Royals Review Prospect Pulse: July
by nwroyal on Jul 1, 2010 10:25 AM EDT
in Kansas City Royals Minor Leagues
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PrintThanks to AAA and AA All Star games (which allowed me to get stats from those league earlier than usual) and also due to some extra free time, I am able to get this out to you on the 1st--which I don't think I've done before. Don't get used to it--it's probably a one time thing.
This past month's draft has infused the Prospect ranks with some new blood. I've included 6 of our draft picks in these rankings. Our top hitters did pretty well for the month. Montgomery and Crow had down months for different reasons--Montgomery because he was hurt and Crow because he sucked. It will be interesting to see if any prospects are added during the month of July--either by the International Free Agents signing period which begins July 2 or by the trade deadline at the end of the month.
Also, the beginning of June brought word that Dan Duffy was coming back--there was must rejoicing and he has been moved up in the rankings. On the flip side, there was news that Noel Arguelles might not pitch this year because of his shoulder (also, Greg Schaum has alluded to some attitude issues). As a result, there is now no Noel in the Top 10.
The Royals already have an incredible Top 5 prospects--as billexgordler linked to already in a Fanpost, Kevin Goldstein just listed 5 Royals prospects among his Top 20 prospects in baseball. After those guys, there are a handful of guys who could make a Top 100 list depending on how they do in the second half.
As always starts are for hitters: avg--obp--slg and for pitchers: K/9---BB/9--FIP ERA
| Rank | Name | Last Month | June stats | YTD | Comment |
| 1 | Mike Moustakas--3B--AA | 1 | 291/330/553 | 336/404/668 | An off month for him and his OPS in June is still near 900. |
| 2 | Wil Myers--C--LowA | 4 | 306/462/569 | 289/408/500 | Amazing start for a teen in the Midwest League--and the rumor is he we will very soon be promoted to Wilmington. |
| 3 | Mike Montgomery--LHP--AA | 2 | 7.4/2.5/2.60 |
HighA11.9/1.4/1.34 AA7.4/3.0/3.19 |
Elbow is never good--hopefully he's healthy and pitching again in July. Supposed to be resuming his throwing program this week. |
| 4 | Eric Hosmer--1B--HighA | 3 | 351/435/557 | 350/422/524 | Bounced back in June after a so-so May. |
| 5 | John Lamb--LHP--HighA | 6 | 11.3/2.6/2.25 |
LowA9.6/3.8/3.31 HighA10.6/2.5/2.26 |
Nipping at Monty's heels for best pitching prospect in the organization. |
| 6 | Christian Colon--SS--HighA | NR | 000/000/000 | 000/000/000 | If we does well at Wilmington, could see AA by season's end--off to 0-9 start in 2 games. |
| 7 | Aaron Crow--RHP--AA | 5 | 8.5/5.6/4.58 | 5.9/4.1/4.87 | I haven't lost hope in him and he has pitched somewhat better of late |
| 8 | Chris Dwyer--LHP--HighA | 11 | 11.5/2.5/1.79 | 9.1/3.8/3.31 | Has gotten better as year went on. JJ Picollo said they would have taken Dwyer at #4 in this year's draft. |
| 9 | Tim Melville--RHP--HighA | 8 | 7.8/4.9/5.06 | 7.8/4.3/4.34 | Pitching better after the horrible start of the year. |
| 10 | Kila Kaaihue--1B--AAA | 9 | 276/438/480 | 307/472/572 | Hopeful that he won't be on this list in a month. |
| 11 | Dan Duffy--LHP--EXST | 27 | NA | NA | He's baaaack--will get a few starts in Arizona before going to AA. I won't bother to put his rate stats for 2/3 of an inning. |
| 12 | Brett Eiber--CF--not signed | NR | NA | NA | Should be signed--huge power potential, supposed to be pretty good in CF, but will probably strike out a lot. |
| 13 |
Derrick Robinson--CF--AA |
10 | 290/319/374 | 298/368/384 | Has cooled off but still hitting better than at just about any other point in his career. Walk rate dropped this month. |
