Life On The Farm: Kansas City Royals (# 11)

Disappointing year in majors, what about the minors?

Graduated To Majors: Mitch Maier (OF, # 23), Carlos Rosa (SP, # 8), Dusty Hughes (RP, UR)

The Rest Of The Top 10 (with quick commentary)
Hitters: BA-OBP-SLG, AB, HR-RBI, BB-K, SB-CS
Pitchers: G-GS, W-L, ERA, IP-H-HR-BB-K

1 - Mike Moustakas: 3B
Hi A: .250-.297-.421, 492, 16-86, 32-90, 10-6
Quick Take: Needs to find some plate discipline eventually.

2 - Eric Hosmer: 1B
Lo A: .254-.352-.382, 280, 5-49, 44-68, 3-2
Hi A: .206-.280-.299, 97, 1-10, 9-22, 0-0
Quick Take: Mid-season promotion to High A was surprising.

3 - Daniel Cortes: RHP
AA: 26-25, 7-11, 4.33, 135-128-7-85-112
Quick Take: Dealt to Seattle due to some off-field issues, but on the field he needs to discover some command.

4 - Mike Montgomery: LHP
Lo A: 12-12, 2-3, 2.17, 58-42-1-24-52
Hi A: 9-9, 4-1, 2.25, 52-38-0-12-46
Quick Take: Continues on a rapid ascent to KC and may start next year at AA.

5 - Tim Melville: RHP
Lo A: 21-21, 7-7, 3.79, 97.1-89-10-43-96
Quick Take: Strong pro debut and the fact he was a HS draftee who debuted in Low A and threw well is a good sign.

6 - Danny Duffy: LHP
Lo A: 24-24, 9-3, 2.98, 126.2-108-6-41-125
Quick Take: Strong season earned him chance to pitch in Futures Game.

7 - Danny Gutierrez: RHP
Hi A: 8-4, 1-0, 1.65, 27.1-17-0-7-25
AA: 1-1, 0-0, 3.60, 5-3-1-0-3
Quick Take: Dealt to Texas for catcher Manny Pina and left fielder Tim Smith.

9 - Kila Ka'aihue: 1B
AAA: .252-.392-.433, 441, 17-57, 102-85, 0-1
Quick Take: He is what he is, an on base machine that just doesn't have the power for a 1B and not much defense.

10 - Blake Wood: RHP
R: 3-2, 0-1, 0.00, 4-4-0-1-4
AA: 17-13, 2-8, 5.83, 78.2-92-8-28-49
Quick Take: Struggled in over a half season at AA this year and then struggled again this year.

AAA: Omaha Royals (PCL)
Breakout Hitter: Cory Aldridge (UL): .316-.361-.582, 354, 22-71, 24-86, 0-1
Disappointing Hitter: Mario Lisson (UR): .236-.282-.410, 339, 12-43, 19-89, 7-4
Breakout Pitcher: Luke Hochevar (UL): 8-8, 5-1, 1.50, 48-41-2-12-36
Disappointing Pitcher: Brandon Duckworth (UL): 20-19, 3-6, 5.31, 105-105-12-37-67
Quick Take: Older team that reflects the past struggles of the previous regime. Aldridge is an older guy who looks like he should have merited a call-up. Hochevar appears ready to become a major league starter and be consistent. Lisson struggled in AAA and was one of many to do so. Duckworth was supposed to be the 1st call-up and got passed by guys like Bruce Chen, Lenny DiNardo and Dusty Hughes.

AA: Northwest Arkansas Naturals (TL)
Breakout Hitter: David Lough (# 15): .331-.371-.517, 236, 9-31, 12-30, 13-4
Disappointing Hitter: Joe Dickerson (# 24): .230-.338-.317, 126, 0-13, 18-19, 5-1
Breakout Pitcher: Chris Hayes (UR): 18-0, 3-0, 0.98, 36.2-33-1-6-17
Disappointing Pitcher: Blake Wood (# 10): Line above.
Quick Take: Lough hit a ton at both levels and has a chance to be in Kansas City by the middle of next year. Hayes got a midseason promotion to AAA, where he had struggled. Dickerson had a lost season. Wood has battled to do much at AA in his 1 plus years there.

Hi A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (CL)
Breakout Hitter: Jeff Bianchi (UR): .300-.360-.427, 220, 4-28, 20-47, 12-2
Disappointing Hitter: Ryan Eigsti (UL): .201-.306-.278, 324, 3-35, 42-95, 4-2
Breakout Pitcher: Brandon Sisk (UR): 45-0, 2-3, 1.92, 61-30-2-18-78
Disappointing Pitcher: Alex Caldera (UR): 27-27, 5-10, 4.77, 137.1-141-12-53-105
Quick Take: Bianchi joined Lough with a promotion to AA and also played very well. Sisk showed a lot of strikeout potential as a lefty reliever. Eigsti got a lot of at bats and didn't do much. Caldera was the worst of a pretty solid crop of pitchers at Wilmington.

Lo A: Burlington Bees (ML)
Breakout Hitter: Nick Van Stratten (UL): .318-.393-.447, 255, 1-38, 28-32, 15-6
Disappointing Hitter: Jose Bonilla (# 26): .217-.281-.311, 351, 5-36, 29-92, 6-4
Breakout Pitcher: Tim Melville (# 5): Line above.
Disappointing Pitcher: Sam Runion (# 28): 28-28, 5-11, 6.60, 135-193-17-45-62
Quick Take: Van Stratten came out of nowhere to post a pretty solid line while Melville showed he should have been a 1st rounder last year. Bonilla didn't do much offensively in his full-season debut while Runion failed in his 2nd attempt at Low A.

TK's Early 2010 Top 10 Prospects:
1) Danny Duffy: LHP
Duffy is the best, in my opinion, of the other 3 potential stud starters.
2) Mike Montgomery: LHP
Should be a crime to have 2 lefty starters with these ceilings.
3) Tim Melville: RHP
Showed he was worth the hype of being top prep pitcher available last year.
4) Eric Hosmer: 1B
Interesting full-season debut and looks to translate his tools into production.
5) Mike Moustakas: 3B
He is getting close to needing a breakout season to prove his tools can be production.
6) Tyler Sample: RHP
6-7 righty will be making full-season debut next year.
7) David Lough: CF
Closest hitting prospect to majors may make debut next year.
8) Aaron Crow: RHP
Has the layoff affected his stuff?
9) Wil Myers: C
3rd round catcher hit .426-.488-.735 at Rookie ball.
10) Salvador Perez: C
Will be making his full-season debut next year and showed some good offensive tools.

Dropped From Top 10: Ka'aihue (# 9), Wood (# 10)

Final Overview: The top 5 prospects are guys that may be Top 50 prospects period. The others are guys that are tough to tell their upsides due to them being so far away. While Dayton Moore has shown an inability to assemble an offense (and to apparently teach plate discipline to his younger hitters) has assembled a very good farm system. The main question is whether Duffy, Montgomery and Melville can be their version of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Still likely a Top 10 system.