Team MVP: Eric Hosmer
I never knew much about Hosmer. I remembered him being drafted, but I didn’t follow the draft then as closely as I do now. When it was very clear that he was going to be coming up in 2011, he became the hot topic in every prospect/fantasy/scouting chat prior to and during the 2011 season. I recall a few scouts pretty clearly saying, “You must not remember how hyped he was coming out of high school. He was hyped as much as any high school hitter recently, save Bryce Harper.”
This opened my eyes a little, and made me more excited about Hosmer. It turns out the hype was well-earned. He has fared far better than the two bats drafted ahead of him (Beckham, Alvarez) and more than held his own at the plate in 2011. Now, the same tune continues from scouts and projections… this kid will rake, average will hover around .300+ every year of his prime, and there’s not much bad to say. One sad point for him: He can be elite and still struggle to make an all-star team based on competition in the A.L.
Team Cy Young: Felipe Paulino
I never, ever thought I would type that string of words. Part of the reason I had to? The Royals’ staff is incredibly underwhelming. I always liked Jonathan Sanchez, but I don’t like him moving to that park in the American League and still walking way too many guys. I chose Paulino because his xFIP (3.73) was way better than his ERA (4.46), and hopefully his two most common pitches, four seam (one of the harder throwing starters in baseball, averaging 95 mph) and slider, can produce results.
I understand this whole youth movement injecting enthusiasm into the Royals for the first time in recent memory, but sprinkling any sort of pitching into that recipe is a dire need. Duffy, Montgomery, and Lamb… one lefty has to stick, right? (For the record, I like Jake Odorizzi as the guy who will keep getting it done despite less hype than most prospects… Jordan Zimmermann-ish)
Fresh face with impact: Jonathan Sanchez
I wrote this about Sanchez last year (in my Giants’ preview as a possible breakout candidate).
Don’t watch him pitch. No, I’m serious, don’t. He will drive you nuts in a Dice-K-ian, “Throw a fastball down the middle, for a strike, right now, you idiot…” kind of way… But it is all there. The trends, the stuff… and the pull your hair out 3-1 counts to 8-hitters when it seems like he has no idea where the next pitch is going…
Sanchez walked 5.86 guys per 9 innings last season. Ya know, in hindsight, maybe it’s not all effing there?
He is a fresh face. They need him to be good, because they need pitching. He is also, oftentimes, positively infuriating.
Impact Prospect: Wil Myers
Loved him coming out of high school, figured he wouldn’t end up catching, and his bat progressing faster than some thought confirmed that. He is incredibly athletic, and may have been the only guy to outperform Bryce Harper in the Arizona Fall League (he raked, to the tune of .360). He takes his walks (10.1 BB% over his career), and with Myers waiting in the minors, I don’t think the Royals are keeping Jeff Francoeur long term. He is the forgotten prospect out of Hosmer, Moustakas, and Myers, and has now been overshadowed by Bubba Starling being drafted… but I think Myers will hit at every level and have a good career. As an off the top of my head comparison, he seems like a Hunter-Pence-ish good athlete who will play hard and hit, hit, hit.
Biggest sleeper or breakout candidate: Greg Holland
The Joakim Soria injury makes Holland the pick. Holland struck out 11.10 per 9 last year out of the bullpen, and seems to be your typical great fastball, great slider, shut down reliever. As a RHP, he struck out an impressive 36% of the lefties he faced. He almost has to close now, right? I have a strange feeling the Royals will give Jonathan Broxton first dibs at the spot, but we will see.
Biggest Concern: Staying the course
I see the athleticism, but the jury is still very, very much out for me on Bubba Starling. He’s far away from the majors. But they do have good prospects. They have locked up Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar long term. Alex Gordon has come along incredibly well. All of the good things are seeming to fall in place, but there is still something missing in the form of impact pitchers. There will continue to be hype, hope, and before too long, expectations, for this younger bunch.
Projected Lineup:
LF – Alex Gordon
CF – Lorenzo Cain
1B – Eric Hosmer
DH – Billy Butler
3B – Mike Moustakas
RF – Jeff Francoeur
C – Brayan Pena (Salvador Perez when he returns)
2B – Johnny Giavotella
SS – Alcides Escobar
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