SB Nation User Blog: kcscoliny

Moustakas had a good day

kcscoliny — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:12:36 -0000

Moustakas had a good day

The Moose was 3-5 with 2 doubles and a HR today driving in 7 runs.

Giavotella, Montgomery, Moustakas, Lough, Duffy and Hosmer all discussed in the BA chat

kcscoliny — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:42:53 -0000

Giavotella, Montgomery, Moustakas, Lough, Duffy and Hosmer all discussed in the BA chat

They really really like Montgomery. Subscription REQUIRED

Helium Watch DAVID LOUGH, OF ROYALS Team: high Class A Wilmington (Carolina) Age: 22 Why He's...

kcscoliny — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:08:50 -0000

Helium Watch
DAVID LOUGH, OF ROYALS
Team: high Class A Wilmington (Carolina)
Age: 22
Why He's Here: .500/.542/.600 (10-for-20), 2 2B, 2 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 SB
The Scoop: On most teams, David Lough would stand out as an athletic outfielder. But on a Wilmington team that includes Derrick Robinson, Adrian Ortiz and Paulo Orlando, all of whom are plus-plus runners, Lough looks like a scrappy overachiever, even if he is a former college football player. But unlike his three teammates in the outfield, none of whom has an OPS above .600, Lough is proving he can hit. He's hitting .341/.396/.449 this year, following up on a red-hot ending to the 2008 season at low Class A Burlington. Lough has the ability to play center field, although he's a corner outfielder with the Blue Rocks roster of speedsters, but his hitting ability could enable him to stand out from his fellow outfielders, even if he may finish last in a 60-yard dash.

Baseball America Hot List

Maybe the Most Important 6 games of the season

kcscoliny — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:56:44 -0000

Prior to the season all the experts had the AL Central as one of if not THE most winable division in the league. Well a month in a half into the season that was still hard to argue but as the month has come to a close the Detroit Tigers look like they have an opportunity to grab hold of the division by the short and curlies. While all the other teams in the Central play opponents from the NL Central the Tigers play the Colorado Rockies, losers of 6 of 8 and last place in the NL West. The Royals, Twins and Indians all play NL Central "local" teams with winning records.

The Tiggers are hot, six wins in a row, five quality starts in their last six games and with the D-Train tossing out a good performance possibly the makings of the strongest rotation in the division to go along with a solid offense. While Detroit has been hot KC has been reeling with some bad bp outings, shaky defense and questionable offense at best. These next six games could be the maker or breakers of the season if KC wants to contend in this division.

Pitching Matchups Detroit v Colorado
Rick Porcello 4-3 4.95 FIP vs Ubaldo Jimenez 3-4 3.51 FIP neither pitcher has given up more than 1 ER in last 3 starts.
Jason Marquis 5-3 4.56 FIP vs Armando Galaragga 3-3 5.62 FIP Galarraga has really stuggled with BB's this season giving up nearly 5 per 9ip.
Dontrelle Willis 1-0 4 ER 11 Ip vs Jason Hammel 0-3 4.53 FIP The D-Train looked pretty solid against Texas. If he or Bonderman turn in a solid season that could spell ruin for the other AL Central teams.

Colorado is 9-6 all time versus the Tigers unfortunately 3 of the losses came to last years Tigers that and past records are meaningless.

Detroit Matchups
Justin Verlander vs Gil Meche
Edwin Jackson vs Zack Greinke
Rick Porcello vs Kyle Davies

Detroit has built a 3 game advantage in the division and faces the worst NL record of the five AL Central teams this weekend. They have an opportunity to break away from the pack while KC has an opportunity to reel them back in. KC with a 6-3 record these last 9 games also has an opportunity to put back to back winning record months together since I don't know when.

Minor League Update - Promote Chris Nicoll Now

kcscoliny — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:29:53 -0000

It's promotion time in my mind. Disco, Nicoll and Bianchi don't have a whole lot more to prove at their levels and really no one standing in their way to be upped a level. Some of the bigger names are slowly but surely getting better. Kila and Hos have raised their average to .250 while Moose hit another HR last night after a slight Homer drought and extending his hitting streak to six games.

Eric Hosmer

Eric has raised his average to .250 coming into todays game. In comparison Moustakas didn't cross the .250 boundary until July sometime. I don't expect a HR title out of Hos but I would expect alot of doubles and maybe a higher overall line than Moose considering Hos has better plate discipline.

