For all things Royals in 2022. #3 minor league system according to Baseball America. The Bobby Witt era should begin this year. Will Salvy still be the homerun king? How does the glut of infield players work out? Will the young pitchers take the next step?
Free Agents/Trades Acquisitions
Zack Greinke, P
Amir Garrett, P
Taylor Clarke, P
Top 10 Prospects from Baseball America
1. Bobby Witt, SS
2. Asa Lacy, P
3. MJ Melendez, C
4. Nick Pratto, 1B
5. Jackson Kowar, P
6. Kyle Isabel, OF
7. Frank Mozzicato, P
8. Ben Kudrna, P
9. Jonathan Bowlan, P
10. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B
Duncan's Top Royals Prospects
Spoiler!
1. Bobby Witt, Jr., SS. MLB.
This status lasts about another 4 weeks, but let’s take a moment to appreciate having the top guy in the minor league prospects lists for at least a little while longer. Witt has prodigious ability and the question is really just IF he can meet it. They have not had a prospect like this in my lifetime, and really probably ever. Combine insane raw physical skills (right there with Adalberto Mondesi and Willie Wilson in the ranks right behind Bo Jackson) with unbelievable work ethic, a humble-but-confident nature, and already having shown he can struggle and overcome to achieve big success, and you have the tools for a show-stopping centerpiece. Oh, and throw in the former-player’s kid aspect on it on top of things, and there is every reason to believe he’s going to succeed and succeed big.
2. M.J. Melendez, C, AAA Omaha.
I was early on putting him in this slot last year, and I don’t regret it. The power, the ability to be a good defender behind the dish as well as having the athletic ability to play 3B or LF, too, and you have a really valuable overall piece and FANTASTIC understudy for Salvador Perez.
3. Asa Lacy, LHP. AA Northwest Arkansas
Whoa, let’s get crazy again. Lacy has outstanding stuff. Top of the system. He got hurt and lost his command during COVID times, but appears to be back on track so far this spring. If his command sticks, this is a guy who can move quickly. And his ceiling is really second to nobody in the minor league pitching ranks.
4. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B. AA Northwest Arkansas
Vinnie starts the season back at AA due to the guy who follows him on the list here. He just hits, folks. I love his combination of contact, loud contact, plate discipline, and lack of strikeouts. The Billy Butler comparisons are annoying (in that I will NEVER refer to this man as Italian Breakfast except in the instance that just occurred), but the Billy Butler comparisons are also fairly apt… if you made Butler a lefthanded hitter, AND improved his body/athleticism from a 20 to a 40, AND if you added that little extra touch of power we all wished Butler could consistently find.
5. Nick Pratto, 1B, AAA Omaha.
Hey, let’s stay at 1B. Pratto has flashy power and I love his batting eye AND his hand-eye coordination. The hair he’s been rocking this spring is also pretty sweet. I slot him just behind Pasquantino simply because I think his bat profile is more volatile. The glove and arm are sweet/plus for 1B, though.
6. Jonathan Bowlan, RHP, AAA Omaha
Bowlan is coming back from Tommy John surgery, and this ranking is assuming that recovering is successful. If it his, you’re talking about a big, consistent SP who throws hard enough and has enough of a repertoire to really make things happen. If the recovery goes well, he may be shuttling to the majors in July to reinforce the rotation.
7. Nick Loftin, CF, AA Omaha.
Loftin is a guy who has really grown on me. I saw him as a quasi super-utility guy when the Royals drafted him, The full-time shift to CF (which means they think he has the speed and the overall defensive ability to handle CF in Kansas City) adds a lot of value here. The ultimate positive offensive upside is similar to peak Whit Merrifield, maybe with a touch more early power.
8. Michael Massey, 2B, AA Northwest Arkansas.
Massey was an absolute revelation last year, hitting for power and average and keeping his K rate down while playing a really strong 2B. He has a very sweet, short lefthanded stroke. This is another aggressive rating, but Massey has proven himself through a tough minor league assignment already, and the arrow is pointed up.
9. Ben Kudrna, RHP, Rookie Ball
Kudrna is a big, physical specimen with a lot of upside and potential. The fastball and slider are already nearly MLB-level in terms of velocity and movement (command needs work). Kudrna is a guy who, with luck, and health, and good development, could ascend to the top of a rotation.
