Free Agent Signings:
Carlos Santana
Mike Minor
Michael Taylor
Ervin Santana
Top 10 Prospects:
1 Bobby Witt Jr., SS
2 Asa Lacy, LHP
3 Daniel Lynch, LHP
4 Jackson Kowar, RHP
5 Erick Pena, OF
6 Nick Loftin, SS
7 Kyle Isbel, OF
8 Khali Lee, OF
9 Jonathan Bowlan, RHP
10 Carlos Hernedez, RHP [Reply]
I think Duffy ought to go to the bullpen! He'll have one good start then 6 bad ones! Like his fire, but hitters figure him out after the 1st at-bat! [Reply]
Interesting piece in the Athletic about Alex Marsh by Alec Lewis.
Originally Posted by :
Then Matheny showed up in October 2020 to Kauffman Stadium and watched scores of Royals prospects compete in the fall camp. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing from Marsh, another pitching prospect from a different draft. It wasn’t just about the fastball, which has touched 99 mph, per a Royals official. Nor was it about the change-up or the curveball or the slider, or Marsh’s ability to locate them all. It was also about the way he looked.
About Marsh’s build. His attitude. And his presence.
“The heart,” Matheny said. “The competitor. He’s strong as an ox. He’s just, you look at him, and that’s the kind of guy — with that body type and pitch type — he could be around the game for a long time.”
Now here is Marsh at spring training, standing on the mound in Peoria, Ariz., throwing 98 mph fastballs over and over against the San Diego Padres.
This was a few days ago, Marsh’s first Cactus League outing, and he was pitching with a purpose.
“It was nice to see him get out there and throw his name in the mix with everybody else,” Matheny said. “I think that’s what he wants.”
30 MLB prospects I can’t wait to see in person in 2021: Keith Law
Kansas City Royals: Jon Heasley, RHP
Nick Pratto is probably the bigger name to watch, as the Royals raved about the progress he made with his swing at the alternate site last year, but I’m more intrigued by Heasley because I’ve never seen him (while I have probably seen Pratto too much). Heasley was a 13th-round pick out of Oklahoma State, whose coaches did him no favors, but blossomed into a four-pitch starter with better command and control once he got into pro ball. The Royals have many, many starters ahead of him on their depth chart, but perhaps the promotions of their top picks from that same 2018 draft class, including Kris Bubic and Brady Singer, will make room for Heasley to continue to work as a starter. [Reply]
30 MLB prospects I can’t wait to see in person in 2021: Keith Law
Kansas City Royals: Jon Heasley, RHP
Nick Pratto is probably the bigger name to watch, as the Royals raved about the progress he made with his swing at the alternate site last year, but I’m more intrigued by Heasley because I’ve never seen him (while I have probably seen Pratto too much). Heasley was a 13th-round pick out of Oklahoma State, whose coaches did him no favors, but blossomed into a four-pitch starter with better command and control once he got into pro ball. The Royals have many, many starters ahead of him on their depth chart, but perhaps the promotions of their top picks from that same 2018 draft class, including Kris Bubic and Brady Singer, will make room for Heasley to continue to work as a starter.
I don't know what it is, but it sure seems like the Royals have found a secret sauce with all these college pitchers.
They're making small tweaks and then seeing guys just jump up like crazy. Very different than the 2006-2010 approach of "throw a bunch of money at raw high school guys with projection and hope it works!" [Reply]
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
I don't know what it is, but it sure seems like the Royals have found a secret sauce with all these college pitchers.
They're making small tweaks and then seeing guys just jump up like crazy. Very different than the 2006-2010 approach of "throw a bunch of money at raw high school guys with projection and hope it works!"
The recent write up on Alec Marsh indicated that there is also something of a culture of competition amongst the 2018 guys that have affected the subsequent (and lesser known) draftee pitchers as well. Feeding off of one another's success and competitiveness. [Reply]
IF this pitching staff is better than projected...
You may have to bring Witt up. I mean, if it looked like you're a play-off team. Now I know, that's definitely homer glasses. But I'll be damned if there aren't suddenly a handful of serious pitching prospects that look like plus guys.
But otherwise, no, I wouldn't give up the year of service. [Reply]
IF this pitching staff is better than projected...
You may have to bring Witt up. I mean, if it looked like you're a play-off team. Now I know, that's definitely homer glasses. But I'll be damned if there aren't suddenly a handful of serious pitching prospects that look like plus guys.
But otherwise, no, I wouldn't give up the year of service.
What did Lou Brown say in Major League? Something like
"And the young guys are coming around quicker than I thought. There's two or three potential All Stars in there. I'm telling you, I think we're a contender". Or something like that?
Yeah, I could easily see a scenario where we're feeling like that in July. Lots has to go right but we're not exactly in the NL West. Stranger things have happened. [Reply]