at 22 years old, still has time to figure it out. He’ll contribute at some level. He won’t be an All-Star and he’ll (likely) never start on Opening Day in the big leagues, but he’s a guy who could fill out the last spot in a starting rotation.

Now, if he goes out and gets another start and blows up again and still hits the middle of the plate all game and doesn’t adjust, well, he’s probably headed back to Omaha once Everett Teaford is off the disabled list. If he can correct mistakes, he might be in the rotation all year.

Yankee Stadium is an intimidating place to make your debut, but if Smith is going to be a full-time big leaguer, he’s going to be pitching there at some point. The Royals saw how he performed and now have information to evaluate him later.

This same kind of situation arises with other players. Luke Hochevar gets rocked to start the year and he’s given up on, then rebounds with some good starts. While we’ve all seen that scenario before, but with whatever the most recent result happens the be, the reaction starts to get extreme. “Cut him” or “he’s figured it out” are the common reactions. It happens with any bad outing or good outing for whatever pitcher.

I guess that investment is good to see from fans, but it tends to get out of hand. Will Smith isn’t Eduardo Villacis. He’ll have his share of good and bad appearances. Maybe he never pans out, but at this point, he’s somewhat in the Royals plans. They’ve mentioned him at various points and he saw time in spring training with the major league team.

Let’s let the kid have a second chance before he’s lumped into the bin of forgotten Royals.

Will Smith in Omaha. Photo by Minda Haas (mindahaas.net)

Weird rumors bounced around Twitter as random user @RyanMFKovacs tweeted that his friend was being called up to the Royals. When asked by someone who that friend was, he answered Will Smith. No official word came from the Royals until later in the afternoon, as moves had to be made to get Smith on the roster.

Chris Getz has been fighting a hurt rib and was placed on the 15 day disabled list. To open up a spot on the 40 man roster, Blake Wood, who’ll undergo Tommy John surgery, was moved from the 15 day to 60 day DL.

Smith joined the team in New York Tuesday. The Royals announced after the team’s loss that Smith would get the start on Wednesday.

His response?

“Same game. Bigger stadium.”

Smith had a 4.01 ERA in Omaha in 2012 over 51.2 innings pitched. His best asset is control, as over 96 starts and 564.2 innings he has a 2.1 BB/9. In 2012, his walkrate was 2.3 BB/9, but if one were to omit his first start on Omaha’s opening day* his walkrate improves to 1.29 BB/9.

*Smith walked six in three innings – an uncharacteristic line for his track record. Sure, you can’t just ignore it, but if you could…

The tall lefty throws strikes and has given up hits in Omaha, but after injuries to Jonathan Sanchez and Danny Duffy the Royals are in need of arms and want to keep a crew of long relievers on hand while the rotation tries to stabilize. Smith’s stuff consists of a low-90s fastball, a decent changeup and a slider which he’s developed since coming over with Sean O’Sullivan in the Alberto Callaspo trade in July of 2010.

Smith made two appearances in spring training with the Royals, pitching four innings with no runs allowed while striking out two and walking none.

Omaha opened up at home, kicking off their second season in Werner Park (and as the “Storm Chasers’) with a come from behind 8-4 win over Albuquerque.

Clint Robinson scored three times and had two doubles, while Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in three with two doubles. Johnny Giavotella went 2-5. Will Smith got the start and survived two bases loaded jams, but didn’t have the control he usually has. He walked six and was lifted after three innings and 74 pitches. Ethan Hollingsworth and Jeremy Jeffress held the Isotopes in check while the Royals started to come back and eventually gained the lead. Louis Coleman struck out the only batter he faced to earn a save after Tommy Hottovy put two batters on.

Northwest Arkansas opened on the road at Corpus Christi and the only real bright spot was a decent start from Chris Dwyer. The lefty has had his struggles, especially last year, but he struck out five and, even better, walked just one over 4.1 innings. The Naturals lost 9-0 but due to five errors, only five of the runs were earned.

Christian Colon had a rought 2012 debut with two throwing errors while going hitless in five at bats. Wil Myers was 1-3 with a single and a walk.

Kane County scored nine times in the second inning, including a triple and grand slam from outfielder Lane Adams. They turned around and gave up six runs in the bottom of the inning though, but held on to win 11-10. Daniel Mateo went 2-4.

The pitching started out rough, but the Cougars held on with the combination of Matt Ridings and Nick Graffeo, who combined for the final 3.1 innings, holding the Quad Cities River Bandits to one hit while striking out four combined. Graffeo worked the ninth for the save.

