I will be keeping a close watch on Double-A NW Arkansas all season long, and not just because they are the KC Royals affiliate.

24 of the 27 players listed on their roster I personally covered over the last two seasons. Many of them were in Wilmington last year and some I was a little shocked they were promoted (but I still wish them luck). They open their season at home on Thursday night against Midland.

The Naturals pitching staff was awful as a whole in 2012, but that could change in 2013. The rotation could look like this: Yordano Ventura, Jason Adam, Noel Arguelles, Sugar Ray Marimon, and Andy Ferguson.

Ventura and Marimon struggled in their mid-season promotions last season, but Ventura further put himself on the map with his performance this spring (in terms of competing for the fifth starter’s spot). Arguelles had a rough 2012 in NW Arkansas, but seemed fully healthy this spring and threw well. I expected Adam to to earn the promotion, but he needs to keep the ball in the ballpark (which he struggled with at spacious Frawley Stadium). The big surprise may be Ferguson, who pitched at three levels in 2012 (and pitched well). He dominated at times in Wilmington and he could end up pitching the best, especially close to home (he attended Arkansas State).

If any of those struggle, there are more starters in the bullpen, four to be exact. I’m also not sure if the Naturals will go with piggy-back combinations at the start of the season like they do at lower levels.

Edwin Carl started and relieved in Wilmington and really pitched well for the Blue Rocks late in the year (after dominating at Low-A Kane County). Santiago Garrido was part of a piggy-back combo in Wilmington, but was limited by an injury. Brooks Pounders joined the Blue Rocks rotation in the second half and pitched well late in the season. As did Matt Ridings.

Sam Runion pitched well in the Naturals pen after a much-deserved promotion from Wilmington in the second half. Nick Rogers struggled in his Double-A promotion last season and after returning to the Blue Rocks. He is looking for a solid second chance. Jon Keck also split time between High-A and Double-A in 2012 (I saw him pitch in Wilmington every time I went). Cole White, who missed a good chunk of the 2012 season, is the surprise entry to the Naturals bullpen.

» Continue reading “Taking a Look at Royals Full Season Rosters: NW Arkansas”

KC Royals outfielder Brian Fletcher will be starting in tonight’s Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game. He is starting in left field and batting ninth for the road team. It will be televised shortly (at 8pm ET) on MLB Network.

I know I was critical of Fletcher being named to the West squad, mainly because his numbers don’t exactly scream PROSPECT or ALL-STAR. But I am excited to see how he does. And isn’t it cool to see someone you’ve covered play on TV?

Houston prospect (via Philadelphia) Jarred Cosart will be taking the ball for the East against Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson. I saw Gibson pitch back in 2010 when he was an Eastern League All-Star, but he is coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

WEST: CF Billy Hamilton (Cincinnati), SS Hak-Ju Lee (TB), RF Rymer Liriano (San Diego), 1B Hunter Morris (Milwaukee), 2B Nick Franklin (Seattle), 3B Cody Asche (Philadelphia), DH Bryce Brentz (Boston), C Tommy Joseph (Philadelphia), and FLETCHER.

EAST: LF Brian Goodwin (Washington), CF Gary Brown (SF), 1B Jonathan Singleton (Houston), DH Nick Castellanos (Detroit), 3B Kaleb Cowart (LAA), C Austin Romine (NYY), RF Corey Dickerson (Colorado), 2B David Adams (NYY), and SS Chris Owings (Arizona).

I am most looking forward to watching the bottom four in the West’s order bat tonight. That’s mainly because I have seen all four (Asche, Brentz, Joseph, and Fletcher) play this season.

Oh and I want to see Hamilton run!

KC Royals minor leaguer Brian Fletcher will be playing in Saturday’s Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game. It will be broadcast LIVE on MLB Network at 8pm ET.

I get that Fletcher was the Royals‘ priority player heading into the AFL season, meaning he would get PLENTY of playing time. However, his numbers suggest he should have been left off the roster of prospects. (That statement was hard for me to type considering I am a fan of Fletcher’s, but it is the truth.)

As a member of the Surprise Saguaros in the West Division, he has played in 13 of the team’s 19 games, mainly in left field. The team is tied for first place, but Fletcher has not exactly helped the team on offense.

