Bubba Starling Has a Lot to Prove Next Year

When Bubba Starling was drafted, the Royals knew he could take quite some time to develop. A five tool player drafted out of high school, Starling was the local kid, one that some thought would be able to become the next true superstar on the Royals. Yes, he was raw, but he had all the tools, and if Starling could put them together, he could be a sight to behold.

Considered one of the top prospects in baseball prior to the 2012 season, Starling put together a solid year for the Burlington Royals, producing a .275/.371/.485 batting line with ten home runs. While he struck out 70 times in 200 at bats, Starling also drew 28 walks. It may not have been a spectacular start to his professional career, but at age 19, it was definitely a good beginning.

That start was enough to once again have Starling rated as a top prospect prior to the 2013 season, as he was moved up to the Lexington Legends. Unfortunately, 2013 did not go as planned. While Starling hit 13 home runs, his production elsewhere suffered, as he produced a .241/.329/.398 slash line. But again, at age 20, Starling still showed a few signs that he could be the player the Royals envisioned.

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Last year, however, the bottom truly fell out on Starling. No longer considered a top 100 prospect before the season began, he did nothing to make those prospect prognosticators regret that decision. Starling struggled across the board for he Wilmington Blue Rocks, posting a .218/.304/.338 batting line with nine home runs, striking out 150 times in 549 plate appearances. His walk rate dropped to the lowest point of his minor league career, as Starling only drew 49 walks.

It would be one thing if Bubba Starling just happened to run into a streak of bad luck last year, but that was not the case. Starling actually had a .292 batting average on balls in play, not much below the league average. Unfortunately, when he was able to put the ball in play, Starling did not hit it particularly well. Last season, Starling only had a 13.9% line drive rate, while popping up on the infield 13.6% of the time.

Sent to the Arizona Fall League this offseason, Starling has actually been worse, with eight hits in his 57 at bats, leading to a .140/.183/.175 batting line. Both extra base hits have been doubles. Not only has Starling not hit, but he has struck out 24 times in those 57 at bats while drawing only one walk. Needless to say, the luster may be almost entirely off Starling as a prospect right now.

The 2015 season may be vital for determining Bubba Starling’s future. While he had been promoted one level after each year, it is difficult to envision that Royals would send him to Northwest Arkansas after such a difficult season in Wilmington and in the Arizona Fall League. Likely getting to repeat the level, Starling will need to show marked improvement to regain some of that prospect shine.

Will Bubba Starling ever be the player that the Royals hoped he would? The 2015 season will truly be telling.