.250/.365/.354 7 doubles 1 HR 18BB/27So

Kelvin Herrera got skipped in his second start for the Bees. Hopefully it is nothing serious.
Blaine Hardy has a nice 35/0 K/bb ratio

Burlington Bees stats

Clint Robinson has continued his hot hitting in Wilmington ranking in the Top 5 of almost every offensive category in the Carolina league. Jason Taylor will be reinstated in about 25 games or so and if he(Jason) is gonna get to play this season then giving Robinson a promotion to AA at that time could make sense if he continues his hitting ways. This is probably the best Wilmington hitting performance by a Royal prospect since Dee Brown.
Moustakas hit his 5th Hr last night and Jeff Bianchi has proven enough to get promoted in my mind.
Giavotella might be the winner of this year Ka'aihue AWARD for most disciplined hitter in the minors. Little Italy is carrying a .347 OBP despite only hitting .200. Hopefully that BABIP starts to balance out and he raises that average soon.
Juan Abreu made his first appearance of the year the other night for the Rocks and while he did give up a run Abreu continued his strike out ways. Abreu had a 12.59 K/9 line last year in Burlington and fanned the side in his first appearance with the Rocks.
Danny Duffy dominated in his last start. Tonight he faces the First Place Lynchburg Hillcats(Pirates) who feature the '08 2nd overall pick Pedro Alvarez.
Wilmington Stats

NW Arkansas has some solid performers who might be pushing for promotions.

Jordan Parraz is proving to be a wise pickup for Tyler Lumsden. His current line is .347/.443/.505 10bb/10so. He's showing more pop in the last 10 games hitting 6 doubles and both of his HR's. Parraz needs to play for a while longer in AA before he is ready to be promoted but it is nice to see him performing well.
Chris Nicoll I don't know what else Chris needs to do to show he is better than this level. He's got a Whip under 1 19 K's in 20 IP and his FIP and ERA are down over a run each compared to last season. PROMOTE NOW !
Chris Hayes I might as well just type the same thing that I did about Nicoll. Disco is dominating, it's just a different type of domination and the scouts and management probably can't recognize it. 4/1 GB/FB RATIO !!! His LD rate is up 3% to a normal 16% but his GB rate is up 17% to 72%.

These two relief pitchers really can't prove anymore than they already have and guys like Josh Newman and Yabuta are taking up roster space in Omaha. Heath Phillips could also be inline for a taxi cab out of town as he has been rocked the last few trips out.
Kila 5 of his last 9 with a double and 2 homers. Brayan Pena is hitting .351 since being sent down and JR House and Ryan Shealy continue to hit well also. Surprisingly Shealy has not hit a HR this season and is only sluggling .425 with a .345 BA.

Omaha Stats
NW Arkansas Stats

While there isn't a whole lot of offensive help close to KC there could be bullpen help later in the season with guys like Nicoll, Hayes and Rosa.

Reviewing the 1st Round of the 2008 Draft

kcscoliny — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:09:53 -0000

June and the 2009 MLB Draft is coming fast. Last year the debate on this site about who KC should pick was basically between Eric Hosmer or Justin Smoak. While the Hos has gotten off to a typical slow midwest league start Smoak is doing just what you would expect someone with his name to be, Smokin'.

The debate won't be as great in the 12 hole this year so let's take a look at how the 1st rounders from '08 are currently doing. This look means absolutely zilch for longterm future of these players but will at least give the Hosmer Bust camp a little info on how all the picks are doing. I also gave a KCScoliny ETA prediction/guess on each pick.

via hollywoodismyhood.files.wordpress.com

Wow who knew the girl from Sopranos could look like this. What round would you draft her in?

1st Pick Tampa Bay Rays - Tim Beckham - Tim finds himseld in a highly offensively weighted SALLY (South Atlantic League) league. Mike Stanton hit 39 HR's in this league last season just for reference. Parks are smaller and very friendly to hitters. 24 G .301/.323/.441 3-2b 2-3b 2-HR Beckham struggled in the APPY league last year posting a .642 OPS but is off to a decent start in A ball. Tim from everything I read is very raw and gonna take his time level by level to reach the majors. His athleticism is off the charts and Tampa Bay really has no room for him anyway so hard to argue with the pick even if the results are questionable up to this point. KCScoliny Guess at a ETA 2012

