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Thursday evening Baseball America revealed their top 100 prospect list for the 25th annual year. Four Royals appeared on the list.
#26 - Raul Mondesi
BA ranked Mondesi the Royals top prospect in their club top 10.
Tool grades: Hit: 60. Power: 45. Speed: 70. Defense: 60. Arm: 60.
Mondesi presented one of the toughest player evaluations scouts faced in 2014. His tools are exceptional, but his contact issues meant that those tools were only seen sporadically. Scouts around baseball generally wrote off Mondesi's awful season as a byproduct of being 18 in the Carolina League. He's still the most talented player in the Royals system and one of the top shortstop prospects in the game. The Royals have moved Mondesi aggressively, but it's time to let him catch up to his competition. He's the Royals' long-term answer at shortstop, but for now a return to Wilmington is likely.
#55 - Brandon Finnegan
Finnegan made his MLB debut in 2014, being both the first player to play in both the College World Series and MLB World Series as well as the only MLB player with the surname Finnegan.
Tool grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
Finnegan will get a chance to earn a spot in the Royals' rotation in spring training, but considering his lack of experience, he likely won't be ready. He's ready to help a big league club as a reliever, however, so the Royals might opt to deploy him in that role.
#75 - Kyle Zimmer
Looking at his tools, he's one of the best pitchers in the minors, but a span of injuries has sidelined him and his value for now.
Tool grades: Fastball: 70. Curve: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
Doctors haven't been able to find any one underlying issue that ties Zimmer's lengthy list of injuries together, but one of the key attributes of a front-line starter is durability, something he has not achieved. If he can stay healthy, Zimmer is the Royals' most talented pitching prospect.
#81 - Sean Manaea
Manaea had one of the better seasons for Royals pitching prospects and was predicted by Jim Callis of MLB.com to lead the minors in strikeouts for 2015.
Tool grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 40.
Manaea made big strides, but he still has to demonstrate he can be more precise. He heads to Double-A Northwest Arkansas with the raw ingredients to be a No. 3 starter.
Lists are ever changing, but on their Royals top 10 list revealed November 16, BA had Manaea in front of Zimmer.
This is the final of the major lists during #ProspectSeason, and below is how the Royals ranked
Player | BP | MLB | Law | FG | BA | Average |
Raul Mondesi | 27 | 40 | 38 | 61 | 28 | 39 |
Sean Manaea | 85 | 56 | 37 | 81 | 65 | |
Kyle Zimmer | 58 | 25 | 94 | 75 | 63 | |
Brandon Finnegan | 87 | 75 | 56 | 55 | 68 | |
Miguel Almonte | 56 | 84 | 105 | 82 | ||
Hunter Dozier | 95 | 139 | 117 |
On Monday, I'll have my Royals top 30 and MiLB top 70 posted.