Legends Drop Season Opener to GreenJackets, 4-0

Lexington Held To 4 Hits, Batters Combine for 15 Ks

APR 5th, 2013-A less-than-auspicious beginning, to be sure. But one game certainly does not a season make. 

Playing in their season opener after Thursday's game was rained out, the Legends were shut down by Augusta starting RHP Martin Agosta and fared even worse against the combined relief efforts of RHPs Derek Law and Tyler Mizenko, with the trio combining to hold Lexington to 4 hits, striking out 15 and walking not a single batter in the contest. Agosta, the 2nd round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2012, was making his Class A debut for the GreenJackets in tonight's game. 

The Augusta starter went 5 innings and allowed 4 hits, striking out 9 and walking none in shutting out Lexington batters, who would not get a hit the rest of the night after Agosta left the game. RHP Bryan Brickhouse, a 3rd round pick of the Royals in 2011, started the game for Kansas City's newest affiliate, lasting 4 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, walking one and striking out seven. Neither of the runs allowed by Brickhouse were earned, however, due in part to a throwing error by SS Raul Mondesi and a fielding error by CF Bubba Starling. 

Starling was 1-4 on the night but went down on strikes the other 3 at-bats. Mondesi also registered a hit but struck out twice, himself. The top three batters in the Legends lineup (SS Mondesi, 2B Humberto Arteaga, CF Starling) combined for 3 of Lexington's 4 hits on the night (3-12) and 7 of their 15 K. 

LF Terrance Gore had the other hit for Lexington (a double off of Agosta) and subsequently stole third but would remain stranded there. Gore's double would be the only extra-base hit for either team. 

RHP Ali Williams relieved Brickhouse, going three frames and allowing 2 runs (one earned) on three hits, walking one and sending one down on Ks. Righty Mark Peterson took the last inning and held Augusta hitless, striking out two. Brickhouse and Williams also combined to induce 7 groundouts against only 2 in the air. 

Legends 1B Mark Threlkeld was hit by a pitch in the early going, subsequently leaving the game and giving way to Nicholas Cuckovich. More details to come on Threlkeld's status. 

Lexington plays two against the GreenJackets tomorrow starting at 5 PM. Game Two is the makeup game from 4/4. Starters TBD. 

First New Legends Announced

Mills, Binford, Schulz, to Join Mondesi, Arteaga, Starling, Gallagher In Lexington

MAR 28^th, 2013-The roster for Kansas City's newest affiliate is starting to take form.

RHPs Alec Mills and Christian Binford, along with LHP Clayton Schulz, are officially on the roster for Class A Lexington to start the 2013 season.

They will likely be joined by SS Adalberto Mondesi and 2B Humberto Arteaga, and top KC prospect and outfielder Bubba Starling is confirmed to be bringing his considerable glove and bat to The Bank, as well as C prospect Cameron Gallagher. 

All of these players, with the exception of Schulz, I've mentioned in my previous “What To Expect” posts as possibilities to join the Legends, and there are more to come. 

A little info on Schulz, and a little more on Mills:

Alec Mills, RHP, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League)

Born: November 30^th, 1991 in Clarksville, TN

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'4” Wt: 185

Drafted: by the KC Royals, 22^nd round, 2012 MLB Draft from UT-Martin (Martin, TN)

2012:

1-4, 4.62 ERA, 17 games, 7 starts, 4 games finished, 3 saves, 50 2/3 IP, 58 hits allowed, 26 ER, 17 BB, 50 K, 9 WP

Here's some earlier info on Mills from a previous post. 

While with UT Martin in 2012 Mills led the team in innings pitched (89) and strikeouts (74). He already throws an excellent changeup, a slider with late break and a fastball which sits in the low-90's. Mills was also strong in the academic department; he carried a 3.18 GPA as a Health and Human Performance exercise science major. What his coaches (and scouts) also noticed about Mills while on the mound is that he always kept a cool demeanor, never seemed shaken regardless of the circumstances. He also had a reputation for being ready to help new teammates and demonstrated strong leadership skills in the clubhouse. Given his reputation, it would be interesting to see if he also steps into that role while with the Legends.