| 14 | David Lough--OF--AAA | 12 | 271/311/486 | 273/308/435 | Looks like he may be starting to get it at AAA. |
| 15 | Johnny Giavotella--2B--AA | 13 | 277/384/383 | 278/362/366 | Good month with the bat--still questions about his defense |
| 16 | Jordan Parraz--OF--AAA | 17 | 282/356/500 | 267/368/429 | Numbers in June were as good as May's--just not as lucky. He's kind of flying under the radar. |
| 17 | Salvador Perez--C--HighA | 14 | 194/233/239 | 255/294/372 | Had miserable month--partly due to drop in power, partly due to low BABIP. He's still pretty well for his age in the Carolina League. |
| 18 | Tyler Sample--RHP--LowA | 16 | 8.6/5.7/5.30 | 7.5/6.3/4.67 | Has good stuff, but has been pretty lucky. Needs to rapidly improve control. |
| 19 | Noel Arguelles--LHP--DL | 7 | NA | NA | I don't know what to think of this guy. |
| 20 | Luis Coleman--RHP--AA | 18 | 11.8/2.2/2.79 | 9.5/2.4/3.31 | Starting to hit his stride. Is decent vs. lefties but is death to right handed hitters. |
| 21 | Patrick Keating--RHP--AA | 19 | 7.7/4.5/3.71 |
HighA12.3/3.0/2.63 AA7.7/4.5/3.71 |
Promoted to AA where he is holding his own but I expect his numbers to get better in the 2nd half. |
| 22 | Manual Pina--C--AA | 26 | 182/270/394 | 245/328/406 | Pegged as a future backup--but the bar has been set pretty low for what passes for a Royals starting catcher. |
| 23 | Cheslor Cuthbert--3B--SS | 21 | 231/333/269 | 231/333/269 | Young even by Arizona league standards. |
| 24 | Tim Smith--OF--AA | 20 | 283/427/367 | 299/399/446 | Intrigued by his bat but needs to show consistent power. |
| 25 | Jason Adam--RHP--not signed | NR | NA | NA | Local HS arm with decent upside. Will sign around the deadline for an above slot deal. |
| 26 | Yowil Espinal--SS--SS | 22 | 314/351/314 | 314/351/314 | Talented middle infielder who should hit pretty well in Idaho Falls. |
| 27 | Rey Navarro--SS--HighA | 29 | 275/302/396 | 236/263/324 | bad luck on BABIP hurt his average but he needs to up his walk rate back to his career levels. |
| 28 | Clint Robinson--1B--AA | 33 | 409/461/796 | 308/392/558 | One heck of a month--but he's got better players above and below him in the minors. |
| 29 | Edgar Osuna--LHP--AA | 24 | 6.7/0.4/3.77 | 6.0/1.0/3.64 | His margin for error is so slim, I have a hard time seeing him being successful in the majors. |
| 30 | Crawford Simmons--LHP--SS | 35 | 9.3/4.7/4.30 | 9.3/4.7/4.30 | Pitched great in his first start and then was so-so in his second. |
| 31 | Buddy Baumann--LHP--HighA | 31 | 8.8/1.6/2.06 | 9.7/3.5/2.44 | Has started a couple of times with good results--a sleeper. |
| 32 | Michael Antonio--SS--SS | NR | NA | NA | Supposed to have a prett good HS bat but probably won't stay at SS. |
| 33 | Jai Miller--CF--AAA | 25 | 244/286/478 | 254/318/492 | Power still there but inability to get on base may keep him from the big leagues. |
| 34 | Brandon Sisk--LHP--AA | 32 | 12.0/3.1/2.72 | 8.6/3.2/3.75 | Had a great month of June, part of a stellar AA bullpen. |
| 35 | Paulo Orlando--CF--AA | 38 | 325/411/470 | 313/374/457 | Having a pretty good year--not sure if we have something interesting here or he's simply having a nice AA season. |
| 36 | Kelvin Herrera--RHP--DL | 15 | NA | 8.4/3.2/3.32 | Great arm but injuries are becoming a huge issue |
| 37 | Mario Santiago--RHP--AA | 28 | 5.4/1.3/4.48 | 5.1/2.4/3.98 | Hard to get too excited when the K rate is that low at AA. |
| 38 | Kevin Chapman--LHP--not signed | NR | NA | NA | 5th Round pick this year is a lefty reliever who pitched well U of Florida. |
| 39 | Shin Jo-Ho--C--SS | 43 | 353/400/588 | 353/400/588 | Young catcher off to pretty good start in Arizona. |
