Post by royalsgm on Dec 30, 2013 10:42:08 GMT -6
Kansas City Royals Top Prospects for 2019
1) Khalil Watson, SS (Marlins)
2) Bryson Stott, SS (Cardinals)
3) Angel Zerpa
3) Casey Martin, SS
Jay Allen, OF
Cody Morrissette, SS
4) Khalil Lee, OF,
5) Anthony Serviedo, SS
6) Seuly Matias, OF,
13) Erick Pena, OF
13) Greyson Jenista, 1B/OF (Braves)
14) Austin Cox, RHP
14) Cole Tucker, SS, Grade B-: Age 18, 2014 first round pick, hit .267/.368/.356 in 180 at-bats in rookie ball, 13 steals. Good strike zone judgment, runs well, very good glove at shortstop with range, arm, and reliability to stay there. No power yet but at 6-3, 185 he may grow into more pop. Solid debut.
15) Meibrys Viloria, C, Grade C+: Age 19, hit .376/.436/.606 with 28 doubles, 20 walks, 36 strikeouts in 226 at-bats in Pioneer League; signed out of Colombia in 2013; left-handed batter with good pure hitting skills; contact approach with power to the gaps from 5-11, 175 pound frame; lacks running speed but has good defensive tools, though needs polish to cut down on mistakes; sleeper prospect to watch as he transitions to full-season ball in 2017. ETA: 2021.
15) Garrett Davila, LHP, Grade C+: Age 19, fourth round pick in 2015 from high school in North Carolina; posted 2.77 ERA with 55/27 K/BB in 65 innings in Appalachian League; lacks blistering stuff with 88-92 MPH fastball but has a very good change-up and a workable curve; another potential strike-throwing fourth starter down the line: ETA: 2021.
11) Eric Skoglund, LHP, Grade B-: Age 24, third round pick in 2014 from University of Central Florida; 3.45 ERA in 156 innings in Double-A with 134/38 K/BB; classic finesse lefty with 88-92 MPH fastball, curveball, change-up; throws strikes and can look intimidating at 6-7 despite lack of plus stuff; Texas League observers were impressed with his composure and pitching instincts; potential number four starter. ETA: late 2017.
14) Jacob Gonzalez, 3B
15) Richard Lovelady, LHP, Grade B-: Age 23, 10th round pick in 2016 from Kennesaw State, 2.47 ERA with 71/21 K/BB in 73 innings in Triple-A with 53 hits allowed; low-angle arm slot with fastball into mid-90s and very good slider; could make a dynamic bullpen duo with Staumont; ready for a trial; ETA 2019.
16) Michael Gigliotti, OF, Grade B-: Age 22, fourth round pick in 2017 from Lipscomb, played just six games in Low-A until blowing out knee and missing rest of the season; line drive hitter with excellent eye and impressive running speed when healthy but with questions about power; lost season makes him difficult to rank but still has a shot at moving quickly once he works rust off; ETA 2021?
17) Austin Cox, LHP, Grade C+/B-: Age 21, fifth round pick in 2018 out of Mercer, posted 3.78 ERA in 33 innings in Appalachian League, 51/15 K/BB ratio, you have to love the Ks but we need to see him against better competition; fastball 90-95, good curveball, sleeper potential should not be overlooked; ETA 2021?
18) Brewer Hicklen, OF, Grade C+/B-: Age 22, seventh round pick in 2017 from University of Alabama-Birmingham; hit .307/.378/.552 with 17 homers, 29 steals, 24 walks, 98 strikeouts in 306 at-bats in Low-A but just .211/.263/.310 with one homer, six steals, four walks, 26 strikeouts in 71 at-bats in High-A; power/speed combo is intriguing and real but plate discipline and contact ability against advanced pitching remain questionable; ETA 2021.
19) Janser Lara, RHP, Grade C+: Age 22, signed out of Dominican Republic in 2015, posted 3.41 ERA in 66 innings in Low-A, 75/28 K/BB; another live arm from the Low-A level, clocked as high as 100 MPH but secondary pitches need work and he has bullpen risk; ETA 2021.
20) Emmanuel Rivera, 3B, Grade C+: Age 22, 19th round pick
16) Samir Duenez, 1B, Grade C+: Age 20, from Venezuela, hit combined .284/.336/.438 with 33 doubles, 13 homers, 100 RBI, 39 walks, 86 strikeouts, 26 steals between Low-A/High-A/Double-A; was just placed on 40-man roster; limited to first base and is a mediocre defender at the position but he’s young and has shown some sock with the bat. ETA: 2019.