2nd Pick Pittsburgh Pirates - Pedro Alvarez - Pedros contract dispute and spring weight and knee problems precede him quite well. Pedro like Moustakas and many of the Royals top prospects has started in the pitching friendly Carolina League. 26 G .207/.321/.391 2-2b 5-Hr 17Bb 28 So. It's very early in the season especially for a player that has played inconsistently over the last couple years due to injury. He is absolutely crushing righties(.919OPS) and struggling versus lefties(3bb 20so), his BABIP isn't doing him any favors either .245. Look for a second half surge from Alvarez. KCS ETA Sept 2010

3rd Pick KC Royals Eric Hosmer joins Dan Gutierrez on the Scott Boras Scottsdale Indy leaguers. Wins the 2010 Indy League MVP and Triple crown leading Scottsdale to the championship. Realizes his pro dreams by moving to Japan and just like Tuffy Rhodes mashes 500+ Japanese league Home Runs while leading the Ham Fighters to their first title since Trey Hillman was manager. The Ham Fighters rename Hillman;s restaurant the Hoz House and only serve Fried Chicken and Waffles. The Bust returns to the states to try to regain glory in the MLB only to find himself tragically injured in a Moustakas locker slamming incident.

4th Pick Baltimore Orioles - Brian Matusz -The Orioles took this lefty out of San Diego with the 4th pick to add to their talented group of pitchers and sent him to the Carolina League after a nice stint in the AFL. 5 GS 2-1 3.67 ERA 3.79 FIP 27 IP 28 H 32/11 So/Bb 3 HR .262 BAA. Pretty impressive 10.54 K/9. If he performs well he might be on the fast track to Baltimore as they could push their young pitchers to go along with their already talented lineup. ETA 2011

5th Pick San Fransisco Giants - Buster Posey - Maybe one of the better athletes in the draft some thought Posey was gonna demand 8-9 million as a signing bonus. Those thoughts were incorrect as the former FSU SS/C signed in the 6M range. Posey has been sent to the very hitter friendly California League. .314/.395/.533 13/15 Bb/So 8 2b 5 Hr Buster is exhibiting more power than many scouts anticipated and he is crushing lefties to the tune of a 1.352 OPS. ETA 2011

6th Pick Florida Marlins - Kyle Skipworth - SALLY league Skipworth was supposed to be a pretty polished hitter when drafted out of high school. .183/.234/.296 3-2b 1-3b 1-HR 5/26 Bb/So Kyle had a very slow start to his pro career last season as he struggled in GCL to the tune of a .602 OPS. His undisciplined ways have carried over this season as well. So far during the early stage in his career he has 18/72 Bb/So ratio. Maybe handling pro pitchers is hurting his bat. ETA Never

7th Pick Cincinnati Reds - Yonder Alonso - Florida State League is a pitcher friendly High A League. Yonder is a very polished college bat who some thought would be first player taken to reach the major league level if he could find a solid position for Joey Votto to play. .272/.330/.495 8 2b 5 Hr 10/17 Bb/So I bet Yonder is sorry he didn't take up Alex on that offer to stay at his condo in NY if he didn't sign. He could've hung out with Madonna and Alex's cousin. What a great time that would've been, oh well I guess minor league cougars will have to do. KCS ETA Sept 2010

8th Pick Chicago White Sox - Gordon Beckham - AA Southern League Georgia SS was probably the best college player in the country the last couple months of the season and hasn't cooled off since. .303/.381/.505 14 2b 2 HR Gordon was crushing the ball in spring and nearly won a big league job. He has continued the hot hitting for Michael Jordan's former team. He is currently playing SS and while Alexai Ramirez has oodles of talent he also has loads of plate discipline issues. I expect Gordon to play 2b in the majors but if Ramirez's struggles continue don't be shocked if Gordon forces managements hand to give him a shot at SS. KCS ETA July 2009

9th Pick Washington Nationals - Aaron Crow- Unsigned

10th Pick Houston Astros - Jason Castro - A+ California League Castro was a surprise pick and many believed it to be a signability draft by the weak Astros farm system. Castro is a so called polished catcher out of Stanford who should move quickly as he has no real roadblocks in the system. .276/.322/.438 6 2b 1 3b 1 HR 7/23 Bb/So An overdraft at the time is not putting up numbers to validate the pick so far. ETA 2010

11th Pick Texas Rangers - Justin Smoak - AA Texas League hitters league The best farm system in the majors were handed a nice shiny package by the Astros not drafting Smoak a pick earlier. As Billy Beane sat drooling the Rangers did the right thing taking the pitch smashing switch hitting college hitter. .358/.470/.547 6 2b 4 Hr 20/13 Bb/So As you can see Smoak has been a large disappointment so far in his minor league career. He smoked pitches all spring and is slugging away at a nice clip in the Texas league so far. Smoak could move fast allowing the Rangers to ship Chris Davis for some pitching depth if they want. KCS ETA Sept '09

