June has been much kinder to the KC Royals than May was. Last week, they went 5-2 and overall they are 11-4 in June. The Royals have won four straight series and look to continue that tonight when they start a three game series at second place Cleveland. Another series win would put them in second place in the American League Central.

Omaha went 4-3 last week on the road and finish up their trip today in Iowa. The Storm Chasers are 30-37 overall and now are in third place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division (three games back).

NW Arkansas went 5-4 last week as they played two doubleheaders (which killed their bullpen) and used two position players to pitch in last night’s 13 innings victory. The Naturals are 24-45 and are still the worst team in the Texas League with the first half ending tonight.

The first half did not end well for Wilmington, as they were eliminated from the title by going 2-5 to finish the half (overall they are 33-37). They also saw a ton of player movement over the final week, losing third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert and reliever Scott Alexander to Double-A promotions, gaining shortstop Alex McClure (and then losing him to family issues), outfielder Ethan Chapman, first baseman Dennis Raben, and relievers Daniel Hernandez and Ben Tomchick. They also demoted outfielder Alex Hudak and “sent” lefty reliever Antonio Cruz to rookie ball. The Blue Rocks will enjoy the four-day All-Star break (as only pitcher Kyle Smith will be making the trip to California for the event) before opening the second half at home on Friday night against Salem.

Lexington also had a ton of player movement at the end of their first half, as they went just 1-6 (overall they are 33-35). Catcher Cam Gallagher, first baseman Mark Threlkeld, and pitcher Crawford Simmons were reinstated from the DL. They also gained reliever Kevin Allen from extended spring, released first baseman Adrian Morales, and demoted catcher Alex Marquez. The Legends will enjoy the three-day All-Star break (with pitchers Christian Binford and Alec Mills, along with shortstop Raul Mondesi taking part in the festivities) before opening the second half at home for four games against Savannah (the first half Southern Division champs).

Now to the awards…

Hitter of the Week

Majors: Elliot Johnson. He hit .389 (7-for-18) with a double, a triple, and a homerun in six games last week. He scored five runs and drove in four. He also stole two bases.

Minors: Matt Fields, NW Arkansas. The first baseman went 9-for-29 (.310) last week for the Naturals. He hit two doubles and two homeruns, while driving in seven. He scored seven runs and walked three times.

» Continue reading “Royals Weekly Awards”

The KC Royals started the week by winning two of three out in LA, but then were swept in Oakland over the weekend. So, they went 2-4 as they are in Houston for three games starting tonight. They are four games out of first place in the American League Central, behind the hot Cleveland Indians (and Detroit).

Omaha split their most recent series at home versus Las Vegas and went 2-4 over the week. The Storm Chasers are still in second place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 21-20. They begin a four-game home series tonight against Tuscon.

NW Arkansas won just one game last week (1-6), which dropped them further back in the Texas League’s North Division (ten games back). The Naturals are the worst team in the league and finished their home series with Tulsa this afternoon with a loss. With an off day tomorrow, they head to Corpus Christi and San Antonio for three games each.

Wilmington went 3-4 last week. The Blue Rocks are 20-23 overall, four games back in the Northern Division of the Carolina League. They have today off before welcoming first place Lynchburg to town for three games beginning on Tuesday night.

Lexington went 5-2, the only Royals affiliate to have a winning record last week. However, the Legends are still in sixth place in the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League (just 3.5 games back). They return home for three games beginning tonight against Asheville.

Now to the awards…

Hitter of the Week

Majors: It is a tie between Billy Butler and Alex Gordon. Both went exactly 12-for-25 (.480) in six games. They both also hit three doubles. Butler drove in ten runs. Gordon scored five runs.

Minors: Alex Hudak, Wilmington. He went 7-for-20 (.350) with three doubles, a homerun, and four RBIs. One of the newest Blue Rocks had his five-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Irving Falu, Omaha. He went 7-for-21 (.333) with a double, two triples, and three runs scored.

» Continue reading “Royals Weekly Awards”

The KC Royals played a full week of games for the first time during the 2013 season (with zero days off). It unfortunately was not a good week. They went 1-6 last week, but started the new week with a win in LA last night. The Royals dropped to third place in the American League Central behind both Detroit and suddenly hot Cleveland, and just one game ahead of Minnesota.

Omaha dropped to second place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 19-17. The Storm Chasers went 3-4 last week. They finish up their road series tonight in Colorado Springs, before returning home to enjoy tomorrow off and start an eight-game homestand.

NW Arkansas went 3-3 last week and continue to be the worst team in the Texas League at 13-22. The Naturals continue their road series tonight against the Arkansas Travelers.

