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]
Originally Posted by theoldcoach:
He played 59 of 60 games last year.
Granted he has spent far more time on the DL than any of us would like. But then....so did Cain, Gordon, Perez, etc. at times in their careers.
We need Mondesi in this lineup, and that is indisputable. He makes us better.
Yep. I've never understood the incessant complaining about players being injured. It's sports. People get injured in sports. It happens to every team in every sport. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
This year’s draft class is … hold on, it just changed again. It’s not great at the top, maybe not even through the first round, but I still see plenty of depth here, even in the much-maligned college hitter crop – there are still plenty of players to get us through the first few rounds, and as a longtime friend of mine who’s been a scout, a director, and a VP likes to say, “You can’t pass.” (Well, you can, technically, but he’s right that it’s a career-limiting move to do so.)
It’s a good year for real scouting, and raise a glass to the teams that chose to keep their scouts, because they’ll be better equipped to assess this class in the absence of so much of the summer and year-prior data that can help drive draft decisions in a normal year.
This list includes draft-eligible players from four- and two-year colleges as well as high schools, and the players are ranked without regard to where I think they’ll be selected or to their signability (expected bonus demands). Some guys on here won’t sign, or won’t be drafted anywhere near where I have them ranked, and it will have nothing to do with their talent. And, again, this is not a mock draft. I’m ranking the players as if I were picking them myself, although The Athletic has yet to give me any sort of budget to sign players. They won’t come off the board this way in July.
1. Henry Davis, C, Louisville
Davis is now hitting .389/.511/.671 for the Cardinals, walking more than he’s struck out, with power, patience, bat control, and a plus arm. He also offers some certainty in a draft class with very little of it. For more on Davis, check out my in-person scouting report from April.
2. Jordan Lawlar, SS, Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
Lawlar has the best package of tools in the draft class, with the potential for all five depending on his hit tool, which is the main question scouts still offer about him as a prospect. He’s very quick-twitch with bat speed and power, but he’ll be 19 at the draft and hasn’t faced great competition this spring to raise confidence in how he’ll hit pro pitching.
Mayer is a left-handed hitting shortstop who doesn’t have the pure upside of Lawlar, but may be a more advanced hitter for his age. He has a great swing with good balance and the potential for plus power, and he’s a potential 60 defender at short as well.
4. Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt
Rocker’s up-and-down spring might knock him down a few pegs on draft boards, but he can still show a plus fastball/plus breaking ball combination and has the size to be a durable, 200-inning starter, needing primarily to improve his command and show more consistency when working with men on base.
5. Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
My No. 1 prospect in my last two rankings, Leiter had two bad starts in a row, then missed last weekend’s start as a very late scratch that the coaching staff said was to “monitor his innings.” He has great deception and a fastball that misses bats in the zone, with a delivery he repeats to eventually get to 55 or better command. We just have to see him pitch again.
6. Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College
Frelick looks like a future MLB leadoff hitter, with a strong eye, high contact rates, and above-average speed. He’s shown he can generate enough power from his 5-foot-10 frame to make hard contact, albeit probably without much power. He moved to centerfield this year and has shown enough to be a plus defender there.
7. Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
McLain got off to a slow start this year but has hit more consistently and with more power as the season has gone on, making him one of the higher-floor bats in the class, and scouts now see more reason to believe he can stay at shortstop in the majors. He’s out indefinitely with a broken thumb suffered last week, however.
8. Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest (NC) HS
Watson’s season only started during the last week of April, but he showed enough last year to end up in the top-10 picks, with above-average tools across the board, strength for hard contact, and enough speed and athleticism to stay at shortstop with some work.
9. Harry Ford, C, North Cobb HS (Kennesaw, GA)
Ford is a high school catcher — a very risky demographic in the draft — but scouts talk about his athleticism more than anything else, which is unusual for any catching prospect, especially his plus speed. He’s also very strong, and coupled with his huge bat speed and good balance even through a big stride in the box, he looks like he’ll get to power as well.
10. Sam Bachman, RHP, Miami (Ohio)
Bachman has been up to 102 mph as a starter with a plus slider in the low 90s, with some effort but not so much that he couldn’t stick in the rotation. He missed two starts earlier this spring, but the RedHawks’ coaching staff eased him back in after his return and he showed the same electric stuff he had before he was shut down.
