Top 20 Prospects: Kansas City Royals
1. Wil Myers, OF, A
Myers is a top 3 prospect in all of baseball right now in my opinion, along with Dylan Bundy and Jurickson Profar. He absolutely rakes and has the ability to play centerfield, although he probably will wind up in a corner long term. He was hampered by injuries last year which limited his production, but strong performances in the Arizona Fall League last fall and in AA and AAA this year have certainly brought back his prospect shine. In his prime he has the potential to hit well over .300 with 30 homers and over 10 steals and he could see the majors before year’s end.
2. Bubba Starling, OF, B+
Ultra toolsy and oozing All-Star potential, Starling also comes with lots of risk. He has four very good tools, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to hit enough to utilize his raw power and athleticism at the plate.
3. Jake Odorizzi, RHP, B+
Odorizzi has number two starter upside and is very close to the majors. With good control, command and strike out stuff, Odorizzi has the skill set that you look for in a very good major league starter.
4. Kyle Zimmer, RHP, B/B+
Zimmer has not been pitching for all that long, but has the kind of stuff that could make him a frontline starter. He will need to be more consistent and is still pretty raw for a college guy, but he has plenty of potential.
5. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, B
Cuthbert is mired in a slump which started at the end of last year and has continued this year as a 19 year old in high-A ball. He is a pure hitter with a good approach, but he does not have the kind of power that you look for out of a third baseman and isn’t the best defensively. He also does not have much speed, so he really needs the very good bat to play, as it did for much of last season.
6. Yordano Ventura, RHP, B
Ventura may be small in stature, but his arm is certainly not small, as he sits in the mid-high 90s, even touching 100 on occasion. He outdueled Dylan Bundy earlier this year, an extremely tough task, and Ventura has been pretty dominant for much of the year. He could be a number 2 starter, and at worst will be a back end of the bullpen reliever.
7. Christian Colon, SS, B
Colon is an all around ballplayer who really knows how to play the game. He does not have superstar potential, but has a very high floor and should be a solid regular for years at either short or second, with a solid bat, approach, pop, speed and glove.
8. Elier Hernandez, OF, B
Hernandez has a very high ceiling thanks to his 5 tool potential and the ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball. It will be at the plate where he is most valuable and he looks to hit for an excellent average and plus power due to his present strength and bat speed. The ball sounds different when it comes off of his bat. He is a long way away, after signing for $3 million out of the Dominican Republic last year, but was the best player available on the international market last year.
9. Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, B-
Brickhouse got absolutely demolished in his first professional outing in the hitter friendly Pioneer League, but he has high potential and could be a number 2 or 3 starter if all goes well.
10. J.C. Sulbaran, RHP, B-
Sulbaran is intriguing thanks to his substantial upside. The challenge for him is his sub-par command.
11. Michael Montgomery, LHP, B-
Montgomery has been on the prospect radar for quite some time now, but with ever increasing control issues and declining strikeout rate, one wonders if he will ever figure it out. He did get to AAA as a 21 year old and still only turns 23 in July, so the potential is still there for him to be a good major league pitcher.
12. Kyle Smith, RHP, B- (starting to climb the charts)
13. Sam Selman, LHP, C+
14. Kenny Diekroeger, SS, C+
15. Chris Dwyer, LHP, C+
16. Brett Eibner, OF, C+
17. Jason Adam, RHP, C+
18. John Lamb, LHP, C+ (injury)
19. Jorge Bonifacio, OF, C+ (climbing the charts)
20. Cam Gallagher, C, C+
21. Tim Melville, RHP, C+
22. Donnie Joseph, LHP, C+
23. Brian Fletcher, OF, C+
24. Greg Billo, RHP, C+
25. Michael Antonio, SS, C+
26. Humberto Arteaga, SS, C+
27. Christian Binford, RHP, C+
28. Orlando Calixte, SS, C+
29. Jake Junis, RHP, C+
30. Patrick Leonard, OF, C+
31. Jack Lopez, SS, C+
32. David Lough, OF, C+
33. Danny Mateo, INF, C+
34. Adalberto Mondesi, SS, C+
35. Leonel Santiago, RHP, C+
36. Sugar Ray Marimon, RHP, C+
Myers is a top 3 prospect in all of baseball right now in my opinion, along with Dylan Bundy and Jurickson Profar. He absolutely rakes and has the ability to play centerfield, although he probably will wind up in a corner long term. He was hampered by injuries last year which limited his production, but strong performances in the Arizona Fall League last fall and in AA and AAA this year have certainly brought back his prospect shine. In his prime he has the potential to hit well over .300 with 30 homers and over 10 steals and he could see the majors before year’s end.
2. Bubba Starling, OF, B+
Ultra toolsy and oozing All-Star potential, Starling also comes with lots of risk. He has four very good tools, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to hit enough to utilize his raw power and athleticism at the plate.
3. Jake Odorizzi, RHP, B+
Odorizzi has number two starter upside and is very close to the majors. With good control, command and strike out stuff, Odorizzi has the skill set that you look for in a very good major league starter.
