RR Royals #15 Prospect

by doublestix on Nov 18, 2008 11:08 PM EST Comment 26 comments

#1 Mike Moustakas, 3B
#2 Eric Hosmer, 1B
#3 Daniel Cortes, RHP
#4 Kila Ka'aihue, 1B
#5 Daniel Duffy, LHP
#6 Carlos Rosa, RHP
#7 Tim Melville, RHP
#8 Mike Montgomery, LHP
#9 Johnny Giavotella, 2B
#10 Blake Wood, RHP
#11 Daniel Gutierrez, RHP
#12 Derrick Robinson, CF
#13 Jason Taylor, 1B/LF
#14 Joe Dickerson, RF
#15 ???

Dickerson gets on finally.

Bianchi and Pimentel back on, Runion off.

Short scouting reports:

Jeff Bianchi | 2B/SS | 22-years-old | 6-foot-0, 180 pounds
Acquired - 2nd Round, 2005 | '08 Level - Wilmington (High A)
Vitals - .255/.290/.442, 95/20 K/BB, 13-for-17 SB
-Athletic player with sound defensive actions. Excellent power for a middle infielder. Strike zone judgment a work in progress. History of injury problems, but nothing major this past season.

Edward Cegarra | RHP | 19-years-old | 5-foot-11, 175 pounds
Acquired - UDFA: Venezuela | '08 Level - Burlington (Low A)/Wilmington (High A)
Vitals - 8-11, 3.99 ERA, 160.0 IP, 112/26 K/BB, 0.88 FB/GB
-Undersized strike thrower that does an excellent job of not giving free passes. Currently possesses average fastball that runs up to 93. Flips in curveballs for strikes to keep hitters off balance. Working on changeup which he'll need to remain a starter.

Kelvin Herrera | RHP | 18-years-old | 5-foot-10, 165 pounds
Acquired - UDFA: Dominican | '08 Level - Burlington (R)/Burlington (Low A)
Vitals - 4-2, 1.56 ERA, 63.1 IP, 52/7 K/BB, 1.67 FB/GB
-Small pitcher with pitchability and maturity beyond his years. Fastball ranges 89-91 and runs to 94 with boring action in on RHP. Shows plus curve on occasion as well as average changeup. Superb command for his age.

Julio Pimentel | RHP | 22-years-old | 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
Acquired - Trade w/ Dodgers in 2006 | '08 Level - NW Arkansas (AA)
Vitals - 7-13, 5.38 ERA, 157.1 IP, 115/52 K/BB, 1.26 FB/GB
-Hard throwing prospect acquired in 2006 from the Dodgers. Has three pitches, a 91-93 sinking fastball (slightly higher velocity in relief), a plus changeup, and a curveball. Still needs to work on command. Profiles better as a reliever in the mold of Fernando Rodney.

Tyler Sample | RHP | 19-years-old | 6-foot-7, 240 pounds
Acquired - 3rd Round, 2008 | '08 Level - Arizona (R)
Vitals - 0-5, 9.00 ERA, 27 IP, 39/29 K/BB, 2.60 FB/GB
-Huge frame with big time fastball/curveball combination. Changeup is a work in progress, as is command of all his pitches. Sample has huge upside but is light years away from helping out the Royals.

Poll

Who is the Royals #15 prospect? (players listed in alphabetical order)

Jeff Bianchi, 2B/SS

12 votes

Edward Cegarra, RHP

22 votes

Kelvin Herrera, RHP

14 votes

Julio Pimentel, RHP

6 votes

Tyler Sample, RHP

24 votes

other (specify)

2 votes

80 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 26 comments

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Comments

The idea that Bianchi is still gathering prospect status

is a little surprising. His age helps quite a bit, but man has he been in the system for a while.

by ajblobaum on Nov 18, 2008 11:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Standard HS draftee