Clayton Schulz, LHP, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League)

Born: June 7, 1990 in West Palm Beach, FL

Bats: Left Throws: Left

Ht: 6'2” Wt: 180

Drafted: by the KC Royals as a non-drafted free agent; August 8^th, 2011, from the University of North Florida

2012:

5-7, 6.07 ERA, 14 games, 13 starts, 69 2/3 IP, 89 hits allowed, 47 ER, 30 BB, 61 K, 17 WP

In his second year of rookie ball, Schulz had quite a few rough patches. His control has been a significant issue, as he walked 30 and uncorked 17 wild pitches in his 69-plus innings, but he averaged nearly a strikeout per inning as well. Schulz is quite the surfer, and in 2010 he was attacked and bitten by a shark. The bite required an astounding 400 stitches to close. He recovered from the attack to post a 3.34 ERA in 35 innings in 2011. A groundball pitcher, he will be playing his first games in Class A, this year. 

New Year, New Players, New Organization...Same Goals

Skirting Line Between Making Friends and Keeping Distance Not Always Easy


MAR 20th, 2013-Pro ball in Lexington will be back in full swing, very soon.

Before you know it, The Bank will be buzzing once more. Gates will open, ticket offices will be bustling with activity, concession stands will be serving up dogs and beers, and the ushers will take their positions. Fans will start filing in, greeting friends from seasons past and meeting new friends for seasons to come.

Here in Lexington, Kansas City's newest Class A representative in the South Atlantic League, there will be something noticeably absent from the year before:

Our boys.

Now that we're a part of the Royals' organization, the kids we knew from Houston's farm system won't be around anymore. There are new players to meet, new personalities, new lives of which we will be a small part. These players will be dealing with the same pressures on the field and off as the baby 'Stros, and thankfully our Booster Club and host parents will be there to help them along. We have a pretty good system  for that sort of thing, and some of our locals go to great lengths to make sure the guys have whatever they need while they're fighting to make their way beyond The Sally and up the ladder.

In 2012, I was exposed to some new experiences that I hadn't fully considered in my 24 years as a baseball fan. Perhaps the most memorable, sadly, was the most educational: the demotion.

If you speak to a player long enough, and they loosen up and tell you a bit more about themselves beyond batting averages and ERAs, you come to feel a personal connection with that player. Over time, you might even become friends. At that point, you are bound to that player just as you would be to any other friends you may have, and this means you're going to be thrilled when they do well. It also means you're going to be sad when they don't.

And when they get demoted, or even worse, cut, you're going to feel like someone punched you in the gut.

It honestly caught me off-guard. I was there when a few of the guys heard the news. RHP Tanner Bushue hadn't heard it yet, but he knew it was coming. He was coming off a shaky outing the same day the host families and Booster Club had their (monthly?) potluck gathering, when the boosters and hosts got to share a meal with their players. Tanner was sitting adjacent to me. I didn't know him very well, admittedly.

Still, it's a strange feeling to be on the outside looking in when one of these kids gets sent down; you're not a part of what's happening, and yet you are. From my perspective, Tanner had an expression on his face that is hard to describe. In short, he was crushed. There was no mistaking it. Here he was, surrounded by teammates and host families, all happily chatting away, and Tanner was somehow separate and alone from all of it. He just sat silently, staring at the empty space on the table in front of him, completely still. I wanted to say something to him, try to cheer him up, but you can't say anything to a player who's been sent down. Nothing that would help, anyway. All you can do is be there, if they want to talk about it. Some of them actually want to talk about it; others, like Tanner, not so much.

I know I'm not the only one who's ever felt that personal connection with a player; I was part of the Booster Club and a host for several players, last year, and I was on the periphery of their social circles. I interacted with some more than others, and for that experience I consider myself fortunate to have known them. I wasn't exactly best friends with any of them, and rightly so. After all, none of them knew who I was before they came to Lexington, and some players have a sense of apprehension from the moment they become professionals. Also, as it should be.

Thing is, every pro athlete knows that their career could end anytime. A torn labrum, serious knee injury, an unexplained "dead arm", and that's all she wrote. A life-long dream can be ended by the whims of the parent club, without explanation. One day, you're making your way up the ladder; the next, you're sifting through the classified ads. No promotional Day for you at the ballpark, no standing O on the way off the field...in fact, it could be that no one even knows you're gone except for your close friends or family. Not even so much as a "thank you". Just a pink slip and a clubbie waiting to take the athletic tape with your name written on it in Sharpie off the top of what used to be your locker.