4. Kyle Zimmer, RHP, B/B+
Zimmer has not been pitching for all that long, but has the kind of stuff that could make him a frontline starter. He will need to be more consistent and is still pretty raw for a college guy, but he has plenty of potential.
5. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, B
Cuthbert is mired in a slump which started at the end of last year and has continued this year as a 19 year old in high-A ball. He is a pure hitter with a good approach, but he does not have the kind of power that you look for out of a third baseman and isn’t the best defensively. He also does not have much speed, so he really needs the very good bat to play, as it did for much of last season.
6. Yordano Ventura, RHP, B
Ventura may be small in stature, but his arm is certainly not small, as he sits in the mid-high 90s, even touching 100 on occasion. He outdueled Dylan Bundy earlier this year, an extremely tough task, and Ventura has been pretty dominant for much of the year. He could be a number 2 starter, and at worst will be a back end of the bullpen reliever.
7. Christian Colon, SS, B
Colon is an all around ballplayer who really knows how to play the game. He does not have superstar potential, but has a very high floor and should be a solid regular for years at either short or second, with a solid bat, approach, pop, speed and glove.
8. Elier Hernandez, OF, B
Hernandez has a very high ceiling thanks to his 5 tool potential and the ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball. It will be at the plate where he is most valuable and he looks to hit for an excellent average and plus power due to his present strength and bat speed. The ball sounds different when it comes off of his bat. He is a long way away, after signing for $3 million out of the Dominican Republic last year, but was the best player available on the international market last year.
9. Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, B-
Brickhouse got absolutely demolished in his first professional outing in the hitter friendly Pioneer League, but he has high potential and could be a number 2 or 3 starter if all goes well.
10. J.C. Sulbaran, RHP, B-
Sulbaran is intriguing thanks to his substantial upside. The challenge for him is his sub-par command.
11. Michael Montgomery, LHP, B-
Montgomery has been on the prospect radar for quite some time now, but with ever increasing control issues and declining strikeout rate, one wonders if he will ever figure it out. He did get to AAA as a 21 year old and still only turns 23 in July, so the potential is still there for him to be a good major league pitcher.
12. Kyle Smith, RHP, B- (starting to climb the charts)
13. Sam Selman, LHP, C+
14. Kenny Diekroeger, SS, C+
15. Chris Dwyer, LHP, C+
16. Brett Eibner, OF, C+
17. Jason Adam, RHP, C+
18. John Lamb, LHP, C+ (injury)
19. Jorge Bonifacio, OF, C+ (climbing the charts)
20. Cam Gallagher, C, C+
21. Tim Melville, RHP, C+
22. Donnie Joseph, LHP, C+
23. Brian Fletcher, OF, C+
24. Greg Billo, RHP, C+
25. Michael Antonio, SS, C+
26. Humberto Arteaga, SS, C+
27. Christian Binford, RHP, C+
28. Orlando Calixte, SS, C+
29. Jake Junis, RHP, C+
30. Patrick Leonard, OF, C+
31. Jack Lopez, SS, C+
32. David Lough, OF, C+
33. Danny Mateo, INF, C+
34. Adalberto Mondesi, SS, C+
35. Leonel Santiago, RHP, C+
36. Sugar Ray Marimon, RHP, C+
2012 Draft Review: Kansas City Royals
Overall Draft Grade: C+
The Royals went pitching heavy at the top and Zimmer, Selma and Rodgers are an interesting trio of arms. Diekroger is an interesting pick in the 4th that fell due to a poor spring, but he could be a nice sign if he turns it around, especially if the Royals intend to try him at short as they announced. Overall, they replenished the arms in their system, though there are no impact bats here and we're not too excited about anyone aside from Zimmer.
1st Round (5): Kyle Zimmer, RHP, University of San Francisco (JR), 6'3", 210
Zimmer has already signed a deal worth roughly $3 million and was a solid pick here with talent worthy of a selection at #5. He's a prototypical power pitcher with the frame and the stuff including a fastball that can touch the high-90s. He's young for his class and relatively new to pitching, both of which point toward surprisingly high upside for a college arm.
The Royals went pitching heavy at the top and Zimmer, Selma and Rodgers are an interesting trio of arms. Diekroger is an interesting pick in the 4th that fell due to a poor spring, but he could be a nice sign if he turns it around, especially if the Royals intend to try him at short as they announced. Overall, they replenished the arms in their system, though there are no impact bats here and we're not too excited about anyone aside from Zimmer.
1st Round (5): Kyle Zimmer, RHP, University of San Francisco (JR), 6'3", 210
Zimmer has already signed a deal worth roughly $3 million and was a solid pick here with talent worthy of a selection at #5. He's a prototypical power pitcher with the frame and the stuff including a fastball that can touch the high-90s. He's young for his class and relatively new to pitching, both of which point toward surprisingly high upside for a college arm.
2nd Round (66): Sam Selman, LHP, Vanderbilt University (JR), 6'3", 185
Selman is a power arm that some see in the bullpen, but he was a starter for Vandy in 2012. His fastball sits in the low 90s, though he can bump it up to the mid-90s at times. His secondary stuff is inconsistent, but he still put up impressive numbers at Vanderbilt this year with 80 strikeouts in 76 innings. His 44 walks, however, indicate that Selman still needs quite a bit of refinement.
