The obvious players who will get the opportunity are Cuthbert, Jorge Bonifacio, and Jorge Soler as Ned Yost said those were the players that he was making a priority to get into the lineup. In addition, not pursuing Morrison has seemingly opened the door for Hunter Dozier to grab hold of the first base spot, or even third should Cuthbert not establish himself. That foursome will be given every opportunity to grab hold of their major league roster spots. There remain a few others who will need to prove themselves in the minors or face the possibility of losing their chance in this organization.

Kyle Zimmer – 2018 is likely the make or break season for Zimmer. The 2012 fifth overall selection in the draft has encountered injury after injury since his draft season and is facing his final option season with the Royals this year. At times last season he was hitting 95-97 mph in Omaha, but a loss in feel for his usually reliable and formerly dominant curveball left him vulnerable to right-handed hitters, with them hitting .317 with a .913 OPS versus him. During the season, Zimmer will need to establish that he can get Triple-A hitters out, stay healthy and then prove he’s worthy of a bullpen spot. A tall ask, indeed.

Going for him – The lack of quality arms in what was a usually strong Royals bullpen in that past shouldn’t impede on him should he perform in Omaha.

Going against him – Multiple arms will need to be added to the 40-man roster next winter with Foster Griffin, Scott Blewett, and Josh Staumont all needing protection from the Rule 5 draft.

Miguel Almonte – Much like Zimmer, the 2013 Future Gamer is also facing a career crossroads in 2018 after encountering injury problems again and again, along with troubles with the strike zone. The latter seemed to have been corrected in ’17 with a dominant start at Double-A that was mirrored through nine outings in Omaha before arm troubles after a brief stint in the bigs shut him down. Like Zimmer, these injury problems for Almonte are pretty consistent as the right-hander has thrown fewer innings each season since his 130.2 output in ’13. The stuff for him is there still when he has been healthy, and last season when he was there, it looked better than ever. He still flashes his typical mid to upper 90s fastball, the best breaking ball of his career and his usual changeup. Despite those things going for him, Almonte faces a similar task as Zimmer, forcing him to establish himself in the majors while proving healthy before facing the possibility of getting left behind on the 40-man crunch.

Bubba Starling – With Zimmer and a player who will appear later on this list, GMDM has over $12.69 million invested in first round picks facing a crossroads this season. Like the others before him on this list, Starling is facing his final option this year. Struggles from the start of 2016 through April of last season have to place Starling’s career in a difficult spot. However, an adjustment made with hitting coach Tommy Gregg had him working more of the entire field and the results improved with a 54 game stretch of .290/.327/.435 from May 1st thru July 9th before an injury slowed him down and possibly prevented a September call-up. Even that minor tick in improved results isn’t quite the stuff that would normally earn a player a move to the show, but with the large investment the Royals have made him already, then similar results should give him an opportunity to prove things on the major league roster. A good spring could even earn Starling the starting center field nod altogether.

Going for him – A lack of competition against Starling with likely the biggest hurdle in his way could be Adalberto Mondesi establishing himself at second base and moving Whit Merrifield to center. Going for Starling in this scenario is the fact that Mondesi has two options remaining. Should Bubba perform in spring, the Royals can afford to send the younger middle infielder to Omaha to start the year. In addition, Starling’s defensive prowess makes him the best option for a pitching staff that will likely give up its share of fly balls, which would make him the best option for center field.

Going against him – A track record of less than stellar results leaves Starling vulnerable, but much like the players ahead of him, there are few options knocking on his door. One possible suitor for his roster spot though could be Donnie Dewees, the outfielder acquired in the Cubs trade prior to last season. An addition of Dewees, Anderson Miller or a move to center by Merrifield could push Starling off the 40-man.

Elier Hernandez – Latin players who struggle at any time in their career can make any roster spot a real predicament. While Hernandez has been in the organization for seven years now, he will still play this entire season at 23 years old. The slow development path of recent Royals prospects like Merrifield, Jorge Bonifacio, and Jake Junis show that the Royals shouldn’t give up on Hernandez just yet, and a strong start to ’17 may have positioned him to knock on the door already had Dewees not wiped him out in the outfield and ended his season prematurely. Going unpicked in the Rule 5 draft this winter doesn’t mean he will necessarily be out of the organization shall he struggle this season, but a lack of a move leaves him more vulnerable to players behind him and leaves him even further behind the players already ahead. Much of Hernandez’s success was batted-ball driven in ’17, but with limited minor league data that can be driven by hard contact, his 24% line-drive rate propelled his BABIP to over .400. A small sample size can explain much of this, but a repeat in 2018 will be needed to establish a spot on the Royals 40-man roster for Hernandez.