Fletcher is hitting a whopping .158 with just one homerun and five RBIs. The upside is that three of his seven hits have gone for extra bases (including two doubles).

The glaring negative is the strikeouts: he has 20 of them. That means, he has struck out in almost half of his at-bats (he has 44 at-bats). The upside is that he has walked 12 times.

Hopefully, Fletcher can have a nice game on national television and restore my faith in him that he can be successful at the plate.

Baseball America released their weekly minor league transactions list on Friday. The KC Royals released two minor league outfielders: Julio Aparicio and Jerico Blanco.

I was expecting to see Aparicio at some point during the 2013 season in Wilmington. He hit .265 over 52 games with Low-A Kane County during the 2012 season. However, he isn’t an extra-base machine. He hit five doubles, one triple, and four homeruns. He also only scored 16 runs while driving in 17. Aparicio struck out 46 times to 13 walks. He committed four total errors in the outfield with the Cougars, as he played both left and right field.

Blanco signed out of Venezuela in 2008 and had not advanced past the rookie level. In 2012 with Idaho Falls, he hit .274 across 39 games. He only collected nine extra base hits (six doubles and three triples) and struck out 23 times (to just seven walks). Blanco played all three outfield positions in 2012 and did not commit an error (with five assists).

*The Royals also announced the signing of second baseman Ariel Venegas. Check out this video of him playing at home:

The Surprise Saguaros went 4-1-1 (yes, a tie) during Week 2 of the Arizona Fall League. The KC Royals contingent were a big reason for their winning ways.

It all started on Monday, as Justin Marks picked up his first AFL victory. He allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out three and threw 28 of his 48 pitches for strikes.

In the first inning, Whit Merrifield singled, stole second base, and then scored on a single. He went 2-for-3 as the DH and batted leadoff. Brian Fletcher batted third and played left field, but went 0-for-3. He walked, struck out, and scored a run.

Edwin Carl pitched in relief and threw 16 of his 25 pitches for strikes. He allowed one hit and a walk over two scoreless innings. He struck out one.

In Tuesday’s win, Merrifield didn’t start, but went in to play second base. He went 1-for-2. Fletcher batted third again, but was the DH. The results were the same, as he went 0-for-4. He walked twice and scored two runs, but struck out three times.

Alex McClure played in his first game of the week and batted ninth. The shortstop went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBIs, and two strikeouts.

In Surprise’s fourth win in a row, Orlando Calixte played shortstop and batted eighth. He went 2-for-4, but struck out twice. Merrifield was back in left field and batted second. He went 0-for-3 with two walks, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Jon Keck made his first and only relief appearance of the week and it wasn’t a good one. He record the first out of the inning on a ground out, but he then proceeded to walk the next four batters. Keck allowed two runs and only threw eight of his 24 pitches for strikes.

» Continue reading “Royals in the AFL Week 2 Update”

It was announced on Thursday that five minor leaguers were re-signed by the KC Royals.

Blue Rocks first baseman Matt Fields during the 2012 season.

First baseman Matt Fields was signed early in the summer and assigned to High-A Wilmington (where he spent the entire 2012 season). He provided the Blue Rocks with some much-needed pop (17 homeruns and 41 RBIs). Fields also played a great first base. However, he struggled down the stretch and into the playoffs (in which the Blue Rocks lost in the divisional series). For all the struggles, he is a great guy and a great interview. With a promotion, his power should shine more (getting out of the pitcher’s ballpark and league).

Catcher/DH Max Ramirez hit .300 for Triple-A Omaha in 2012 (his first season affiliated with the Royals). There, he hit 17 homeruns and drove in 77 in 110 games. He is currently playing winter ball in Venezuela (3-for-7 with four runs scored in two games). It will be interesting to see if Ramirez gets a shot at being the backup to Salvador Perez in the big leagues in 2013.

Right-hander Juan Gutierrez signed with the Royals this past offseason after missing 2011 due to a shoulder injury. He only pitched in 19 games across three levels and struggled to a combined 10.45 ERA, though it was good just to get back out on the field. He is currently pitching in winter ball in Venezuela. Gutierrez should add depth to the already solid Royals bullpen in 2013.

