Who Should be the Royals Top Prospect?

Ever since the Kansas City Royals traded top prospect Wil Myers to the Tampa Bay Rays, I have been trying to figure out who their new top prospect should be.

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

Kyle Zimmer Credit: US Presswire File Photo

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

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

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

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

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

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

So I need your help.

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