Wilmington continues to be a streaky team, though they are still in last place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League (17-20). Last week, the Blue Rocks went 4-2. They continue their road trip tonight, as they open a three-game set in Potomac.

Lexington is 18-19, four games back in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division. The Legends went 3-3 last week. They continue their home series tonight against Kannapolis.

Now to the awards…The Royals minor leaguers took home three player/pitcher of the week awards. I only gave one of them one of my weekly awards.

Hitter of the Week

Majors: Alex Gordon seems to be the only Royal who can consistently hit in their lineup, no matter where Ned Yost places him in the lineup. He has now moved to the third spot, in front of Billy Butler, and has not missed a beat. Over the last seven games, he went 11-for-28 (.393) with two doubles and three homeruns. Gordon scored six runs and drove in eight.

Minors: Max Ramirez, Omaha. He was also named the PCL’s Player of the Week. In five games, he went 11-for-20 (.550) with two doubles and two homeruns. He scored seven runs and drove in six. He is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.

Honorable Mention: His teammate Anthony Seratelli. In six games, he went 10-for-25 (.400) with two doubles and a homerun. He scored six runs and drove in four.

» Continue reading “Royals Weekly Awards”

Mother Nature was not kind to the big league KC Royals or their farm system last week. There were a total of six games postponed.

The Royals had two more games postponed last week, with them only playing five (4-1). Their four-game winning steak came to an end with a heartbreaking loss in Monday’s makeup game against Chicago. The lack of games pushed them into second place behind Detroit. The Royals head to Baltimore for three games beginning tonight (hopefully the rain holds off because I will be there).

Omaha also had two games postponed last week. The Storm Chasers went 2-3, but are still in first place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 16-12. They finished up their series at home yesterday afternoon (an extra inning loss) and now are out on the road for eight games in Reno and Colorado Springs.

NW Arkansas had back-to-back games postponed last week and went 2-3. The Naturals are still the worst team in the Texas League at 10-18. They finish up their series at home today against Arkansas before heading out on the road for nine games.

Wilmington went 4-3 last week and enjoyed a day off on Monday. The Blue Rocks are just 13-17 and in last place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division. They welcome Potomac to town for three games beginning tonight and could move out of last place with a sweep.

Lexington has now won six in a row (including last night’s win over Lakewood) and went 5-1 last week. The Legends are moving up in the South Atlantic League Southern Division standings at 14-16. They finish up their series in Lakewood today before heading home for seven games.

Now that you are up-to-date on the teams, let’s hand out some awards.

» Continue reading “Royals Weekly Awards”

Outside of the top two levels, the 2013 season has not been too good for the KC Royals system so far.

The big league KC Royals went 3-2 last week, as they had two rain outs and a day off. The Royals are now in the midst of ten games in nine days, though all are at home. They are 13-9 overall and in first place in the American League Central.

Omaha went 4-2 last week as they begin a four-game road series against New Orleans tonight. The Storm Chasers are in first place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 14-9. That is the best record in the PCL.

NW Arkansas went 3-4 last week on the road (and lost their finale this afternoon in Tulsa). The Naturals have the worst record in the Texas League at 8-15 (well now 8-16 after today’s loss) and are four games back of first place in the North.

Wilmington has lost six in a row and last won on Monday in Salem. The Blue Rocks open a four-game series at home tonight versus the Red Sox. They have the worst record in the Carolina League at 9-14, three games back in the Northern Division.

Lexington lost five in a row last week before a win on Sunday. They finished up their home series this morning with a loss to Augusta, before an off day and another road trip. This time, they will be heading north, to Delmarva and Lakewood. The Legends are in last place in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division at 9-15 (well now 9-16). They are 6.5 games back.

Now to the awards…

» Continue reading “Royals Weekly Awards”

It has been a very good start to the season for the KC Royals, who also had a great spring training. They are currently in first place in the American League Central at 10-7 and are coming off an emotional series victory in Boston. Next up, the Royals play a three-game series in Detroit beginning Tuesday night (the Tigers are right behind them in third place).

Triple-A Omaha is currently in second place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 10-7 (just a 1/2 game back). The Storm Chasers continue their road trip tonight in Nashville.

Double-A NW Arkansas has the worst record in the Texas League at 5-11. They also have one of the worst pitching staffs in the league. The Naturals continue their road trip tonight with four games in Springfield.

High-A Wilmington is tied for second place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League at 8-8 (just one game back). The Blue Rocks continue their road trip tonight with four games in Salem.

Low-A Lexington is six games back in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division at 8-10. The Legends head out on the road for three games in Asheville beginning on Tuesday night.