| 40 | Alex Llanos--CF--SS | 39 | 250/308/361 | 250/308/361 | Normally hits for a good average, we'll see if he adds any power. |
| 41 | Jeff Bianchi--SS--DL | 40 | NA | NA | Still recovering from TJ surgery. |
| 42 | Robinson Yambati--RHP--SS | NR | 10.8/0.9/1.97 | 10.8/0.9/1.97 | Young, hard throwing right, off to quick start in Arizona league. |
| 43 | Keaton Hayenga--RHP--LowA | 42 | 3.6/4.8/6.40 | 3.4/4.8/5.71 | Getting tattooed at LowA. |
| 44 | Alex Caldera--RHP--AA | 41 |
HighA6.4/3.7/3.32 AA5.1/3.4/3.42 |
HighA8.3/2.4/3.36 AA5.1/3.4/3.42 |
Moved up to AA--don't know if he'll stay there when Montgomery comes back. |
| 45 | Jarrod Dyson--OF--SS | 46 | 520/520/640 | 520/520/640 | Rehabbing in Arizona, should be moved to a full season club soon. |
| 46 | Jerico Blanco--OF--SS | 50 | 227/250/227 | 227/250/227 | We'll see how he does in his first exposure to pro ball in the US. |
| 47 | Dusty Odenbach--RHP--LowA | 36 | 8.3/4.5/5.36 | 9.2/4.6/4.02 | Needs to improve control/command. |
| 48 | Ed Lucas--3B--AAA |
NR | 314/422/543 | 331/402/542 | 28 year old isn't a much of a prospect but sometimes you just have to reward a great performance. |
| 49 | Chris McConnell--SS--AA | NR | 257/341/392 | 241/342/328 | Defense first SS has resurrected his career. |
| 50 | Scott Fletcher--OF--not signed | NR | NA | NA | Late round pick from Auburn has a pretty good bat--might be a moderately tough sign for a college junior. |
Player(s) of the Month: Clint Robinson and Wil Myers
By all rights, it should be Clint Robinson, the 1B/DH had an amazing month at the plate culminated by a HR in the Texas League All Star game last night. But I have a hard time seeing him having a future with an organization that Butler, Kaaihue, and Hosmer. But I also want to point out that Wil Myers had a great month and it sounds like he will debuting at Wilmington, perhaps as soon as tonight. Myers' defense continues to be a question mark but there is no doubt in his bat. He will probably eventually move to the OF, but I don't see any harm leaving him at catcher for the rest of the year. Manual Pina and Salvador Perez are OK but not great catching prospects. What do you think the Royals should do with Wil Myers defensively?
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Comments
be patient will C prospect
look he is young, let him learn. I goo dsolid hitting catcher is a good corner stone to a good team. If you can get some good D even better.
look at Pudge- a lot of years on contenders
Piazza- always on a winner
Mauer- winner
Posada- winner
Bench- winner
Fisk- winner
The difference with those guys is
They were catchers to begin with, as far as I know. Myers is being converted to a catcher.
But I agree that he should be given time to learn the position.
"You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 1, 2010 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions
If his defense doesn't improve this year, move him
I hate to have to keep him in the lower levels just so his defense can mature, especially when his bat is so potent.
I don't see the rush
Unless its looking like we are actually going to be good in 2012 or whatever.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
another way to game his service time without being too blatant
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by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 1, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
These are both good points
But I guess Im saying theres no reason to keep him down if he’s hitting the ball very well for a full year, especially if reports are coming back that his defense at catcher is not improving at all (which appears to be the case from my limited knowledge).