House has the best exit velocities in the draft class with huge power, and he’s on the younger end of the spectrum for this draft, turning 18 in early June. He’s played shortstop but is going to move to third base in pro ball, while the main question scouts have is where his hit tool is, as he struggled some last summer and fall against better competition but showed well this spring when facing Dylan Lesko, one of the top high school pitching prospects for 2022.
12. Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest
Cusick has one of the best fastballs in the draft, into the upper 90s with enough life that nobody can hit it, so while his breaking ball is inconsistent and his changeup — more like a low-90s two-seamer — is a work-in-progress, he offers top-10 upside with more downside risk.
13. Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Wicks is the “safe” college lefty, with a plus-plus changeup and excellent feel to pitch, working to both sides of the plate with the fastball, although he’s been hit a little bit more than you’d like this spring and the breaking ball is a clear third pitch for him.
14. Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston State
Cowser continues to hit for average, improving as the season has progressed, with strong contact rates, although he went four weeks without homering before hitting one on Sunday against Arkansas-Little Rock and projects to hit more for average than for power in pro ball.
15. Will Taylor, OF, Dutch Fork HS (Irmo, SC)
Taylor is committed to Clemson for football and baseball, a star high school quarterback who’d move to a wide or slot receiver role if he got to campus … but he’s probably never going to get there, as he’s flying up MLB Draft boards because of his athleticism, plus speed, and feel to hit. He’s a true centerfielder who’s put on some muscle since the fall and might end up with average power.
16. Jackson Jobe, RHP, Heritage Hall HS (Oklahoma City)
Jobe checks every box for a high school pitcher except possibly in his delivery; he’s an outstanding athlete (and a prospect as a shortstop, too) with a four-pitch mix who has feel for the changeup and who can alter the shape on his slider at will, with good spin rates on the slider and his mid-90s fastball. There’s some effort in the delivery and some scouts don’t love how he finishes, but you can’t risk changing anything given the stuff. His biggest risk factor is just who he is – a high school pitcher.
17. Braden Montgomery, OF, Madison Central (MS) HS
Speaking of history that isn’t great, Mississippi high school position players are historically among the worst classes of players, especially given how much baseball they play there — but Montgomery, a Stanford commit, looks more advanced than most of his peers, and has three plus tools already with his power, speed, and glove in center. He’s a switch-hitter with a quiet approach from both sides of the plate and good hand acceleration.
18. Bubba Chandler, RHP/SS, North Oconee HS (Bogart, GA)
Chandler is a two-way prospect and also a quarterback who’s committed to Clemson, but his brightest future is on the mound, where he’s got a fast arm, above-average velocity, and feel to spin a curveball, although the history of quarterbacks-turned-pitchers isn’t great.
Baez is a huge upside play, as he’s very strong with a powerful swing and will be barely 18 at the draft, but he hasn’t faced any good pitching this spring and there’s concern about the amount of swing-and-miss he’s shown going back to the summer. It’s elite power for a high school kid, and he has the plus arm to profile as a solid right fielder.
20. Adrian del Castillo, C, Miami (FL)
Del Castillo came into the year as a potential top-10 pick because of the widespread impression that he had one of the best pure bats in the college class, but he hasn’t performed at all — he’s at .301/.405/.449 on the season, with a high contact rate but none of production he showed as a freshman in 2019. He’s adequate at best behind the plate with a below-average arm, so either he has to move to first base, where he really has to hit, or someone has to bet that they can improve his receiving enough to make him a definite catcher.
Nah...getting swept in Detroit really made me koo koo for cocoa puffs. I'm down off the ledge now. April gave me hope, and I should have know this is the Royals, and I have no reason for hope. At least we won't lose today. Has Wade Davis cleaned out his locker yet? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mama Hip Rockets:
Yep. I've never understood the incessant complaining about players being injured. It's sports. People get injured in sports. It happens to every team in every sport.
Mike Sweeney stole his last contract in KC. Just stole money. Cal Ripken Jr, now there's a guy who really could have been something if he just could have stayed healthy... [Reply]
Originally Posted by dlphg9:
No more god damn high school bats either.
I think I can get behind that. I'm usually against high school pitchers but high school bats are okay. However, at this point of our progression we need ready offensive firepower by 2023 to be in our window. [Reply]
The Mariners rocked the prospect world last week when they promoted outfielder Jarred Kelenic and right-hander Logan Gilbert, two of their three top prospects, to the majors. This should be just the beginning of a bevy of prospect promotions over the next month or so.