Going for him – As mentioned, Hernandez’s age is going for him as is a move away from Wilmington. Many of the tools in the outfield remain as does his quick bat and a lack of position players truly knocking on the door.

Going against him – It’s a numbers game in ’18 for all, with three free agents and plenty of players knocking on the door. In addition, an outfield that could feature Jorge Soler and Jorge Bonifacio under control for a number of years could limit the need to add Elier.

Chase Vallot – Is he ready for Double-A? That’s the question for Vallot following a 2017 season that saw him put up an 18% walk rate and his usual better than .200 ISO rate. Still, the defensive questions remain for the backstop with a league-worst 18% caught stealing rate. The front office also sent a signal that they may prefer younger catchers with the addition of Meibrys Viloria to the 40-man and the drafting of uber-athlete M.J. Melendez. Like others ahead of him, Vallot needs to establish the fact that he can stay healthy after averaging just 90 games per season in his three full seasons in the organization. That’s on top of showing a better hit tool and better receiving skills to go with the needed improvements in controlling the run game. He may have done all of this while playing against the best group of pitching that he has faced in his career with the possibility of him advancing to Double-A.

Going for him – Still just 21 years old for much of this season, it seems unlikely that the Royals would leave someone with his type of power vulnerable to the Rule 5 draft. The free agency of Drew Butera with the likely advancement of Cam Gallagher to the 25-man roster will likely open up a spot on the roster for Vallot.

Going against him – Not much is going against him other than things he can’t control, but Chase will face some competition for the 40-man spot from Nick Dini who is coming off a season that saw him hit .310 with a .381 on-base percentage at Double-A in ’17.

Ashe Russell – The Royals likely were hoping that the only revision to the 2015 draft day we would be talking about three years later would’ve been the outfit Ashe Russell wore. Instead, the Indiana prep player’s career is on the precipice of ending before ever reaching full-season ball. Refined mechanics and a workout change led to a loss in velocity which ultimately pushed him to wanting a change and some time away from the game. What is his status now? As they have been for two years now, the Royals are quiet on Russell. It’s not necessarily a pressing year for his future, but another season without competition will likely mean a once hopeful career was missed and the front office whiffed on another draft pick.

Featured Photo via Minda Haas Kuhlmann

Let’s not dive into the weeds too deeply on the development problem, but it’s not a secret that they have now had three high profile pitchers step away from the game in Zack Greinke, Danny Duffy and now Ashe Russell. In the case of Greinke and Duffy, that turned out quite well while the jury is still out on Russell. Of course, Greinke can’t really be held against this front office as they weren’t the ones to rush him onto a sinking ship of a major league team to get his head beat in. Still, three pitchers walking away from the game may mean the Royals need to adjust the type of personalities they are adding to the system. A decent way of doing this would be to draft a pitcher who has been around the game, knows what to expect, and whose training routine doesn’t need much adjustment.

One such pitcher who fits that profile and has a chance to be available at the 18th or in the early 30 slots is left-hander Ryan Weathers, the son of former major leaguer David Weathers. After hanging around and watching major leaguers from the time he was eight years old, the younger Weathers has found his routine and developed a style for pitching that most would analyze as older for his years, showing a flair for movement and location that helped him set a Tennessee state record with 28 strikeouts in the Class A state tourney over 14 innings and 2 games. Not just blessed with a mind for the game, he also features the power and athleticism for it with a fastball that has continued to pick up velocity and now sits 90-93 mph while topping out at 95.

Despite a body that does present itself as athletic, Weathers is just that thanks in part to an ability to repeat his mechanics and a finish that leaves him in a good position to field. In addition to the fastball, he has a curveball that he can manipulate to freeze hitters or get them to chase out of the zone. Next to the curve is a changeup that shows good armside fade and above average comfort for the pitch for a high schooler. The entire arsenal features movement and his above-average baseball IQ shows excellent sequencing and intelligence to move the ball around the zone, giving him an advantage over hitters which should allow him to excel at the lower levels of the minor leagues.

Overall this is a type of pitcher who shouldn’t need much development and could move quickly despite his prep status thanks to his IQ and repertoire. All this while also fitting in with MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto as players who have been in front of scouts for quite some time.

