Royals Farm Report

PLAYER PROFILE
George C. “Buddy” Baumann
Pitcher
A+ Wilmington Blue Rocks
23 years old
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs.
Drafted by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2009 MLB Draft

One of the best pitchers in the lower minor leagues for the Royals this year has been Buddy Baumann, a diminutive lefty with a strong arm.

Drafted by the Royals last year, Baumann had mainly pitched out of relief for Wilmington, but earlier this season he was promoted to the rotation. The 23-year-old responded magnificently, and his stats on the year show a 2.32 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 89.1 innings, while giving up only two home runs.

In addition to his pro ball success, Baumann also has a trophy case full of honors from a terrific college career. Here we have another local boy in the system, hailing from Billings, Mo., and attending Missouri State University. For the Missouri State Bears, he was named Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year and was a second-team All-America player. He was also a finalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.

Baumann also shined while playing in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was an All-Star pitcher for the Brewster Whitecaps.

The future looks bright for Baumann, who has, at the very least, secured a spot in the Wilmington rotation next year, if not a promotion to Double A. He could be a prospect to watch in the coming years – although don’t expect him to make an impact on the big league team anytime soon.

MiLB WEEKLY ROUNDUP
AAA – Omaha Royals

Record to date: 73-60, third place in the PCL American North
The past week: 4-4
Transactions: Gil Meche started a rehab assignment in Omaha; and Brian Bannister began a rehab assignment.
Coming up: The O-Royals are hosting Iowa this weekend and start off next week hosting Round Rock before traveling to Oklahoma City to finish the year.

AA – Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Record to date: 36-23 in the second half (first place), 78-51 overall
The past week: 5-3
Transactions: No transactions.
Coming up: The Naturals travel to Tulsa this weekend, then come home to host Arkansas and Tulsa to end the regular season.

A+ – Wilmington Blue Rocks
Record to date: 31-27 in the second half (second place), 63-65 overall
The past week: 4-3, winning two in a row from Potomac
Transactions: James Thompson was activated from the temporarily inactive list; and Harold Mozingo was placed on the seven-day disabled list.
Coming up: After the Blue Rocks finish at Lynchburg this weekend, they end the season with a four-game series at home against Myrtle Beach and a three-game set in Wilmington against Frederick.

POSITION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Salvador Perez, catcher, A+ Wilmington Blue Rocks
.300 AVG, 2 home runs, 5 RBI
20-year-old Perez had a two-home run, 5-RBI game on Aug. 22 against Lynchburg. He is batting .272 on the year.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Luiz Mendoza, AAA Omaha Royals
1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6 IP
Mendoza looked strong in a quality-start win on Monday against Memphis. For the season, he’s 10-8 with a 4.10 ERA.