There are a LOT of people out there who are looking to take every possible advantage of pro athletes. They see opportunities to gain a player's trust, to work their way into that player's inner circle of trust, and some even become personal representative for the players they seek to exploit. At that stage, the player stands to lose a great deal of money. I have also, unfortunately, seen this happen to a player who IS a friend of mine, and it makes me very mindful of what I say and do regarding the players.

On that subject, many of these guys aren't exactly living out their champagne wishes and caviar dreams, if you know what I mean. For the vast majority of them, the only caviar they ever see might be on a re-run of The Real Housewives of Orange County. These kids are living on far less than minimum wage, struggling to make ends meet while sharing tiny apartments with two or three other guys, even sending a big chunk (if not ALL) of their tiny paychecks back home to help support their families. They truly do make a ton of sacrifices just to have a shot at making The Show, and to have some con man try to screw them out of what little they have is absolutely inexcusable.

OK, I've ranted on that enough. More on that in my next post, courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect Seth Simmons. Seth has been kind enough to expound on a few pro baller subjects for me, and I'll be posting some of that conversation here at TGOG.

Anyhew, this year we'll be starting the process all over again, with new players, new personalities and a new organization. Different players, but the same goal. Also, the same problems, same struggles, same needs. We need to be ready to help them in any way we can. Thankfully there are some good people here, and I'm grateful that the folks at Lexington are well-prepared to help them.

What To Expect When You're Expecting...Part Trois

MARCH 17th, 2013-I'm pretty sure "trois" is French for "three". Either way, this isn't a linguistics blog. 

Here's a few more players you may expect to see here in Lexington, taking their hacks and dealing on the mound. This is in no particular order (other than alphabetical), and is a mixed list of hitters and pitchers. I'm not the most organized guy in the world, but bear with me anyway. 


Diego Goris, UT, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League); AZL Royals (Rookie, Arizona League)

Born: 12/8/1990 in Santiago, Dominican Republic

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'2” Wt: 165

Drafted: Obtained in trade with Pittsburgh Pirates, 2012

2012 (combined stats):

58 games, 246 PA, 41 runs, 14 doubles, 4 triples, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 4 BB, 32 K, .333 BA, .942 OPS

Goris showed a lot of pop at Rookie-level Idaho Falls, last year, and was near the top in the league in batting average as well. One of the most glaring problems here is that he's GOT to learn to take a walk, now and then. Four walks in 246 PA is not gonna cut it, especially as he advances to higher levels. He shows a lot of versatility in the field, as he's played second, short, first, third and left field in his five seasons in pro ball. Short is probably not his best position (34 errors in 102 career games), but he's put in the most time there. He's highly projectable at 6'2", 165, and will probably gain more power as he fills out. I see him as a super-utility guy with a little pop and the occasional steal, playing most of his games either as a corner IF or in left, if he makes the majors.

Carlos Garcia, 2B-SS, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League)

Born: 3/18/1992 in Municipio de Diaz, Venezuela

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6' Wt: 176

Drafted: Signed as Free Agent

2012:

59 games, 241 PA, 42 runs, 8 doubles, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 10 SB, .273 BA, .347 OBP

Garcia intrigues me a bit. First off, he stole 10 bases last year, which is OK, but it should be noted that he swiped 50 in 2010 for the Royals' Dominican Summer League team. He's probably not ever going to hit for power, but the speed is obviously there. He's shown steady improvement with the glove, as well; from 5 errors in 23 games in 2010 to 8 errors in 57 games last year. However, he made an alarming 16 miscues in 39 games in 2011, which is concerning, but I'm willing to accept those numbers as an aberration. There's some projectability there, physically, but he'll likely not gain much more weight than 5-10 pounds at the most. If he does get much heavier than that, it's going to hurt his speed, and his speed is his best asset. Also worth noting: in 212 career games, his BB/K ration is just a few percentage points below 1/1. That's darn good, at any level.