10. Frank Mozzicato, LHP, Rookie Ball.
Mozzicato has a curveball that suggests he has a feel for spin. If you want to dream, you hope that the next 2-3 years turn the 175 he weighed when drafted into a rock-solid 220/225 and carries with it an increase in fastball velocity from 90-91, sitting 87-88, to 96-97, sitting 93-94. You pair his ability to spin the ball (which also suggests he should be able to easily master a sweeper slider) with that type of fastball velo and a changeup he already has a feel for, and it’s an exciting profile.
He has a little more to go in terms of growing into that projectability than Kudrna, which is why he slots right behind him.
11. Alec Marsh, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Marsh missed a lot of 2021 to injury, but the hard-throwing righthander is another guy who could move quickly once the minor league season starts. He’s undeniably got the stuff of a quality major-league pitcher. The question is if he can master enough command to cash it in. This guy is a great example of TINSTAAPP.
12. Angel Zerpa, LHP, AAA Omaha
Zerpa might quickly outperform this slot. His stuff ticked up in 21 and he ended the season making a start in the majors. He’s nice depth to have, and honestly, I’m a big fan of just throwing numbers at pitching. Zerpa definitely helps create the depth you need to generate a top-notch and reliable home-grown rotation.
13. Maikel Garcia, SS, AA Northwest Arkansas
Garcia is a really intriguing hitter, a righthanded hitter who has a nice combination of contact skills and control of the strike zone (this cousin of Alcides Escobar is less savvy with the glove and more savvy at the plate). The Royals protected him for a reason (he’s on the 40-man).
14. Carter Jensen, C, A ??
Jensen is a local product whose bat will probably push him off C (as well as the Royals depth at that spot throughout the organization). This is a future 1B profile, and a nice one. He makes a lot of loud contact and shows an ability to lift the ball. Should be fun to watch this year.
15. Ben Hernandez, RHP, A+ Quad Rivers
Hernandez missed a good part of 2021 but still has that butterfly changeup and a classic pitcher’s profile. He’ll need to find a reliable swing-and-miss secondary to make it in the bigs, but if not, the fastball velocity and changeup should make him a quality high-leverage reliver.
16. Dylan Coleman, RHP, AAA Omaha
Speaking of relievers, Coleman is a hard-throwing righthander who probably spends most of 22 in the Royals’ pen. ½ of the compensation for the Rosenthal trade a few years back, Coleman has a big fastball and nasty breaking ball.
17. Will Klein, RHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Speaking of relivers, everything I just said about Coleman? Yeah, you can say it about Klein, too. Klein regularly toyed with hitters at high A last year, striking out 121 hitters in just 70 1/3 innings pitched. For those counting at home, that’s a 15.5 K/9 rate. Yep. That’ll play.
18. Anthony Veneziano, LHP, AA Northwest Arkansas
Here’s another big, power arm. Veneziano hasn’t been relegated to bullpen only yet, though. His fastball bumped into the high 90s last year on a starter’s workload. He’s still looking for a changeup, but if he doesn’t find it, you’re looking at a really promising future bullpen fireballer.
19. Erick Pena, OF, A ?
Pena did… not have a strong 2021 full season debut. His struggles look a lot like those of Pratto and Melendez in 2019. Pena has the same type of raw toolkit to work from as those two, with great hands and natural power. He needs to fix a hitch in his swing and calm it down, but so did Melendez. Of this second ten grouping, Pena has the highest upside and could jump right into the top 5 of the org ranks.
20. Darryl Collins, OF, A+
Collins is an international signing out of Europe. I like the hitting package here – good eye and contact skills. He needs to make more loud contact, but if he can, really a nice guy.
Overall takeaways:
This is a system with a lot of depth. We could go another 10-12 deep and still be talking about guys with a good shot to make the majors. The changes to the organization’s approach are bearing fruit, as even less-heralded draftees are stepping forward.
The combination of upside (Witt, Melendez, Lacy), depth, and guys you can dream on is fun. It may not produce quite as much as the 2011 group did, but it does offer a more sustainable system, less reliant on a few big-ticket guys.
Originally Posted by Nightfyre:
Duncan, who are we drafting, and why isn't it Kumar Rocker since he is way closer to mlb ready than the rest of this class?
This team should just avoid ruining another promising young pitcher. Get a surplus of bats and only bats. At least it seems like we can develop those now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Nightfyre:
Duncan, who are we drafting, and why isn't it Kumar Rocker since he is way closer to mlb ready than the rest of this class?