12th Pick Oakland A's - Jemille Weeks - Not assigned yet this season. I personally didn't like this pick as I'm not a big fan of college second baseman in the first round. IMO if Weeks is good enough to play middle infield in the pros than he should be playing SS in college or have a bat that can carry his average defense. I don't think Weeks has either. .297/422/.405 3-2b 1-3b 1 HR 13/12 Bb/So Single A Kane County last season Billy Beane has taken to accumulating second baseman after trading for Eric Patterson, Corey Wimberly and Adrian Cardenas(playing SS) in seperate deals the last two seasons and drafting Weeks. KCS ETA Never

13th Pick St Louis Cardinals - Brett Wallace - AA Springfield Texas League There was a slight opening prior to the season for Wallace to get a major league job as Glaus went down with an injury. Wallace didn't seize the opportunity and has taken his smooth bat to AA. .283/.414/.465 3 2b 5 Hr 15/28 Bb/So There aren't many questions about his bat but there is gigantic question about his glove at 3b. With Glaus signed thru '09 Wallace has an opportunity to capture the '10 job. KCS ETA Sept. 2009

14th Pick Minnesota Twins - Aaron Hicks - Not Assinged yet this season. Hicks is a supreme athlete that could've been a high pick as a pitcher. ' 08 Stats 45 G GCL .318/.409/.491 10-2b 4-3b 4-HR Labeled as raw Hicks athleticism talent is hard to question. ETA 2012

15th Pick Los Angeles Dodgers - Ethan Martin - Midwest League Pitchers League 5 G 4 GS 3-0 21 IP 13 H 3 ER 28/7 So/Bb Martin pitched in relief last game for some reason but has done well so far in the pitcher friend MWL. ETA 2012

16th Pick Milwaukee Brewers - Brett Lawrie - Midwest League The Canadian hitting specialist was the 4th catcher taken in the '08 draft and some thought was the most talented hitter among the group. Lawrie has since moved to second base I assume to avoid the clutter of talented catchers in the Brewers system. .330/.381/.596 5-2b 4-3b 4-Hr 8/14 Bb/So Lawrie has international experience as he has traveled with the Canadian team since he was 16 yo. With that background it is not shocking that he has got off to such a fast start considering his hitting background and play versus advanced competition prior to this season. KCS ETA Sept 2011

17th Pick Toronto Blue Jays - David Cooper - AA Eastern League Pitcher Friendly League Cooper was flying thru the system last season bouncing thru 3 levels and finding himself in the Eastern League this season. .267/339/.376 8-2b 1-Hr 12/22 Bb/So The Blue Jays have been pretty aggressive with Cooper playing him in 3 levels last season and bouncing him into AA to start the year. His bat is his specialty and he has been judged as a 1b/DH only. If he is to play those spots then his HR numbers are going to need to increase. KCS ETA 2011

18th Pick New York Mets - Ike Davis - A+ Florida State League Some questioned Davis lack of college pop. A big kid at 6'5 people expected him to fillout and develop power longterm. .288/.378/.423 9-2B 1-3B 1-Hr 15/27 Bb/So If Davis is to be a 1b he is gonna need to develop more power. After struggling in the NY Penn league last season Davis is off to a very average start this season. The ASU alum is gonna need to improve his power numbers for a shot in the pros. Especially playing in the NY Fishbowl. KCS ETA Never

19th Pick Chicago Cubs - Andrew Cashner - A+ FSL TCU always has quite a few talented arms and as most college teams do they typically beat the crap out of them. Maybe knowing the history the Cubs are taking it very easy with Cashner. 3 GS 0-0 9 IP 4 H 1 ER 5 Bb 6 So Pitching decently so far but the Cubs are being very very gentle on him. He should be performing at least this well considering his age. KCS ETA Not enough info

20th Pick Seattle Mariners- Josh Fields - AA Southern League Fields was a Georgia reliever who was a major cog in getting the Bulldogs to Omaha where he quickly collapsed. It took Fields quite a while to come to an agreement with the Mariners as he was a college senior who didn't have to sign technically until the draft this year in June. 10 G 9 IP 15 K 9 Bb 7 H 6 ER A power arm who depends on the flyball and strikeout could be a future closer on the Mariners roster and lead Jack Z to a WS implementing the 6 IP rotation with a Aumont, Fields, Morrow 7-9. KCS ETA Sept 2009

21st Pick Detroit Tigers - Ryan Perry- Part of the talented Arizona Wildcats bullpen Perry was the first 1st rounder to break into the Bigs. Expect to see this talented righthander in a Detroit bullpen for at least six years. 13 G 12.1 IP 0-1 7 H 11/10 Bb/SO 4 ER ETA - Predicted Correctly God I'm good.

