Luke Hochevar, the #1 overall pick of the 2006 MLB Draft, completed his first full MLB season with the Royals going 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA and 47 BB/72 K in 121 IP. A stress fracture in his ribcage ended his season in the middle of August. Though his numbers were quite lackluster, Hochevar has an impressive arsenal of pitches led by a low 90's two seam fastball with heavy sink that induced 1.5 GO/FO with the Royals. He also throws a hard curve with a heavy late break that has the potential to be a strikeout pitch. His slider and changeup are merely "show me" pitches at this point and the command of them are still quite inconsistent. Hochevar worked hard in the offseason gaining nearly 20 lbs. that he hopes to hang on to throughout the '09 season. This should help enhance his durability and, perhaps bump his velocity a notch or two. Going forward, Hochevar needs to continue to clean up his mechanics on his delivery and sharpen the command of his slider and change. If he does so, he has an opportunity to be an excellent #2 or 3 starter.
2009 Projection: The Royals have a battle going on between Hochevar, Brian Bannister, and Horacio Ramirez for their final two rotation spots. Ramirez seems like a shoe-in given that he is a LHP. Hochevar's fine spring performance should give him the edge going into the season for the final spot. If Bannister wins the final rotation spot, Hochevar will likely fill the middle relief/spot starter role until things open up for him. Long term, the ground ball tendencies and five pitch arsenal make Luke a solid starting pitcher but, at 25 years old, he will need to make marked improvement in his mechanics and the effectiveness of his slider and change up if he wants to evolve into the frontline pitcher that the Royals drafted him to be.
The Royals' 3rd rounder was exactly as advertised in his professional debut with K.C.'s Arizona League affiliate going 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA and a caustic 29 BB/39 K ratio in 27 IP. Equipped with a fastball that reaches 96 MPH, the mammoth-sized right hander pitches downhill toward hitters forcing ground ball outs at a copious 2.60/FO rate. His nasty 12-6 curveball has the potential to be an elite strikeout pitch, but his third pitch, a changeup, is in its infant stages of development. Sample has emerged healthy from a 2006 Tommy John surgery, but he has been in a perpetual struggle to harness control over his plus offerings. He walked hitters at an alarming 9.7/9 IP rate and surrendered a .270 BAA in his 10 outings last season. Despite his struggles with command, Sample seems to have a good amount of poise on the mound even with runners on base. The Royals knew that they were drafting a project player in Sample, and seem comfortable with taking time to slowly bring him along as a starter.
2009 Projection: Sample is not ready for full season ball yet. Expect him to get some serious TLC with the Royals instructional staff at extended spring training before heading to Idaho Falls in June. It goes without saying that contol is the thing to monitor in Sample's game. If and when it improves, Sample has the ability to be a dominant pitcher. Expect his numbers to improve significantly this season, and watch to see if he can keep up his excellent K/9 IP ratio and GO/FO numbers.
The former 2nd rounder from the 2006 draft quietly had an excellent season in the shadow of top prospect Mike Moustakas, hitting .242 with 17 HR 58 RBI 40 SB and 79 runs scored at Low-A Burlington. Taylor is an incredible athlete with a rock solid frame that should project to hit for more power as it matures. His elite speed makes him a dangerous weapon on the basepaths and could serve him well if he shifts to the outfield in the future. There is plenty of room to believe that Taylor's low batting average was an aberration as his highly advanced plate discipline (81 BB/97 K) defies his BA struggles. The main culpability for Taylor right now is finding a place to play defensively. He continued to struggle defensively at 3B prompting the Royals to shift him to the other side of the diamond for part of the season. He certainly has enough athleticism and arm strength to make the move to the outfield and, considering the multitude of talented infielders in K.C.'s system, it may be the best move for Jason Taylor in the long run.
2009 Projection: Taylor should move up to High-A Wilmington along with Moustakas. The batting average should improve quite a bit this season as his other peripherals indicate that his '08 batting average may be the result of bad luck. Keep an eye on how his power carries forward against more advanced pitching. Taylor is impressively strong and there is more power projection left in his 20 year old body. Ultimately, he will likely move to the OF and his combination of speed, power, and plate discipline could well make him a top-tier leadoff candidate for the Royals within the next couple of seasons.
Some prognosticators felt that Melville was the top prep pitcher available in the 2008 draft, however, high bonus demands and a seemingly rock solid commitment to North Carolina helped to drop the young righthander to the 4th round where the Royals happily shelled out $1.25 million for his services. Melville has two plus pitches, a fastball that ranges between 91-93 MPH and a knuckle-curve that, at times is outstanding. With his long, broad frame, Melville should become stronger and add velocity to his fastball. Melville is a confident player who pitches with poise, though he struggles with the command of his off speed pitches at times.
The Royals have done a great job stocking their farm system with elite talent over the last couple of years. By signing Tim Melville they have added yet another talented young prospect into the mix. Melville has the potential to be a frontline starter at some point down the road for his new, and rapidly improving, franchise.