Take it easy on Noel
he grew up in a dictatorship, and the Royals need time to figure out just how to command him to " not suck." I’m sure they will. That’s probably why Comrade Brayan Pena doesn’t see much playing time — he’s spending his nights on the phone reading sections of What Must Be Done? over the phone to Noel.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 1, 2010 11:20 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
First taste of Freedom
A couple million $$$$‘s. He’s hit his rebellious stage.
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
The Wonders Of
Ayn Rand are what he needs next.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 1, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Espinal has been playing 2B so far this season
I’m not sure if that’s because of his defense (which I’ve heard was suspect in the past, but that the ability to stay was there) or if it’s just that Justin Trapp (who has good reviews) is the better defender.
I’m most intrigued by Jin-Ho Shin’s (or however people arrange his name) hot start. I always like seeing a player show up as-advertised from the very beginning. He’s big for an 18 year old catcher, but how many times do you hear about an Asian player getting to big for a position?
Also from last year's international signings
Dylan Lindsay of south africa has an interesting line so far. No earned runs, but 4 unearned in 1.2 IP in spite of allowing only two hits and no walks. Those vuvuzelas can’t be good for his D.
They could be great
When he makes it to the majors, you and I will be playing those things!
Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.
I always look forward to these.
Is Blaine Hardy on the list? I didn’t see him.
missed him
I’d put him around #29—could be in KC this summer
It's a bit early to say Antonio won't stay at SS
Checkout Royals minor league notes at www.14for77.blogspot.com
Apparently No One
Who is 6’+/180 lbs.+ and can actually hit can stick at SS.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 1, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
biggest issue I've heard is he doesn't enough arm to stay at SS
could be wrong, thought
50. Is Scott Fletcher Jr., right?
I remember his dad just owned us when I was a kid. It seemed like he and Larry Sheets were in MLB solely to massacre Royal pitching.
Yes.
The only thing I remember about Fletcher was in 1988, Ripken was voted as the starting shortstop for the AL. Alan Trammell was selected as his backup. Trammell got hurt. Ozzie Guillen was selected to replace him. Guillen got hurt.
They finally got to Kurt Stillwell of the Royals and he went to the ASG, which led to cries from Texas that Scott Fletcher was ROBBED!
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Does your mind change at all about Clint Robinson
If he is converted to an outfielder the 2nd half of the season? He has been shagging balls in BP and practicing at LF before the break. The Royals know he is logjammed at 1st.
Also, what do you think about the Royals possibly protecting him on their 40 man roster before the end of the year?
He's a bit older than you'd like
and he’s never hit this well before. He’s going to have to hit like this for another year at least to start turning heads.
Also have to consider
Just using his bat. If he can put up these numbers in AAA, potentially a DH role in the Majors until he fully learns a new position?
well, he's going to have to hit REALLY well to be a DH
and that role will already be filled, probably, by either Kila or Butler for a while
moreover, how would he learn a new position while playing DH?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
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by Matt Klaassen on Jul 1, 2010 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
Optimally, Clint is able to switch to a new position during this year. It will allow Hosmer to be called up to Double-A, and if Clint plays well enough at the new position, he could be in Triple-A by year’s end in outfield or at 1B if Kila is promoted.
aw, that's cute
if Kila is promoted
I once had hope, too.
/soul crushed by waiting and waiting and waiting for “6-game win streak that puts us back in to contention”
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by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 1, 2010 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, Robinson Should
Learn OF this year in AA, move to AAA next year, then to KC when DDJ is traded in 2011. That is, if he continues to hit for power. An OF of Robinson, Maier and Gordon could be nice. Then, If Myers moves off C next year, he could make Mitch the 4th OF and take over in CF in 2012.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 1, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
MITCH is gone once he reaches arbitration.
Nice 4th OF (I’ve always liked him), but he’s not worth arbitration. You should be able to get the same production out of Lough, Dyson, or Ortiz.
