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Royals Top 60 Prospects #26-20




The Royals Top 30 just got a little deeper--kind of.  I realized I had neglected to put Kevin Chapman on the list.  #26 seemed just right for him, so everyone below him gets bumped down a slot.  That also means I'll cover 7 prospects in this installment and again next time.  We now start getting to prospects who could easily be on other teams' Top 10 list.  It's become a cliche but this is a really good group of prospects--we will probably be spoiled in a few years when this list isn't as good.

33. Clint Robinson

32. Crawford Simmons

31. Jeff BIanchi

30. Noel Arguelles

29. Buddy Baumann

28. Tyler Sample

27. Everett Teaford

26. Kevin Chapman--LHP--DOB:2/19/88

The Royals drafted Chapman in the 4th Round of the 2010 draft out of the U. of Florida as a senior.  He had Tommy John surgery as a sophomore in college.  He pitched a little as a junior but finally bounced back as a senior, pitching well and staying healthy all year.  Chapman has a mid 90s fastball with good movement and also has a good slider.  The Royals sent him to Wilmington after being drafted and he pitched pretty well in the 18 innings he got there (despite a 5.50 ERA).  He struck out 20 while walking 8.  He'll start 2011 either at A+ or AA.  He's got the stuff to be a valuable late inning reliever that can get lefties and righties out.

25. Paulo Orlando--CF--DOB:11/1/85

Year Age Tm Lev Aff G PA AB SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
2006 20 Kannapolis A CHW 116 503 470 29 9 18 143 .262 .305 .391 .696
2007 21 Winston-Salem A+ CHW 102 425 391 20 7 19 84 .253 .294 .376 .670
2008 22 2 Teams A+ CHW,KCR 130 571 522 29 13 30 116 .261 .310 .421 .732
2008 22 Winston-Salem A+ CHW 112 489 451 28 9 22 97 .262 .308 .408 .716
2008 22 Wilmington A+ KCR 18 82 71 1 4 8 19 .254 .325 .507 .832
2009 23 Wilmington A+ KCR 101 391 356 20 5 15 80 .261 .303 .351 .655
2010 24 Northwest Arkansas AA KCR 121 469 419 25 10 24 62 .305 .366 .480 .846
5 Seasons 570 2359 2158 123 44 106 485 .268 .316 .406 .723
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/25/2010.

 

The Royals got Orlando from the White Sox for Horacio Ramirez in 2008.   He is a terrific athlete but being from Brazil which is not a baseball hotbed, he's always been considered a little raw.  He has developed slowly but his 2010 numbers were encouraging (especially after a tough 2009).  He started off slowly in April but hit well the rest of the season.  Orlando upped his walk rate, dropped his K rate and increased his power.  It should be noted his OPS on the road was 724 while it was 960 at home (he hit 10 of his 13 HR at home).  Orlando is supposed to be a very good defensive CF.  He was left unprotected for the Rule V draft and thankfully was not taken.  He should get playing time at Omaha in 2011 but he will have to fight for time in CF with Jarrod Dyson and maybe Lorenzo Cain/Derrick Robinson.  He could be a nice 4th OF in the future.

24. Will Smith--LHP--DOB:7/10/89

Year Age Tm Lev Aff ERA G GS IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
2008 18 Orem Rk LAA 3.08 16 14 73.0 1.082 9.0 0.7 0.7 9.4 12.67
2009 19 Cedar Rapids A LAA 3.76 20 19 115.0 1.157 8.5 0.9 1.9 7.4 3.96
2010 20 4 Teams AAA-A+-AA KCR,LAA 4.62 27 27 163.2 1.393 10.0 1.0 2.5 7.1 2.83
2010 20 Wilmington A+ KCR 2.80 8 8 54.2 0.951 7.9 1.0 0.7 8.4 12.75
2010 20 Rancho Cucamonga A+ LAA 4.58 6 6 37.1 1.312 8.7 1.0 3.1 7.5 2.38
2010 20 Arkansas AA LAA 7.23 4 4 18.2 2.250 15.9 1.4 4.3 3.9 0.89
2010 20 Salt Lake AAA LAA 5.60 9 9 53.0 1.604 11.0 1.0 3.4 6.8 2.00
3 Seasons 4.02 63 60 351.2 1.251 9.3 0.9 1.9 7.7 3.96
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/25/2010.

 

If you want to study how to not handle a pitching prospect, look at what the Angels did to Will Smith last year.  Having all of 20 starts at Low-A, they gave him 37 IP at A+ -and while he wasn't very successful at A+, they moved him all the way to AAA where he (predictably) struggled.  They dropped him down to AA before he was traded to the Royals in the Callaspo deal.  He pitched really well at Wilmington--upping his K rate, dropping his BB rate and getting more ground balls.  Smith doesn't have a big ceiling.  His fastball is average and so is his curveball.  His changeup is inconsistent but can also be a decent pitch.  But lefties with 3 average pitches who can get groundballs have had long careers in the majors.  He could get a little more time at A+ to start 2011.

23: Jason Adam--RHP--DOB:8/4/91

The Royals took Blue Valley Northwest righty Jason Adam with their 5th Round pick of the 2010 draft.  The Royals gave him well above slot to sign ($800,000).  He's a big right-hander known for a good fastball. The Royals didn't have Adam get in a few innings in the Arizona Summer League but he impressed in Instructional League during October.  Both Keith Law and Baseball America wrote up an impressive outing where his fastball sat around 93-95 and touched 97.  He also had an impressive curveball.  He also throws a changeup that I'm sure he needs to be more consistent with because almost all HS pitchers need to be more consistent with their change.  Law also noted that his command was excellent and that he looked like he should have been a 1st Round pick.  It's probable that Law and BA saw Adam on a good day.  But if shows that the kid has a good ceiling.  If the Royals are feeling good about his progress, Adam could start 2011 at Kane County.