Cory Hall, RHP, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League)

Born: 5/12/1988 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'2” Wt: 232

Drafted: Obtained in trade with Pittsburgh Pirates, 2012

2012:

2-1, 2.15 ERA in 21 games (29 1/3 IP), 23 hits allowed, 7 ER, 12 BB, 35 K, 5 SV

Hall worked exclusively as a closer in 2012, cutting his ERA by more than 3 full runs but walking just as many as he did in 2011 while throwing 6 fewer innings. He has struck out a batter per inning since his pro debut in 2011 but also has averaged 3.7 BB/9 IP, so there's definitely room for improvement there. Hall was all-conference with Santa Clara University in 2011, pitching 105 innings and posting a 3.26 ERA. He was also all-conference with Taft Community College in 2008. Hall is solidly-built and there's no projectability left there, but he is likely to continue to develop as a strikeout artist in relief once he irons out his mechanical issues. 

Joe Lopez, RHP, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League); AZL Royals (Rookie, Arizona League)

Born: 3/20/1990 in Winkelman, AZ

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 5'10” Wt: 180

Drafted: Signed as NDFA, 2012

2012 (combined stats):

2-2, 3.66 ERA in 21 games, 8 games finished, 3 SV, 39 1/3 IP, 47 HA, 22 RA, 16 ER, 13 BB, 39 K, 8.9 K/9

Lopez worked as a short reliever out of the 'pen in 2012, recording 10.8 hits/9 IP but mitigating his damage considerably (with a little help from his defense). A smallish pitcher, he is nevertheless solidly built. I don't anticipate his size will limit him at the higher levels. Lopez may be a darkhorse candidate to become a 7th inning specialist as he advances to the upper echelons of the minors. 

Alec Mills, RHP, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League)

Born: 11/30/1991 in Clarksville, TN

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'4” Wt: 185

Drafted: KC Royals, 22nd round, 2012 MLB Draft, from U of Tennessee @ Martin

2012:

1-4, 4.62 ERA, 17 games (7 starts, 4 games finished), 3 SV, 50 2/3 IP, 58 HA, 33 RA, 26 ER, 7 HRA, 17 BB, 50 K, 5 HBP, 9 WP, 2.94 SO/BB ratio

Mills is highly projectible at 6'4", 185, but he appeared to have significant mechanical and/or control problems, last year. I say this because, while he only walked 17 batters, he hit 5 more and also uncorked 9 wild pitches in 50 2/3 innings. He may just need a little time to adjust to the pro game, as last year was his first in the pros. He showed great versatility, starting 7 games and closing out 4 more, while working in middle relief in 6 more. While the ERA is much higher than you'd like to see it, he averaged a K per inning and handled being juggled around, role-wise, about as well as anyone could. Also of note: 3.47 ERA in 23 1/3 innings at the home park, 5.60 in 27 1/3 innings in away games. I'll be watching him closely. 

Sam Selman, LHP, Idaho Falls Chukars (Rookie, Pioneer League)

Born: 11/14/1990 in Austin, TX

Bats: Right Throws: Left

Ht: 6'3” Wt: 165

Drafted: KC Royals, 2nd round, 2012 MLB Draft, from Vanderbilt University

2012:

5-4, 2.09 ERA, 13 games (12 starts), 60 1/3 IP, 45 HA, 21 RA, 14 ER, 22 BB, 89 K, 5 WP

The 2012 Pioneer League Pitcher of The Year, Selman's is a name well-known to many Royals fans, for obvious reasons. In his first year of pro ball, he averaged a monstrous 13.3 K/9 IP while maintaining better than a 4:1 BB/K ratio. A hard-throwing lefty with a lot of room left to grow, he could become a dominant short man or closer in the majors. KC has a great deal of success to look forward to from this young man. Selman may skip Low-A altogether, depending on how his Spring turns out. 

What To Expect When You're Expecting...Part Deux

MARCH 12^th, 2013-There's one thing for Legends fans to keep in mind as Opening Day creeps ever closer. In terms of judging the sort of talent we can expect to see here in Class A, it's the most important detail to consider.

Over the past 7 years, few teams have had a deeper or more talented minor league system than the KC Royals. The latest pool of players is certainly no exception; they only serve to reinforce this growing reputation.