Wilmington in High A didn’t play today, but kick off their season on Friday on the road against Myrtle Beach. Tyler Sample, 2008 third round pick, gets the first start for the Blue Rocks.

You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

Danny Duffy impressed last year as a non-roster invitee and was soon in the big leagues. Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The Royals released their list of spring training non-roster invitees last week, and as usual the list is filled equally with promising young prospects and replacement level bargains. Many won’t make an impact on the 2012 Royals, but nonetheless it is an opportunity to impress the front office brass. A strong showing as a non-roster invitee can put a top prospect on the fast track.

Non-roster invitees are intriguing because they are all upside. Even established major leaguers who find themselves signed as non-roster invitees are promised nothing but an opportunity. There is nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

For instance, the Royals brought in 23 non-roster invitees in 2011, and only Tim Collins and Louis Coleman made the opening day roster. But they weren’t the only players who made an impression.

Fellow non-roster invitees Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez, Johnny Giavotella, and Luis Mendoza eventually played games for the Royals last year. Several other prospects, including Mike Montgomery, impressed as well.

So, you must be thinking, which non-roster invitees have the best chance to make an impact in 2012? How thoughtful of you to ask. I’ve put together my list, ranking each invitee from most to least likely to have an MLB impact this year. I’ll also give percentage odds for each player, in order to show which guys have earned the greatest share of my confidence in their ability to help this year’s Kansas City Royals.

What could be more scintillating than that?

Mike Montgomery – 85%

I’ve already given my thoughts on Montgomery here, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. Not only do I think the Royals need Montgomery to produce for the big league club this year, but I also think he almost surely will impress. I expect Montgomery to follow Danny Duffy’s 2011 trajectory and earn a major-league call-up sometime in May. Montgomery simply doesn’t need another full season in Omaha, and he possesses superior raw stuff to Duffy. It’s also important to remember that Duffy’s leapfrog of Montgomery last season was a notable shock. Montgomery remains the better prospect with the better stuff, and I think he’ll have a campaign that’s slightly better than Duffy’s 2011. And this is coming from a guy who thought Duffy positively impressed last season. Montgomery is all set to be a gem.

Kevin Kouzmanoff – 60%

This is where the meaning of the word ‘impact’ becomes skewed a bit. I have no delusions of grandeur regarding Kouzmanoff. Although once a promising prospect, Kouz is essentially a replacement level player at this point (career .300 OBP). At the same time I think he has a fighter’s chance to make the 25 man roster (as a backup to Mike Moustakas at third base), and he very well may be the only person on this list who is able to make that claim.

In order to have an impact, a player actually has to suit up for the team. Whether through an inspired spring performance, injury, or inconsistency, I’m 60% confident that Kouzmanoff will play in 40 or more games for the Royals this season. If that becomes the case, then I am 95% confident that I will inevitably unleash a drunken, expletive-laden tirade against Kouzmanoff this summer when he is mired in a 0-21 spell and sporting a .285 OBP.

Wil Myers – 39%

Ok, hear me out here. Alex Gordon, Jeff Francouer, and Lorenzo Cain will be the starting outfield for the opening day Royals, barring injury. The next best available options appear to be Mitch Maier, Jarrod Dyson, and David Lough.  Each of those guys has their merits, but none of them are Wil Myers.

Here’s a question for you: why can’t Myers be this year’s version of Eric Hosmer? Myers is 21 years old, or to put it a different way, the same age Hosmer was at the beginning of last season. Myers also played last season at Northwest Arkansas, the same level Hosmer reached in 2010 before being placed on the fast track.

Wil Myers played in the Futures game last year, and could potentially play for the Royals this year. Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Like Hosmer in 2010, Myers dominated in the subsequent Arizona Fall League. Sure, his numbers don’t stack up with Hosmer’s Double-A figures. But Myers had some extenuating circumstances. He suffered a nasty knee injury after a fluky spill at the beginning of the season, and struggled to regain his form afterwards. But like Hosmer, the physical tools are still there: the quick bat, the plate discipline, and the rocket arm have not gone anywhere. Plus, Myers has already played twice as many games at Double-A as Hosmer did. The Royals moved Myers from catcher so that he could progress quickly through the system, and with a strong spring, I think they’ll give him the same chance Hosmer did to shoot through the system like a meteor. Furthermore, after last season, Myers has something to prove. I expect to see him with the Royals by the end of the season, even if it’s just for a cup of coffee.