Right-handed pitcher Devon Lowery hasn’t pitched in two seasons, but the Royals re-signed him to a minor league deal. He served this past season as a coach with Low-A Kane County.

Blue Rocks outfielder Nick Van Stratten during the 2012 season.

Outfielder Nick Van Stratten started the season in Double-A NW Arkansas, but was demoted to Wilmington in August. In 21 games with the Blue Rocks, he was a spark plug. He hit .366 with 13 RBIs (.400 in his final ten games prior to the postseason). Van Stratten has spent the last two seasons splitting between the Naturals and the Blue Rocks.

Baseball America‘s Best Tools issue has come out and there is a bit of a KC Royals feel to it. None of the Royals players were on top of any of the American League categories, but there were a few who cracked the top three.

Outfielder Jarrod Dyson was ranked the AL’s third fastest baserunner. He finished behind LA Angels outfielders Mike Trout and Peter Bourjos.

Mike Moustakas working on some second base.

The Royals corner infielders were also ranked third in terms of defense in the AL. Mike Moustakas was ranked third among AL third baseman (behind Texas’ Adrian Beltre and Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria). Eric Hosmer, despite all the struggles on offense, was named the third best defensive first baseman in the AL. He ranked behind NY’s Mark Teixeira and Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez.

Another of the Royals infielders was honored, shortstop Alcides Escobar. He is considered to have the third best infield arm in the AL, behind Beltre and Oakland’s Cliff Pennington.

After almost winning a Gold Glove in 2011, outfielder Jeff Francoeur is considered to have the third best outfield arm in the AL. He ranks behind Toronto’s Jose Bautista and Cleveland’s Shin-Soo Choo.

The Royals weren’t so lucky in the minor leagues (their four full season affiliates). Uber prospect Wil Myers is considered to be the best power prospect in the Pacific Coast League (with Triple-A Omaha). That was a no-brainer, as he has a total of 34 homeruns, 21 in Triple-A.

Pitcher Jake Odorizzi was considered as one of the best pitching prospects in the PCL, but Reno’s Trevor Bauer (Arizona) won that honor. Another starter, Yordano Ventura, was also considered for the best pitching prospect in the Carolina League, but ultimately, Dylan Bundy won that honor (Baltimore).

*There were no best tools given out to Royals affiliates in the Texas League (NW Arkansas), Carolina League (Wilmington), or Midwest League (Kane County).

It was a good week to be a Kansas City Royal.

The big league Royals went 5-1 last week. They are currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak after sweeping Chicago out of Kauffman Stadium. They continue their stretch of playing playoff contenders, as they begin a three-game road series against Wild Card leading Tampa tonight.

The Royals moved into sole possession of third place in the American League Central, 11 games back.

Omaha clinched their second consecutive American Northern Division title on Saturday night and went 5-2 on the week. Currently, they have the best record in the Pacific Coast League (tied at 77-52). The Storm Chasers continue their long homestand against Nashville tonight.

NW Arkansas was eliminated from postseason competition this week, as they went 1-4. The Naturals are just 17-37 in the second half. They finish up their road trip in Frisco tonight.

Wilmington went 5-2 last week and continue to sit in first place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League (29-26). The Blue Rocks hold a 2.5 game lead over both Frederick and Lynchburg. They begin a BIG road trip tonight, with five in Frederick and three in Lynchburg.

Kane County went 2-4 last week and fell to six games back in the Western Division of the Midwest League (a tie for third place at 28-27). The Cougars continue their road trip in Burlington tonight.

Hitters of the Week

Majors: Alcides Escobar is on FIRE. He went 12-for-25 last week (.480). He scored six runs and stole four bases.

Minors: It is a tie between the left side of the Wilmington infield. Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. Last week, he went 11-for-25 (.440) with six runs scored and three RBIs.

Shortstop Orlando Calixte has a hit in five of his last six games, including the game winner on Saturday night. He went 9-for-27 (.333) with two runs scored and four RBIs.

Pitchers of the Week

Majors: Jeremy Guthrie wins this award again, and why not? He carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning on Sunday against the White Sox. In two starts last week (totaling 14.2 innings), he allowed just two unearned runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out 13.