Started in the system when he was 18. He raked at the rookie league level for two years, while suffering injuries. Those good performances plus some very good tools leaves him definitely still a prospect. Not a great prospect, but still a prospect. His .442 SLG in the Carolina League this year was a nice power showing for a middle infielder.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2008 12:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For some reason that description rings the bell of some major league player

but I can’t think of who it is… help me out here, seriously. Who’s another recent MLB middle infielder with below average OBP but pretty good power… Am I just spinning my wheel here? It seems like I have it at the tips of my fingers…

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 19, 2008 9:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

so, i know your trying ot make a joke here

but the answer could be either Aviles or Berroa and be completely right, yet accomplish very different things in communication

by ZeppelinDZ on Nov 19, 2008 10:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

haha... good point

that could work,

but I’m not actually making a joke. Maybe i’m just spinning my wheels, but isn’t there some pretty decent MI who played in the majors recently who fits the description above.

Seriously, I know I’m not thinking of Berroa or Aviles.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Nov 19, 2008 11:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like

Cegarra, Bianchi, Sample, Pimentel

in that order.

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Nov 19, 2008 1:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

surprisingly

on my preliminary rankings for my top 25/30, i have herrera ahead of all of those guys (not by a lot, this group is bunched together). i think herrera would be a big time prospect if he was 6-foot-3, but the shortness turns off scouts a little bit.

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Nov 19, 2008 1:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cueto comp

or is that just lazy?

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Nov 19, 2008 2:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Doesn't have quite the same stuff as Cueto

I want to throw out a Tim Hudson comparison, that seems optimistic though.

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Nov 19, 2008 3:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll take it

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Nov 19, 2008 7:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Paulo need to debut soon :)

Go Royals!

by BabyBlues on Nov 19, 2008 2:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

has Blake Johnson appeared at all yet?

I know he was disappointing, but a year ago you couldn’t turn a corner without hearing about “the Blakes.” (Wood, Johnson)

by BrRoyal on Nov 19, 2008 1:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wood Johnson

heh heh

by David Howards Legacy on Nov 19, 2008 1:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Blake Johnson was overrated a year ago

Now he’s barely a top 20 prospect (if that).

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2008 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yea

i definitely overrated him for some reason. he’s not in my top 25.

i think his stuff might play better in relief. he never developed a changeup and lefties killed him this year as a result. put his fastball/curve in the pen and you might get a decent reliever out of him.

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Nov 19, 2008 3:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

they use a lot of guys that will end up in the pen as starters in the minors so they get more IPs

Is this the case with him?

Don't forget to send your broken maples to the US Forest Service.

by 306008 on Nov 21, 2008 1:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

kind of

He’s a big dude…kind of guy you want in the rotation. They were hoping he’d develop a changeup to counter against lefties, but he hasn’t yet. I imagine they will give him one more year as a starter, but he’s going to have to step up because the other guys in A ball will be right on his heels.

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Nov 21, 2008 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This was a tough one.

I’m hoping Bianchi is fully healthy and his Home/Road Splits play to how terrible it is to hit in Wilmington and he has a breakout year in Arkansas.

It takes 46 muscles to frown but only 4 to flip 'em the bird.

by kcscoliny on Nov 19, 2008 4:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pimentel

will be in the MLB bullpen by july 2009. That’s got to be worth something.

by kcdc1 on Nov 19, 2008 5:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

seems kinda optimistic

but maybe. depends whether they are committed to keeping him as a starter or not.

Rowdy Hardy Fan Club member.

by doublestix on Nov 19, 2008 5:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd bet heavily against that

He wasn’t particularly good at AA this year, and he’s going to make the jump to the majors by mid-2009? There are other guys ahead of him, even with the departure of Nunez and Ramirez. And Moore will make some acquisitions.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2008 5:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I could see Cortes or Hayes in the pen well before Pimentel.

It takes 46 muscles to frown but only 4 to flip 'em the bird.

by kcscoliny on Nov 19, 2008 7:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

And I think neither will be in KC before September 2009.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2008 7:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This was a reference

to the fact that Moore is intent on trading every reliever on the team with any track record. Pimentel comes up right after a 4-0, 0.72 ERA Fulchino is traded.

by kcdc1 on Nov 19, 2008 7:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs