First the Royals free agents list is the following
RHP: Pedro Fernandez (AAA), Luis Hernandez (R), Yimaury Pena (R), Jose Veras (Hi A), Kyle Zimmer(AAA)
LHP: Sam Selman (AAA)
C: Parker Morin (AAA), Luis Villegas (AAA)
2B: Ramon Torres (AAA)
3B: Alex Liddi (AA)
SS: Jack Lopez (AAA)
OF: Billy Burns (AAA), Alfredo Escalera (AA), Paulo Orlando (AAA)

I would expect to see the departures of Orlando, Burns and Sam Selman from the organization. In regards to Selman, I’ve heard so many scouts that like his stuff and think he’s got a shot at a major league career, but the Royals have never made the leap in giving him a look. It’s time for his agent to give him an opportunity to succeed somewhere else.

Others with links to the Royals:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Sam Lewis RHP, traded by the Royals for Peter O’Brien. Struggled at Double-A this past season.

Rey Fuentes OF, received an extended look by the D-Backs last season and didn’t hit to what some thought was his capabilities. Likely will kick around the minor leagues as an emergency corner guy as he rides out the prime of his career.

2017 reliever Neftali Feliz is also a minor league free agent after completing his first year without a major league appearance since 2008.

Atlanta Braves
Lane Adams – Former Royals draftee has had his greatest stretch with the Braves and seems like a good fit to resign there.

Chicago Cubs
Casey Coleman – Brief appearance with the Royals in ’14 has struggled the past two seasons.
Terrance Gore – Now that he’s a minor league free agent Gore will likely sign minor league contracts with contenders in hopes to reprise his playoff role as a pinch runner.

Detroit Tigers
Former Royals draftee Kevin Chapman is a free agent going into his age 31 season.

Chicago White Sox
Patrick Leonard was part of the Wade Davis/James Shields trade way back when but entering his 26-year-old season may want to consider a career in the far east.

LA Angels
John Lamb is a former #11 BP overall prospect, but the lefty hasn’t been able to show he can get major league hitters out on a regular basis in his 129.2 innings.

NY Mets
Buddy Baumann, after being signed by the Padres in free agency the lefty has had problems staying healthy. He flashed his talent in ’17 briefly at the major league level and will surely earn at least a minor league deal to reprise that level.

Once again Christian Colon will be a free agent.

NY Yankees
Rey Navarro a middle infielder acquired for Carlos Rosa in 2010 has seen 10 games in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles back in 2015, but struggled this past year in the Yankees system.

St. Louis Cardinals
People aren’t likely to remember Edward Mujica‘s brief stint in Omaha prior to his season with Detroit and this past year with the Cardinals.

San Diego Padres
Very few Royals fans will forget the baserunning of Dusty Coleman during his brief appearance with the team in ’15. Luckily for him, he got a chance to amend that in ’17 with a 27 game stint for the Padres. Going into his 32-year-old season could make it difficult to catch on with a club as the game turns younger and younger.

Infielder Diego Goris, a former Idaho Falls Chukar in ’11 will also become a minor league free agent.

San Francisco Giants
Former million dollar international signee Orlando Calixte is a minor league free agent after 29 games in the majors with the Giants in 2017. The infielder continues to have solid power and limited on-base skills.

Seattle Mariners
A year after being acquired in a trade with the M’s, Ashton Goudeau is a free agent.

Tampa Bay Rays
Mike Broadway was on the cusp of making the major league roster out of spring training last season.

Washington Nationals
The former mayor of Omaha, Irving Falu will turn 36 years old this year after another season in the minor leagues.

Intriguing Free Agents to Possibly Add
Mason Melotakis, an oft-injured lefty that can run a fastball into the low-90s next to his slider. The results in the minors have been decent when he’s managed to stay on the mound. A couple other names to watch have links to the Astros farm system with former pick Asher Wojciechowski, a starter who worked with the White Sox last year. Working mostly in the low 90s, Asher has a good slider that major league hitters have struggled against in limited competition who might have a role in the pen if not help out in a spot start duty while working mostly with Triple-A Omaha to add depth. The second name that could intrigue is Matt Ramsey, a relief pitcher who dominated with Fresno last season, allowing just a 1.13 WHIP in 33 appearances while striking out 54 in 47 innings. As is the case with Melotakis, this right-hander has had trouble staying healthy at times but when on the mound he’s been dominant and could be a pitcher the Royals want to give a preferred minor league deal with a peak at a spot in spring training.

Most of these players are looking at the twilight of their careers but there are always a couple of gems to find and the Royals have done a decent job of unearthing a few in the past. Here’s hoping they can do the same once again.

Featured Photo Irving Falu via Minda Haas Kuhlmann

• One name I keep coming back to in my head in free agency for the Royals is Jordy Mercer. And yes, if that’s the name I’m coming back to, it really is going to be a long, cold winter. I suppose he could get priced out of what the Royals would want to do with him, but for a 32-year old without a plus tool, I could see him getting treated like last year’s free agents and settling for way less than he wants. Mercer can handle shortstop pretty well and isn’t a complete zero with the bat, hitting .251/.315/.381 last year and .254/.324/.387 the last three years. So there’s a nice backup for Adalberto Mondesi, who played every game down the stretch, but probably isn’t the 162-game player Alcides Escobar was. I also like him as an option at third against lefties when the Royals shift Hunter Dozier to first in place of Ryan O’Hearn. Mercer hit .286/.345/.410 against lefties last year and has hit .268/.346/.421 over the last three seasons against southpaws. All of these numbers tell me he has a shot to get a multi-year deal to start somewhere, but if it comes down to it and he needs a job, I think the Royals could easily offer him 350 plate appearances. Like I said, this isn’t exciting at all, but it’s one of the few areas where the team might look to hit the free agent market to find something for next year, and this makes a lot of sense as long as the price is right.
• Jeffrey Flanagan wrote a great piece about Kyle Zimmer and the work he’s been doing to try to get back healthy and back to pitching. We’ve heard it all before from him, so let’s take everything with a grain of salt, but he’s at least trying something different, which I think says a lot about both him and the Royals. On the Zimmer front, I don’t think anyone should actually expect anything because it’s the same song and dance every year, but again, the different approach is where the glimmer of optimism comes in. What it also tells me about the organization is that they aren’t the same as they were years ago when every pitcher had to do this or that and everyone was on the same program. If you’ve been paying attention to Clint, you already knew that, but it’s really encouraging that they seem to have turned a corner, even if it is later than we’d have hoped for from them. The real test comes in the next three to five years as their current pitching prospects begin to rise through the organization. A lot of teams have guys perform well in A-ball and below, but as these new prospects get to AA and hopefully above, we’ll see if their methods are any better. With Jakob Junis making it to becoming a quality starting pitcher, there’s already some hope there, but if two or three more can hold down a starting rotation by 2022 or so, that would be ideal.
• It’s natural when thinking about the near future to try to compare things a bit to the ascension of the last championship core. I’ve been guilty of it many times and prior to the season I had talked about how it could basically be a similar feeling a decade later as the top prospects will start to come through to the big leagues in 2021, similar to the 2011 promotions. But I kind of feel like that’s not the case anymore. Yes, many of the big names we’ve been hearing about seem like a good bet to be up in 2021 if things progress the way everyone hopes, but I actually think it’ll be a bit more staggered. If everything works out, that’s much better than what the organization just dealt with in having to plan for a mass post-2017 exodus. Instead, I think we could see guys like Richard Lovelady and Nicky Lopez in 2019 and maybe a Khalil Lee cameo as well. In 2020, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar and Brady Singer might find their way to the big leagues along with a couple relievers and maybe even a 2019 draft pick, depending on how advanced he is. And then in 2021, maybe we’ll see the rise of Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez, Yefri Del Rosario, etc. Obviously a lot can change in three years. Heck, a lot can change in three months. But it does look like there could be multiple waves of the prospects graduating, which, like I said, will help on the back end if this all works out again.
• I think a lot about something Danny Duffy said to me prior to the 2014 season when he told me that he’d talked to the organization about being a reliever. He made his first career relief appearances that season, starting the year in the bullpen and throwing 8.1 innings over six appearances with a 2.16 ERA and 11 strikeouts. He was needed in the rotation and had a great ERA, but with poor peripherals. Then in 2015, he started in the rotation but was shifted to the bullpen at the end of the year where he went 8.1 innings again over six appearances. He didn’t allow a run and struck out 12. And then he pitched out of the bullpen again to start the year in 2016. He wasn’t quite as good, going 21 innings over 18 appearances and striking out 21 with a 3.00 ERA before shifting to the rotation and looking like a fringe Cy Young Award candidate for a time. The last couple years have been trying for him from a health perspective with multiple trips to the disabled list. It just makes me wonder if maybe the bullpen wouldn’t be a bad spot for him as the game has evolved so much from even a few years ago. If he’s utilized the way the Indians utilized Andrew Miller and the way the Brewers use Josh Hader, maybe he can be even more effective than as a starter. Health is obviously a concern with extra use and all that, but it’s just something I keep thinking about after his comments to me from a few years back.

Despite the weather, the Royals actually managed to get a couple games in during the first week of the MLB season.

Now, the results? Not that great. We discussed the meaning of early-season stats – that is, that there isn’t much meaning yet – and what stood out from four chilly games.

We also talked about the roster moves that lead to the opening day roster and since game 1, including the curious DFA and trade of Miguel Almonte, and the DFA waiving of Kyle Zimmer.

Finally, we talked about the Royals early approach of increasing defensive shifts and if it’s something that’s here to stay or if shifts might be actually bad.

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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 take a look at the options in the order I think they’ll slot in the rotation, with their PECOTA projection highlighted:

Danny Duffy (137 IP, 4.41 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 116 K, 49 BB, 1.2 WARP)
I’ll bet on Duffy to beat that projection. He’s had his share of injury issues in the past, but I think he can get past the innings and he hasn’t had an ERA that high since his rookie season. No, Duffy hasn’t become a true ace yet, though he can look like one for stretches. Over the last four seasons and change, he’s thrown 636.1 innings with a 3.41 ERA and 3.84 FIP. Since re-entering the starting rotation in 2016, he’s thrown 308 innings with a 3.86 ERA, 8.7 SO/9 and 2.3 BB/9 while allowing just 289 hits. Duffy may not be a “true ace” but he’s very good.

Ian Kennedy (180 IP, 5.39 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 153 K, 72 BB, -0.6 WARP)
That’s not a good projection for the guy who probably opens the season as the number two. He’s not exactly a fan favorite and he comes by the projection honestly after his horrific season in 2017, but I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion he’ll be that bad. Keep in mind that from 2014-2016, he threw 565 innings with a 3.84 ERA and 4.10 FIP while striking out a batter per inning. He’s into his 30s now, so let’s not pretend like he couldn’t have just completely fallen off a cliff, but I think there’s something to the hamstring injury sabotaging his 2017. Kennedy’s potential for continued implosion is a big reason why the depth is so important, but if the rotation is actually going to be good in 2018, the Royals will need Kennedy to be 2016 and April 2017 version.

Jason Hammel (165 IP, 5.07 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 126 K, 59 BB, 0.1 WARP)
Hammel’s season is probably contingent on him getting out of games before he can implode, which given the bullpen options seems risky to bet on that. In 2017, he was a more than serviceable three or four starter the first two times through the order before getting pulverized the third time. If he’s left in consistently to face a lineup a third time, these projections might be about right. I think he’ll start the year as the third starter, but will be the worst starter in the rotation when it’s all said and done. While the projections aren’t great for anyone, Hammel is the one I’m least confident in that he can beat them.

Jake Junis (131 IP, 5.10 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 114 K, 43 BB, 0.1 WARP)
Junis is probably the guy, second to Duffy, who I think is most likely to beat the projection. After getting demoted following a rough start in July, he came back in August and threw 62.1 innings with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with just nine walks. If he does that over a full season, the Royals are in business. I think I’d expect a little bit worse, but the control is for real and that slider can be downright nasty when he’s on. No, he’s not an ace and he’s likely not a number two even, but a quality number three is worth something, so I wouldn’t be surprised if his ERA is a full run lower than the projection and the counting stats are considerably better as well.

Nate Karns (131 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 130 K, 53 BB, 1.5 WARP)
PECOTA projects Karns as the Royals best starter in 2018, which wouldn’t shock me all that much, I guess. But I’m also a bigger Karns fan than most. Of course, he’s coming back from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery and his health has always been a question. He showed flashes in May before getting hurt of what he’s capable of, throwing 22.1 innings in four starts with a 2.01 ERA, 32 strikeouts and just four walks. If you could guarantee me he’d make 25 starts, I’d say there’s a good bet he’d end up as the Royals best starter, but that’s just not a guarantee you can make with Karns. The strikeout and walk rate seem about right, but I think if he’s good to go, the WHIP will be lower because I think he’s harder to hit than that, so I’d bet on him beating the projections by a bit. Even if he can only give 15-18 starts, the Royals will be better for them, provided he’s recovered sufficiently from the surgery.

Jesse Hahn (73 IP, 4.25 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 58 K, 30 BB, 0.7 WARP)
Hahn is projected to spend a fair amount of time in the bullpen by PECOTA, and I think he will, but I think he’ll get some starting opportunity if he’s any good, with a lot of question marks in terms of injuries ahead of him. He’s the sixth starter, and it wasn’t long ago that he was looked at as a very solid middle of the rotation piece. Injuries have derailed him, but you have to wonder how good the rotation could be if Hahn was used in tandem with Hammel. The sinker will play for Hahn, and if he’s healthy, I think there’s a good chance he bounces back. If nothing else, the stuff should play up in the bullpen to make him an interesting candidate. I’m not sure why, but I think Hahn either way beats his projection or he’s way worse. The in between wouldn’t be the worst thing, so maybe Royals fans should hope for that.

Trevor Oaks (31 IP, 4.51 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 25 K, 10 BB, 0.2 WARP)
I think Oaks is probably the seventh starter on this team, which is a big improvement over Eric Skoglund from last season. I didn’t mind the trade of Scott Alexander to get him because I like Oaks as a middle to backend starter. His ground ball tendencies should play well, but I worry a bit that he might throw a few too many strikes given that his stuff isn’t elite and big league hitters will be able to do damage against him. I think he spends much more time in the big leagues than the projections, but I’d say the rates are probably about right.

Eric Skoglund (73 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 60 K, 25 BB, 0.1 WARP)
Sam Gaviglio (52 IP, 5.32 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 39 K, 19 BB, -0.1 WARP)
Miguel Almonte (61 IP, 4.83 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 59 K, 27 BB, 0.3 WARP)
If these guys are starting a lot of games, the season is off the rails. Of course, they’re already only projected for 66 wins, so how on the rails was it to start? I think if any of them are your eighth or ninth starters, you’re probably fine, but, again, you don’t want to get to them too often.

Kyle Zimmer (25 IP, 5.56 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 25 K, 12 BB, -0.1 WARP)
PECOTA projected Zimmer to get starts. I just found that funny.

And that’s it. The rotation has some depth and has some opportunity to beat projections and, I think, actually be pretty good. Some things need to fall in place for that to happen, so it’s far from a guarantee, but if you’re looking for a strength on a projected 66-96 team, it may possibly be in the rotation.

HR Roll Call: Travis Jones (1), Randor Vargas (2)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Travis Jones 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Robert Garcia 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 77p/46k, 2-4 GO/FO

Omaha Storm Chasers 8, Memphis Redbirds 4

The Chasers got after Baseball Prospectus’ 7th Ranked Cardinals prospect on Monday night, blistering Luke Weaver for 12 hits and seven runs in just 5.2 innings. After a mini-PCL slump by his standards, Jorge Soler is back to causing havoc in the league, connecting on a pair of hits to drive in four runs against the right-hander. The first was a two-run single in the first to plate Billy Burns and Dean Anna, while the second was a double off the left-field wall that capped a five-run sixth inning for Omaha.

Three Chasers pitchers combined to work the nine innings, with Kyle Zimmer working the final two. Zimmer allowed a solo home run while collecting four strikeouts. The righty is regularly hitting mid to upper 90’s of late, and is starting to look more dominant in his bullpen role.

Boxscore Link

Jorge Soler 2-5, 2b, 4 RBI
Frank Schwindel 2-5, R, 2-2b —-The 1b/DH is hitting .379/.396/.676 since June 29
Kyle Zimmer 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 37p/23k

Asheville Tourists 7, Lexington Legends 0

The Rockies Low-A affiliate and Columbian pitcher Erick Julio kept the Legends bats at bay in game one of their series in Asheville. Centerfielder Khalil Lee continued his struggles with a 0-4 night that featured three strikeouts versus Julio as the righty got him swinging ahead of his changeup multiple times.

In addition to Lee’s struggles, pitcher Nolan Watson continued his dismal performance at the Low-A level. He allowed 11 hits and six runs (5 ER) in just 4.2 innings. The Indianapolis native saw his record drop to 1-8 with the loss.

Boxscore Link

Emmanuel Rivera 3-4, 2-2b
Khalil Lee 0-4, 3K
Gabe Cancel 1-3, BB

Idaho Falls Chukars 6, Billings Mustangs 2

The Royals 15th round draft pick, Robert Garcia, had the best outing of his brief pro career, spinning five innings of no-hit ball with just two walks allowed. The lefty hit the zone with 46 of 77 pitches and struck out six hitters to collect his first win.

The Chukars bullpen backed him with four innings by two pitchers, allowing two runs. The offense plated six runs with the aid of seven walks next to their eight hits.

Boxscore Link

Travis Jones 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Robert Garcia 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 77p/46k, 2-4 GO/FO

AZL Mariners 3, AZL Royals 1

The Surprise squad committed three errors which led to a pair of unearned runs against starter Ismael Maldonado. Among those miscues was first baseman Nick Pratto’s ninth error in his 30th game.

Those two runs were enough to hold off the Royals as their lineup struck out 13 times on the evening.

Boxscore Link

Nick Pratto 1-4
Tyler James 2-3 Bb, SB (20)

DSL Royals 3, DSL Dodgers 2 F/11
DSL Dodgers 13, DSL Royals 2

The Dominican squad split a doubleheader with the Dodgers Monday, getting an extra-inning win and getting blown out in the other game. Just three hits but three runs were plated in the victorious first game, including a home run by Randor Vargas.

Boxscore G1
Boxscore G2

Tuesday Probables
G1 Omaha – LHP Brian Flynn 4-2 6.00 ERA
G2 Omaha – TBD
NW Arkansas – Josh Staumont 1-2 6.04 ERA
Wilmington – TBD
Lexington – Ofreidy Gomez 5-9 5.11 ERA
Idaho Falls –  TBD
G1 Burlington – Nathan Webb 3-3 4.35 ERA
G2 Burlington – Connor Mayes 3-0 3.20 ERA
Surprise – Charlie Neuweiler 1-2 2.33 ERA

HR Roll Call: Frank Schwindel (17), Chase Vallot (12), Logan Gray (3), Cal Jones (2)

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Jake Kalish 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 80p/50k, 7-1 GO-FO

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Oliver Nunez 3-3, R, 2b, SB (11)

Omaha Storm Chasers 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 1

The Chasers hottest bat kept rolling and the squad got another good appearance by Onelki Garcia. Designated hitter/first baseman Frank Schwindel hit his eighth home run in his 10 last games played, hitting a solo home run in the fourth and driving another in the seventh with a single. Additional runs were scored in the fourth and seventh innings and Garcia combined with three additional pitchers to limit Aburquerque to just a first inning run.

Boxscore Link

Cheslor Cuthbert 0-2, BB
Ryan O’Hearn 0-1
Kyle Zimmer 0.2, IP 1 H – He left the game with undisclosed injury.
Eric Stout 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R

Arkansas Travelers 5, NW Arkansas Naturals 0

The Naturals couldn’t get a run across after being limited to seven singles. Starter Jake Kalish kept them tied over five innings, but reliever Zach Lovvorn gave up a run in his inning of work and four unearned runs came across on Jake Newberry to put the game out of reach.

Boxscore Link

Nicky Lopez 0-4
Samir Duenez 0-4
Donnie Dewees 1-1
Anderson Miller 0-4

Wilmington Blue Rocks 3, Salem Red Sox 1 – F/10

The Rocks walked off to end the suspended game in the tenth inning when Chase Vallot smashed his 12th home run of the season.

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Chase Vallot 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2BB
Brandon Downes 1-4, R, 2b, 2 K
Chris DeVito 0-5, 3K
Scott Blewett 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 5-4 GO-FO, 78p/51k

Wilmington Blue Rocks 6, Salem Red Sox 4

The Rocks new addition, Jace Vines, struggled in his first inning of his first Carolina League start, giving up four runs in the first before settling down. The righty settled down retiring 11 of 12 that he faced from the first through fourth before getting into a jam in the fifth and getting bailed out by Walker Sheller.

Luckily for Vines, the Rocks offense scored three in the first inning on hits by Wander Franco, Brandon Downes, and Colton Frabasilio to pull within one before taking the lead in the sixth. In that sixth inning, wayward throws by Salem helped give the Rocks the lead. To start the inning, two hit-by-pitches put runners on before a throwing error gave Wilmington the lead after D.J. Burt had tied the game with a RBI single.

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Brandon Downes 2-4, R, 2b, RBI
Chase Vallot 0-2, R, BB, HBP, K
Jace Vines 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 8/2 GO-FO, 96p/50k

West Virginia Power 7, Lexington Legends 3

The Legends mid-July swoon continued with the sweep at the hands of the Power on Tuesday. The loss for Lexington was their eighth in nine games as lefty Andre Davis got tagged for six runs in five innings. The offense went 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position, and leadoff hitter Khalil Lee’s rough July continued with an 0 for 5 night with a pair of strikeouts. The Royals top 5 prospect has seen his average plummet with a .174 average in the month.

This type of rough month is typical for a player in his first year of full-season ball and should not be paid major weight. Rather, look for any adjustments Lee might make the rest of the season and into next year to see how he can mentally handle the failure.

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Khalil Lee 0-5, SB (18), 2K
Marten Gasparini 1-4, R, SB (15)
Emmanuel Rivera 1-4, RBI

Missoula Osprey 8, Idaho Falls Chukars 6

Lefthanded starter Holden Capps took his first loss in the Pioneer League, giving up six runs on six hits and three walks over just 3.1 innings. The Chukars couldn’t overcome the eight runs by Missoula despite 13 hits and five walks by Idaho Falls, falling a couple runs short.

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Amalani Fukofuka 2-4, 2R, 2b, RBI, BB
Logan Gray 1-5, HR

Johnson City Cardinals 5, Burlington Royals 2

The Royals went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and reliever Joey Markus’s struggles continued in Burlington’s loss to Johnson City.

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Michael Gigliotti 0-3, BB
Seuly Matias 0-4, 3K
Jeison Guzman 1-3
Cal Jones 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2K

Wednesday Probables:
Omaha – Eric Skoglund
NW Arkansas – Corey Ray
Wilmington – Jared Ruxer
Lexington – Off
Idaho Falls – Janser Lara
Burlington – Sal Biasi
AZL Royals – TBD

HR Roll Call: Chase Vallot 2 (9, 10), Dennicher Carrasco (2)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Chase Vallot 2-3, 3R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Wilmer Jimenez 5.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 6-2 GO-FO

Colorado Springs Sky Sox 14, Omaha Storm Chasers 3

The light air of Colorado didn’t do any favors to the Chasers pitching staff in a romp in Colorado Springs.

Starter Eric Skoglund, relievers Kyle Zimmer and Brian Flynn all got touched up for four or more runs on their night. One of the Brewers top prospects, outfielder Lewis Brinson, played a big role for the Sky Sox going 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles and a home run to drive in three and score two more. In addition to Brinson, three other players hit home runs with Colorado Springs piling on 19 hits and 14 runs. Fortunately for Omaha, fireballing reliever/catcher Brayan Pena shut things down for the final inning and one-third.

The middle of the Omaha order held their own with eight hits from the 3-4-5 spot, but no one outside those three was able to muster an extra base hit. Outfielder Jorge Soler continued his hot hitting with a pair of hits and a walk in the loss.

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Cam Gallagher 3-5, 2b, 3 RBI
Jorge Soler 2-4, 2R, BB
Ryan O’Hearn 3-4, R, 2b, BB

Frederick Keys 8, Wilmington Blue Rocks 6

The Rocks couldn’t do enough damage with the 15 hits and six walks that they acquired in Frederick, going 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position to come up short.

Catcher Chaser Vallot clubbed a pair of home runs and scored three times to help pace the offense. Outfielder Brandon Downes scored a run and drove in another with his three-hit day.

Starter Andres Machado struggled with six runs allowed in five innings, giving up eight hits before reliever Jacob Bodner gave up two more in the loss.

Boxscore Link

Brandon Downes 3-5, R, 2-2b, RBI
Wander Franco 1-4, R, RBI, BB
Roman Collins 2-5, R

Columbia Fireflies 4, Lexington Legends 0

The Legends Jace Vines failed to complete six innings for the first time in six starts while the Legends offense struggled in their second half home opener against Columbia.

The Legends offense had just six singles and went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position in getting blanked by Columbia for the fourth time in twelve games against the Mets Low-A affiliate.

The Legends All-Star participant, Vines, gave up eight hits and three walks in 5.2 IP as the Fireflies got after him. The righty continued to create groundballs though, getting 10 groundouts, but they got four hits through on the ground and got him to elevate on the home run after he hit a batter in the third inning. The loss for Vines was just his third in 15 games and 11 starts.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 1-4, CS (13)
Emmanuel Rivera 1-4, hitting .299
Jace Vines 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 10-2 GO-FO, 100p/59k

Grand Junction Rockies 9, Idaho Falls Chukars 4 

The longballs were flying for Grand Junction in their first visit to Idaho Falls on Monday night. The Rockies rookie squad clubbed five home runs en route to a win.

The game was tied at four after starter Jeremy Gwinn gave up his second home run after giving up three runs early before righting the ship to get through six innings with seven strikeouts.

While the Rockies staff settled things down, limiting Idaho Falls to two hits and walk, the Grand Junction bats got after Janser Lara, connecting on three home runs in three innings for five runs to put the game well out of reach.

Boxscore Link

Jeremy Gwinn 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 3-4 GO-FO, 76p/55k
Janser Lara 3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 29p/20k
Offerman Collado 2-5, R

Burlington Royals 12, Bluefield Blue Jays 3 Susp/6

The Royals offense found a groove before the rains came and the umps were forced to suspend the game.

All nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit in the six innings completed. Youngsters Seuly Matias and Sebastian Rivero each had a pair of knocks while teammate Jeison Guzman tacked on three hits with a triple and a run driven in and scored.

Starting pitcher Carlos Hernandez was in line for the win after five innings, allowing three runs (2 ER) with five strikeouts.

Boxscore Link

Seuly Matias 2-4, R, 2 RBI
Jeison Guzman 3-4, R, 3b, RBI
Michael Gigliotti 2-4, 2R, 3b, 3 RBI

AZL Rangers 20, AZL Royals 6

Whoa, that really escalated. Starter Nolan Watson couldn’t retire a hitter in a rehab start, walking a pair and allowing two hits before the pen got worked over. All four hitters came in to score as lefty reliever Joey Markus also struggled, allowing six more runs in his two innings of work. Markus and Watson had their issues, but former Yankees prospect Kevin Magallanes was the one who had the roughest time, allowing eight runs in an inning and two-thirds to allow the Rangers to get to 20 runs on the night.

On offense, first round draft pick Nick Pratto collected his first professional hit with a double to right-center and scored once in his five plate appearances. Catcher MJ Melendez collected a pair of hits and a couple of RBI as the Royals squad came up a couple touchdowns short.

Boxscore Link

Nick Pratto 1-4, R, 2b, BB
Esteury Ruiz 1-5, R, 2b, RBI
Damon Olds 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

DSL Rays1 1, DSL Royals 0

The Royals pitching staff gave up just two hits on Monday but one of them left the park, accounting for the only run of the game.

Starting pitcher Wilmer Jimenez gave up a first inning home run to Raider Brito for the only hit he allowed in 5.2 innings. The 19-year-old left-handed pitcher earned six strikeouts while avoiding any walks.

The offense picked up six hits but couldn’t get a anything to leave the infield with runners in scoring position, twice connecting on infield hits with a runner on second but failing to score anyone.

Boxscore Link

Reynin Reynoso 2-4, 2b
Edickson Soto 3-4
Kelvin Gonzalez 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2-0 GO-FO

HR Roll Call – Elier Hernandez (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Whit Merrifield 3-4 2b, 2 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Miguel Almonte 4 IP 1 H 0 R 1 BB 4 K 4-2 GO-FO 66p/40k

Round Rock Express 4 Omaha Storm Chasers 2

Royals prospect Kyle Zimmer made his first Triple-A appearance since late in the 2014 season on Friday, tossing four and two-third innings in a no-decision. The 2012 1st round pick surrendered four hits, a walk and a pair of runs while striking out four over 76 pitches before running up against a pitch limit, leaving in a 2-2 game. That score would hold firm until the eighth when Round Rock would tag reliever Kevin McCarthy for four hits and two runs to take the lead and the eventual win.

Boxscore Link

Bubba Starling 2-4
Kyle Zimmer 4.2 IP 4 H 2 ER 1 BB 4 K 6-1 GO-FO 76p/46k
Whit Merrifield 3-4 2b, 2 RBI

San Antonio Missions 2 NW Arkansas Naturals 0

The Naturals came within two outs of being no-hit in the second game of their series in San Antonio. It could have been a hangover from Thursday’s 14-inning game or just excellent pitching, but whatever the reason, the Naturals didn’t get a hit until Ruben Sosa’s infield single with one out in the ninth. Starter Miguel Almonte kept pace for three perfect innings before giving up a pair of baserunners in a scoreless fourth inning as he made his first Double-A start since June of last season. The righty would exit after four due to pitch count, leaving Ashton Goudeau to take his place. The tall lanky righthander couldn’t match the other pitchers in the game, giving up a run in the sixth via a solo home run and another run in the eighth.

The tying runs would get on base in the ninth via Sosa’s single and an error on a Donnie Dewees ball, but Alfredo Escalera would get caught looking to end the game.

Boxscore Link

Ashton Goudeau 4 IP 4 H 2 ER 3 BB 4 K 1-2 GO-FO 65p/35k
Samir Duenez 0-3
Donnie Dewees 0-4 1K

Wilmington Blue Rocks 4 Potomac Nationals 3

The Rocks got a quality start and just enough offense to take home a win Friday night. Lefty Emilio Ogando bounced back from a rough first start, giving the Rocks six innings of four-hit and two-walk ball with just two runs allowed while striking out six in that time. The Rocks had claimed a 3-0 lead with a sac fly by Chase Vallot in the first innings and a two-run home run by Elier Hernandez in the third inning. Back-to-back doubles by Vallot and Roman Collins in the sixth inning pushed the lead to 4-0 before Ogando gave up a two-run homer in the bottom half of the sixth. The Rocks bullpen would hang on to win despite a run given up in the eighth inning to move to 3-5 on the season.