Max Ramirez – 29%

Here’s a guy who I have had trouble deciding on. He should probably be placed further down this list, since he is ostensibly behind Salvador Perez, Brayan Pena, and Manny Pina on the depth chart. But he is a career .867 OPS hitter in the minor leagues. And since he’s played 646 games in the minors over eight seasons, I’d venture to say that his offensive numbers aren’t a mirage built on small sample size. That .867 OPS is 100 points better than Pena’s minor league total, and 200 points over what Pina has produced thus far.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I would not be overly shocked if the Royals cut bait with Pena and Ramirez emerges as Perez’ backup this season. Keep in mind that Perez is young and fresh, and may not need more than 30 games off behind the dish this season. Wouldn’t it be nice to finally have some pop and patience at the catcher position? Even if Ramirez is utilized primarily as a pinch hitter, I see some value there. Oh, and while writing this piece, I learned that Ramirez’ given first name is Maximiliano. So there’s also that to inspire confidence.

Irving Falu – 26%

I know what the most cynical and sarcastic of fans will say here: “whenever you can get a 28 year old career minor leaguer with a .696 career OPS into the lineup you’ve got to seize the opportunity.” I know that’s what you’re thinking because it was exactly what I first thought upon seeing Falu’s name among the non-roster invitees. But then I realized that the primary backup infielders will probably be some combination of Kouzmanoff, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Chris Getz, and I suddenly began reconsidering Falu’s candidacy in earnest. And there are some things to like about Falu.

For instance, did you know that he’s recorded more walks than strikeouts during his minor league career? Or that he has logged games at all three outfield spots, second base, shortstop, and third base? Or that 2011 was his best statistical season? I’m not saying he’s a lock to contribute or anything, but I think assuming he’s still with the organization, that he’ll be the first middle infielder recalled if there is an injury. If that’s not a ringing endorsement then I don’t know what is.

Chris Dwyer – 25%

Hey, I’m not saying I’m banking on it, but I would not be shocked to see Dwyer make a couple of starts for the Royals in 2012. After pitching four games for Northwest Arkansas in 2010, Dwyer remained in Double-A for the entirety of 2011. Although he struggled during the first half, Dwyer turned it on in the second half and actually out-produced highly touted prospect Jake Odorizzi while both were toiling for Northwest Arkansas. Dwyer also has more strikeouts than walks in his career, so the stuff is there. If the front office believes that the second half Dwyer is the real version, then he could be a fast riser this season.

Zach Miner – 20%

Sure he doesn’t strike out anybody, and he is still working his way back from a major injury in 2010. I get that. But looking at Miner with squinted eyes, I also see that Miner has a 25-20 career record in the major leagues to accompany his 4.24 cumulative ERA. Once you see the other pitchers on this list, and their career major league experience, you’ll see why Miner is so high up this list.

Will Smith – 16%

Smith would probably be above Dwyer on this list if my intuition hadn’t led me to believe Dwyer will have a breakout season. Smith, though, did plenty well for himself at Northwest Arkansas in 2011. Smith put up a 13-9 record and a 3.85 ERA in a full season of Double-A, and was probably the best pitcher on NWA’s staff. Also going for Smith is the fact that he’s already pitched (albeit poorly) in Triple-A while in the Angels system. There’s no reason that Smith should go back to Northwest Arkansas next year, which means that he will be among the pitchers in Omaha with the best chance to get a late season or injury-induced call-up. I’d say that’s makes him about a 16% chance to make an impact on the big league club.

Jake Odorizzi – 7%

Odorizzi is clearly a year away, and that is not a bad thing. He got roughed up a little bit in his introduction to Double-A last year after torching High-A Wilmington. Odorizzi won’t turn 22 until March, so another season spent between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha could still be constructive for one of the organization’s top young prospects. There is still an outside chance that

Tony Abreu – 6%

I’m just not seeing it with Abreu. Give me Falu every day of the week. Abreu can’t hit and doesn’t walk. He owns a career .279 OBP. He should be purely minor league filler. Major league service time alone places him above the other names on this list.

Greg Golson – 5%

The best thing Golson has going for him is his versatility. He’s played all three outfield positions in the minors and possesses a enough speed to make him dangerous on the base paths. Unfortunately, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Golson has been struck out a whopping 941 times in his minor league career, against just 207 walks. Myers, Jarrod Dyson, and David Lough are simply better players than Golson and will get any call-up before him.