14) Miguel Almonte, RHP, Grade B: Borderline B-. Good fastball and change-up, just 21 years old, but High-A hitters exposed his mediocre curveball. Has good control in terms of avoiding walks (101/32 K/BB) but command within the strike zone still needs work. Still has mid-rotation upside, though some talk he could move to pen eventually.
16) Kyle Holder | SS
17) Jeff Degano | LHP
19) RHP Connor Jones
20) Reymond Fuentes, OF (2022)(ARI)
3) Kyle Smith, RHP, Grade B: Athleticism, stuff, and command trump his small size for me. Another guy who can be a mid-rotation starter.
8) D.J. Davis, OF, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Like Barreto, Davis is very toolsy featuring speed and raw power, but there are still questions about his bat after a .240/.323/.418 line with 76 strikeouts in 225 at-bats in Appy League. Most scouts like him better than Nay due to superior athleticism, but for me, Nay is a better bet as a hitter.(Blue Jays)
9) Elier Hernandez, OF, Grade B-: Age 19, tool shed hit .264/.296/.393 in Low-A. Like Bonifacio and Starling, he has all the physical ability needed to be a strong regular if not a star, but his approach is quite raw in most phases of the game. Four or five-year project even if he pans out.
10) Sam Selman, LHP, Grade B-: 3.38 ERA with 128/85 K/BB in 126 innings in High-A. Absolutely has to get the walks down at higher levels but excels at keeping the ball in the park with sinker and slider. Needs a third pitch to thrive as a starter and better command to avoid turning into Chris Dwyer.
11) Jason Adam, RHP, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Easy to diss with 5.19 ERA in Double-A and doesn't have the stuff of Ventura or Zimmer, but he eats innings and his FIP was considerably lower at 3.97. Not an ace but still has a shot to be a fourth starter.
18) Pedro Fernandez, RHP, Grade C+: Age 22, posted 3.02 ERA with 50/21 K/BB in 63 innings between High-A and Double-A; from Dominican Republic; just 6-0 but can hit 95, also has a good change-up; breaking pitch remains inconsistent, varying between slider and cutter action with erratic definition; this showed up in lowish strikeout rate. Has plenty of arm strength though and could be fine reliever eventually. ETA: 2018.
19) Andrew Edwards, RHP, Grade C: Age 25, 19th round pick in 2013 from Western Kentucky, posted 3.96 ERA with 74/33 K/BB in 61 innings between Double-A and Triple-A; fastball at 94-99 MPH with movement; at least a plus pitch; slider isn’t as good as the heat and his control comes and goes; middle relief candidate. ETA: late 2017.
20) Cam Gallagher, C, Grade C: Age 23, second round pick in 2011; bat has never really developed but defense has turned out very well; added to 40-man roster this past weekend; hit .259/.348/.359 in Double-A but threw out 50% of runners and maintains very low passed ball and error rates; glove will get him to the majors; at one time his bat was well-regarded and perhaps it can still come around someday. ETA; 2017.
14) Orlando Calixte, SS, Grade C+: Age 22, another toolsy type, hit .241/.288/.374 in his second year in Double-A. Good throwing arm and range stand out, always seems to make an impressive play in person but the stats have never been very good. Like some of these other guys, he has been pushed quickly and the skills have not caught up with the tools.
Garrett Fulenchek, RHP, Grade C: Borderline C+. HIGH CEILING ALERT. Would rank higher on pure ability (Baseball Prospectus slots him aggressively at fifth in the system, which may look like a great call four years from now), age 18, struggled with consistency in rookie ball but second round pick could become a three-pitch starting force if it all comes together. A year behind Grosser but could be on similar trajectory.
14) Brett Eibner, OF, Grade C+: Borderline C. I still respect his tools enough to give him a "+" but it is a close call. Fine athlete, good defender, strong arm, has power, made progress in the second half in Double-A (.262/.353/.498), hit .341/.442/.635 against lefties. But strikeout rate remains very high and he'll fight the Mendoza Line against advanced pitching without further adjustment.
9) Ethan Martin, RHP, Grade B-: I think the change of scenery away from the Dodgers is useful for him. Upper-rotation stuff, but if command remains shaky he's more of a number four, or a reliever. Still high upside. (Phillies)
12) John Lamb, LHP, Grade B-: I'm always careful with Tommy John grades, since the recovery is not as automatic as people think. Retains mid-rotation upside if health allows.
15) Christian Binford, RHP, Grade C+: Age 21, pitchability right-hander doesn’t throw hard but wins due to stellar command, posted 2.88 ERA with 139/22 K/BB in 141 innings between High-A, Double-A, Triple-A. Many observers remain skeptical and would slot him lower than this, but you could rank him as high as ninth depending on if you want to emphasize the sabermetrics. This spot is a compromise.
