***Official 2022 Royals Season Repository Thread***

[ChiefsCountry]

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.

[Chris Meck]

this just in:


They're shitty.

Clean house, starting with Moore. He's had long enough to get this together, and he keeps hiring the worst coaches possible.

[MAHOMO 4 LIFE!]

I wish we had glass back. Sherman is ****ing terrible. He won’t fire Moore

[OKchiefs]

Originally Posted by MAHOMO 4 LIFE!

I wish we had glass back. Sherman is ****ing terrible. He won’t fire Moore

And Glass would fire Moore?

Dumbass

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by MAHOMO 4 LIFE!

I wish we had glass back. Sherman is ****ing terrible. He won’t fire Moore

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by MAHOMO 4 LIFE!

I wish we had glass back. Sherman is ****ing terrible. He won’t fire Moore

Sherman has no reason to be overly loyal to Moore. Glass absolutely would. We would be stuck with these guys forever if Glass was still here. Be thankful he's not.

At this point, it's just a matter of how much Sherman is willing to put up with before he pulls the trigger? My guess is sooner rather than later. He's supposedly wanting to build a stadium downtown and now there's talk of that starting as soon as 2026. As an owner who's looking to make some money, you think he's gonna want to move a shit team that is not successful into a brand new ballpark? What a way to excite the new fanbase, huh?

He'll be more motivated than anyone to get this team on a successful track and soon. Like i said, at this point it's just how long do you let it go . . . . . .

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Mike Matheny has never been a good manager. He doesn't manage the clubhouse well, he has a shitty feel for the game, and he tightens his teams up. In St. Louis, he had the benefit of inheriting a defending World Series champ that also had a top 5 farm system,

That’s quite the retcon there. The 2011 title team was an 88-74 pythag team that got quite lucky in the post season. The five prior years they avg 84.8 wins and their fans were moaning about LaRussa. In the five Matheny years after 2011, they avg 92 wins. I’ll grant the good farm system point with the caveat their best prospect died after playing only 80 (poorly played) games

so he won a lot of games (though every Cardinals fan you talk to about him will tell you they underachieved with him at the helm). They also will tell you he was awful with younger players and overly loyal to really crappy veterans.

Who cares what they say? Have they provided any evidence ? No they have not. Relying on what fans think is a poor analysis. Our fans hated Yost for years and complained loudest about his pen management. Then for two years he had the most ferocious pen ever and suddenly he was a genius on that front.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I would say the organization has a lot of budding potential.

But you have to have the right guys pushing buttons on a daily basis, and the front office has to do a good job adding around the prospects.

I would argue that the manager, pitching coach, and previous hitting coach were all guys who are not optimal for the Royals situation or environment.

Cal Eldred has been awful in KC. His guys are slow to adjust, nibble too much, and don't develop/improve. He had never been a pitching coach before this job and it shows. He also is stubbornly old school and resistant to seeking advantages through technology or data.

Mike Matheny has never been a good manager. He doesn't manage the clubhouse well, he has a shitty feel for the game, and he tightens his teams up. In St. Louis, he had the benefit of inheriting a defending World Series champ that also had a top 5 farm system, so he won a lot of games (though every Cardinals fan you talk to about him will tell you they underachieved with him at the helm). They also will tell you he was awful with younger players and overly loyal to really crappy veterans.

All of this

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

this just in:


They're shitty.

Clean house, starting with Moore. He's had long enough to get this together, and he keeps hiring the worst coaches possible.

But...Matheny does bed check and keeps the players from masturbating on the road...

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

That’s quite the retcon there. The 2011 title team was an 88-74 pythag team that got quite lucky in the post season. The five prior years they avg 84.8 wins and their fans were moaning about LaRussa. In the five Matheny years after 2011, they avg 92 wins. I’ll grant the good farm system point with the caveat their best prospect died after playing only 80 (poorly played) games


Who cares what they say? Have they provided any evidence ? No they have not. Relying on what fans think is a poor analysis. Our fans hated Yost for years and complained loudest about his pen management. Then for two years he had the most ferocious pen ever and suddenly he was a genius on that front.

I don't need them to provide proof. I remember it and can provide it.

Oscar Taveras struggled because Matheny handled him poorly, continually giving playing time to crappy veterans instead of Taveras. Same with Kolten Wong.

Statistical analysis of Matheny's bullpen management by third parties revealed it was so bad, he'd be better off selecting names at random.

Multiple bullpen arms got overused, then had their velocity dip, then blew out their elbows (what Scott Barlow is headed towards).

His teams led the league in outs on the basepaths through over-aggressive running consistently in St. Louis.

Mike Matheny did, does, and always will suck.

[jettio]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I would say the organization has a lot of budding potential.

But you have to have the right guys pushing buttons on a daily basis, and the front office has to do a good job adding around the prospects.

I would argue that the manager, pitching coach, and previous hitting coach were all guys who are not optimal for the Royals situation or environment.

Cal Eldred has been awful in KC. His guys are slow to adjust, nibble too much, and don't develop/improve. He had never been a pitching coach before this job and it shows. He also is stubbornly old school and resistant to seeking advantages through technology or data.

Mike Matheny has never been a good manager. He doesn't manage the clubhouse well, he has a shitty feel for the game, and he tightens his teams up. In St. Louis, he had the benefit of inheriting a defending World Series champ that also had a top 5 farm system, so he won a lot of games (though every Cardinals fan you talk to about him will tell you they underachieved with him at the helm). They also will tell you he was awful with younger players and overly loyal to really crappy veterans.

I do think there is an "atmosphere" problem. Seems like the 2012-2016 Royals had a lot of guys that knew that they belonged and even if they were slumping, they still acted like they knew they were going to make it.

Maybe need a couple coaches and players that know how to focus and still have fun playing baseball in the major leagues.

[ChiTown]

It's really hard to take this Organization seriously with Mike Matheny and Cal Eldred leading the development and play on the field. And honestly, Moore is the bozo that thought Matheny would be the guy to lead a young team to the next level - which should tell you all you need to know about Dayton's vision.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That probably gets out at Kaufmann as well, but man that place can sap power. It's about the only park out there where I wonder if it would (and Fenway, where it would've bounced off the monster).

It's just awfully difficult to know how much stock to put into slow starts from young KC players, especially those who don't have 70+ raw power, because sometimes that park just gets in their head.

Don't get me wrong - I live Kaufmann and think more stadiums should be built exactly like that. But it's gotta be tough for kids to play in band boxes on the road and then deal with that massive KC outfield for 81 games/yr.

Royals had a bunch of warning track fence shots this past weekend from the young guns at Kauffman. They put up that FOX trax box that says that would be a home run in 29 out of 30 or 27 out of 30 or 28 out of 30.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I don't need them to provide proof. I remember it and can provide it.

Oscar Taveras struggled because Matheny handled him poorly, continually giving playing time to crappy veterans instead of Taveras. Same with Kolten Wong.

Statistical analysis of Matheny's bullpen management by third parties revealed it was so bad, he'd be better off selecting names at random.

Multiple bullpen arms got overused, then had their velocity dip, then blew out their elbows (what Scott Barlow is headed towards).

His teams led the league in outs on the basepaths through over-aggressive running consistently in St. Louis.

Mike Matheny did, does, and always will suck.

Well, at least we are sac bunting less than with Nedgar so there's that.

[Nightfyre]

Personally, I can't wait for the automated zone.
https://twitter.com/UmpScorecards/st...qhlPtlg8Y47DZw

The funny thing is that these analyses likely don't consider second order effects, such as hitters swinging at a wider zone and being down in the count.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Personally, I can't wait for the automated zone.
https://twitter.com/UmpScorecards/st...qhlPtlg8Y47DZw

The funny thing is that these analyses likely don't consider second order effects, such as hitters swinging at a wider zone and being down in the count.

Seconded. You can still put an ump behind the plate for optics. Just have robot call balls and strikes.