This team should just avoid ruining another promising young pitcher. Get a surplus of bats and only bats. At least it seems like we can develop those now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Nightfyre:
Duncan, who are we drafting, and why isn't it Kumar Rocker since he is way closer to mlb ready than the rest of this class?
Oh, I’m steeling myself for a HS arm that’s an under slot add.
If it was me, I’d go college bat.
Brooks Lee (may be gone by 9)
Jacob Berry (may be gone by 9)
Gavin Cross
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
So anyone hear anything on MAT getting ready to be traded? Noticed he started at DH first game and then didn't play in the second one.
Beni got the second game off too, but came in as a defensive replacement at the end so assuming something isn't imminent yet.
And I guess the Royals are not interested in dealing Barlow since they had him throw in both games of the double header yesterday . . . . . .
Morosi was just on MLBN talking about the Yankees being interested in MAT. He thinks the Cards should be interested in Benintendi.
I wasn’t planning on writing about anything but the games since there were two of them, but the Royals made a very interesting trade yesterday. They traded their 35th pick in the draft this upcoming week for Drew Waters, Andrew Hoffmann and C.J. Alexander of the Braves. With that 35th pick (which can be traded because it’s a competitive balance pick), the Braves also add the $2.2 million that comes with that pick to their pool and the Royals lose that. My initial thought on the trade is that it has the potential to be outstanding (though that doesn’t seem terribly likely). In my opinion, it’s a risk worth taking, but it is assuredly a risk.
The prize on the surface is Waters, who was the second round pick of the Braves in 2017 and was rated their number one prospect on MLB Pipeline. Opinions differ on him quite a bit, though. Baseball America, for example, was ready to drop him to 15th on their list. He’s not without his flaws. He struggles with pitch selection and plate discipline, so basically his entire approach, which is what has kept him from hitting at AAA in the past. I’ll get back to that in a second. He’s fast enough to handle center and the defense is solid. I think he could spend some time working with Rusty Kuntz to get even better, but defensively, it looks like the Royals have their center fielder of the future.
The issue with his bat is one that actually kind of intrigues me. It’s a weird feeling, but I believe so much in Drew Saylor along with the guys at the big league level - Alec Zumwalt, Mike Tosar and Keoni DeRenne - that this is the exact sort of risk the Royals should be taking on. I don’t know if they’ll be able to get Waters figured out, and the Braves certainly knew when it was time to trade a guy like Christian Pache, but as I said, it’s a risk worth taking with the success they’ve had in altering approach. And even if he never figures it out, I think he can be a quality fourth outfielder with enough power to provide value.
The pitching prospect, Hoffmann, is maybe more interesting than I expected at first. He was a 12th round pick last season, and has done nothing but impress ever since. He’s made 15 starts in high-A this year and the peripherals are all what you want. He’s allowed 63 hits in 80 innings with 90 strikeouts and 21 walks. He’s allowed nine home runs, which isn’t bad either. He has the frame and while I don’t trust the Royals to do with him what I feel like they can do with hitters, his ability to throw strikes is what I like. But it’s not like he’s without any stuff.
He throws his fastball at around 92-93, but I’ve seen reports of him at 95-96 and that he’s able to hold his velocity into games. He has an interesting delivery that offers just a bit of a delay in his windup and I think that gets hitters all flustered, but likely won’t as much at higher levels. He has an average slider and an average changeup, but he reminds me of the type of pitcher the Guardians love. He’s athletic, throws strikes and probably has a little more velocity in him. While I don’t have a ton of faith in what this organization can do for him, they have been better with some minor league development in terms of adding velocity, so maybe there’s something there. I wouldn’t expect an ace or anything, but he can be a three/four type if everything works out for him.
Alexander is pretty purely a throw-in on this deal. He’s a big guy who has played third, first and left and has some power, a little speed and a lot of swing and miss in his game. I’ll be surprised if we spend too much talking about him moving forward, but there’s a little thunder in his bat.
In all, I think this signals a couple of things for the Royals. With the acquisition of Waters, my guess is that it shows the Royals truly will trade Michael A. Taylor. I don’t think they’re trading for Waters without the idea that he’ll be in the big leagues and it’s not the worst idea to get him working with Zumwalt and company right away. I suppose a Benintendi deal could get him to the big leagues too and probably will, but I think they’ll want to see Waters at Kauffman Stadium. The other thing is that it basically assures that they won’t be playing games with slot value and will pay the full freight at pick nine.
