True story: I set out to write another Non-hyped Royal Prospects post, saw Joey Lewis's name, and started writing down notes. When I googled him, I saw a truly wonderful post from March about this very player. I guess I'm just a sucker for guys named Joey.
That same search also revealed that Lewis was released by the Royals this week. His professional baseball career might very well be over. I guess we cursed him with a Non-Hyped profile.
Here's what I wrote back in March about Lewis:
Needless to say, 2011 is a huge season for Lewis, who will need to justify his existence in a loaded KC system. It would seem likely that he'll start the season at Wilmington. Unfortunately, he needs to show major improvement to reach AA Northwest Arkansas. Rough.
In his first full season at Wilmington, Lewis did show some improvement, if you want to squint a little. In 2011 Lewis posted a .204/.271/.358 line, in a tough place to hit.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | PA | 2B | 3B | HR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 21 | Idaho Falls | PION | Rk | 79 | 6 | 0 | 1 | .275 | .354 | .406 |
| 2010 | 22 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A-A+ | 411 | 23 | 1 | 8 | .237 | .324 | .372 |
| 2010 | 22 | Burlington | MIDW | A | 345 | 21 | 1 | 6 | .243 | .339 | .380 |
| 2010 | 22 | Wilmington | CARL | A+ | 66 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .206 | .242 | .333 |
| 2011 | 23 | Wilmington | CARL | A+ | 292 | 13 | 3 | 7 | .204 | .271 | .358 |
| 3 Seasons | 782 | 42 | 4 | 16 | .228 | .307 | .370 | ||||
Unfortunately, at the moment, there's just not a lot to like here. You can see that he's taking his walks, and if he ever does hit the ball, it might be an extra base hit. No speed, no defensive value, no batting average. Needless to say, a true .200 batting average talent at A ball is basically unplayable in the Majors.
On the positive side, you can at least imagine there might be a foundation here. Maybe. Perhaps a good eye/approach just waiting for the power to develop. I'll be curious to see if someone signs him.