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Royals Review Prospect Pulse: June



Things get a lot more interesting this month in the prospect pulse.  One of our top prospects bounce back from a difficult first month and a couple of our top pitching prospects make their full season debut.  Later this month, our short season affiliates will start playing.  The best part of minor league season is when all 7 affiliates are up and running and draftees from next week will start getting assigned.  Speaking of the draft, I hope to have a draft news and notes article up tomorrow as we are only 6 days away from the big event.  Meanwhile, enjoy the rankings, rip them apart, tell me why I'm right or wrong.

For hitters, we've got the traditional triple slash numbers and for pitchers you see: ERA/K/BB

Rank Name last month age level month stats YTD Comment
1 Eric Hosmer-1B 1 19 A 299/413/483 267/383/400 Starting to click, power will be the next thing to come.
2 Mike Moustakas-3B 2 20 A+ 266/296/404 269/306/445 Slumping of late, but not too worried--yet...
3 Dan Duffy-LHP 3 20 A+ 2.10/33/10 2.95/53/15 crusin' along-getting more GB but less K vs. his 08 numbers
4 Kila Kaaihue--1B 5 25 AAA 299/434/557 275/431/525 guess last year wasn't a fluke, was it?
5 M. Montgomery--LHP 7 19 A 3.27/12/10 3.27/12/10 some control issues but gets lots of ground balls
6 Tim Melville--RHP 11 19 A 3.86/11/4 3.86/11/4 looking good  in his debut
7 Dan Cortes--RHP 4 22 AA 2.81/21/23 4.01/36/32 his ERA last month was good but more walks than strikeouts--I'm starting to worry
8 Jeff Bianchi--SS
8 23 A+ 305/342/400 313/373/443 numbers came down a bit but still hitting pretty well.
9 Dan Gutierrez--RHP 6 22 SUS N/A N/A The whole dust up with the Royals was good for no one--here's hoping he's back to pitching soon
10 J. Giavotella--2B 12 21 A+ 220/351/297 223/354/350 Been unlucky some, numbers should even out
11 Kelvim Herrera-RHP 13 14 A(DL) 0.00/1/0 0.00/1/0 Was hurt but will be back with Burlington any day
12 Carlos Rosa--RHP 9 24 AAA 10.43/20/11 7.36/31/14 Disappointing season so far
13 David Lough--CF 15 23 A+ 342/393/430 340/402/447 This guy continues to hit--he's starting to become very interesting.  DDJ 2.0?
14 Chris Nicoll--RHP 14 25 AA 3.44/16/5 2.27/29/8 Not much left to prove at AA
15 Blake Wood--RHP 10 23 AA 5.59/17/9 6.31/31/15 Very frustrating prospect
16 Tyler Sample--RHP 17 19 EXT N/A N/A Should make his 2009 debut this month
17

Henry Barrera--RHP

19 23 AA N/A N/A Assigned to full season club this week
18 Joe Dickerson--OF 16 22 AA 242/342/333 230/338/317 Prospect status: dropping
19 John Lamb--LHP 20 18 EXT N/A N/A Very excited to see how this kid does
20 Greg Holland--RHP 23 23 AA 1.50/15/7 2.59/25/10 NW Ark bullpen better the KC Royals bullpen?
21 Disco Hayes--RHP 25 26 AA 0.00/9/4 0.53/14/6 0.00 ERA in 21 (!) relief innings this month--let's all pitch in and buy this guy a ticket to Omaha,  KC!
22 Nick Francis--OF 33 23 A 307/365/511 310/377/544 really like to see what this kids can do at A+
23 Jordan Parraz--OF 27 24 AA 333/463/529 336/445/470 Tyler Lumsden has an ERA of almost 5 for Houston's AAA team
24 Salvador Perez--C 24 19 A 210/258/274 175/213/223 Tough to believe: May numbers were actually an improvement
25 Chris Lubanski--OF 22 24 AAA 308/357/385 308/388/462 Been hurt, can't recall what the injury was
26 Jose Bonilla--C 26 20 A 250/316/333 241/298/339 coming to life a little
27 Brian McFall--1B 30 25 AA 287/356/440 277/346/470 not sure why, but I like this guy
28 Sean McCauley--C
36 20 A 286/357/408 219/284/324 Hit pretty well in May--hopefully keeps it up--supposed to be pretty good on D.
29 Paulo Orlando--CF 31 23 A+ 222/276/309 207/258/351 Paulo Orlando/Adrian Ortiz have never been seen in the same place at the same time
30 Adrian Ortiz--CF 22 28 A+ 277/302/277 261/277/294 even TPJ is laughing at your ISP
31 Blaine Hardy--LHP 35 22 A 3.09/17/8 3.00/42/8 couldn't sustain April's 25/0 K/BB ratio--but still had a good month
32 Mike Lehman NR 20 A 2.70/8/6 2.70/8/6 2008 20th pick from HS
33 Jose Duarte--CF 32 24 AAA 182/250/218

182/250/218

651 OPS @AA

becoming minor league filler at this point
34 Clint Robinson--1B 34 24 A+ 250/316/420 297/350/491 ...and back to earth he comes.
35 Barry Bowden--RHP NR 24 A 1.84/19/6 2.11/26/7 2008 undrafted FA--but has pitched well so far
36 James Thompson-RHP NR 21 A 0.59/14/8 2.92/29/16 38th round pick last year--that's all I know.
37 Nick Van Stratten-OF NR 24 A 362/425/511 336/403/479 Good numbers but is an old man in the Midwest League
38 Sam Runion--RHP 39 21 A 5.83/13/7 7.26/20/14 Put together a few good starts before getting bombed last time out
39 Brent Fisher--LHP 38 21 A+ 3.86/4/3 6.19/11/8 hurt
40 Luis Cota--RHP 37 23 A DL 4.26/15/5 hurt


Player of the Month:

Kila Kaaihue.  He's still getting on base well over 40% of the time, his power is not quite where it was last year but that is nitpicky.  He'd doing a good Nick Johnson impersonation--with less of a glove but also withou the injuries.  Is Kila the Rich Gannon of the Royals?  I hope not.  I supported the Mike Jacobs trade and he's been about what I expected.  The next few weeks are a perfect time to flip him to a contender who needs a LH bat.  Kaaihue is cheaper and better.  But we've heard how Jacobs is an emotional leader and I'm sure you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat like I do having just dreamt that DM flipped Kaaihue for a poor hitting SS.

I almost went with Hosmer, but I think I'll have other opportunities to pick him.