It was a tough week to be affiliated with the KC Royals.

They went 2-5 this past week and have lost three in a row heading into the All-Star break. That stretch has pushed the Royals further back in the American League Central (37-47). They fell to 9.5 games back and just 1.5 games ahead of Minnesota for last place. The Royals start their second half push against first place Chicago on Friday.

Omaha has also lost three straight heading into their All-Star break. They went 3-4 this past week, but are still 16 games up in the American Northern Division of the Pacific Coast League (56-35). The Storm Chasers hold the best record in the PCL and return to action at home against Iowa on Thursday (I think they play the Cubs too much in a small amount of time).

NW Arkansas went 0-7 last week and fell into last place in the Texas League’s North Division. The Naturals are just 4-12 in the second half and continue play tonight at home against San Antonio looking to break their losing streak.

Wilmington went 2-5 this past week and are in last place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League at 7-11 (three games back). The Blue Rocks finish up their three-game home series tonight against Myrtle Beach (they have lost the first two games).

Kane County was the only affiliate with a winning record last week. They were 4-3 and are sitting in a four-way tie for first place in the Western Division of the Midwest league (10-7). The Cougars finish up their series in Wisconsin this afternoon.

Even with the tough week record-wise, some players had great individual performances.

Hitters of the Week

Majors: Salvador Perez has been nothing short of impressive since returning from knee surgery. He is hitting way better than many expected and this past week was no exception. In six games, he went 9-for-22 (.409) with two homeruns and three RBIs. He also scored six runs. His 11-game hitting streak game to an end on Saturday (when he went 0-for-4 in Detroit), but he has a hit in 12-of-13 games since returning from the DL.

Minors: Brian Fletcher, NW Arkansas. He struggled right out of the gate when he was promoted to Double-A and I was hoping for a big break out because he is too good of a hitter. This past week, he has done just that. Fletcher is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, where he is 9-for-25 (.360).

Honorable Mention: Jose Bonilla, Wilmington. The catcher is getting a chance to catch more often in the second half and has taken full advantage. This past week, he went 8-for-21 (.381).

Power hitter of the week: Matt Fields, Wilmington. Fields came over from independent ball, leading his league in homeruns. I figured he would struggle at Frawley Stadium hitting the ball out (like every other hitter). He has taken advantage of his opportunities on the road though. This past week, Fields hit five homeruns, four of which came on the road. Overall, he has six homeruns, five coming on the road.

» Continue reading “Royals Blue Aid Weekly Awards”

Last night in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft, the KC Royals selected Kyle Zimmer out of USF with the fifth overall pick. It was awesome to see him live on MLB Network from his home getting the news. You can follow him on Twitter, @kylez9113.

Today began Day 2 of the draft, with the Royals selecting Sam Selman out of Vanderbilt. The left-handed pitcher saw his season come to an end on Monday night, as NC State pulled off the comeback in the NCAA Regionals.

He pitched Saturday’s regional game against the Wolfpack against Golden Spikes Award finalist, freshman Carlos Rodon. Selman allowed four runs on six hits and five walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out four while throwing 99 pitches (54 for strikes).

Selman was also needed to get out of the bases loaded two out jam on Monday night against NC State (he threw six pitches in getting a strikeout).

You can also follow Selman on Twitter (@crazylegsselman).

In the third round, they selected another left-handed pitcher, Colin Rodgers out of Parkview Baptist School in Louisiana. You can also follow him on Twitter (@crodg27). He is an Auburn signee.

Rodgers was a Rawlings third-team All-America and a Southeast Region first teamer. His fastball reaches 91 mph and he throws a sweeping slider.

With their fourth round pick, the Royals selected shortstop Kenny Diekroeger out of Stanford. He apparently turned down $2 million out of high school. Many expect him to move to second base. He was also thought of as a potential top 10 pick this year.

In hosting the NCAA Regional in Palo Alto, Diekroeger went 4-for-12 in Stanford’s victory and advancement to face Florida State this coming weekend in the Super Regionals.

In the 5th round, the Royals selected high school catcher Chad Johnson of Galesburg High School in Illinois. He helped guide his high school team to the 3A regional title. He was even a featured speaker at his high school graduation at the end of May.

» Continue reading “2012 Royals Draft Update”