No matter how the results play out, I do like the risk here. The 35th pick in the draft isn’t anything to sneeze at, but while past precedent doesn’t equal much in the way of future results, that pick hasn’t exactly been a place for stars. The best is interestingly enough Johnny Damon, but generally there isn’t a lot of big league talent there. The $2.2 million in slot money does hurt a bit, but I also wonder if they don’t make another trade to get back into that competitive balance round and get a few of those dollars back. Ultimately, this is one of those deals that may be forgotten in time, but it has a chance to be big for this team.
Taylor Injured?
On Saturday, the Royals were trailing by a bunch and turned the mound over to Taylor. We had some fun watching him throw and throw hard, but since that outing, he sat out on Sunday, served as the designated hitter in the first game and then sat again in the nightcap. I don’t know if he’s hurt or not, but it seems pretty odd to not play your best defensive center fielder in the field at any point over a three-game stretch. So I have to assume he’s gotten himself hurt from pitching. Maybe it was totally different, but as I said on Twitter yesterday, if he did get hurt pitching in a year where he has more trade value than he ever has and likely ever will, that would vault this to be the absolute most Royals thing ever.
TWitM: Brewer Hicklen is the man
This Week in the Minors: Omaha hitters smash everything; Marcelo Martinez took a perfecto deep; Tyler Tolbert among league leaders in steals
Brewer Hicklen did some of everything. You may have seen his highlight-reel catch, his walkoff hit on Wednesday, or his 493-foot home run on Sunday. All told, Hicklen piled up 11 hits, including a triple and three homers. He also stole two bases, and still has not been caught.
Another Chaser with 11 hits on the week was Nate Eaton, who bookended the series with a pair of two-homer games. Through 39 games at Triple-A, Eaton has maintained a slash line of .329/.388/.591.
Michael Massey got the day off on Sunday, but in the remaining six games of the series, he went 10-for-23 with two doubles and a homer. Shortstop Iván Castillo also put up 10 hits, including five (!) doubles and a homer.
Party P spent the week showing off power and patience. Among Nick Pratto’s nine hits were four (!) dongs, and he also drew eight walks.
Pratto was named to MLB Pipeline’s prospect team of the week, in addition to being selected to play in the Futures Game.
Catcher Freddy Fermin muscled up for two doubles and two homers in his five games.
Center fielder Dairon Blanco hit in all seven games, which puts him at a 10-game hit streak as the team heads to Rochester for their last series before the All-Star break.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk [Reply]
Is this a little bit concerning? While guys like Witt Jr make flashy plays, he is not graded so far as a good defender this year. Ive also been disappointing with Melendez ability to block balls behind plate.
Witt Jr -0.3 dwar
Melendez -0.4 dwar
Olivares -0.4 dwar (in little abs!)
Rivers +0.4 dwar :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Is this a little bit concerning? While guys like Witt Jr make flashy plays, he is not graded so far as a good defender this year. Ive also been disappointing with Melendez ability to block balls behind plate.
Witt Jr -0.3 dwar
Melendez -0.4 dwar
Olivares -0.4 dwar (in little abs!)
Rivers +0.4 dwar :-)
Something about the Royals is a little bit concerning? You don't say? [Reply]
Originally Posted by poolboy:
maybe Royals can go overslot on the ninth pick since they traded the comp pick?
Maybe a little, but part of the trade like that is the pool money.
Originally Posted by :
The No. 35 pick that Atlanta is receiving comes with a slot value of $2,202,100, all of which will be added to the Braves’ league-allotted bonus pool of $8,022,200. That’ll bump the Braves from the 19th-largest draft pool to the 10th-largest (barring any additional trades).
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Is this a little bit concerning? While guys like Witt Jr make flashy plays, he is not graded so far as a good defender this year. Ive also been disappointing with Melendez ability to block balls behind plate.
Witt Jr -0.3 dwar
Melendez -0.4 dwar
Olivares -0.4 dwar (in little abs!)
Rivers +0.4 dwar :-)
Maybe, maybe not. Defensive stats are super fickle because the exceptions are small and therefore the sample size needed to analyze is large. [Reply]