Cody Clark, Paulo Orlando, Tommy Hottovy, Francisley Bueno Julio Rodriguez – 0.00%

None of these guys has a chance to crack the big league roster in 2012. Frankly, their inclusion among the non-roster invitees seems a bit dubious. I’m not even going to sugarcoat it: when I saw Francisley Bueno’s name mentioned among the camp invites, I had no idea who he was. None at all. What is he doing at major league camp?

But I guess that’s the nature of non-roster invitees. There are no expectations. If Dayton Moore wants to bring in a guy whose name translates to “good”, then by all means he should be empowered to do so. And if Bueno somehow turns into Ricky Vaughn, then I will happily eat crow.

Stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

Pitchers: Mike Montgomery, Chris Dwyer, Jake Odorizzi, Will Smith, Francisely Bueno, Tommy Hottovy, Zach Miner

Catchers: Cody Clark, Max Ramirez, Julio Rodriguez

Outfielders:  Wil Myers, Greg Golson, Paulo Orlando

Infielders: Tony Abreu, Irving Falu and Kevin Kouzmanoff

I don’t think I’m alone in saying I want to see what Montgomery and Myers can do in MLB camp but realistically both in my opinion won’t be in Kansas City until after the all-star break. From a practical standpoint I think the team needs the versatile Falu to have a good camp to help the bench. Lastly let’s be realistic, Kouzmanoff was signed to be in KC so this is his tryout to be the team’s backup to Moose at third.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Mike Vamosi on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

From my perch here in Kansas City I want to gaze north to Omaha, where the Storm Chasers will once again be jam-packed with top flight prospects this season. Even with a horde of elite players making their way to the big leagues last season, Omaha will be looking to improve upon their stellar 2011 campaign (79-63 record, first place).

Before I begin the predictions, allow me a couple of ground rules. First, I will only include two set-up men and a closer for the bullpen. The rest is just too much of a crapshoot, and may include players not currently in the system. I’m also going to cheat a little bit and include six rotation candidates. One of the six will likely earn the role of the long reliever, and I’m not going to try to decipher that race. Also, only the starters on offense will be included. I’m not diving into the bench. There are too many options, too many variables, and, well, ultimately this is my list so I get to do what I want.

Hypothetically, I’d like to come back to this post as the season begins and judge these predictions. Surely, some (if not all) of my projected starters will not pan out, and it’s always fun to look back under the lenses hindsight and deride yourself for going all in on fool’s gold. There is also the (ever so slight) possibility that I nail the predictions and get the opportunity to write a self-congratulatory column about it while being showered in the confetti I bought for the occasion. Either way is a win in my book.
Without further ado…

(more…)

Which event is the highlight of his Royals career so far? There’s the 6.2 inning championship-clinching start in the Texas League Championship Series last season, or there’s the combined no hitter with Kelvin Herrera on July 19, where Smith took care of the first seven innings before passing it off to Herrera.

This winter, Smith barely snuck into our top 25 prospect rankings, mostly because I thought he was a good example of how Dayton Moore can find nice throw-in prospects in trades (as he was the “extra” tossed in with Sean O’Sullivan for Alberto Callaspo), but also because he’s shown strong control through his minor league career – and has a bit of upside too.

(more…)

Pay attention to some of these names as they may be tomorrow’s top Royals prospects:

(more…)

(more…)

In a busy month, Dayton Moore traded off Alberto Callaspo, Kyle Farnsworth, Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik (he later shipped off Jose Guillen in August).  Turning over 20% of a team’s active roster over the span of a couple of weeks isn’t common, but it happens with rebuilding teams.   I don’t imagine it’s something a GM sets out to do before the season starts.

Until, at least, 2011.

(more…)

One night after Luis Mendoza threw a no-hitter* for Omaha in Memphis, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals joined the party.

*After the no-hitter, the official scorer reversed his decision to charge David Lough with an error, then re-reversed it to credit Mendoza with the feat.  Now, the Memphis coaching staff is appealing the ruling.  For a while, Mendoza still had credit for his second career Triple A no-hitter.  However the PCL responded to an appeal by Memphis by ruling the play a hit and taking away Mendoza’s no-hitter. 

Will Smith threw seven hitless innings and walked just two while Kelvin Herrera pitched two perfect innings to preserve a 1-0 win.  The Naturals faced the minimum 27 batters in the game, thanks to a sixth-inning triple play after Smith allowed the only baserunners of the game.

