Possibly goes top 10 but is a big, physical SP with ace potential. Moore and co. will be all over him if he slips a bit and could offer top 10 money at No. 16
OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukasha West HS, WI
Spoiler!
Kelenic is the top prep bat, toolsy OF. Royals would be ecstatic to have shot at him.
1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (FL).
Spoiler!
Tremendous raw power, best in HS bats. Royals typically like HS arms or HS bats with "special" tools. He qualifies.
RHP Carter Stewart, Eau de Gallie HS (Ga).
Spoiler!
Another big, physical specimen with huge upside. More likely to be available mid-first than Rocker.
ANY Any, Any (Any). Any current top projected pick who slides for injury concerns. Includes current top prospect prospect SP Brady Singer, U of Florida.
Current Prospects to Watch:
OF Seuly Matias - Huge tools. Hit 2 HR in Lexington (A) season opener.
1B Nick Pratto - Top pick in 17 has advanced approach and good glove; needs to start tapping into power in first full year in minors. Also at Lexington.
OF Michael Gigliotti - Good defender in CF, good OBP skills, plus baserunner. Next mainstay in CF for KC, IMO. Advanced college bat also starting at Lexington.
OF Khalil Lee - Probably has highest upside in Royals' system. Could hit 30 HR in majors, could steal 30 bases. Plus defensive ability in RF. Nice test at Wilmington this year.
3B Emmanuel Rivera - Really nice approach and good contact skills. Power is still developing. Also getting a good test at Wilmington.
SP Foster Griffin - Made nice strides in 2017. Needs to continue to progress in 2018. Could be a lefty version of Jakob Junis (good breaking ball that he can really manipulate, OK fastball, good command).
1B Samir Duenez - Duenez still is intriguing, hoping for a step forward in his power production this year at Northwest Arkansas, which would turn him into a legit prospect.
Others to keep an eye on:
SP Gerson Garabito (Wilmington), OF Marten Gasparini (Lexington), C MJ Melendez (Lexington), RP Tyler Zuber (lexington), RP Richard Lovelady (Omaha), SP Dan Tillo (Lexington), SS Nicky Lopez (NWA), SP Scott Blewett (NWA), OF Brewer Hicklen (Idaho Falls),
In general, Lexington and Wilmington are the most interesting spots to watch. Nice depth and a lot of interesting pieces at both. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tk13:
The Brewers just took the lead in the bottom of the 8th over the Tigers when Ryan Braun hit a ball to the wall... Tigers RF got a glove on it, but it popped up and out of the glove, rolled along the top of the fence and over for a HR. That's going to be on all the highlight shows tonight.
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
Just saw it on SportsCenter.
Yeah that seemed like the type of play you look back on if they make a long playoff run.
Although I did see in the boxscore that they were in that spot because Hader gave up a HR. Just a reminder of how lucky the Royals were to the bullpen we had. The Brewers have a killer bullpen and Hader is supposed to be the most cyborg-like of all of them, and even he's had 3-4 hiccups down the stretch. [Reply]
Not what the Indians want to see before the playoffs either, we're lighting Miller up. O'Hearn gets a solid RBI single off him... very good sign with the way O'Hearn has hit lefties. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tk13:
Not what the Indians want to see before the playoffs either, we're lighting Miller up. O'Hearn gets a solid RBI single off him... very good sign with the way O'Hearn has hit lefties.
Hopefully this isn't just a mirage. I've seen the Royals do this before when it doesn't matter. [Reply]
Whit Merrifield enters the final day of the season tied for the major-league lead in hits (191) and leading the majors in stolen bases (44). "That would be pretty exciting," he said. "To do it in the whole league would be a thrill, especially after having a fluke year last year."
Saw that Mondesi has more home runs this month than Escobar has had in any year of his career or something crazy like that. Posted via Mobile Device [Reply]
Whit Merrifield enters the final day of the season tied for the major-league lead in hits (191) and leading the majors in stolen bases (44). "That would be pretty exciting," he said. "To do it in the whole league would be a thrill, especially after having a fluke year last year."
I don’t think Mondesi is a mirage. This is a supremely talented player finally having his tools click and match production.
Ryan O’Hearn might be a mirage.
But I think there are plenty of reasons to be at least intrigued, if not outright hopeful, about 2019. Merrifield and Mondesi are a pretty formidable 1-2 combination that will create a lot of runs and put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses.
A healthy Soler hitting somewhere behind them is exciting to me.
It will be fun to see what O’Hearn does in a full season (either way). Dozier has been promising to close the season (and after is written him off, too).
I’m also pumped to see Nicky Lopez. He could provide a major upgrade defensively at 2B (where Merrifield is good but not great) and that high-contact, high-OBP lefty bat could be a really nice sandwhich between Merrifield and Mondesi. [Reply]
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
I don’t think Mondesi is a mirage. This is a supremely talented player finally having his tools click and match production.
Ryan O’Hearn might be a mirage.
But I think there are plenty of reasons to be at least intrigued, if not outright hopeful, about 2019. Merrifield and Mondesi are a pretty formidable 1-2 combination that will create a lot of runs and put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses.
A healthy Soler hitting somewhere behind them is exciting to me.
It will be fun to see what O’Hearn does in a full season (either way). Dozier has been promising to close the season (and after is written him off, too).
I’m also pumped to see Nicky Lopez. He could provide a major upgrade defensively at 2B (where Merrifield is good but not great) and that high-contact, high-OBP lefty bat could be a really nice sandwhich between Merrifield and Mondesi.
I don't believe Mondesi is a mirage either. His pedigree is so high and this was expected. I hope O'Hearn isn't one because if he's not and Soler comes back like he was playing then this O could be pretty damn good. I'm hoping the pitchers that have shown flashes can put it together a whole year. May be a surprising team [Reply]
Whit Merrifield enters the final day of the season tied for the major-league lead in hits (191) and leading the majors in stolen bases (44). "That would be pretty exciting," he said. "To do it in the whole league would be a thrill, especially after having a fluke year last year."
Whit Merrifield enters the final day of the season tied for the major-league lead in hits (191) and leading the majors in stolen bases (44). "That would be pretty exciting," he said. "To do it in the whole league would be a thrill, especially after having a fluke year last year."
Whit Merrifield enters the final day of the season tied for the major-league lead in hits (191) and leading the majors in stolen bases (44). "That would be pretty exciting," he said. "To do it in the whole league would be a thrill, especially after having a fluke year last year."