Featured photo via Team USA Baseball

The news on Ashe Russell stepping away from the game came out via the KC Star on Friday from Rustin Dodd. On Saturday Russell’s agent made a brief statement via Ken Rosenthal to reiterate that it wasn’t a retirement and just a stepping away to clear his head. In my opinion, if Ashe believes this is the best move for him then it probably is as he’s not going to get back to the prospect that made him a first-round prospect without full commitment.

HR Roll Call Ryan O’Hearn (14), Raul Mondesi (11), Alfredo Escalera (4), Reed Rohlman (1), Nick Hutchins (1), Nick Pratto (1), Randor Vargas (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day Michael Gigliotti 3-5 2R, 2b, BB, 3 SB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Pedro Fernandez 4 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 5 K 6-2 GO-FO 49p/35k

Omaha Storm Chasers 5 Iowa Cubs 1

The Royals shortstop prospect Raul Mondesi had played 135 games between Triple-A and the bigs, hitting 12 home runs in that time but all 12 had come with no one on. Those days are behind him apparently as Mondesi hit a grand slam for the second night in a row, this one off former Royals prospect Aaron Brooks. First base prospect Ryan O’Hearn hit his 14th home run of the year to tack on an insurance run in the ninth.

Boxscore Link

Raul Mondesi 1-4 HR, 4 RBI
Ryan O’Hearn 1-4 HR, 2K
Eric Skoglund 4.2 IP 2 H 1 R 1 ER 5 BB 5 K 6-2 GO-FO 98p/52k
Brian Flynn 3 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K 2-2 GO-FO 41p/28k

NW Arkansas Naturals 5 San Antonio Missions 3

Naturals reliever Pedro Fernandez was outstanding in this one when forced to relieve Goudeau early. Working four perfect innings with five strikeouts while blistering the zone with 35 strikes on 49 pitches Fernandez lowered his ERA to 2.70 on the season. The righty came into today with a career-high 53% groundball rate on top of his 23% K-rate and should be considered a possibility for a role in the Royals bullpen within a year or so. Outfielder Alfredo Escalera’s three-run home run off former Royals pitching prospect Aroni Nina was the key hit in this one.

Boxscore Link

Alfredo Escalera 1-3 HR, 3 RBI, BB
Anderson Miller 2-4 R
Samir Duenez 0-5
Andrew Edwards 3 IP 1 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 2 K 43/25k 6-0 GO-FO

Potomac Nationals 4 Wilmington Blue Rocks 1

The two sluggers at Wilmington do things in a much different way which makes their path an interesting one to compare going forward. The Royals minor league leader in home runs, Chris DeVito came into the High-A game with a sub 7% walk rate and sub 19% K-rate with around a 20% line drive rate with Wilmington. This is a different approach to what Chase Vallot employs, the catching prospect at High-A has hit at just 15.9% linedrive rate with a 59.1% flyball rate. That extreme flyball rate leads the Carolina league and has led to 11 home runs when mixed with his 14% HR/FB record. Unfortunately, Vallot’s extreme 36% K-rate has led to his overall numbers suffering so far this season but at two years DeVito’s junior one can still continue to dream on Vallot.

That age combined with the premium defensive position makes Vallot a higher profile prospect obviously but his inability to make contact at a decent rate shakes things up.

Boxscore Link

Vallot 0-3 2K
DeVito 0-3
D.J. Burt 1-4 2b, RBI

Greenville Drive 6 Lexington Legends 0

Just turned 19-year-old Khalil Lee entered the night in a tie for 3rd in home runs in the South Atlantic League while also tied for first in walks accumulated. The major focus of his game in the second half should be working on contact (32% K-rate) and becoming a better baserunner. The Legends started the day in 1st or 2nd in most offensive categories in the league but the Drive held them to just three hits.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 0-1 K, HBP, 2BB, CS (15)
Emmanuel Rivera 0-4
Gabe Cancel 0-4 E (13)
Meibrys Viloria 2-3 1-3 CS/Attempts

Orem Owlz 12 Idaho Falls Chukars 1

The Angels rookie squad has beaten Idaho Falls by four or more runs in four of their five games this season after this lopsided affair.

Boxscore Link

Burlington Royals 7 Danville Braves 3

Reliever Tyler Zuber is getting plenty of strikeouts (40%) but needs to attack the bottom of the zone better than he did on Saturday. Still, you want domination out of a reliever and he’s showing he can get over on younger hitters.

Boxscore Link

Michael Gigliotti 3-5 2R, 2b, 3 SB
Tyler Zuber 2 IP 2 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 4 K 47p/29k 2-0 GO-FO
Cal Jones 2-6 2R, 2b, RBI, 2K
Jeison Guzman 1-6 3K

AZL Padres 6 AZL Royals 3

Royals 1st round pick Nick Pratto hit his first professional home run to tie the game in the eighth after connecting on a sacrifice fly earlier in the game. Stud 18-year-old Dominican prospect Esteury Ruiz walked, stole a pair of bases and scored in the first inning.

Boxscore Link

Nick Pratto
Esteury Ruiz 0-2 R, BB, 2 SB (4)
Nolan Watson 3 IP 1 H 0 R 1 K

DSL Marlins 8 DSL Royals 7

A pair of 17-year-olds worked in this one with lefty Braulio Nunez making his third DSL appearance, working two scoreless innings. Another 17 years old, Victor Medina gave up three runs (1 ER) to start this one. The Marlins walked the game off with a one-out walk followed by a pair of singles off Royals reliever Kelvin De Los Santos.

Boxscore Link

Reynin Reynoso 2-5 R, RBI
Braulio Nunez 2 IP 3 H 0 R 0 BB 0 K
Rafael Romero 1-3 R, BB

Let’s take a quick look at the draft picks in the 1st round of the Lonnie Goldberg era compared to the next college positional prospect taken.

*MLB Player

One can easily say that had the Royals taken these four players instead of the ones they selected, it would have resulted in three better picks in Springer, Naquin and up to this point, Stewart. In the case of Springer vs Starling, they ended up looking for tools and ended up missing out on a player with tools and an ability to access those tools. So what college positional prospects could be a fit this year in the draft?

Jeren Kendall – At the start of the amateur season, Kendall was in talks by the prognosticators to be a Top 1 or 2 pick, but contact issues this season have lowered his stock to the back of the Top 10 if not into the teens according to BA and MLB Pipeline. Should he drop to the 14 spot, I would think the organization would be very interested in Kendall as a player with plus-plus speed, above average power and a defensive acumen that should be able to keep him in center field. The profile is very similar to that of Springer when he was coming out of UCONN with the only difference the level of competition Kendall played against at Vandy compared to the Big East for Springer.

What is there to like? The speed and defense stand out. This is a player who should have no problems playing the outfield at The K as a speedy center fielder who can go get the ball and then influence the game when he’s on the bases. Along with an average or better arm, Kendall could step into The K and handle everything that is needed at a plus level. That athleticism is carried over into the power with Kendall having average or slightly better pop. A team that drafts Kendall could iron out some swing mechanics and have a 20/20 type hitter.

What don’t I like? The strikeouts are very concerning. While I’ve drawn a comparison to Springer here, it should be noted that Springer cut his strikeout percentage significantly during his junior season. That is not the case for Kendall who has actually seen his number climb. Is this someone trying to access more power? His home run numbers are up so that could be the case but one would hope he would’ve improved enough while in college that his power production would climb on its own without having to sell out for them in a draft year. One would want to see a more professional approach out of a college junior with the pedigree of a Team USA player. The Royals in the past have struggled to help players make adjustments which would scare me for a player like Kendall who needs to make some adjustments in recognition and swing mechanics.

Swing breakdown via Baseball Rebellion

Adam Haseley – College position players tend to climb up draft boards this time of year as players perform during the college season and outplay what they think going into the year. That’s what makes Kendall’s drop so interesting. Following the usual path of climbing is Virginia outfielder/pitcher Adam Haseley who has improved his stock from that of a 2nd rounder type to talks inside the Top 10.

The two players’ programs and games clash quite a bit. While Kendall and the Vandy program in general swing big and miss often, Virginia prefers a patient, more contact oriented approach. This game fits Haseley quite well, as evidenced in the lefty swinger’s ability to walk (32-17) more than he strikes out. This approach combined with his speed and defense should fit ideally at the top of a major league order and in center field, or if the speed isn’t quite what a team wants, perhaps as a plus-corner along the lines of an Adam Eaton type.

The tools for Haseley are closer to average across the board with a slightly better than average arm and defense grades and a hit tool to me that is closer to a plus 60/65 grade. Some see the bat as average or a tick above average, but I see it as better when adding in his approach and intelligence of his game. A possible .300 BA with a .375 OBP in the future is what I think you’ll see quite often in his career. Add that to his defensive profile and you have an Eaton defender with a better arm in my opinion and less speed on the bases.

The one tool that is lacking in Haseley’s profile currently is his power which ticks as slightly below average. We have seen him improve that this year and he has shown better power than Kendall to this point when using wood bats at the Cape. While I don’t see a 20 home run power profile like you may get out of Kendall, I think his advanced approach, the ability to spray the ball, and barrel skills should still lead to 30-40 doubles pop and a 10 home run range. This is more than enough for a player with his on-base and defensive skills along with a workman like attitude that he brings to the field.

To me, Haseley would be an ideal fit for Kauffman Stadium and at the top of a major league order and while he doesn’t have the ceiling Kendall projects, I believe he to be the better player at the next level.

There is plenty of smoke that the Royals are going high school pitching in the draft with Trevor Rodgers the latest pitcher being linked to them via Perfect Game. There have been eight or nine mock drafts at reputable sites that I’ve seen with all but one of them linking the Royals to a high school pitcher. While this may be the case I think it could be similar to the ’13 draft with the Royals linking to a prep pitcher, but then waiting for a profile arm to fall to them with their second pick while they nab the best college position player on their board. Only time will tell.

Here’s a list of all college position players selected by the Royals in the top 10 rounds of the draft in the Dayton Moore era:

Discuss the Draft Articles
David Peterson 
Shane Baz
Jordon Adell, Daniel Tillo 
Garrett Mitchell
Brendon Little
Jacob Heatherly
Michael Gigliotti 
Alex Lange, Calvin Mitchell

HR Roll Call: Samir Duenez (7), Chris DeVito (3)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Emmanuel Rivera 4-5, R, 2b, 3b, 3 RBI

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Andre Davis 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, HBP, 4-2 GO-FO 

Wilmington Blue Rocks 7 Lynchburg Hillcats 5

A big first inning combined with a few late inning runs salvaged the series finale for Wilmington versus the Hillcats. Starting pitcher Corey Ray couldn’t match his past three starts when he allowed just one run in each, but he did enough to complete six innings and earn a win thanks to plenty of offense. First baseman Samir Duenez jumped all over a hanging breaking ball in the first to pound it over the rightfield for a three-run home run and a 4-0 lead, his first at High-A. Lynchburg would rally to tie the game in the fifth but a misplay in the home half of the inning by the Hillcats turned into a run for the Blue Rocks and a lead they would not relinquish. An RBI double by Brandon Downes followed by a triple by Austin Bailey to push Downes across added two more runs in the sixth to give Wilmington’s bullpen enough cushion to hold on for the win.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 1-4, HR, 3RBI
Raul Mondesi 1-3, R, BB, SB (12)
Jake Newbery 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2-0 GO-FO, 37p/25k

West Virginia Power 5 Lexington Legends 1

Just two Legends were able to get a hit as the Power limited the Lexington offense on Wednesday night. Outfielders Anderson Miller and Ben Johnson accounted for all three hits while Miller also walked once, but the Legends went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position to cross the plate just one time. Scott Blewett struggled with the zone, allowing a pair of runs in just 4.2 innings while tossing 92 pitches in that time to drop his eighth game of the year. Anderson Miller has had an outstanding month of June, carrying a .488 on base percentage with a .493 slugging percentage with eight doubles in the 21 games played this month.

Boxscore Link 

Ben Johnson 2-4
Anderson Miller 1-3, R, BB
Scott Blewett 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 4WP, 6-3 GO-FO, 92p/57k

Ogden Raptors 7 Idaho Falls Chukars 1

The Chukars put together just two hits while striking out 13 times in a noncompetitive game two of their series with Ogden. Idaho Falls starter Igol Feliz gave up eight hits, including two home runs, while giving up five runs in six innings with the defense allowing three unearned runs in that bunch. Four defensive errors were featured in the sloppy game that pushed their record to 6-6 this season.

Boxscore Link

Ricky Aracena 0-4, 2K, SB (4), E2 (7)
Colton Frabasilio 1-4, R, 2b
Luke Willis 1-1, 2BB

Burlington Royals 10 Bristol Pirates 2

A night after lefty Cristian Castillo kept Bluefield off balance, lefty Andre Davis blew away the Bristol Pirates. Davis, a 2015 8th round pick, put away 10 Bristol hitters via strikeout while allowing just four hits and a walk over six strong innings while backed up with plenty of offense. The Burlington corner infielders Chris DeVito and third baseman Emmanuel Rivera combined for three extra base hits and six runs driven in as part of a 10 run Burlington outburst. DeVito knocked out his third home run of the year, while Rivera added four hits including a double and triple to push his average in the first seven games to a robust .520. All together the offense combined to pound out 15 hits while drawing four walks in the victory.

Boxscore Link

Logan Gray 2-5, R, 2b
Vance Vizcaino 2-5, R
Chris DeVito 2-4, HR, 3 RBI

AZL Indians 7 AZL Royals 0

The Royals were blanked in Arizona as 1st rounder Ashe Russell gave up a pair of runs in one inning-plus of work, while the offense pieced just three hits together.

Boxscore Link

Ashe Russell 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP, 0-1 GO-FO
Sam Selman 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4-0 GO-FO
Cal Jones 0-4, K

DSL Royals 4 DSL Astros 3

A pair of late runs erased a first inning deficit and gave the Royals a walkoff win.

Boxscore Link

Yareimy Garcia 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 5-4 GO-FO
Angel Medina 1-3, 2R, 3b, RBI, BB
Juan Peguero 2-3, R, RBI, BB

HR Roll Call: Jorge Bonifacio (11), Bubba Starling (5), Jonathan McCray (1)

BP KC Hitter of the Day – Colton Frabasilio 4-4, 3R 3-2b, 2 RBI, BB

BP KC Pitcher of the Day – Andres Sotillet 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 10-2 GO-FO

New Orleans Zephyrs 9 Omaha Storm Chasers 3

Miguel Almonte’s struggles in 2016 continued Thursday, giving up a solo home run in the first and two more runs in the second while struggling with the zone as usual. The righty walked four while falling victim to Robert Andino’s big night at the plate. Andino went 3 for 5 with two solo home runs and a two run double to account for four of the nine Zephyr runs. All four Chasers pitchers gave up runs, with only Brooks Pounders looking effective as he struck out seven in three innings on the hill. The offense had nine hits but went just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Alex Gordon went 2 for 5 with a pair of RBI in his first rehab game with the Chasers.

Boxscore Link

Alex Gordon 2-5, 2 RBI
Jorge Bonifacio 1-5, HR
Ramon Torres 2-5, 2R, 2b, 3b

Tulsa Drillers 4 NW Arkansas Naturals 3

Two late home runs spoiled an otherwise solid Matt Strahm start and cost the Naturals their first game of the second half. The lefty was spinning for much of the game, allowing just five hits and one run through 6.2 innings while walking zero and striking out four. Just one out away from tying a season and career-high seven innings, Strahm gave up a double just prior to Cody Bellinger blasting a first-pitch home run to tie the game and push Strahm to the bench. With the game even, the Naturals were unable to threaten from there, leaving them with a loss after Drillers Jacob Scavuzzo hit a solo walk-off home run. All three Naturals runs came in the fourth, and included Bubba Starling’s first home run since May 1st.

Boxscore Link

Bubba Starling 1-4, HR
Matt Strahm 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 6-4 GO-FO, 87p/60k
Corey Toups 2-5, 2 RBI

Winston-Salem Dash 9 Wilmington Blue Rocks 2 

The Rocks pitching staff got knocked around in their first game back from the All-Star break. Starter Zach Lovelorn and relievers Luis Rico and Brennan Henry each gave up five hits and multiple runs. Rico gave up four extra base hits including a two run home run in just 1.2 innings. Coming into the contest, the Rocks were averaging just one run per game during Lovvorn starts and the low scoring trend continued with the scoring coming from a two-run double in eighth from new arrival Samir Duenez.

Boxscore Link

Zach Lovvorn 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Cody Jones 1-4, R, BB
Samir Duenez 2-4, 2b, RBI

Lexington Legends

Rained out

Idaho Falls Chukars 11 Orem Owlz 7

The Chukars won a slugfest in the series finale over Orem, pounding out 17 hits on their way to a win. Four Idaho Falls starters had three hits or more including Colton Frasbillo who went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles, three runs scored and two driven in. Both teams starting pitchers gave up 10 hits with the Royals version, Arnaldo Hernandez, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings against just one strikeout. Idaho Falls tallied in innings two through sixth before getting blanked in the seventh. They mounted a comeback with a four run eighth to break a 7-7 tie and put the game away.

Boxscore Link

Meibrys Villoria 3-4, 2R, 2-2b, 3b, BB, 2 RBI, SB
Yeison Melo 3-5, 2b, 2R
Manny Olloque 2-5, R, 3b, 2 RBI, SB

Princeton Rays 7 Burlington Royals 4

Burlington’s starting pitcher struggled in their season opener, putting the team in a 7-0 hole. With just one hit through four innings, second baseman Jonathan McCray got the offense on the board with a three run home run in the fifth. That woke up the Royals offense the rest of the way as they put up six more hits and three walks. Unfortunately, they could plate just one more run. Starter Cristian Castillo gave up eight hits and seven runs (5 ER) in 4.2 innings.

Boxscore Link

Vance “Moonlight” Tatum 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Vance Vizcaino 2-4, R, OF assist
Jonathan McCray 2-4, HR, 3 RBI

AZL Royals 11 AZL Reds 1

Ashe Russell pitched his first game since last summer, working a perfect inning with one K to help the AZL Royals breeze to a win over the Reds. The Royals batted through the order in the first, putting five runs on the board while adding another in the secon to put a strangle on the game early. With Russell working a perfect first and Luke Farrell following behind with three scoreless and six K’s during his rehab work, the game was pretty much over. For good measure though, the Royals tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh and three more in the ninth to balloon the lead to 11-1. 2015 International signee Seuly Matias went 2 for 4 with three driven in.

Boxscore Link

Jeison Guzman 2-5, 2R
Robby Rinn 1-5, 3R, HR, 2RBI
Dillon Drabble 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 6-1 GO-FO

DSL Royals 2 DSL Marlins 1

The DSL Royals received a one-hit starting pitching performance from Andres Sotillet, a 19 year old Venezuelan, during their game Thursday. The offense rewarded Sotillet with a two-run sixth to earn the victory. In that sixth, a walk and a single came prior to a Freddy Fermin double that scored one run and pushed another to third base. That baserunner would score one batter later on a wild pitch to give the Royals a 2-0 lead. Sotillet would pitch the sixth with a perfect inning, finishing his effort with eight consecutive retired and 18 of 20 on the day. Reliever Francis Chavez would finish the final three innings with just a unearned run allowed to earn his second save of the season.

Boxscore Link

Andres Sotillet 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 10-2 GO-FO
Freddy Fermin 3-4, 2b, RBI
Angel Medina 1-4, R

A few questions remain on Russell. Are the Royals re-working his delivery which was said to be unclean by some at the draft? Are they wanting him to continue to refine his change up? While Russell’s change was significantly behind the fastball and slider at the time of the draft last year, the same could be said of Scott Blewett and the Royals sent him to Low-A. Are Blewett’s and Griffin’s struggles creating a change in philosophy? There is no hard and fast rule of pitching development by any organization that works but a slow philosophy isn’t generally a sign of great things to come. The best pitchers in the game that have been drafted during the last century from the prep ranks have had quick success at the lower levels. The Royals reluctance to expose Russell to full season ball may mean expectations should be tempered going forward.

2013 Draft Results – As I mentioned above the Royals recently released Carter Hope, their 2013 3rd round pick. With that release and the trades of Cody Reed and Sean Manaea the Royals have just Hunter Dozier and a shiny World Series trophy to show for their ’13 draft. While pretty much every team would gladly make that swap, the hope of success from that draft going forward clearly resides with Dozier and a couple others. Here is a quick list of the others:

4th Rd Pick Zane Evans – Double-A .621 OPS in ’16
5th Rd Pick Amalani Fukofuka – Low-A .646 OPS
6th Rd Pick Luke Farrell – Triple-A 3.73 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
7th Rd Pick Kyle Bartsch – Traded for Reymond Fuentes
13th Rd Pick Jon Dziedzic – Triple-A 4.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
16th Rd Pick Kevin McCarthy – Double-A 4.42 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
18h Rd Pick Frank Schwindel – Double-A .854 OPS
19th Rd Pick Andrew Edwards – Triple-A 30 K in 22 IP, 0.91 WHIP on the season
37th Rd Pick Will Craig – Unsigned, possible 1st round pick in ’16 draft

Light on Arms? – While trading so many lefty arms depleted the starting pitching front of the Royals organization, a few other trades have slimmed down the Royals bullpen flexibility. Trades of Spencer Patton and Andrew Triggs combined with the free agency of Buddy Baumann with the release of Louis Coleman have left the Royals in an unfamiliar position of a lack of high quality replacement arms for their bullpen. There are a couple arms in Evan Beal and Andrew Edwards who could be intriguing down the line but mostly they would have to flip flop a pitcher into the pen who is currently starting at the upper levels. That is something the Royals have been able to avoid for the most part the past few seasons by stocking the upper levels with bullpen arms.

Draft Strategy – The Royals have the second lowest draft pool available to them this season. With a budget of just $3.2M available to them via the draft, they will likely need to find some real bargains with their picks. Where can you get those type of picks? Staying local is one way; finding a local player who is willing to take a discount to play for the hometown team could save the Royals significant money. Players like Ryan Zeferjahn or Nonie Williams are local players who wouldn’t be reaches with the first couple of Royals picks if willing to take a “local discount.”