22nd Pick New York Mets - Reese Havens - FSL A+ Smoaks teammate in college has taken his solid bat to pro ball and has not missed a beat at lower levels yet. Havens has been a highly sought prospect since HS and the Mets could've landed a steal here..276/.374/.533 7-2b 1-3b 6 Hr 17/21 Bb/So Showing quite a bit of pop so far Havens could be the 2b answer the Mets need. ETA 2011

23rd Pick San Diego Padres - Allan Dykstra - MWL Dykstra was injured his hip in a fall pretty significantly(BO Jackson injurly) prior to the draft and leave it to the Pads to not know the situation despite him playing his ball in their backyard. Considering their beat writer knew the details of Dykstra's injury hard to give the Padres a pass on this one. .183/.380/.317 23/22 Bb/So 8 2b 1 Hr Dykstra is showing quite a bit of patience at the plate and having some bad luck with a .238 BABIP. That being said you would expect a 22yo 1st round pick to be performing quite a bit better in the midwest league. ETA Never

24th Pick Philadelphi Phillies - Anthony Hewitt - Not Assigned '08 Stats .197/.256/.299 ETA not enough info

25th Pick Colorado Rockies - Christian Friedrich - SALLY League Power lefty pick out of Eastern Kentucky 5 GS 3-1 29 Ip 19 H 3 ER 1 Hr 45/8 SO/Bb 2.9 GB/FB Friedrich has been striking out people since being drafted and is showing that he is a step above the competition level that he is currently at. Expect a promotion to High A Modesto rather soon for Friedrich. ETA 2011

26th pick Arizona Diamond Backs - Daniel Schlereth - AA Southern League Part of that impressive Wildcats bullpen the DBacks stayed with the local talent. 8 G 9.2 IP 10 K 4 Bb 5 H 1 Hr 2 ER Schlereth is a power lefty who could be ready if the DBacks were to climb back in the playoff picture later this season. ETA 2010

27th Pick Minnesota Twins - Carlos Gutierrez - FSL Miami product without overpowering stuff who fits the mold as current great control Twins pitchers. 6 G 5 GS 1-1 1.50 ERA 30 IP 19 So 6 Bb 0 HR 16 H 2.89 FIP Gutierrez is a pretty polished starter and could move fast if the Twins needed him to. Without that need expect the Twins to take a patient approach and leave him in the minors until he is seasoned and absolutely ready to contribute. ETA 2011

28th Pick New York Yankees - Gerritt Cole - Unsigned 1st or 2nd pick 2011 if he stays healthy.

29th Pick Cleveland Indians - Lonny Chisenhall - Carolina League the first junior college player takin in the '08 draft Chisenhall was said to have a outstanding bat. .327/.383/.527 7 2b 5 Hr 9/23 Bb/So Chisenhall probably profiles more as a 3bagger than a SS and his bat should still be able to carry that position. He was POW the last week of April in the Carolina league and has outperformed former #2 picks Moustakas and Alvarez so far. ETA 2011

30th Pick Boston Red Sox - Casey Kelly - SALLY League Very interesting pick who also with Hicks and Posey could be the best athlete in the draft. The Sox have agreed to let him play the field after he reaches his innings total for the season. 4-0 5 GS 25.2 IP 21 H 2 ER 23/4 So/BB A great athlete who I'm sure the Sox will probably get to give up the SS dream if he continues to throw like this in a hitter friendly league. ETA 2012

Minor League Update

kcscoliny — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:06:17 -0000

Baseball America makes a list of the Top 30/31 prospects for each team prior to each season. I thought it would be proper after each month to give the most loyal Royal fans in the world an update on how those hopeful Royals are doing.

via img.listal.com

If you don't like prospects well at least I can toss something at you to look at.