Minors: This is a tie between two pitchers who helped their teams have winning records last week. Ryan Verdugo picked up the victory in Omaha‘s clinching game on Saturday. In two starts last week, he allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits and five walks over 13 innings. He struck out 11. Verdugo has won four straight starts.

Brooks Pounders has put together two straight dominant starts, one of which came with a pie in the face. In two starts last week (14 innings), he allowed just one unearned run on seven hits and one walk. He struck out 12.

The KC Royals had a pretty successful week. They won their series in Chicago and split their four-game series in Baltimore to go 5-3. They are now tied for last place in the American League Central with Minnesota at 49-65. The Royals continue to play playoff contenders during their upcoming six-game homestand (Oakland and the White Sox).

Omaha is in the midst of a three-game winning streak, as they have gone 4-2. The Storm Chasers continue to blow away the American Northern Division of the Pacific Coast League at 72-50. Two teams in their division have already been eliminated from postseason play. They continue their road trip out west tonight, as they finish up their series in Tuscon before moving on to Las Vegas.

NW Arkansas went 3-3 this past week, but continue to sit in last place in the North Division of the Texas League at 16-33 (15.5 games back). The Naturals finish up their homestand tonight against Frisco.

Wilmington went 4-2 this past week and have a one game lead in the Northern Division of the Carolina League at just 24-24. The Blue Rocks head out on the road to Potomac for a short three-game series before heading back home.

Kane County is in the midst of a three-game winning streak, as they went 5-2. They are 26-23, in a three-way tie for second place in the Western Division of the Midwest League (four games back). The Cougars finish up their road series with Cedar Rapids today.

Hitters of the Week

Majors: Billy Butler had a very powerful week. He went 9-for-27 (.333) in seven games. Four of those hits were homeruns. Six of the nine hits went for extra bases. He drove in seven runs and scored seven runs.

Honorable Mention: Alex Gordon also had a powerful week. He went 10-for-30 (.333) with three homeruns and four RBIs. He led off two of the four games in Baltimore with homeruns.

Minors: Dean Espy, Kane County. The 2011 draft pick out of UCLA is in the midst of a four-game hitting streak. Over the past week, he was 7-for-19 (.368) with two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBIs. He has also cut down on his strikeouts (none in the past three games and just two last week).

Honorable Mention: Irving Falu, Omaha. He went 10-for-30 (.333) with three doubles, a triple, and five runs scored. All of that offense is coming from the leadoff spot.

Pitchers of the Week

Majors: Jeremy Guthrie was brilliant against first place Chicago in his only start last week. He did not allow a run or walk over eight scoreless innings. He allowed just five hits while striking out six. His next start will come Tuesday at home against Oakland.

Minors: I had a tough time choosing just one, so I’m giving a tie once again. Cuban Noel Arguelles had a tough time with his promotion to Double-A, but finally seems to be figuring it out. In two starts last week, he allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits over 14 innings. He walked six while striking out ten. His best start of the season may have come on August 6th, when he pitched seven shutout innings, while allowing just two hits and a walk.

After pitching in relief on Tuesday for Wilmington, Matt Ridings didn’t find out he was starting on Sunday until it was less than 24 hours before the start. The short notice didn’t seem to faze him. He pitched seven shutout innings and didn’t allow a hit until the 6th inning (three hits total). Overall on the week, he allowed just one run on six hits and two walks over 11 innings while striking out eight.

2013 Texas League All-Star Game logo via the NW Arkansas Naturals

The Double-A NW Arkansas Naturals will be hosting the 2013 Texas League All-Star Game, which will be held on July 25th. It is the first time the ASG is going to Springdale, Arkansas. Arvest Ballpark will also be hosting the Home Run Derby, which is held prior to the ASG.

From the Naturals press release, GM Eric Edelstein talks about bringing the ASG to Arvest Ballpark:

“It is a great event and we are so honored to be hosting the Mid-Summer Classic,” says General Manager, Eric Edelstein.  “This is not only a time honored tradition for the baseball community but it is also a perfect opportunity to showcase the best of the Northwest Arkansas region.”