It’s amazing how many prospects are being held down in the minor leagues even though they are major-league-ready. I understand why many teams want to keep their best prospects in the minors as long as possible to secure an extra year of control or try to avoid their future stars becoming arbitration-eligible before three full years of service time.
I also understand why teams want to ensure their top prospects develop fully before they’re promoted. For example, the Padres want to keep arguably the game’s best pitching prospect, MacKenzie Gore, in the minor leagues to sharpen his fastball command and secondary weapons. I understand why the Rays would keep 20-year-old Wander Franco’s development on track in the minors until they can find the right trade for shortstop Willy Adames. I get why the Marlins don’t think their best outfield prospect, JJ Bleday, is major-league-ready.
But I don’t understand the holdup when teams have glaring needs and minor-league players who are clearly better than their counterparts at the big-league level — especially with 22- to 24-year-old players who are succeeding in the minors and showing they’re ready for The Show.
In addition, we have reached a point in the season where teams have already secured the extra year of control. (In terms of avoiding Super 2 designation, the new collective bargaining agreement could address it and make it a non-issue, and keep in mind teams could still send prospects back to the minor leagues later this season if the player struggles or the team falls out of contention and really wants to manipulate the service-time rules.)
I just think teams should be more focused on winning and developing their big-league rosters for the future.
Here is my list of prospects who are major-league-ready and should be promoted today. They are not necessarily their team’s best prospects, but the prospects who are ready now.
The Royals have already promoted their top pitching prospect, Daniel Lynch, to the majors, though his disappointing results in two starts could make them hesitant with Jackson Kowar. But Kowar is as major-league-ready as Lynch, who was sent back to Triple A on Friday. Kowar is 3-0 with a 1.15 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings at Triple-A Omaha. His fastball/changeup combination is dominating, and his curveball is a solid third pitch. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
I think I can get behind that. I'm usually against high school pitchers but high school bats are okay. However, at this point of our progression we need ready offensive firepower by 2023 to be in our window.
^^^ This type of reasoning is how you spend top 10 picks on Christian Colon and Nick Madrigal.
Draft the best guy you can get with the most upside and worry about fit and surplus later.
Literally, this is exactly how the Royals convinced themselves to draft Colon instead of Matt Harvey or Chris Sale. They were taking Sale until about 15 minutes before the pick, when someone in the room finally convinced them it would give them "too much" LHP depth in the minors.
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
Rocker, Leiter, House or Jobe please.
Would be excited to see the Royals draft ANY of those 4 with their first pick (realize Leiter & Rocker probably won't be there)
Rocker, Leiter, House, Will Taylor, Matt McClain (and pipe dream hope Lawlar makes it to them at 7). [Reply]
Rocker, Leiter, House, Will Taylor, Matt McClain (and pipe dream hope Lawlar makes it to them at 7).
Lawlar (like Rocker & Leiter), as you mentioned, not likely to be there.
Not a huge fan of McClain.
I would be okay with Will Taylor, even though not in my personal Top 5. Would much rather see him than Sal Frelick, who a lot of people are mocking to the Royals at 7. [Reply]
We don't get the games up here and I just check scores and standings every once in a while.
Could one of you knowledgeable please inform this dumb bastard just what the fuck has happened in the last few weeks? We were winning games and leading the division and now can't seem to win a game.
Originally Posted by ptlyon:
We don't get the games up here and I just check scores and standings every once in a while.
Could one of you knowledgeable please inform this dumb bastard just what the **** has happened in the last few weeks? We were winning games and leading the division and now can't seem to win a game.
TIA
The Indians series kind of broke them for a little bit. They should have won it 3-1 and got swept
Bad execution by the players (playing extremely tight on D and also at the plate)
Questionable bullpen use by Matheny
Weird lineup and alignment decisions by Matheny
It was part correction, part a team that is not very loose getting tightened up even more.
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
Lawlar (like Rocker & Leiter), as you mentioned, not likely to be there.
Not a huge fan of McClain.
I would be okay with Will Taylor, even though not in my personal Top 5. Would much rather see him than Sal Frelick, who a lot of people are mocking to the Royals at 7.
Yeah, some of these college bats just scream Nick Madrigal to me. Smaller, not a lot of power, etc. No thanks!
McClain is the type of toolsy upside swing they like - though I'm not sure he's worthy of a top 10 pick, at least he has power potential. [Reply]