Now for the awards…

» Continue reading “The Inaugural Royals Weekly Awards Post”

With the big league KC Royals having two days off within a four day span, I decided not to harp on the strikeouts again today. Instead, I will take a look at some homerun totals early on in the minor league season.

Usually teams with high strikeout totals tend to have players who swing for the fences (or just have long swings). However, homeruns have been hard to come by over the first three weeks of the minor league season. The cold weather may also have something to do with that. Or maybe the good, new pitching they are facing.

Billy Butler

Three homeruns is most among Royals farmhands (and most among the Royals period). That total comes from veteran Xavier Nady with Omaha. The Storm Chasers have a total of 12 homers in 13 games. Brett Hayes has two homeruns in just seven games. Christian Colon has just two extra base hits, but both are long balls. Max Ramirez also has two homeruns. Three other players have hit a homerun.

In NW Arkansas, two homeruns is tops amongst its players, as they have hit a total of seven. Brian Fletcher, who is currently on the DL, has two homeruns. He only has three total hits in five games. Slugger Matt Fields also has two homeruns (of his five total hits).

In Wilmington, they have five total homeruns as the players will find it will be tough to hit it out of Frawley Stadium. Kenny Diekroeger, who does not play every day, leads the team with two homeruns in 38 at-bats.

In Lexington, they have hit just four homeruns. Fred Ford leads the team with two in 43 at-bats. That’s not surprising, considering he hit 13 in 214 at-bats last season in rookie ball.

Homeruns have also been a struggle at the big league level, as Billy Butler leads the Royals with just two. The big leaguers have only hit a total of five (and Chris Getz has hit one of them).

Hopefully when the weather starts to heat up, the Royals will begin to find their power potential (at all levels).

It’s another KC Royals day off, so let’s take another look at the strikeouts piling up in their minor league system.

Omaha as a team has struck out 85 times in 381 at-bats. Max Ramirez leads the Storm Chasers with 15 strikeouts in 39 at-bats (he has just nine hits). Xavier Nady is hitting .310, but has struck out 12 times in 42 at-bats. In eight games, Adam Moore has struck out eight times.

Wilmington’s Justin Trapp

NW Arkansas as a team has struck out 76 times in 335 at-bats. Brett Eibner leads the Naturals with 12 strikeouts in 34 at-bats (and is hitting just .059). Matt Fields has struck out 11 times in 28 at-bats (and is hitting just .143).

It hasn’t been so bad in Wilmington, as the team has struck out 68 times in 315 at-bats. Lane Adams and Justin Trapp lead the team with ten strikeouts each. Adams has 35 at-bats, while Trapp has 32 at-bats. Trapp‘s strikeouts worry me more than Adams because Trapp is the Blue Rocks leadoff hitter and someone who relies on speed and needs to get on base.

Lexington as a team has struck out 93 times in 341 at-bats. Bubba Starling has struck out 15 times in 36 at-bats (and is hitting just .184). Fred Ford has struck out 13 times in 33 at-bats. Adalberto Mondesi has also struck out 13 times in 40 at-bats as the Legends leadoff hitter. Michael Antonio is hitting .325, but has struck out 11 times in 40 at-bats.

Strikeouts have been a problem throughout the KC Royals minor league system over the last two seasons that I have been covering the team for Aerys. With a week of the minor league season in the books, it looks as though the 2013 season will be no different.

With today being a Royals off day, I decided it would be a good time to look at some of the strikeout Kings of the Royals farm system. I will be checking out the strikeouts on every Royals off day.

Despite being the Wilmington Blue Rocks strikeout King in 2012, the Royals decided to promote centerfielder Brett Eibner to Double-A. Well, things have not started out too well for Eibner. Over NW Arkansas’ first five games, he had batted leadoff. He has not collected a hit in 20 at-bats. Eibner has struck out ten times. He also has not played in the Naturals last two games (he came on as a defensive replacement tonight).

But Eibner is not the only Natural to be striking out at a record pace. As a team, they have struck out 53 times in 223 at-bats. That total is not tops in the Texas League, mainly because they have about twenty fewer at-bats than the teams in front of them. They have only walked eight times (which is the least amount in the TL).

It has been a rough full season debut for uber prospect Bubba Starling. The outfielder has just two hits in 26 at-bats with Low-A Lexington. He has struck out 11 times.

Starling is hardly the only Legend to be striking out. As a team, they have struck out 62 times in 228 at-bats. However, that total is not tops in the South Atlantic League, mainly because the Legends have close to 30 less at-bats than teams in front of them. They have walked just 11 times, which is fewest in the SAL.

*On the next Royals off day, I’ll update you on how these two are doing, while also looking at a few more Kings.

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”