1. Mike Moustakas 3b Wilmington Blue Rocks A+ Ball

via web.minorleaguebaseball.com

The Moose is off to a decent start to the season leading all minor leaguers in the Royals org with 4 home runs. From the way it sounds he is consistently making solid contact after the initial slow week.
'09 Blue Rock Totals .274/.321/.507 4 Hr 5 2b 5-12 BB/So 15 Rbi

2. Eric Hosmer 1b Burlington Bees A ball

via media.scout.com
Eric is off to a very similar slow start to his career that Moustakas was. No need to panic though as he is a Florida kid who probably is just not used to the weather or the rise in competition yet. Hosmer should rebound nicely when the weather warms up.
Moustakas April '08 16h 84ab 0-2b 1-HR 11k 7 Bb .190/.253/.226 9.6 Ld%
Hosmer April '09 14h 63ab 4-2b 0-HR 21k 12Bb .222/.342/.286

3. Daniel Cortes P NW Arkansas Naturals AA Ball

via web.minorleaguebaseball.com

Cortes on the surface looks to be having a bad second trip thru AA but beneath the surface things aren't all that bad. Cortes continues to struggle with control as evident with a 4.63 BB/9 but his other peripherals appear rather strong. 7.79 K/9 a 1.69 GB/FB ratio and only one homer allowed over 17.1 IP are all very good signs for Cortes.

Stats so far
0-3 15 K 21 H 9 Bb 15 R 12 ER .296 BAA 6.23 ERA 4.00 FIP
v. Lefties 9.1 IP 11 H 6 Bb 3 K .324 BAA 2.67 GB/FB
v. Righties 8.0 IP 10 H 3 Bb 12 K .270 BAA 0.86 GB/FB

NW Arkansas has a lot of so called good individual defenders (McConnell, Lisson, Duarte, Parraz, Dickerson) but they have struggled defensively allowing 16 unearned runs and averaging 1.3+ errors per game. Cortes might be feeling some of that with a heavier dose of groundballs allowed.

6. Danny Duffy P Wilmington Blue Rocks A+ Ball

via www.baseballamerica.com

After a great start to the season Duffy fell victim to his flyball tendencies at one of Carolina's only hitting friendly stadiums as he gave up his 2nd, 3rd and 4th homers of the seasons at Winston Salems hitter friendly park.

Season stats thru far 4 starts 2-1 20K 5 Bb 19 H 4 HR 4.35 ERA 4.77 FIP
Prior to Winston Salem start 2-0 11 H 1 HR 19K 3 Bb hopefully he can rebound in his next start against the same team at friendly Frawley stadium.

8. Carlos Rosa P Omaha Royals AAA Ball
Rosa got off to a shaky start in the bullpen for the ORoyals but don't expect that over the course of the season for the hard throwing Royal right hander. Righties did much of the early damage in Round Rock and against the Isotopes.
'09 ORoyals Totals 6 G 11 IP 10 H 11 K 3 Bb 1 Hr 4 Er 3.27 ERA 3.66 FIP

9. Kila Ka'aihue 1b/DH Omaha Royals AAA
New season and same old Kila. April is his worst month historically and his BA is pretty low with not many HR's. Not a terrible month though considering his OBP. May means warmer weather in Omaha and probably more long balls for the KilaMonster.
April Splits Career .224/.345/.401 BABIP .236
Omaha '09 Totals .238/.425/.476 3 Hr 4-2b 1-3b 22 Bb 18 K
That's right a .901 OPS with only a .238 BA. I'm pretty confident Kila is the only one in the organization that could pull that off.

10. Blake Wood P NW Arkansas Naturals AA
Wood has continued his struggles in AA from last year. Wednesday night was one of his worst performances yet, unable to get out of the second inning while surrendering 7 Runs and 8 hits. Blakes ERA plummeted to 7.56, the lone bright side is that he has recorded 14 K's in 16.2 innings. Blake suffers from many of the same problems that Cortes does having inconsistent breaking stuff and trouble locating the fastball. Like Dan he has only given up one home run on the season but isn't having the same luck inducing groundballs.
'09 Naturals Totals 16.2 IP 4 GS 14k 6 Bb 14 ER 20 H 1 Hr

11. Johnny Giavotella 2b Wilmington Blue Rocks A+

via web.minorleaguebaseball.com

Gio is victim of a low BABIP total so far and his totals should climb rather fast once that gets closer to the norm. "Lil Italy" is still drawing walks thru his slow start a good sign for the '08 2nd rounder.
'09 Rocks Totals .227/.358/.424 3-2b 2-3b 2-Hr 12/11 Bb/So
Prior to Thursdays games a .238 BABIP