I Didn't Realize
Mitch is that close to real money. You’re probably right.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 1, 2010 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions
it would be great if could play some OF but its pretty crowded at AAA and AA
You’ve got Miller/Lough/Parraz at Omaha and Robinson/Orlando/Smith at AA. Costa may even be up at Omaha soon. Also, my guess is that Robinson’s numbers, after his great month, are a little over his head and they will head back down soon—I could be wrong, I hope I’m wrong—but that is my guess.
If Wil Myers is capable of playing CF at a level similar to Mitch Maier or better
I say move him now (but I don’t know if he is capable of this, so fill me in).
If Myers comes up with an Olivo sized hole in his catching game, it won’t be pretty.
If he's even average at CF, move him
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 1, 2010 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
what makes you say that?
Would you like to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or my blog...well you can't.
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 1, 2010 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
His bat is just way ahead of his glove
how long to you want to wait around? Sure, a catcher is worth 1 win a season more (positional adjustments) than a CF (given equal defense, which is already assuming a lot about Myers’ capabilities there), but they also play fewer games a season on average, catching full-time decreases offensive production relative to other positions (Tango shows this), and there’s greater attrition. Why put off getting the kids’ best years (even assuming he’s in the majors by the time he’s 22) on the off chance he might catch? His bat’s too good… if we were confident he could stay at catcher it would be one thing.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 1, 2010 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
but they also play fewer games a season on average,
Not under Ned Yost they don’t.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Yeah don't let Kendall's tattoos hear you saying catchers aren't as gritty
as outfielders.
One question though, does Myers really love his kids?
by Your_Moms_Boyfriend on Jul 1, 2010 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
He loves his unborn children
just as much as Kendall loves his real, currently-existing kids. Every time Wil goes on a date, he plugs his date’s photo into this site with his.
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Jul 1, 2010 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd like to see them do something along the lines of this:
Play him at C primarily with some time in CF/RF, but promote him according to how his bat progresses. If he starts to improve enough at C, then platoon him as a C/OF/DH in the majors. Minimizes the wear and tear (Joe Mauer syndrome) and gives continued opportunity to see where he provides the most value, be it at C or CF (or some continued combination).
Would you like to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or my blog...well you can't.
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 1, 2010 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions
See My Scenario
Above, posted before I read this discussion.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 1, 2010 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions
right after he was drafted, I heard some talk about CF for him
but that has quieted down.
Osuna -- His margin for error is so slim, I have a hard time seeing him being successful in the majors.
How is this different from 4 or our 5 current starters?
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
where does Theriot fall?
just wondering after reading Will’s post on his being promoted to AA, to make room for some kid who doesn’t know how to spel his first name.
"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell
I like Theriot
probably would be in the 50s if I went that far. He’s had a strange year—bouncing around wherever the organization needs catching help and hasn’t gotten many ABs—not sure if he’s had some injury issues. In college, he got on base a lot and I think he threw out a crazy percentage of basestealers.
It would be nice to know who fell off the previous list.
But thanks. Great work (other than the Blaine Hardy fiasco).
fiasco is kind of a strong word
when I think fiasco, I think letting a 34 year old catcher play over 90% of the time.
How about:
the Blaine Hardy debacle?
the Blaine Hardy blunder?
the Blaine Hardy flap?
This is great 5 prospects!
This is even better:
Future: Well, Alex Gordon certainly isn’t in the way anymore, not after his big-league struggles and move to the outfield. As a result, the path is clear for a 2011 debut if Moustakas doesn’t get a quick September look as a reward for a job well done.
anyone know anything about Luis Piterson?
He is absolutely killing the ball for rookie Burlington… every time i look at the box he has 2 hits… hitting 517 thru 8 games with 3 homers already
Piterson
Here’s his MILB page
There you will find out: he’s from Colombia, turned 20 last month, and the 3 homers he has hit so far are the first of his professional career. I don’t know much but he’s young enough to be interesting and his numbers from the DSL aren’t bad.
This Organization Needs
A bolt out of the blue; maybe he’ll be one.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 1, 2010 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions
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