Another strategy would be to take a college senior who has virtually zero negotiating leverage. This is a common strategy in the 3rd through 10th rounds, but with so little money available to them the Royals might be apt to use this strategy throughout their draft. A pair of seniors, Kyle Funkhouser and Kentucky’s Kyle Cody could present themselves as viable options in both savings and talent. Both seniors were drafted last season but passed on pro ball to return to their universities, and while they possess talented arms they have both seen mixed results this season. Both toss in the upper 90s with one good secondary offering, but the seniors have their warts in a lack of a third pitch or the control necessary to place themselves as early selections. Still, the twosome has tools in the box from which to find a quality arm it may just take some unlocking on the part of the development staff to get them there.

Obviously the senior strategy could be employed is the same thing many teams picking in front of the Royals are likely to employ, teaming their higher risk and higher value picks with a senior who could be signed for below slot. Unfortunately for the Royals front office they lack the maneuverability in this draft to rebuild a farm system that has fallen to the back of major league baseball.

Over the next two days, I’ll give you some names of prospects to keep an eye on for each of the four full-season teams. Today we’ll look at the Low-A Lexington Legends and the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, and tomorrow will be the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers.

The Royals’ 25-man roster should be fully set tomorrow, and when those final decisions are made, we’ll have a much better idea of which prospect will be playing at which level. Those minor-league affiliates haven’t officially announced their rosters, so what you’ll read below is only educated speculation. But, educated speculation is what the internet was made for. Let’s get to that list.

Lexington Legends

Ashe Russell (RHP): As the Royals’ top draft choice last summer, Russell comes with some question marks, but his fastball/slider combo is electric, and if he can get his changeup to become even an average offering, he has top-of-the-rotation potential.

Nolan Watson (RHP): The other prep arm from Indiana taken by the Royals in the first round of last year’s draft. He has a bit more polish than Russell, a bit less risk, and a bit lower ceiling. It should be fun to watch both guys develop next to each other.

Chase Vallot (C): He has power to spare, along with a good eye at the plate, but a long swing has limited his overall production thus far. Still only 19, he’s got time to work on that, as well as refine his defensive chops behind the dish.

Amalani Fukofuka (OF): You should be rooting for him to make it to the show, if only to hear Rex Hudler attempt to say this 20-year old’s name on live television. He also has some impact potential if his power continues to blossom.

Marten Gasparini (SS): Only 18 years old, Gasparini has some developing to do. But the speed, arm, and patience are enough to see why the Royals handed him the largest bonus ever for a European prospect.

Josh Staumont (RHP): He throws the baseball really, really hard, and sometimes has no idea where it’s going. If that’s not a must-watch player, I don’t know what is.

Wilmington Blue Rocks

Scott Blewett (RHP): A second-round pick in 2014, Blewett is a big, strong righty with an intriguing fastball/curveball combination. The name may not be ideal for a pitcher, but he’s got huge upside.

Pedro Fernandez (RHP): I was really impressed by Fernandez at Spring Training last year, particularly with such a big fastball coming from a 6’0″ frame. Short dudes with fire are always fun. He got knocked around a bit in his first taste of the Carolina League, but I’m expecting a much better showing this time around.

Foster Griffin (LHP): At only 20 years old, Griffin has an advanced feel for his changeup, as well as a lively fastball despite less-than-overwhelming velocity. He struggled in Lexington last year, but this could be a chance to take a leap forward.

Alfredo Escalera (OF): The youngest player ever drafted (at the time), he has plenty of athleticism, as well as the potential to be a regular in the outfield, and a regular on the Good Name All-Stars. He’ll need to tone down his aggressiveness at the plate as he repeats a trip through High-A.

Elier Hernandez (OF): Once a big-time international signing, Hernandez has yet to develop quite like the Royals hoped. Luckily, he’s still only 21 years old, although other outfielders in the system have passed him by.

Anderson Miller (OF): Miller is toolsy, although still raw, partly due to spending some time on the mound in college. He has some potential pop from the left side, as well as above-average arm strength, suggesting a future in right field is plausible if he develops.

Eric Skoglund (LHP): He doesn’t have an overpowering arsenal, but the 6’7″ Skoglund gets good extension and controls his body well enough to repeat his delivery, allowing him to show solid command.

Photo credit: Bill Setliff