15. David Lough OF Wilmington Blue Rocks A+
Lough has been the best offensive performer thus far among the Blue Rock 4x100 outfielders. I targeted Lough for a possible breakout performer in Stix breakout list due to his limited previous baseball experience, Lough was a walk on baseball player at Mercyhurst college. Lough had a solid second half last season for the Bees and has carried that over so far with the Rocks. He is forced to play corner outfield due to the speed Robinson and Orlando possess but he might be the best centerfield option longterm in the KC system considering his overall tools.
'09 Rocks totals .338/.413/.465 6-2b 1 Hr 5/8 Bb/So

16. Derrick Robinson CF Wilmington Blue Rocks A+
DRob was picked as a potential breakout candidate by JJ Picollo prior to the '09 season and while the Blue Rocks Centerfielder hasn't been extremely impressive his plate discipline is a welcome start to '09. Derrick continues to show little in the way of pop at the plate and is gonna need to cut his strikeout totals if he is gonna be able to get his OBP high enough to offset his low SLG rate and be a worthy contributor longterm. DRob leads the Royals org in stolen bases but has been picked off by the pitcher 4 times this season as he is still learning to steal bases.
'09 Rocks Totals .222/.292/.235 1-2b 8/12 So/Bb 11 Sb 4 CS (I believe most at least 3 are pitcher pickoffs)

19. Salvador Perez C Burlington Bees A
Salvador, #26 Bonilla and Sean McCauley are all splitting the catcher/dh duties at low A Burlington. None of the three are off to good offensive starts but considering their ages 18-20 there is little need to worry. Perez is the youngest of the group and also has the most projectable size at 6'3 175 lbs. Perez early stats aren't showing much in a way of plate discipline but that really shouldn't be all that surprising for a young Latin American prospect. Perez and the whole Bees roster is really struggling with the exception of Nick Francis, hopefully as the weather warms up so will the bats and arms of the defending midwest champs.
'09 Bees totals .122/.143/.146 1-2b 1/8 Bb/So

22. Adrian Ortiz OF Wilmington Blue Rocks A+
Just from listening to the games it sounds like Adrian is still going with the drag bunt slap hit approach. I personally don't like that type of hitting style but with Adrian and DRobs speed and lack of power maybe they believe this is their best approach to reaching base. Adrian isn't show as much patience as DRob however as his walk totals aren't quite the same.
'09 Blue Rocks Totals .258/.261/.333 1-2b 2-3b 1/8 Bb/So

23. Mitch Maier OF Omaha/KC
Mitch was off to a fast start in Omaha and earned a quick promotion when Guillen went down. He continues to struggle to show any pop in the majors but appears to show a bit more plate discipline earning 4 walks in his 18 PA's.
Omaha '09 10-27 2-2b 2-hr 9 rbi 3bb

Maier should probably remain with the big club until Alex comes back as a late inning defensive replacement for JoGui.

24. Joe Dickerson OF NW Arkansas Naturals AA
Ole Joe "The 4th Outfielder" is off to a slow April start in his first tour of AA ball. Hopefully he'll get it figured out and show a little more pop than he did in the Carolina league.
'09 NW Arkansas Totals .217/.329/.300 3-2b 1-3b 0 HR 9/11 Bb/So

26. Jose Bonilla C Burlington Bees A
Bonilla's totals are similar to that of the rest of the Bees roster. He has shown a little more pop in his bat than Perez and McCauley so far in the '09 season but still nothing to write home about.
'09 Bees Totals .216/.256/.351 2-2b 1Hr 1/9 Bb/So

27. Kyle Martin IF Burlington Bees A
Kyle was a bit of a surprise when placed in the top 30 by BA. Also a surprise to repeat A ball after his solid season last year and his decent Hawaiian and ST outings. Kyle hasn't responded well to the Burlington trip struggling with a bad K/Bb ratio of. While he continues to show pop with his bat his contact rate is troubling considering he is 24 and still playing in A ball.
'09 Bees Totals .176/.263/.294 3-2b 1-3b 1-Hr 6/16 Bb/So

28. Sam Runion P Burlington Bees A

via web.minorleaguebaseball.com
The '07 second rounder continues to struggle in A ball. The reports I've read say his breaking ball is very inconsistent maybe due to his inability to command a curve. I believe he threw a slider in high school so maybe they need to let him revert back to that. I'm sure they know better than I but his struggles are a bit concerning considering he has good size and a decent fastball. Wednesdays start for Runion was more of the same.
'09 Bees Totals 1-3 4 GS 19.0 IP 31 H 20 ER 7 K 7 Bb 9.47 ERA

4. Mike Montgomer P Not assigned
5. Tim Melville P Not assigned
7. Danny Gutierrez P Not assigned
12 Kelvin Herrera P Not assigned
13. Henry Barrera P Injured list
14. Tyler Sample P Not assigned
17. Jason Taylor 1b/OF Suspended
18. Julio Pimentel P Injured list
20. Carlos Fortuna P Not assigned
21. Matt Mitchell P Injured list
25. Juan Abreu P not assigned
29. Yowill Espinal 2b SS not assigned
30. Keaton Hayenga P not assigned
31. Ed Cegarra P not assigned

Expect to see many of these unassigned players come May.

