Baseball Prospectus top 11 prospects still in the minors

[Arthur_Bryant]

I'm still not in quite as much love with KC's minor league system as you are.

They do have some good pieces down there. But right now, they have very few options on their team of guys that are going to improve.

Currently Kendall, Guillen, Podsednik, Aviles, Betancourt are all guys they won't be counting on long term but are starting for them right now. DeJesus, Callapso, Butler long term.

A lot of their talent has yet to develop. Beyond Greinke they have no current MLB level pitching talent. I think this team looks like the O's a lot a few years ago. If they can sustain talent levels in upcoming drafts for the next few years I'd be a bit more excited. But you have to worry that all this upcoming talent could take longer or bust like the O's.

With most of those short-termers, the loss will be addition by subtraction.

Gordon replaces Podsednik or another bum-of-the-week in LF. Moustakas at 3B. Colon at SS. I would like to see a little more power from Hosmer, but he's still just 20. I expect the power to develop. Wil Myer probably won't stick at C, but that should hasten his development.

Their two big holes will be at CF and C.

They most likely have a shot at a solid college arm in the draft next year.

[rhall]

With most of those short-termers, the loss will be addition by subtraction.

Gordon replaces Podsednik or another bum-of-the-week in LF. Moustakas at 3B. Colon at SS. I would like to see a little more power from Hosmer, but he's still just 20. I expect the power to develop. Wil Myer probably won't stick at C, but that should hasten his development.

Their two big holes will be at CF and C.

They most likely have a shot at a solid college arm in the draft next year.

They might have internal answers for CF & catcher, too.

Derrick Robinson is breaking out a little this year and could be a plus defender in CF who gives a ton of speed and a little average & OBP to the bottom of a lineup. Best case scenario is he succeeds enough to be a lead off hitter, but I'm not that optimistic yet.

David Lough doesn't profile as well defensively as a CFer, but they could get by with him since he's got a better bat than Robinson, especially if he hits more like his career numbers (slight dip this year). He looks more like a 4th OFer or a platoon guy to me, but he could end up an answer.

Salvador Perez is a standout defensive catcher who has hit better than expected this year in a tough pitcher's park. It's weird that he's actually hit better at home, but Wilmington is historically a tough place to hit (played into Moustakas' disappointing year there, and Hosmer's lack of HRs).

None of these guys are potential stars, but they are potential roster fillers. Perez is the farthest away from KC and requires the most optimism.

[eb45]

Maybe I should become a Royals fan.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Maybe I should become a Royals fan.

The Royals have been my local team for 20 years, but I've never been tempted into caring about them, and I've felt mostly pity for those who really are fans. Year after year this organization has cynically promoted itself as a potential contender by signing a few marginal FAs without ever making a true effort to do what winning would require. And for every good-looking prospect, I could point to a dumb personnel decision by Dayton Moore, who must be one of the most confounding executives in professional sports.

The system looks very good, but until I see otherwise, I'll expect the Royals to come up short again.

[rhall]

The Royals have been my local team for 20 years, but I've never been tempted into caring about them, and I've felt mostly pity for those who really are fans. Year after year this organization has cynically promoted itself as a potential contender by signing a few marginal FAs without ever making a true effort to do what winning would require. And for every good-looking prospect, I could point to a dumb personnel decision by Dayton Moore, who must be one of the most confounding executives in professional sports.

The system looks very good, but until I see otherwise, I'll expect the Royals to come up short again.

In addition to the influence of Dayton Moore, normal prospect attrition rates could help keep things as you expect, too.

Granted, I don't have a local's point of view, but I have a glossier point of view regarding the Royals. I do have to admit that they still have a tough road to plow. It may not be the AL East, but looking at the current rosters and farm systems of the rest of the AL Central, there's a wide range of possibilities as far as how competitive that division could become.