As I mentioned in the last post, the Legends faithful can safely anticipate seeing a talented lineup from top to bottom hitting the field at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, this year and the next. In addition to the aforementioned players, there are still more who will either join them immediately or follow close behind. In this post, I take a quick look at more position players we can expect to see at The Bank:

Hitters

Humberto Arteaga, SS, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 1/23/1994 in Caracas, Venezuela

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'1” Wt: 160

Drafted: Signed as Free Agent

2012:

58 games, 262 PA, 40 runs, 64 hits, 13 doubles, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 7 SB, .274 BA, .694 OPS

Arteaga more than held his own in the Appy League last year as an 18 year old, batting .274 against talent slightly older than he. He's rail-thin but highly projectable, and his wiry strentgh and above-average speed allowed him to score 40 runs and even steal a few bags. He couldn't buy a walk, but that's likely due more to youthful impatience than poor pitch selection. He plays within himself and doesn't try to do more with the ball than he's able, and he will probably steal a few more bases as he learns to be a better baserunner. The glove was greatly improved from 2011; where he had made 15 errors at short in 47 games, he cut that number by 6 in 11 more games in a slightly more advanced rookie-level league.

Kenny Diekroger, 2B-SS, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 11/5/1990 in Woodside, California

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'2” Wt: 190

Drafted: 4^th round, 2012 MLB Draft, from Stanford University

2012:

52 games, 222 PA, 21 runs, 42 hits, 6 doubles, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 5 SB, 18 BB, 60 SO, .208 BA, .641 OPS

Previously drafted in the 2^nd round by Tampa Bay out of Menlo HS in Atherton, CA, Diekroger struggled mightily in his first year of pro ball. His BA actually climbed from .222 in 36 June AB, as he hit .253 in July. The wheels fell off in August, however, as he hit an anemic .152 for the month. He did bat .258 with RISP, and strangely his average was far higher in road games (.266 on the road vs. .171 at home). He led Stanford in BA as a freshman with a .356 mark and tied for the team lead in RBI with 41, becoming the first freshman to do so. In that season he was named PAC 10 Freshman of the Year and made First Team All-PAC 10, as well. The promise is there, certainly. He appears to have little projectability remaining, physically. He plays a steady second base, and can switch over to the other side of the bag at short, if needed. Will likely stay at second but could move to third in the future. At this early stage, he could prove to be a valuable role-player for Lexington. If he can cut down significantly on the strikeouts he will probably pay bigger dividends in the power department, but this may take some time. David Coleman over at The Crawfish Boxes did a good article on Diekroger which will tell you a lot more about him.

Fred Ford, RF, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 4/10/1992 in St. Peters, Missouri

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'5” Wt: 200

Drafted: KC Royals, 7^th Round, 2012 MLB Draft from Jefferson College (Hillsboro, MO)

2012:

62 games, 254 PA, 38 runs, 53 hits, 11 doubles, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 5 SB, 36 BB, 83 SO, .248 BA, .362 OBP, .853 OPS

This is one big dude. The thought with hitters who are as big as Ford is that there's too big a strike zone for them to cover without always racking up a lot of strikeouts, and that may ultimately be the case with Ford. The reason I would argue against that is that, along with the strikeouts (in August he went down on Ks in nearly HALF his ABs), he has shown a great deal of patience and drawn more than enough walks to make you think he can force the pitchers to throw him strikes. With 13 homers and 35 RBI in 62 games, you can see what often happens when they do pitch to him. He is noticeably more athletic, fast and agile than one might first think for a player his size. I'm not so worried about the BA, but Class A pitchers are a bit tougher than Rookie League hurlers, so he may need to adjust on the fly. He may even end up starting the year back in Burlington to work out the kinks, hanging back in extended spring training until the Appy League starts, but I think he'd be better off coming to Lexington to start the year. He's plenty young enough to step back to the Appy, if necessary, and not lose any time development-wise. Either way, Ford draws high marks for his athleticism, strong work ethic and coachability, and by most accounts Kansas City is fortunate to have grabbed him up before he went to another team. Watch this kid.