16) Sam Selman, LHP, Grade C+: Borderline C. Age 24, posted 3.87 ERA with 87/49 K/BB in 93 innings in Double-A. Lively arm from left side, fastball in the 90s with life but secondary pitches and command remain erratic. Even small improvement in command would get him a big league trial or make him an attractive trade chit.
18) Glenn Sparkman, RHP, Grade C: Borderline C+ SLEEPER. A tentative grade that isn’t final. Like Binford, Sparkman puts up stellar numbers (1.56 ERA, 117/25 K/BB in 121 innings in High-A, 94 hits) without lighting up radar guns, impressing scouts, or showing up on prospect lists. Equally successful on road and at home last year, so this wasn’t all Wilmington park effects. Age 22. Could rank as high as 14.
20) Lane Adams, OF, Grade C: You could put most of the Grade C guys below in this spot but I’ll highlight Adams, who could have some sleeper fantasy value due to his speed (38 steals last year, 133 out of 158 in his career). Age 25, good athlete, won’t hit for a high average but has some pop to go with the wheels, hit .269/.352/.427 in Double-A and the Royals like him.
16) Zane Evans, C, Grade C+: Fourth round pick from Georgia Tech hit .354 in the Pioneer League and has a strong throwing arm, although defense needs more polish after being a two-way player in college. Has the tools to make it though.
The slots after this are interchangeable with most players in the "others" section.
17) Alexis Rivera, OF, Grade C: I thought he was a huge sleeper entering '13 but he hit just .269/.349/.363 in Pioneer League. Still young at 19, still controls strike zone well, still mentioned as a sleeper by those who know the organization well. Too soon to give up.
19) Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, Grade C: Had Tommy John in June so don't expect him to do much before the second half. Features nasty power sinker resulting in 2.32 GO/AO and a 2.25 ERA in 60 Low-A innings before getting hurt. Age 21, could be ground ball-oriented workhorse or perhaps dominate out of bullpen, health and command allowing.
15) Mitch Gueller, RHP, Grade B-: 2012 supplemental first round draft pick is just getting started, has #2-3 starter potential if he puts everything together. Placeholder grade until we see how he adapts. More athletic than Watson, but also less refined.
17) Matthew Lipka, SS, Grade B, Lots of projection in this grade, but I like the athleticism. (Braves)
23) Robinson Yambati, RHP, Grade C+: Good strikeout/grounder combination in A-ball, erasing bad taste from awful 2011. Could help in the bullpen by 2014.
25) Donnie Joseph, LHP, Grade C+: Ground ball and strikeout tendencies are pronounced, should make a good LOOGY at least.
27) Colin Rodgers, LHP, Grade C+: Polished strike-throwing high school pitcher from Louisiana posted 2.05 ERA with 25/16 K/BB in 48 innings in the Appalachian League. Third round pick, best pitch is power curveball.
28) Kentrail Davis, OF, Grade B-, Good tools, hits for average, I think he'll get on base. Made better use of his speed this year, but otherwise disappointing. (Brewers)
29) Zachary Von Rosenberg, RHP, Grade B-, Hammered by homers in the first half, but gave up just two in his last nine starts. Strong K/BB ratio, still has the potential to develop into a mid-rotation starter. 2012 would be his draft year if he had gone to LSU, so it is way too soon to give up on him. (Pirates)
30) Chris Dwyer, LHP, Grade B-: Another tough grade, but like Montgomery, there is still a lot of upside here if he can get his command where it needs to be.
OTHERS: Patrick Leonard, 3B(Rays); Humberto Arteaga, SS; RHP; Edwin Carl, RHP; Kenny Diekroeger, INF; Alfredo Escalera, OF; Andy Ferguson, RHP; Brian Fletcher, OF; Fred Ford, OF; Chad Johnson, C; Justin Marks, LHP; Daniel Stumpf, LHP; J.C. Sulbaran, RHP; Andrew Triggs, RHP; Lane Adams, OF; Humberto Arteaga, SS: Angel Baez, RHP; Chris Dwyer, LHP; Brian Fletcher, OF; Marten Gasparini, SS; Michael Mariot, RHP; Justin Marks, LHP; Spencer Patton, RHP; Cody Reed, LHP; Daniel Rockett, OF; Crawford Simmons, LHP; Daniel Stumpf, LHP; Dominique Taylor, OF; Andrew Triggs, RHP; Robinson Yambati, RHP.