3rd Round (100): Colin Rodgers, LHP, Parkview Baptist School (LA), 6'0", 180
Rodgers has already signed for 700k. He's not a power pitcher, and his fastball sits in the high 80s, with the potential for a little more. He has a solid curveball that shows good potential and it could already be his best pitch.
4th Round (133): Kenny Diekroeger, SS, Stanford University (JR), 6'2", 200
Diekroeger was initially getting buzz as a first round selection before a down year with the bat and the glove pushed him pretty far down some draft boards. He still has the bat speed scouts were initially impressed by and his defensive tools have generally been solid average across the board. If Diekroeger regains his form, he could be a solid pick at 133.
5th Round (163): Chad Johnson, C, Galesburg HS (IL), 6'1", 175, L/R
There's not too much available on Johnson and he looks to be a prototypical high school catcher. He wasn't getting much buzz before the draft, and he must be a guy that the Royals' area scout took a liking too.
6th Round (193): Zachary Lovvorn, RHP, Oxford HS (AL), 6'0", 185
7th Round (223): Fred Ford, OF, Jefferson College (J2), 6'5", 200, R/R
8th Round (253): Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, OF, The Pendleton School (FL), 6'1", 180, R/R
9th Round (283): Daniel Stumpf, LHP, San Jacinto College North (J3), 6'2". 200
10th Round (313): Alexis Rivera, OF, Monteverde Academy (FL), 6'2", 225, L/L
Notable Late Rounders:
16th Round: Austin Fairchild, LHP
Fairchild looks to have good potential down the line as a mid rotation starter. The Royals have saved some money with their below slot Zimmer signing, so Fairchild could be a coup here if they allocate the saved money in that way.
Selman is a power arm that some see in the bullpen, but he was a starter for Vandy in 2012. His fastball sits in the low 90s, though he can bump it up to the mid-90s at times. His secondary stuff is inconsistent, but he still put up impressive numbers at Vanderbilt this year with 80 strikeouts in 76 innings. His 44 walks, however, indicate that Selman still needs quite a bit of refinement.
3rd Round (100): Colin Rodgers, LHP, Parkview Baptist School (LA), 6'0", 180
Rodgers has already signed for 700k. He's not a power pitcher, and his fastball sits in the high 80s, with the potential for a little more. He has a solid curveball that shows good potential and it could already be his best pitch.
4th Round (133): Kenny Diekroeger, SS, Stanford University (JR), 6'2", 200
Diekroeger was initially getting buzz as a first round selection before a down year with the bat and the glove pushed him pretty far down some draft boards. He still has the bat speed scouts were initially impressed by and his defensive tools have generally been solid average across the board. If Diekroeger regains his form, he could be a solid pick at 133.
5th Round (163): Chad Johnson, C, Galesburg HS (IL), 6'1", 175, L/R
There's not too much available on Johnson and he looks to be a prototypical high school catcher. He wasn't getting much buzz before the draft, and he must be a guy that the Royals' area scout took a liking too.
6th Round (193): Zachary Lovvorn, RHP, Oxford HS (AL), 6'0", 185
7th Round (223): Fred Ford, OF, Jefferson College (J2), 6'5", 200, R/R
8th Round (253): Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, OF, The Pendleton School (FL), 6'1", 180, R/R
9th Round (283): Daniel Stumpf, LHP, San Jacinto College North (J3), 6'2". 200
10th Round (313): Alexis Rivera, OF, Monteverde Academy (FL), 6'2", 225, L/L
Notable Late Rounders:
16th Round: Austin Fairchild, LHP
Fairchild looks to have good potential down the line as a mid rotation starter. The Royals have saved some money with their below slot Zimmer signing, so Fairchild could be a coup here if they allocate the saved money in that way.
Royals Draft Strategy: An Overview
Even though 8 out of the Royals top 12 picks last year were high schoolers, they then selected 13 college guys in a row, keeping with past trends of taking more college products than prep products early in the draft. In 2010, they took 20 college players out of their 23 top picks and in 2009 they took 19 college players out of their top 23 choices. This year, with $6.101 million to spend and 10 selections in the top 10 rounds, they do not look like they will have any problems financially, especially given their tendency toward college players. We have them taking Mike Zunino in our mock draft, but it is quite probable that he will be taken off the board by the time the Royals pick at 1:5. In this case, I think it would be very likely that the Royals take a college pitcher, as it appears that the top of last year’s draft, with so many high schoolers, was more of a fluke than a pattern. This was probably due to the fact that they knew that they would not be able to spend well over slot on their picks this year. There will be quite a bit of talent available at #5 this year, and if Zunino is not there as he was in our mock, any of the “Big 3” of college arms, Mark Appel, Kyle Zimmer, and Kevin Gausman, would be excellent selections.
Mock Draft Selection: Mike Zunino, C, Florida University
Mock Draft Selection: Mike Zunino, C, Florida University
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