Boxscore Link

Elier Hernandez 2-4 HR, 2 RBI
Chase Vallot 1-2 R, 2b, RBI, BB
Emilio Ogando 6 IP 4 H 2 ER 2 Bb 6 K 5-4 GO-FO

West Virginia Power 5 Lexington Legends 1

The Legends offense couldn’t get much going as Pirates prospect Luis Escobar K’d 11 hitters over six innings with just a first-inning run allowed. The two teams exchanged first-inning runs, keeping the game tied until the fifth inning when Legends reliever Ofreidy Gomez got tagged for a two-out double from Ty Moore that broke the tie. The Power scored another run in the seventh before Moore tagged Gomez for a solo home run to push the lead to 4-1. The Legends on their end didn’t mount much of a threat in the later innings to fall to 3-6.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 2-4 R, 2b
Emmanuel Rivera 2-4 RBI
Meibrys Viloria 2-4

HR Roll Call Ramon Torres (1), Donnie Dewees (1), Colton Frabasilio (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day Colton Frabasilio 2-3 HR, RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day Gerson Garabito 6 IP 2 H 1 ER 2 BB 5 K 8-3 GO/FO 73p/50k

Game of the Day
Potomac Nationals 4 Wilmington Blue Rocks 3 F/12

The Royals High-A affiliate went back and forth with the Washington Nationals affiliate only to drop the game late into extras. The Royals starter Scott Blewett out two days prior to his 21st birthday for his first start at the level, working 77 pitches on the evening. The righty never had a lead as he gave up single tallies in the second, third and fifth innings while working in the low 90s with his fastball. Extra base hits in the second by Brandon Downes and Wander Franco tied the game up in the second while a Colton Frabasilio home run in the third also knotted it up. Following Blewett’s run allowed in the fourth on a pair of singles and a sac fly, the Rocks tied things up one inning later. From there the bullpens took over with Colin Rodgers and Yunior Marte matching the Nationals bullpen for five scoreless frames as the Rocks pair allowed just one hit in that time. Things would stay tied until the 12th when reliever Andres Machado would get tagged for a home run by Edwin Lora that would end up being the deciding run of the game.

Boxscore Link

Colin Rodgers 2.2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 BB 4 K 27p/17k 1-3 go-fo
Scott Blewett 5 IP 5H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 3 K 1 HR 77k/49k 5-4 go-fo
Brandon Downes 2-6 R, 3b, 4k

Colorado Sky Sox 11 Omaha Storm Chasers 2

Triple-A isn’t always kind to first timers and that was certainly the case for Josh Staumont on Saturday in his debut. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox tuned up the hard throwing righty for seven hits, three walks and seven earned runs in just three and one-third innings. That offense kept up the carnage on the Omaha bullpen, crossing the plate four more times after Staumont left to cruise to an easy win.

Boxscore Link

Josh Staumont 3.1 IP 7 H 7 ER 3 BB 5 K 92p/50k 3-2 go-fo
Ramon Torres 2-4 HR
Whit Merrifield 1-3 2b, RBI

San Antonio Missions 5 NW Arkansas Naturals 3

The Naturals trailed for much of the night, tying the game on two separate occasions before the bullpen gave up too big of a deficit in the ninth to overcome. Starter Kyle Zimmer was decent in his four innings, working his fastball 91-94 mph while tossing more than a few good curves and change ups to earn six strikeouts while on the mound. The recovery for his next start is always key for the righty, but this looked solid in his 59 pitches. The Naturals would tie the game up in the eighth inning on Donnie Dewees’s first home run as a member of the organization, but that wouldn’t last after a three run inning allowed courtesy of Sam Selman and Ashton Goudeau.

Boxscore Link

Kyle Zimmer 4 IP 6 H 1 ER 0 BB 6 K 59p/41k
Donnie Dewees 1-3 2R HR, BB
Miguel Almonte 2.2 IP 2 H 1 ER 1 HR 0 BB 2 K 1-2 go-fo 48p/30k

Charleston Riverdogs 6 Lexington Legends 4

The Legends bullpen failed to secure a lead for the second night in a row, getting tuned up for a five spot in the seventh drop consecutive games. The runs off relievers Julio Pinto and Vance Tatum ruined a solid start by Gerson Garabito. The Dominican-born righty spun four perfect frames before allowing a run on a pair of singles, a walk and a wild pitch in the fifth. The righty bounced back for a scoreless sixth inning to complete his night on just 73 pitches. The offense had given Lexington a 4-1 lead after Angelo Castellano had doubled in a pair runners in the sixth with a ball off the scoreboard in left. After Lexington had given up the lead they threatened in the eighth inning with a pair of runners in scoring position, but Yankees prospect Anyelo Gomez struckout Khalil Lee to end the threat before putting away the side in the ninth for the save.

Boxscore Link

Kort Peterson 2-5 RBI
Chris DeVito 2-5 RBI
Angelo Castellano 2-4 2b, 2RBI

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