A
look at players likely to make up the 2014 roster
JAN
31st, 2014-With the start of the 2014
SAL season due to get underway in a bit over 2 months, now is a good
time to consider who might be making their way to Class A Lexington.
With the considerable talent on our roster last season, this year
could bring with it the promise of even more potential.
The
Royals minor-league system consists of three rookie-level teams: the
Arizona League representative, Burlington in the Appalachian League,
and Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League. Kansas City has typically
partitioned these three teams according to the organization's own
talent assessment: the AZL Royals usually get the youngest players
and/or those who need the most polish, Idaho Falls gets the most
advanced rookie-level players, and Burlington seems to be the way
station between those two teams. With that knowledge in mind, we're
first going to look back at the Royals' top rookie team in Idaho
Falls.
Hitters
Bats:
L Throws: R
Ht:
6'2” Wt: 175
Born:
August 23rd, 1991 in Scottsdale, Arizona
School:
Cactus Shadows HS (Cave Creek, AZ)
Drafted:
by the Colorado Rockies in the 38th round of the 2010 MLB
Draft from Cactus Shadows HS
Drafted
in 2010 by the Rockies, Davis opted instead to attend the University
of San Diego to hone his game within a program with an excellent
reputation. He ended up signing with the Royals as a non-drafted free
agent and spent 2013 learning the ropes in the rookie league with the
AZL Royals as well as the Chukars. Davis is the son of former MLB
closer, All-Star and 1989 Cy Young Award winner (!) Mark Davis, who
amassed 44 saves and a 1.85 ERA for the San Diego Padres in '89 and
took home the hardware for his efforts. Davis the Younger has
versatility in the infield and could end up at third if he is able to
add a bit more muscle. He shows decent speed and a somewhat-advanced
base-running sense. Davis is just getting his feet wet in pro ball,
and as such could end up in extended Spring Training while he awaits
assignment to Class A. A few more games at Idaho Falls would not be
shocking, either.
Bats:
R Throws: R
Ht:
6'4” Wt: 220
Born:
August 22nd, 1991 in Denton, Texas
School:
Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX)
Drafted:
by the Kansas City Royals in the 1st round of the 2013 MLB
Draft
Dozier
has been a polarizing pick among the experts, to be sure. Jeff Passan
tweeted
the response of a scout in Texas to KC's selection of Dozier at
8th
overall:
Heard
some good things about Hunter Dozier from a scout in Texas this week
... but another scout already texted: "This is a big reach."
Jim
Callis reported a
slightly more dramatic reaction to the Dozier selection, writing
for Baseball America:
“The
commentators at the main desk during MLB Network’s telecast reacted
with such shock that the daughter of one Royals official asked her
father why the team picked Dozier. Local radio hosts called for the
dismissal of Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore and the rest of
his front office.”
Now
that's funny.
So
let's get this out of the way: Dozier being selected in the top 10
was viewed as a secure pick. The Royals didn't want to run the risk
of not being able to sign their 1st pick of the year, and
so they made the 'safe' choice. Also, it allowed them financial room
to sign their 34th-overall pick (Sean Manaea, LHP), so by
taking a chance on Dozier at #8 they were able to land the lefty as
well.
OK,
fine. That having been said...
This
kid has a great bat. In 54 games with the Chukars last year, Dozier
smacked 24 doubles and 7 homers, driving in 43 and scoring the same
in the process. He showed a good eye at the plate and made consistent
contact, qualities which should carry over to the higher levels with
little difficulty. One thing I wonder about is, he's already right
about where he should be in terms of his size. Mind you, he's a chunk
of muscle. He's an avid weight-lifter, which is both good and bad
(see: Gabe Kapler). The scouting reports on Dozier were generally
careful to point out that he has probably reached the apex of his
physical development, however, and at his size he could ultimately be
a DH-only guy. He is roundly praised for his intangibles and makeup,
and along with his age (22) should push him through the minors
quickly. IF he can maintain his flexibility and range, then he could
man the hot corner in the majors. If not, it's the 1B-DH slot for
him. The only way he doesn't come to Lexington this season is if he
leapfrogs The Sally on his way to High-A Wilmington (which wouldn't
be a huge shock).
Bats:
R Throws: R
Ht:
6'2” Wt: 209
Born:
November 29th, 1991 in Bethlehem, Georgia
School:
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Drafted:
By the Kansas City Royals in the 4th round of the 2013 MLB
Draft
Evans
was a promising two-way player in college ball, but his future
demands that he play the field. In his case, that means donning the
tools of ignorance. He had a strong fastball/slider combo in college,
bringing it in the mid-90's often. However...
While
Evans has a solid bat and will probably end up producing
above-average pop for a catcher, there are concerns that he may be a
defensive liability at that position. He is, at best, a
fringe-average glove at the present. If he can progress defensively,
he could end up as a Mike Napoli-type guy: solid power, mixes in some
games at first and DH with some appearances behind the plate. Evans
tore up the Pioneer League in 41 games, knocking 18 doubles and
driving in 31 to go along with his spectacular .352 BA. At age 21,
you'd expect a very small learning curve. Still, that's a heck of a
year. Evans is, like Dozier, a batter who could end up taking a lot
of AB as a DH and first baseman, and if his bat continues to progress
he could be a 20-HR guy in the majors. Rookie-level ball is a poor
measuring stick for measuring future success, of course, but Evans
could hardly have given a better effort in his debut.
Bats:
R Throws: R
Ht:
6'4” Wt: 200
Born:
November 21st, 1994 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
School:
Drafted:
NDFA by the Kansas City Royals in 2011
Hernandez
is a fascinating prospect: great natural ability, tools are all a bit
rough, high-risk/high-reward sort of player. At 6'4”, 200,
Hernandez is one large teenager. He moves very well for his size,
shows flashes of brilliance with the glove, runs the bases well and
puts a real charge in the ball with the bat. The Royals went after
him with a purpose, signing him for slightly more than $3,000,000.
He's got tremendous fast-twitch reflexes, which bode well for his
future at the plate, and he put up big numbers in Idaho Falls (15 2B,
8 3B, 44 RBI, 44 R in 66 games). Granted, 2013 was a repeat in rookie
ball, but he was only 18 years old. There's no real reason for him to
go back to the rookie league in 2014, so look for him in Lexington
after (perhaps) some time in extended ST. He's going to be exciting
to watch.
That's
just a few of the players who could be patrolling the field at The
Bank. Part Two will take a further look at potential Legends bats for
2014 coming out of Burlington and the Arizona League. Stay tuned.