Smith was acquired last July along with Sean O’Sullivan for Alberto Callaspo.  He had a 2.80 ERA in 54.2innings for Wilmington last season and pitched in the Texas League playoffs with the Naturals.  He had a 4.20 ERA over 100.2 innings before tonight.

Herrera is having a superb season.  He played in the All-Star Futures Game last weekend and had a 2.03 ERA in 31 innings.  He has a 37/3 K/BB ratio in Double A.

Kane County threw a combined no-hitter on May 18th when Sugar Ray Marimon and Chas Byrne combined in the achievement.

Wilmington, it’s your turn…

Hello again! For the last month I’ve been standing on the banks of Lake Kauffman. From time to time I’ve dipped my toes in the water but have been unable to take the plunge and publish my first article here since November 11th of last year. Now, things have changed.

As you have read, Jeff Herr has moved on to head up our network’s KU coverage over on Through the Phog. His departure leaves a gap in the minor league coverage on this site, but if you’re a long time reader of Kings of Kauffman you may remember my days as this site’s lead. You may also remember that I spent a lot of time writing about prospects and the draft. Since leaving KoK, my nomadic writing tendencies have taken me to several sites, but at all of my stops I’ve tried to work in coverage of the minor leagues as it has always been a facet of the game that I love to follow and write about.

With the launch of Seedlings to Stars just over a month ago, I’ve been able to hone my content focus more fully to minor league coverage. So when Jeff notified us that he was leaving KoK and S2S to take a lead position, it seemed natural that I pick up the baton and carry forward the weekly minor league feature here on this site. (more…)

Rankings:
~ Baseball America NR
~ Royals Prospects: #34
~ Royals Review #24
~ Kevin Goldstein: #19
~ John Sickels #25 C+
(more…) ]]> http://kingsofkauffman.com/2011/02/04/kings-of-kauffman-prospect-rankings-24-will-smith/feed/ 1 http://kingsofkauffman.com/2010/10/07/revisiting-the-trading-deadline/ http://kingsofkauffman.com/2010/10/07/revisiting-the-trading-deadline/#comments Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:19:31 +0000 Michael Engel http://kingsofkauffman.com/?p=5663 The Royals were among the more active teams at the trading deadline this season.

With a bevy of prospects working their way up, the organization took an approach to move older players to make room for younger to fill in the gaps, both to evaluate them for future roles, and both to get solid returns in the form of even more young players.

At the deadline, the Royals traded Alberto Callaspo, Scott Podsednik, Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel and received Tim Collins, Luke May, Sean O’Sullivan, Will Smith, Eisaul Pimentel, Gregor Blanco and Jesse Chavez in return.

It remains to be seen what the long-term impact of the moves will have for the Royals, but the main benefit of the trades is this – there’s the chance for a long-term impact.  Let’s face it, Podsednik, Farnsworth and Ankiel weren’t going to be in Kansas City in 2012, and Callaspo regressed a bit from a strong 2009 that saw him collect 60 extra base hits.

Over the next couple days, I’ll look at these moves more in-depth to determine who “won” each trade, both in the short and long term.
(more…)

Jim Callis at BaseballAmerica.com had a Royals-centric prospect chat on Wednesday, and the impression I get is that the Royals should land at least five and perhaps as many as seven prospects in BA’s Top 100 when their Prospect Handbook comes out. (Which, if you enjoy looking at prospects at all is a must have.  I flip through it at least once a week and have 2011′s copy reserved at my area Borders store.)

Let’s look at some highlights from the chat, and I’ll toss my two cents into the fountain, too.
(more…)

Will Smith pitched 6.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts to earn the clinching win.  Smith, you’ll remember, was one of the arms the Royals got from the Angels in return for Alberto Callaspo.
(more…)

The Royals were active at the trading deadline, turning Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Kyle Farnsworth and Alberto Callaspo into a group of young players.  Gregor Blanco, Sean O’Sullivan and Jesse Chavez are already with Kansas City, but the more interesting prospects – and those who I think Dayton Moore was wise to target – are still down on the farm.
(more…)

With a strong background in scouting, Moore’s rebuilding of the minor league system via the draft has been touched upon, and while he hasn’t been very good at constructing a major league roster, he’s shown an eye for finding talent in other minor league systems as well. That looks like the theme behind this season’s trades – Dayton Moore found a mostly overlooked player and was able to get him included in a deal.
(more…)