22. Louis Coleman--RHP--DOB:4/4/86

Year Age Tm Lev Aff ERA G GS IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
2009 23 2 Teams A+-A KCR 1.66 14 0 21.2 0.646 4.2 0.0 1.7 9.1 5.50
2009 23 Burlington A KCR 2.45 4 0 7.1 0.409 2.5 0.0 1.2 7.4 6.00
2009 23 Wilmington A+ KCR 1.26 10 0 14.1 0.767 5.0 0.0 1.9 10.0 5.33
2010 24 2 Teams AA-AAA KCR 2.15 42 1 92.0 0.946 6.1 0.7 2.4 10.1 4.12
2010 24 Northwest Arkansas AA KCR 2.09 21 1 51.2 0.871 5.4 0.9 2.4 9.6 3.93
2010 24 Omaha AAA KCR 2.23 21 0 40.1 1.041 6.9 0.4 2.5 10.7 4.36
2 Seasons 2.06 56 1 113.2 0.889 5.7 0.6 2.3 9.9 4.31
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/25/2010.

The Royals took Coleman in the 5th Round of the 2009 draft.  He was a Senior pick from LSU.  He had done both starting and relieving in college but the Royals have used him as a reliever.  He throws a good fastball/slider combination.  His delivery is very low from the right side making him particularly difficult on RH batters.  He gives up a lot of fly balls, but so far the HR hasn't hurt him too bad.  I find it interesting that he had 42 relief appearance and 92 IP--over 2 innings an outing which is pretty unheard of for a reliever.  He'll turn 25 just as the season starts and I think he will compete for a major league job in Spring Training.  It will be interesting to see how the Royals use him at the big league level--with a starting staff that could be tough to watch at times, a versatile and effective reliever who can come in and give 2 or 3 solid innings could be really valuable.

21. Derrick Robinson--CF--DOB:9/28/87

Year Age Tm Lev Aff G PA AB SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
2006 18 Royals Rk KCR 54 208 176 20 14 24 55 .233 .335 .318 .653
2007 19 2 Teams A-A+ KCR 105 463 420 35 7 33 100 .248 .303 .305 .608
2007 19 Burlington A KCR 102 449 407 34 7 32 100 .243 .299 .300 .599
2007 19 Wilmington A+ KCR 3 14 13 1 0 1 0 .385 .429 .462 .890
2008 20 Wilmington A+ KCR 124 556 497 62 17 51 97 .245 .316 .322 .638
2009 21 Wilmington A+ KCR 128 571 522 69 23 35 90 .239 .290 .324 .614
2010 22 Northwest Arkansas AA KCR 127 570 511 50 17 45 86 .286 .345 .380 .725
5 Seasons 538 2368 2126 236 78 188 428 .253 .316 .333 .649

Generated 12/25/2010.

Derrick Robinson closed out 2009 on a tear, hitting and hitting with some power.  He then opened 2010 with an OPS near 900 for the month of April.  But the rest of the season was spent with OPS a little south of 700.  He upped his walk rate a little bit.  He's still a guy who can fly--stealing bases and covering ground in the OF.  It's hard to imagine him being a starting CF for a good team but he could be a useful 4th or 5th outfielder.  He might have to go back to Northwest Arkansas in 2011.  There may not be room for him at Omaha as the Royals have cornered the market on mediocre CF prospects.


20 Salvador Perez--C--DOB:5/10/90
Year Age Tm Lev Aff G PA AB SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
2007 17 Royals Rk KCR 30 99 86 1 1 5 10 .244 .320 .279 .599
2008 18 2 Teams Rk KCR 25 95 83 0 1 7 10 .361 .409 .482 .891
2008 18 Idaho Falls Rk KCR 12 46 43 0 1 2 5 .395 .413 .581 .994
2008 18 Burlington Rk KCR 13 49 40 0 0 5 5 .325 .404 .375 .779
2009 19 2 Teams Rk-A KCR 95 396 360 0 2 25 40 .267 .313 .356 .669
2009 19 Idaho Falls Rk KCR 59 259 233 0 1 19 25 .309 .357 .421 .777
2009 19 Burlington A KCR 36 137 127 0 1 6 15 .189 .230 .236 .466
2010 20 Wilmington A+ KCR 99 396 365 1 1 18 38 .290 .322 .411 .732
4 Seasons 249 986 894 2 5 55 98 .283 .326 .383 .709
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/25/2010.

How many catchers last year finished with a wRC+ over 90 (over 400 abs)and with positive UZR (I realize catching defensive stats are far from perfect)?  The answer: 5.  That is why Salvador Perez is a sure fired major league player--at least as sure as you can be for a 20 year old prospect.  His defense is considered very good and his bat was surprisingly good last year.  For a 20 year old to have a 733 OPS at Wilmington and play the toughest defensive position is quite an accomplishment.  Perez was streaky at the plate last year.  He was putrid at the plate in June and July, good in May and great in August.  He doesn't walk much but he also doesn't strike out much.  Perez's development will make the moving of Wil Myers to RF much more palatable.  Perez looks like the perfect fit for the 2013 Royals--a very good defensive catcher who won't kill you batting 7th or 8th in the lineup.  He will either go back to Wilmington in 2011 or get bumped up to AA.