2009 Projection: The Royals will likely send Melville to extended spring training before designating him to short season Idaho Falls. Pay attention to whether or not Melville is able to dominate hitters at the lower levels. He should be able to rack up a good number of K's, but his ability to control the strike zone with his off speed pitches will ultimately determine how quickly he progresses through the Royals system. The Royals have a growing number of intriguing arms in their system and, while Melville is a bit behind the rest of them, he may end up being the best of the bunch.
The Royals continued their recent trend of drafting 1st round power bats by selecting Eric Hosmer with the 3rd overall pick. Hosmer signed late, but impressed Royals brass by rapping 4 hits in 11 AB at shorts season Idaho Falls. The consensus of many scouts is that Hosmer has the best bat in the '08 prep class. His balanced lefty swing is quick and projects to hit for above average power at the major league level. Contrary to many young, projectible power hitters, Hosmer has advanced plate discipline and a good mental approach to his at bats. On the defensive side, Hosmer's soft hands and good reactions play extraordinarily well at 1B. Baserunning speed will never be Eric's calling card. He has thick legs and below average speed that should clog bases as he gets older. Additionally, he has struggled to hit balls up and in on his hands with authority. Given his quick swing, he should be able to develop more torque to increase his hand speed to prevent himself from being jammed. The Royals recently acquired Mike Jacobs but make no mistake, the talented Jacobs is merely a stop gap that is keeping the 1B bag warm for Hosmer's arrival within the next few seasons.
2009 Projection: Hosmer's polished bat may take him to full season Low-A Burlington to start the season. While Hosmer should hit for a high average, the breadth of his future power production is still up in the air. Watch to see if he can produce 15 or more HR in his first season. Also, his other extra base hit totals will give a better idea of the power totals that can be expected from him in future seasons. The Royals are putting some quality pieces into their organization and their future as a contender in the A.L. Central is becoming more and more a reality with each passing season and successful draft. Hosmer's bat will play a big part in bringing the Royals franchise to prominence once again.
Montgomery bumped up his velocity to the 92-93 MPH range before the '08 draft prompting the Royals to select him with their supplemental 1st round pick. Montgomery was outstanding in his pro debut in the Arizona Rookie League going 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 34 K's in 42.2 IP. Montgomery features two good pitches, his plus fastball and a palm ball that profiles to be an average pitch at the major league level. He also throws a slurve and a change, though he doesn't have much feel for those yet. Montgomery has a big projectable frame that should develop more strength and velocity to his fastball as he matures. He also locates his fastball and palm ball well and has good poise on the mound. One other area of concern is Montgomery's low strike out rate. With his size and velocity, one would expect him to be a more dominant pitcher at the rookie level. The development of a suitable third pitch will be crucial for Montgomery's future as a starting pitcher.
2009 Projection: Montgomery will likely get a shot to pitch at full season Burlington in '09. Keep an eye on his strikeout totals as wells as reports on his third pitch development. Instinctively, Montgomery seems to be a potential mid to back of the rotation starter, though, it is very possible that he goes the other way as a situational bullpen lefty. His development over the next two years will tell us more.
Moustakas was challenged this year by beginning the season at full season Low-A Burlington. The early reports were not positive for Moustakas as he struggled to hit .190 with just 1 HR and 4 RBI. His early start evoked murmurs that he was not worth the $4 million dollar price tag that the Royals signed him to and that he was an overdraft. Moustakas continued to work hard and after the all-star break, something clicked and Moustakas went on a tear hitting .321 with 13 HR 40 RBI and 46 runs scored. Moustakas has an electrifying bat that has superb power to all fields. Moustakas has a strong build and good athleticism. He has good plate discipline for a player of his young age and he cut back on his strikeouts as the season progressed. Defensively, Moustakas has a strong arm and decent range at SS, though there are suspicions that he will need to move to 3B as he fills out.
2009 Projection: Things seem to have clicked for Moustakas and it seems reasonable to expect that the Royals will be aggressive in promoting him through their system. Expect Moustakas to start at High-A Wilmington and, barring any snags, a trip to AA Witchita seems inevitable. Watch to see how Moustakas does at SS. The longer he can stay there, the more value he will have in the collecting community. The Kansas City Royals have been stockpiling talent with bats like Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Mike Aviles, Eric Hosmer, and Moustakas. Expect Kansas City to make some big steps forward in the next 2-3 seasons. That should bode well for Mike Moustakas' 2007 Donruss Elite and 2008 Bowman Chrome autos.
Intrigue abounds with this young prospect. Duffy has been nothing short of dominant since being drafted by the Royals in the 3rd round in 2007. He has a nice 90-93 MPH fastball that can reach 95 at times and could well add more velocity as he builds strength. Additionally, he has improved his power curveball and is no longer afraid to pitch inside to hitters. Duffy exhibited much better control this season walking 25 hitters in 86.1 IP.
Garcia played at short season Idaho Falls this season and was not very impressive, hitting .211 with a HR and 18 RBI. Speed and defense are the calling cards to Garcia's game as he stole 21 bases in 29 attempts. Defensively, he is has fluid movement and a solid glove that should stick at 2B. Garcia has a frame that projects to add a bit of strength but his HR numbers Read the full story
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H/W: 6-5 210 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 9/15/83
