Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 3-4 over the last week and now sit at 34-25 on the season.  The Storm are leading the Northern Division by eight games over the Iowa Cubs.

Who’s Hot

Wil Myers has been an offensive show by himself no matter what level he has been playing at this season.  Although, he has spent most of his time in Omaha at designated hitter, he will be in the field more in the coming weeks.  Over his last five games the outfielder is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with three home runs and eight RBI.  Since joining Omaha, Myers is hitting .321 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 19 games.  On the mound for the Storm Chasers Mike Montgomery has again jumped from the not to the hot list in one week.  In his last outing the left-hander went seven innings allowing just two hits and one run, to earn his third win of the season.

Who’s Not

Derrick Robinson seems to have hit a midseason slump.  The outfielder is hitting .172 (5-29) over his last nine games.  He is still hitting .296 for the season despite the slump and has scored 38 runs.  Jonathan Sanchez, who is in Omaha on a major league rehab assignment, has struggled in his two starts.  He has gone eight and a third innings allowing nine hits and seven earned runs, while walking five and striking out eight.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) went 3-3 over the getting swept by the Midland RockHounds, and then sweeping the Frisco RoughRiders.  The Naturals return home on Wednesday to take on the Arkansas Travelers.  The Naturals are 29-27 on the season and find themselves trailing the Tulsa Drillers by two games for the lead in the North Division.

Who’s Hot

Carlo Testa has continued to swing a hot bat for the Naturals.  The outfielder is hitting .316 (12-for-38) with three home runs and 11 RBI in his last nine games.  He is now tied for the team lead in RBI with Myers, who has since been promoted to Omaha.  Justin Marks has been one of the hottest pitchers in the Texas League as of late.  He has allowed just two earned runs over his last 11 innings, walking five and striking out nine.

Who’s Not

Christian Colon hit a rough patch on the road trip this past week.  The shortstop, who is also seeing action at second base has gone 6-for-35 (.171) over his last ten games, but has not stopped producing.  During that time he has one home run six RBI, and has scored seven times.    Chris Dwyer went 0-2 in his last two starts working six and two-thirds innings allowing ten hits and ten runs, issuing nine walks and striking out seven.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 3-4 last and they now sit two games under .500 at 27-29 on the season.  The Blue Rocks are second in the Northern Division and are trailing the Lynchburg Hillcats by 1.5 games.

Who’s Hot

Brian Fletcher has continued to be one of the hottest hitters in the entire Carolina League.  Fletcher has hit .353 (12-for-34) over his last 10 games and has driven in four runs.  The outfielder has been playing the majority of his time at first base, and is hitting .318 for the season with three home runs and 23 RBI.  Greg Billo has been hot on the mound for the Blue Rocks.  In his last two outings Billo has worked seven and a third innings allowing four hits and one run, while walking three and striking out eight.

Who’s Not

Catcher, Jose Bonilla has been ice cold at the plate 0-for-14 in his last four games and just 2-for-25 over his last ten with one home run.  Cole White has found himself in trouble over the last ten games on the mound.  The right handed reliever has allowed three runs over his last three and a third innings.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars went 3-4 over the past week making them 30-28 on the season.  The Cougars are in third place in the Midwest League’s Western division trailing a pair of teams from Wisconsin, the Beloit Snappers and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Who’s Hot

Outfielder Runey Davis has really turned it up at the plate hitting .320 (8-for-25) with four RBI and five runs scored over the past nine games.  Davis is hitting .250 for the season in 22 games with the Cougars.  Robinson Yambati has been hot on the mound for the Cougars.  In his last two games he has logged seven and a third innings allowing just two hits and two walks, while striking out eight.  The right-hander earned his first save on May 26 and made his second start of the season on June 1.

Who’s Not

Infielder Justin Trapp has hit a cold spell at the plate.  He is hitting just .147 in his last eight games with one home run and three RBI.  For the season Trapp is hitting .270 with five home runs and 25 RBI.  Jason Mitchell has worked six innings in his last two appearances.  He has allowed 15 hits and 13 runs, while walking six and fanning four in those appearances.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot

Ernesto Mejia is making a case to make the Triple-A All-Star game.  The former Natural is now in the Braves organization with Triple-A Gwinnett.  He has hit .366 (15-for-41) over his last ten games.   For the season Mejia is hitting .319 with eight home runs and 41 RBI.