Cameron Gallagher, C, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 12/6/1992 in Lancaster, PA

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'3” Wt: 210

Drafted: KC Royals, 2^nd Round, 2011 MLB Draft from Manheim Township HS (Lancaster, PA)

2012:

36 games, 139 PA, 13 runs, 35 hits, 10 doubles, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 16 SO, .276 BA, .331 OBP, .756 OPS

Defense:

212 total chances, 191 PO, 19 assists, 2 errors, 26% caught stealing rate

Here's another intriguing player to add to the mix. The son of former pro pitcher Glenn Gallagher and brother to current Dodgers prospect Austin Gallagher, Cameron has spent time at all three of KC's rookie-level teams and there seems to be little reason to send him back to Burlington this year. The one exception could be his trouble throwing out baserunners. This will improve with time, and he should also develop at least average power for his position. He actually has a good arm; it's more a matter of getting accustomed to the pro game. I wouldn't expect that he'll struggle too mightily with that.

Terrance Gore, OF, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 6/8/1991 in Macon, GA

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 5'7” Wt: 165

Drafted: KC Royals, 20^th Round, 2011 MLB Draft from Gulf Coast Comm. College (Panama City, FL)

2012:

61 games, 276 PA, 50 runs, 58 hits, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 13 RBI, 36 SB, 36 BB, 52 SO, .256 BA, .379 OBP

Speed is Gore's game, most definitely. Problem is, it doesn't yet seem that there's a whole lot more to his offense than that. Four doubles and 0 homers as a 21 year-old hitter in the Appy League is cause for concern, especially as he advances to face stronger pitching. At his size, his role is as a slap-hitting leadoff type, but if he struggles against better pitching he could likely find himself batting at the bottom of the order, limiting his chances to steal. He already draws a lot of walks and makes the very most of his run-scoring opportunities, and should continue to do so as he climbs the ladder. I'm thinking that, at worst, Gore could be a great bench hitter and late-inning pinch-runner. If he can manage to add a little weight to his 5'7” frame, he could end up being a doubles machine with 25-30 SB annually. That's a good player to have on any team.

Alex Hudak, OF, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 4/7/1990 in Mansfield, OH

Bats: Left Throws: Right

Ht: 5'11” Wt: 210

Drafted:

2012:

33 games, 123 PA, 13 runs, 30 hits, 13 doubles, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB, 11 BB, 39 SO, .275 BA, .350 OBP, .722 OPS

I barely know anything about this kid, and I already like him. An excellent student (summa cum laude at Mount Dora HS, 3.3 GPA at FAU as a public communications major), a locker room jokester (quote machine for such movies as Step Brothers and a huge Family Guy fan), and an accomplished amateur player (2^nd Team All-Conference), Hudak is a solid physical specimen with a lightning-quick bat and a hustler's approach on the field. Last season was a fair indication of his potential, as he racked up 13 doubles and reached base at a .350 clip. If he doesn't start the year at Lexington, I can't imagine any reason why he'd be away for long. He strikes me as the kind of player who will do whatever is asked him to put his team in the win column, though his burgeoning power and bat speed will likely put him in a lot of RISP situations. I don't see him being asked to bunt an awful lot, is what I'm saying here.

Mark Threlkeld, 1B, Burlington Royals (Rookie, Appalachian League)

Born: 5/2/1990 in Riverside, CA

Bats: Right Throws: Right

Ht: 6'3” Wt: 205

Drafted: KC Royals, 25^th Round, 2011 MLB Draft from Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA)

2012:

62 games, 240 PA, 37 runs, 62 hits, 18 doubles, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 15 BB, 40 SO, .283 BA, .333 OBP, .863 OPS

Threlkeld hit .335 with 14 homers and 62 RBI (team-best) as a sophomore in 2010 and made First-Team All-Western Athletic Conference as a result. He made 2^nd-team the next year, leading La. Tech with 71 hits and 45 runs. He graduated from HS as class valedictorian and 1^st-Team All-State, as yet another excellent student-athlete targeted by KC's astute scouting department. Threlkeld projects to have avg-plus power at the higher levels, and while he has already demonstrated solid power numbers he has also managed to keep the strikeouts to a reasonable level. His defense at first base is already strong, and should continue to remain so. The Royals may have found a diamond in the rough in Threlkeld, considering he was a 25^th round pick.