Top Performers outside the Top 31 thru Wednesdays action

Tug Hulett Omaha Royals
Tugster is mashing at a near Aviles '08 clip in Omaha.
.357/.432/.557 9 2b 1 3b 1 Hr 10 Bb
Off the Radar Greg Atencio is a '02 10th Round pick Righthander that is mowing hitters down currently. His first outing was a bit shaky but overall he is putting together some impressive K numbers.
5 G 8.1 Ip 13 K 7 H 5 Bb 5 ER(3-1st game)

John Suomi NW Arkansas
The veteran catcher from the A's and Phillies organization is off to a nice start in AA.
.310/.400/.655 9-29 1-2b 3-Hr 5bb 5 K
Chris Nicoll
The righty reliever is once again proving he can pitch at the AA level after having a solid season last year. Good to see that he has fully recovered from the yips and should be ready for a Omaha trip soon.
11.1 IP 8 H 1 ER 9/3 So/Bb 1 Sv .195 BAA

Clint "The Alabama Hammer" Robinson Wilmington Blue Rocks
The '07 draftee is off to a very fast start pacing the Blue Rocks in a number of offensive categories. 6'4 225 lbs 1st baseman definitely has nice size and any pop in the Carolina league is worth noting even if he is a tad old for the level(23yo).
.373/.417/.627 3 Hr 8 2b
Everett Teaford
The lefty is off to a nice repeat visit in the Carolina league. NW Arkansas was just a little crowded for him to start the season there and JJ wasn't ready to move him to the bullpen yet.
3 GS 16.1 IP 13 H 5 R 4 ER 14/2 So/Bb .224 BAA

Nick Francis Burlington Bees
Really the only bright spot on the offensive roster. The 22 year old outfielder is off to a decent start.
.339/.423/.597 5-2b 1-3b 3-hr 9bb/12so 3SB 0 CS
Blaine Hardy
Blaine was part of the '08 draft class. He didn't have lights out numbers in Idaho Falls but has gotten off to a solid start this season.
18.2 16 H 6 ER 25-0 So-Bb Yes that K/Bb ratio is correct.

Overall the pitching is a tad behind at every level except Omaha but don't fret as many top flight prospects should land in Burlington and Wilmington very soon. Could be a nice boost for both teams when they do arrive.

"When we first started (negotiating)," he recalled, "I told my agent that I didn’t expect a good o...

kcscoliny — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:34:57 -0000

"When we first started (negotiating)," he recalled, "I told my agent that I didn’t expect a good offer. I told him, ‘We really don’t need to do this.’ But he said, ‘Let’s just find out.’ "

Greinke with Dutton in the KC Star

NYRoyal 1-0 ACLU $10 !!!: Place your Wagers HERE !!!

kcscoliny — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:56:05 -0000

Will can change this post so that he can keep it at the top and archived fully but I thought it was time to put up a Wager Post.

Please don't wager money as this is not a sanctioned gambling website but friendly wagers seem to work.

This is mostly a spot where we can put the wagers that are made on the post(s) and shot(s) and have a place to review who is the genius and the idiots and then make fun of them accordingly.

To review our current wager already made.

One Royals Review tshirt will be purchased by the loser.

The Bet : Mark Teahen OPS kcscoliny < .735 OPS , NYRoyal > .735 OPS

To the winner a Royals Review tshirt and the glorification of being a certified genius. To the loser the loss of money to purchase the tshirt and the knowledge that he is a inferior predictor of Mark Teahen's '09 season.

Please Rec this so that we can compile bets and make fun of whatever side we want.

It's OFFICIAL 4 Year deal with ZACK GREINKE KC Star KANSAS CITY, MO (January 26, 2009) -- The...

kcscoliny — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:49:22 -0000

It's OFFICIAL 4 Year deal with ZACK GREINKE

KC Star

KANSAS CITY, MO (January 26, 2009) -- The Kansas City Royals today signed right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke to a four-year contract through the 2012 season. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO