Kansas City Royals Prospect Review: Five to Watch in 2015

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bubba Starling

Drafted fifth overall in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, Bubba Starling was quite the raw player. Yes, he had tremendous tools, but was far from a polished player and was quite the long term project. That did not stop Starling from being considered one of the top prospects in baseball before he even suited up professionally as part of the Royals system.

He had success with the Burlington Royals, posting a .275/.371/.485 batting line, hitting ten home runs and stealing ten bases. Those tools continued to tantalize, giving a glimpse as to what Starling was hoped to become. Needless to say, Starling remained a top prospect heading into the following year.

Since that time, Bubba Starling just has not lived up to his billing as a top prospect. After producing a disappointing .241/.329/.398 batting line with the Lexington Legends, Starling hit at a .218/.304/.338 rate. These poor numbers are not the result of bad luck with the batted ball, as his batting average on balls in play has been about league average.

At some point, the now 22 year old Starling is going to need to begin to show that he is, in fact, developing. At some point, these wondrous tools, which Starling still possesses, will need to translate into results. That time may be fast approaching.

Will Bubba Starling finally have success, or will he continue to struggle? His 2015 campaign could go a long way to determining whether or not Starling has the future that was expected.

Next: Can he stay healthy?

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Zimmer

There is no denying Kyle Zimmer’s stuff. Possessing a fastball that can touch the upper 90’s, an excellent curve and solid command, he is thought to be a top of the rotation starter in the making. It is easy to see why, over each of the past three seasons, he has been considered one of the top prospects in the minors.

His production during his minor league career would certainly be indicative of such a lofty ranking. While Zimmer’s 9-12 record and 3.66 ERA would not appear to be worthy of such a rating, he has posted a 1.199 WHiP, striking out eleven batters per nine innings while giving up under three walks per nine. There is no denying his talent.

The biggest question with Kyle Zimmer involves his health. Each season, Zimmer has battled injury, missing time at the end of the 2012 season to remove bone chips in his elbow. In 2013, Zimmer dealt with bicep tendinitis and missed most of the 2014 season with a sore shoulder. Those shoulder problems cropped up again during his time in the Arizona Fall League.

Whether or not Zimmer can stay healthy during the 2015 season could determine his future within the Royals organization. While there is the train of thought that pitching in relief would result in more wear on the arm, it is certainly at the point where one has to question if Zimmer can handle the workload required to be a starter. After all, he only has 152.2 innings of minor league experience in his three years in the Royals system.

Another injury could result in Kyle Zimmer being used in a relief role. Fortunately, the Royals have a plethora of pitching talent coming through the system.

Next: No, not his father

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Raul Mondesi

Not to be confused with his father, this Raul Mondesi is an 18 year old shortstop that played for the Wilmington Blue Rocks last season. Even though his numbers in Wilmington were quite underwhelming, as Mondesi posted a .211/.256/.354 batting line with eight home runs, one has to remember that he was also approximately five years younger than the average age in the Carolina League last year.

That, at least to some degree, explains why Mondesi is considered one of the top prospects in baseball. In fact, Mondesi is considered to be the 27th best prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus, and is 28th according to Baseball America. Given his pure tools, it is easy to see why the Royals, and those who follow the minors, would be excited as to what the future would hold for Mondesi.

Even though Raul Mondesi was, at times, overmatched in Wilmington, there were still a few signs that he could develop a solid offensive game. His speed was on display, as Mondesi stole 17 bases and hit twelve triples last year. Those numbers also had the potential to improve with normalized luck with the batted ball, as Mondesi only had a .273 batting average on balls in play.

Obviously, Mondesi still needs a lot of work before his offense is ready for the majors. He drew only 24 walks in 472 plate appearances while striking out 122 times. An improved approach, and better recognition of the strike zone, could well be the key to unlocking the offensive potential within Mondesi.

While it may seem as though the Royals are rushing the young shortstop, Raul Mondesi has been moved up exactly one level each year. Likely to start the season in AA, it will be interesting to see if his offensive game begins to show signs of maturation, or if he will, once again, be overmatched by the competition.

Next: The quietly dominant reliever

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Mark Peterson

As many teams have learned over the years, there is no such thing as having too many quality relievers. Even the Royals, owners of the bullpen Cerberus of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera, brought back Luke Hochevar and Jason Frasor for bullpen depth. One can never have enough arms.

The Royals bullpen strength is part of what makes Mark Peterson such an intriguing pitcher. An undrafted college free agent, Peterson has done nothing but dominate since joining the Royals system. Overall, in his 134.2 innings spanning 99 games, Peterson has logged 43 saves with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.077 WHiP. Those numbers would be impressive for a top draft choice, let alone a player who went undrafted.

Yet, despite his success, Peterson is not likely to be seen on any top prospect list. Perhaps this is due to his reliance upon ground balls instead of an overpowering arm. That is not to say that Peterson strictly relies upon his defense, as he has struck out 110 batters in those 134.2 innings.

After dominating the low minors, Mark Peterson is likely to start the 2015 season in Northwest Arkansas. If he can continue to pitch at that same level, Peterson could easily find himself as part of the future in the Royals bullpen. Should they be forced to trade either Davis or Holland due to financial concerns, having a young reliever who has a track record of dominance in the minors may help lessen the blow as much as possible.

Mark Peterson has had quite the minor league career thus far. It will be interesting to see if that same level of success continues.

Next: The September sensation

Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Finnegan

Brandon Finnegan took the baseball world by storm last season during the Royals push to the postseason. Drafted 17th overall in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft, Finnegan dominated during his rapid ascension through the minors, posting a 1.33 ERA and a 0.889 WHiP, striking out 26 batters in 27 innings. he continued to pitch well in the majors, allowing only one run on six hits and a walk, striking out ten in his seven innings of work. Suddenly, the Royals had the lefty reliever they had sought all season.

Despite being a part of the competition to be one of the lefty relievers this season, Finnegan will be back in the minors, slated to be stretched back out as a starter. Considering the success he had in relief last season, it is not unreasonable to think that he would be able to perform well in starting role.

While it may not be the exact same path that David Price or Adam Wainwright took towards becoming a top of the rotation starter, this may benefit Brandon Finnegan. After all, unlike the aforementioned Price and Wainwright, Finnegan had not started in the minors before finding September and October success as a rookie. Perhaps within another year or two, he will be ready to reestablish himself at the major league level.

Along with other prospects like Sean Manaea, Miguel Almonte and Zimmer, Finnegan could be a part of the next wave of young starters coming to Kansas City. Even if that plan does not pan out, Finnegan could end up as a nice piece in the bullpen, a solid lefty who can strikeout out the opposition.

Next: KC Royals, Yordano Ventura Close to Extension