Infielder Jefff Bianchi has been on fire ever since being promoted by the Milwaukee Brewers to Triple-A Nashville.  Bianchi is hitting .329 with a home run, eight RBI, and eleven runs scored in 20 games for the Sounds.

Who’s Not

A pair of former Naturals, now find themselves in the Los Angeles Angels system with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.  Ed Lucas and Cory Aldridge both are struggling at the plate.  Aldridge has hit three home runs in his last nine games, but has gone just 6-for-35 during that stretch.  Lucas finds himself in an even deeper slump going 3-for-31 (.097) with only two RBI in his last nine games.

Dusty Hughes also with Triple-A Gwinnett has struggled in his last three outings.  Hughes has gone 0-1, while allowing nine hits and four runs in his last four innings.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) are tied for the best record in the Pacific Coast League going 14-5 over the first week plus.  The Storm Chasers are an even more impressive 10-1 while playing at Werner Park.  They will look to defend their Pacific Coast League Championship and certainly have the talent to do so.

Who’s Hot
The offense has carried Omaha early in the season and a pair of former Naturals, Clint Robinson and Derrick Robinson have been right in the middle of things.  Clint has seen his power return of late and is second on the Storm Chasers in home runs with four and has driven in 10.  Derrick has moved back into the number two spot in the lineup now that Jarrod Dyson has returned from Kansas City to take over the leadoff spot.  The outfielder is hitting .352 with ten runs scored and four stolen bases.  On the mound Jeremy Jeffress has gone 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in six games out of the bullpen, and earned a call-up to the major leagues when the Royals placed Greg Holland on the disabled list.  Nate Adcock has been phenomenal as he has transitioned back to the starting rotation. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA in four games.  He has worked 26.1 innings allowing just 16 hits and four runs, and has held opponents to a .174 batting average.

Who’s Not
Jamie Romak is off to a slow start.  The first baseman is hitting .190 in 21 at bats for Omaha.  He has a pair of doubles and has also knocked in two runs.  On the mound Ethan Hollingsworth struggled this past week.  He has given up seven earned runs over his last two outings, which totaled five and a third innings.  The last two outings have raised his ERA to 6.92, after it was just 3.52 in his first three outings of the season.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are off to a 6-11 start so far this season.  The Naturals have returned to Arvest Ballpark where they are now 4-3 on the season after defeating Springfield last night.  The Naturals have struggled away from Northwest Arkansas posting a 2-8 mark on the road.

Who’s Hot
Kurt Mertins, although he is hitting just .190 at the plate for the season has been swinging the hottest bat in the Naturals lineup as of late.  He has gone 4-for-10 the teams last five games, and has played spectacular defense at third base robbing several players of base hits.  On the mound for the Naturals, Jake Odorizzi appears to have found his strikeout pitch.  Last night against the Cardinals, he set a Naturals single game record fanning 11.  It was also the deepest a Naturals starter has worked into a game all season as the right-hander threw seven allowing just four hits and walking one.

Who’s Not
Shortstop Christian Colon picked up a pair of hits in yesterday’s game that snapped a streak in which he had been 1-for-14 over his last four games.  He has also struggled in the field this season committing a team high four errors.  On the mound the back end of the rotation has been struggling as of late.  Justin Marks went three and two thirds innings his last time out allowing six runs, while Tim Melville went just an inning and two thirds last time out allowing eight runs.  Both pitchers had scoreless outings in their first starts.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) had a great week last week going 4-2 to improve to 8-8 on the season.  They defeated Salem yesterday getting the best of Boston Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Who’s Hot
Starting pitcher Jason Adam, is putting up unreal numbers for Wilmington.  The big right-hander threw five more shutout innings yesterday to earn his first win of the season.  He is now 1-1 on the year with a 0.40 ERA.  In 22.2 innings he has allowed just 18 hits and one earned run, while walking seven and fanning 21.  Nick Rogers has been brilliant out of the bullpen for the Blue Rocks throwing six innings allowing just three hits and fanning seven.  He has yet to allow a runs this season.  Angel Franco began the year on a cold spell hitting just .150 back on April 11.  Over his last six games he has gone 11-for-18 with five RBI and four runs scored.

Who’s Not
Outfielder Brett Eibner has been on a cold streak of late going just 2-19 in his last five games.  One of Eibner’s two hits was a home run that came in yesterday’s game.  Since he has returned to the lineup the team has hit better as a whole hitting .252 since his return compared to .217 for the entire season.  Chase Boruff has appeared twice in the last ten games for the Blue Rocks and surrendered four runs and four walks over three innings in that span.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars have gone 3-5 since last week’s report and are now 9-9 on the season.  They are tied for third placed in the Midwest League’s Western division with the Burlington Bees and the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Who’s Hot
Outfielder Lane Adams has continued his hot hitting.  The native Oklahoman is hitting .375 on the season in 18 games, with 11 runs scored.  Adams has even hit lead off in a few games recently for the Cougars and has driven in 15 runs and stolen five bases so far this season.  Orlando Calixte seems to have found a rhythm at the plate.  Calixte enter the season as the number 20 prospect in the Royals system according to Baseball America.  The shortstop is hitting .412 (7-for-17) over his last five games with five RBI over that span.  On the mound for the Cougars Edwin Carl, has been hot of late.  In his last start Carl went a season long seven innings allowing just five hits and no runs, while striking out three.  Carl has gone 1-1 with a 1.77 ERA to start the 2012 campaign.
Who’s Not

Infielder Henry Moreno has been struggling at the plate so far this season.  He has posted a .149 batting average on the young season (7-for-47), and has struck out 16 times.  Jason Mitchell struggled on the mound his last time out, making just his second start of the season, although some of the fault could be placed on the defense behind him.  Mitchell allowed six runs only three of which were earned over four innings.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot
Ed Lucas now with Triple-A Salt Lake City was 0-for-3 Monday, but is coming off of a ten-game hitting streak during which in the previous four games he was 8-for-15 with 4 RBI.  His average is up to .333 from .278 in last weeks report.

Dusty Hughes, who is with Triple-A Gwinnett, has not allowed a run in his last four and a third innings with five strikeouts and not issuing a walk.  Outfielder Jordan Parraz, who is also with Gwinnett currently has an active six-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 10-for-22, including a four RBI effort last Thursday against the Norfolk Tides.  On the season he is hitting .359 in 18 games for the Braves.

Blake Johnson who is now with Double-A Chattanooga in the Dodgers system has only allowed one run in his last four outings out of the bullpen, cover eight and two thirds innings.  Last Thursday he recorded a four inning save against Birmingham striking out five without issuing a walk.  Opponents are hitting just .186 against him.

Who’s Not
Slick-fielding infielder Chris McConnell who is in the Nationals system with Double-A Harrisburg picked up his first hit on Saturday night, but he is hitting .048 (1-for-21) while with the Senators.  Josh Johnson, who moved up to Triple-A Syracuse is hitting just .240 in his first 25 at bats with the Chiefs.

Jose Duarte is hitting just .152 (5-for-33) on the season with Double-A Jacksonville, in the Florida Marlins system.  Angel Sanchez is in the Astros system with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and is mired in a 3-for-27 slump dating back to April 14.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) have started off another very strong season going 9-3 over the first week plus. The Storm Chasers are an even more impressive 7-1 while playing at Werner Park. They will look to defend their Pacific Coast League Championship and certainly have the talent to do so.

Who’s Hot
The offense has carried Omaha early in the season and a pair of former Naturals, Clint Robinson and Derrick Robinson have been right in the middle of things. Clint hit a pair of home runs in the team’s most recent series against the Albuquerque Isotopes and is hitting .320 on the young season. Derrick spent the first few games hitting in the number two spot in the order behind Jarrod Dyson, but since Dyson’s call-up to Kansas City has moved to the lead-off spot. Derrick has scored nine runs on the young season, driven home four, stole four bases, and is hitting .364 at the top of the lineup for the Storm Chasers. On the mound Jeremy Jeffress has gone 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in five games out of the bullpen, already having worked 11 innings on the young season. Nate Adcock is also off to a good start. He has yet to surrender a run in his first two starts over 11.1 innings allowing only three hits.

Who’s Not
Mike Montgomery is off to a tough start in 2012. He has started two games for Omaha lasting 7.2 innings and allowing 14 hits and seven runs while walking seven and striking out five. At the plate for the Storm Chasers, Cody Clark is hitting .194 (6-for-31) on the young season, but has hit a pair of doubles.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are off to a 4-7 start so far this season. The offense has started to pick things up after a slow start this season boosting the team batting average up to .254 on the season. The pitching staff has been nearly unhittable when they have thrown strikes, but have gotten into trouble when issuing walks.

Who’s Hot
Wil Myers has been on fire to start the year in Northwest Arkansas. He has a hit in all nine games that he has appeared in, and had a career game on Saturday April 14. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and a career best five RBI. He leads the Naturals in home runs and RBI so far in 2012. On the mound for the Naturals, Kendal Volz has been unhittable so far this season. He has appeared in three games out of the bullpen and thrown 7.2 innings allowing just one hit, no walks, and struck out seven. He is the Texas League leader in batting average against a reliever at .042.

Who’s Not
Third baseman Kurt Mertins has made some spectacular defensive plays this season, but has struggled at the plate. He is hitting .097 (3-for-31) on the season with a pair of sacrifice flies. A couple of members of the bullpen have been roughed up to start the season. Elisaul Pimentel has surrendered 13 runs, 12 of which have been earned in just 3.2 innings out of the pen this season. Bryan Paukovits, in his first season at Double-A has allowed nine earned runs in 5.2 innings of work, but did have a scoreless outing in the second game of a double-header against San Antonio on Monday April 16.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) have started the season 4-6 and are tied with the Potomac Nationals for third placed in the North Division. Wilmington has pitched well on the young season, and the bats are starting to heat up. Brett Eibner rejoined the team this past week and has already made an impact on the lineup offensively.

Who’s Hot
Starting pitcher Jason Adam, who spent last season with Kane County is off to a great start this season. He has yet to record a win or loss in his first two starts, but has gone 10 innings allowing eight hits and just one earned run, walking two and striking out 11. Catcher Kevin David has been getting it done at the plate going 4-for-4 on April 16 against Carolina. David’s big night included two doubles and a season high four RBI. He is hitting .304 so far in 2012.

Who’s Not
Outfielders Brian Fletcher and Roman Hernandez have struggled at the plate on the young season. Fletcher, who had a torrid spring, is hitting .184 this season as he continues to make the transition to first base. He has seen plenty of time in the outfield this season as well, but many believe his future is at first base. Hernandez has gone 4-for-33 (.121) as he continues to make his transition to playing baseball in the states. He defected from Cuba and was signed by the Royals on February 1 of this year.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars have won three straight and are 6-4 on the young season. That mark puts them just a half game behind Quad Cities in the Western division of the Midwest League. The Cougars had their most recent contest on April 16 in Beloit postponed due to weather, but will play a double header on April 17.

Who’s Hot
Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is arguably of to the best start of any player in the Royals entire organization. He is hitting a robust .410 (16-for-39) over the first 10 games of the season. He has five extra base hits including one home run and seven RBI. He has also walked seven times while striking out just six. He also has recorded seven multi-hit games in 10 games so far this season. Jonathan Dooley has gone 1-0 in relief for the Cougars and has posted a 1.00 ERA out of the pen. He went a season long four innings allowing three hits and no walks, while fanning three at Burlington.

Who’s Not
Infielder Henry Moreno has been struggling at the plate so far this season. He has only hit safely in one of his seven games this season. Moreno did show signs of breaking out of his slump getting three hits on April 14. He is sporting a .115 average and has gone (3-for-26). Eric Cantrell has struggled in relief in four games this season posting and has a 14.54 ERA. He has worked 4.1 innings allowing 10 hits and seven runs on the young season.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot
Several former Naturals now find themselves in Triple-A with the Braves in Gwinnett. Dusty Hughes has transitioned into the bullpen and has a 1.17 ERA in five games for the Braves. He has allowed just one run over 7.2 innings of work. Ernesto Mejia has split time between first base and designated hitter for Gwinnett and is hitting .311 in eleven games with a home run and six RBI. Outfielder Jordan Parraz is not far behind hitting .310 in Gwinnet with a home run and three RBI.

The Washington Nationals have four former Naturals in their system. Josh Johnson, Jeff Howell. Johnson started off the season on fire with Double-A Harrisburg hitting .395 with seven RBI in 11 games. Howell has appeared in just three games, but has been good at the plate hitting .364 (4-for-11) with two RBI.

Jeff Bianchi is off to a hot start for Double-A Huntsville in the Milwaukee Brewers system. He is hitting .326 with five runs scored in the first 11 games of the season. Bianchi has started all 10 of those games at shortstop. Ed Lucas has had a recent streak to lift his average to .278 for Salt Lake, the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.

Who’s Not
Jose Duarte is now in the Miami Marlins organization and is off to a rough start with Double-A Jacksonville. Duarte is batting .176 (3-for-17) in nine games thus far for the Suns. He has appeared in four of those games as a pinch-hitter, and did hit a two run home run on April eighth off the bench against Huntsville. Juan Abreu is 2-for-3 in save chances for Triple-A Oklahoma City (Astros), but has an ERA north of 15.00 and has allowed three homers. Slick-fielding infielder Chris McConnell was recently re-assigned from Triple-A Syracuse to Double-A Harrisburg in the Nationals system.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Kansas City Royals are just two games into the spring season, but already have shown a winning attitude.  They dominated the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers in a 6-1 win to open the year, and used a late rally to win 7-6 in their second game.

Many former Naturals have been a part of the team’s early spring success.  Johnny Giavotella scored two runs in the first game, while Mike Moustakas had a pair of hits and an RBI in game one.  Giavotella continues to have the upper hand in the battle with Chris Getz to be the Royals starting second baseman, but Getz has shown a better ability to drive the ball so far this spring.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, a non-roster invitee to spring training, capped the 6-5 win in game two with a two-run double in the ninth inning to drive home former Naturals Moustakas and Wil Myers.  Myers has picked up where he left off last fall in the Arizona Fall League this spring.  He has gone 2-for-4 so far this spring and scored twice in just two games.  Myers is trying to make the step up to Triple-A Omaha to start the 2012 season.  Derrick Robinson, who is trying to make that same step, also had a big day Monday for the Royals delivering a two-run single in yesterday’s game.

The Royals are in action Tuesday playing in two games (split squad) against San Diego and Cleveland.  The minor league affiliates will begin playing spring games next Thursday March 15th.  The last minor league game this spring will be March 28th.

Naturals/Texas League Notes

Naturals in Other Camps: Juan Abreu (2009) allowed one run in one inning of work so far this spring for the Astros.  Abreu, who made his major league debut with Houston last season is trying to make the team in a relief role.  Angel Sanchez (2008) is in camp with Houston as a non-roster invitee but has yet to see any game action for the Astros.  Kila Ka’aihue (2008) has gone 2-for-10 thus far in three games for the Oakland Athletics.  He is competing for playing time at first base and designated hitter with Daric Barton and former Texas leaguer Chris Carter (Midland, 2009).  Ka’aihue is out of options, and must make the big league roster or be exposed to waivers prior to being sent to the minor leagues.  Jeff Fulchino (2008) made his debut for the Nationals this spring tossing a scoreless inning March 4 against Houston.  Other former Naturals in spring training this season include a trio of players who are in camp with the Atlanta Braves, Dusty Hughes (2008), first baseman Ernesto Mejia (2010), and outfielder Jordan Parraz (2009).  Parraz has gone 2-for-4 with an RBI so far this spring, while Mejia is 1-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.  Hughes made his first appearance on March 3 throwing a scoreless inning against the Detroit Tigers while surrendering a pair of hits.  Former Natural Jeff Bianchi, who is in major league camp with the Milwaukee Brewers, made the highlight real last night tripping on two different occasions while trying to score on a botched fly ball in a game versus the San Francisco Giants. Bianchi had singled off Giants’ ace reliever Sergio Romo.

Transactions:  Former Natural Dan Cortes failed his physical last week.  This voided his minor league deal with the Washington Nationals, making him a free agent.  Longtime Natural Blake Johnson was signed to a minor league deal by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday March 2nd.   Johnson is the only player to suit up for Northwest Arkansas in all four seasons of their existence.  This season the right-hander will either find himself at Double-A Chattanooga or Triple-A Albuquerque.

Other Injury Notes: Felipe Paulino experienced some tightness in his hamstring last week during camp, but it does not appear to be something that will be a long term issue at this point.  Manny Pina is expected to miss the rest of spring training as he recovers from knee surgery, while Paulo Orlando who is recovering from surgery for a sports hernia is expected to be back soon for the Royals.

Check nwanaturals.com for our Spring Training Report, where we’ll continue to follow Royals’ minor leaguers in spring training as well as cover other baseball information that pertains to the Naturals and the Texas League.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Imagine yourself back in 1953 in Philadelphia. You are on the mound for your major league debut, and you walk out to a thunderous boo. You begin your warm ups, and the booing continues. The game wears on, and nothing changes. You look at the opposing pitcher, Don Larsen of the St. Louis Browns, and he is dealing out there, making your teammates work for every run. The game finishes, and the booing just will not wear down. You walk out of Connie Mack Stadium, and the people just will not stop annoying you with booing and threatening words. However, you continue on your path to the hotel room and realize that you set the standard for integration for the Athletics organization. This is the day that Bob Trice made history, on September 13, 1953.

Bob Trice broke the color barrier for the Philadelphia Athletics at Connie Mack Stadium, and set the precedent for future Athletics teams, which would later move to Kansas City. His impact on the organization was more than just a sideshow attraction. He made it possible for not only African-American players like Jarrod Dyson and Derrick Robinson, but for Latino players like Joakim Soria, Jonathan Sanchez, and Salvador Perez on the current 40-man roster. His numbers were not outstanding, and his minor league success did not carry over into the Major Leagues. He was a combined 9-9 with an ERA around 6.70 in his three seasons in Philadelphia and Kansas City. He also had 28 strikeouts and 60 walks in 152 innings pitched.

Trice will never be remembered in the same way as the greats, like Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, or Roberto Clemente for running into a lot of prejudice and playing exceptionally well, but the people of Philadelphia will always remember the day he stepped on the mound and showed his skills against Don Larson. The stadium at the intersection of Lehigh Avenue and North 21st Street was filled to see how Trice would perform for a struggling A’s team, and even though he did not earn the victory, he set the bar relatively high with his first start. He threw eight innings, letting up five earned runs, no walks, and two strikeouts.

As we watch Royals baseball this spring, we will see a newly transformed team, with all sorts of different players from different parts of the world. From Mike Moustakos to Jarrod Dyson, Bruce Chen to Jonathan Sanchez, we see many different colors and ethnicities, and we should be thankful to the man that helped them be a part of the team. Thank you Bob Trice, for helping to make Baseball the game it is today.

Spring Training Report #1: Naturals reporting to Camp
Former Naturals Looking to Turn Heads this Spring

Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

Naturals/Texas League Notes

Naturals in Other Camps: At least eight former Naturals players are also showing up in other big league spring training camps around major league baseball.   Right-hander Juan Abreu (2009) has reported to camp with the Houston Astros after making his major league debut last season.  He’ll be joined by infielder Angel Sanchez (2008), an Astros’ non-roster invitee.  Kila Ka’aihue is also in camp with the Oakland Athletics and is expected to compete for playing time at first base and designated hitter with Daric Barton and former Texas leaguer Chris Carter (Midland, 2009).  Ka’aihue is out of options, and must make the big league roster or be exposed to waivers prior to being sent to the minor leagues.  Former Naturals’ starter Dan Cortes (2008-09) is in camp after signing a big league deal with the Washington Nationals following his release from the Seattle Marinerrs.  Right-hander Jeff Fulchino, who spent an abbreviated two-game stint with the Naturals in the first week of their history, joins him in Nationals’ camp as a non-roster player.

A trio of former Naturals – left-hander Dusty Hughes (2008), first baseman Ernesto Mejia (2010), and outfielder Jordan Parraz (2009) – are also in big league camp, with the Atlanta Braves, as non-roster invitees.

‘Manny being Manny’ at Arvest???  Divisive big league slugger Manny Ramirez agreed to terms on a contract with the Oakland Athletics this week.  Manny will have to serve a 50-game suspension violating major league baseball’s substance abuse policy.  There is a provision that would allow Ramirez to play a ten game stint in the minor leagues before joining the Athletics roster for their 51st game – which would be a road contest May 30^th against the Minnesota Twins.  This would put him on track to possibly begin a minor league stint on or around May 20th.  It is too early to speculate on where he may appear, or what minor league teams he may be with, but the Midland Rockhounds, Oakland’s Double-A affiliate, will be at Arvest from May 23-25th.  Should he appear in Springdale he would be the biggest name to rehab at Arvest Ballpark since Kevin Millwood made a rehab start against the Naturals in August of 2008, while on a rehab assignment from the Texas Rangers.

Top 100 Prospects: Several former and future Naturals are listed on the Baseball America top 100 prospect list.  Former Natural Mike Montgomery is ranked 23^rd, while Bubba Starling, the fifth over all pick in the 2011 draft, is right behind Montgomery ranked 24^th. Starling is not likely to see time in Northwest Arkansas before 2014.  The Royals had five players overall make the list, as current Natural Wil Myers is ranked 28th, and Jake Odorizzi is ranked 68th, and Cheslor Cuthbert, a promising third baseman from Nicaragua who is expected to begin the 2012 season with Wilmington, is 84th on the list.  Former Diamond Hog Zack Cox, who spent last season in the Texas League with Springfield, was ranked 88^th.  The Royals are one of three teams to have three players make the Top 30 for 2012.  The Mariners and Diamondbacks also accomplished the feat.

Transaction Log: Former Naturals’ right hander Roman Colon returns to the Royals organization after spending the 2011 season in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque.  In 27 appearances the 32-year old Colon posted a 2-1 record and a 4.85 ERA in 27 appearances.  Colon spent the 2010 season pitching in Korea, and has been invited to big league spring training this season, but if he wins a job coming out of camp, that’s likely to be in the bullpen with Triple-A Omaha…The Royals also signed right-hander Steve Kent to a minor league contract.  Kent is a 22-year old Australian right-hander who has spent the last two seasons in Class-A ball in the Atlanta Braves’ system.  He’ll join the cast of arms competing for spots with Kane County and Wilmington, but could advance to Double-A later in the season.  Kent’s career minor league record is 8-10 with a 4.17 ERA in 67 career games, including 30 starts.  He posted a 7.77 ERA in 48 2/3 innings last season for Class-A Rome (GA), where he missed time with injury.

Check nwanaturals.com for our Spring Training Report, where we’ll continue to follow Royals’ minor leaguers in spring training as well as cover other baseball information that pertains to the Naturals and the Texas League.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

The fine folks at the Northwest Arkansas Naturals provide us with a brief rundown of the Royals farm system every week. The details are listed below:

Triple-A

In an abbreviated week of baseball, the Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 2-2 before breaking for the Triple-A All-Star Game. The Storm Chasers still stand a game and a half ahead of the Memphis Redbirds in what is essentially a two-team race in the American Northern Division. Omaha will head to Memphis for a pivotal four-game set that begins on July 18.

Who’s Hot

One of three Storm Chasers named to the PCL’s All-Star team, second baseman Johnny Giavotella had seven hits in the last three games before the break. He leads the team with a .328 average and 26 doubles. Fellow All-Star Clint Robinson broke out of a mini-slump with four straight two-hit games, and though he has not homered in a month, Robinson’s .542 slugging percentage leads all of the team’s qualifiers. Right-hander Luis Mendoza, the team’s final All-Star, tossed seven innings of one-hit ball (allowing only an unearned run) against Oklahoma City in his last start.

Who’s Not

Lance Zawadzki is one of the few Storm Chasers currently struggling at the plate. Now playing third base, Zawadzki is just 3-for-24 in his last eight games. Also in a bit of a slide is outfielder Paulo Orlando, who is batting .235 and does not have a multi-hit game since June 22.

Double-A

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) followed a 3-3 homestand with a 3-3 road trip, as the team took two of three in San Antonio before falling twice in three games to the Corpus Christi Hooks. The Naturals are tied for third place in the North Division’s second-half standings, but still hold the edge in a potential wild-card race.

Who’s Hot

Few players in the Texas League are hotter at the plate than Nick Francis, who is batting .362 since his latest promotion from the Carolina League. Derrick Robinson has put together a five-game hitting streak that has included four multi-hit contests, a stretch that has raised his batting average to .280. Right-handerJake Odorizzi made his first two Double-A starts on the road trip, winning his first before delivering a quality start in what was ultimately a Natural loss.

Who’s Not

Wil Myers’ road trip was interrupted by a trip to Arizona to compete in the All-Star Futures Game, and perhaps as a result, the outfielder did not find a rhythm at the plate, going 2-for-18 on the road trip. On the mound, Chris Dwyer did not get out of the third inning against Corpus Christi (though the Naturals came back to win), while Zach Miner allowed eight runs in his most recent outing.

Class-A Advanced

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 4-1 last week, bringing their overall record back over the .500 mark. Though the team is just 9-10 in the second half, Wilmington sits just two games out of first in what is a crowded Northern Division.

Who’s Hot

Right-hander Justin Marks delivered one of his best starts of the year on July 11, firing six shutout innings against Myrtle Beach. Marks lowered his season ERA to 4.28 and now has 84 strikeouts in 88.1 innings. The next day, Tyler Sample topped Marks’ effort with seven scoreless innings against the Pelicans. Fellow starterElisaul Pimentel gave up just two unearned runs in six innings against Frederick on July 11.

Who’s Not

After a scorching start to his Carolina League season, Nick Van Stratten has slowed down a bit at the plate, going 1-for-13 in four games last week, while Kurt Mertins is hitting .188 in nine games with the Blue Rocks. Tim Ferguson (.202) and Deivy Batista (.198) have also struggled to get it going for a Wilmington club that has collectively hit just .239 this season.

Class-A

The Kane County Cougars (Midwest League) continue to lead their division’s second-half standings with an outstanding 13-6 mark. That comes thanks in part to a week that saw the Cougars go 4-2, including a three-game sweep of the first half champion Burlington Bees.

Who’s Hot

There are few players in the system in more of a groove than Cheslor Cuthbert is right now. The 18-year-old third baseman has hit safely in eight straight games, racking up multiple hits in five of those contests. Cuthbert drove in 10 runs in a three-game span and is now hitting .342. Righty Greg Billo fired six scoreless against Wisconsin on July 8, and now leads all qualifiers across affiliated baseball with a 1.37 ERA. Though he does not have enough innings to qualify, relieverChase Boruff lowered his earned run average to 1.30 with two scoreless innings of his own.

Who’s Not

Righty Leondy Perez lost both of his starts last week, including a forgettable performance on July 7, when he gave up nine runs on 13 hits against Wisconsin. He appears on the way to putting that behind him, however, as Perez tossed a quality start in a losing effort his last time out. At the plate, Juan Graterol and Yowill Espinal both have gone 1-for-11 in their last three games.

Short Season

The Idaho Falls Chukars (Pioneer League) endured a five-game losing streak last week before beating Helena on Wednesday night. One of the team’s biggest issues is consistency on the mound, as the team is carrying a 5.72 ERA through 23 games. At 10-13, the Chukars sit in third place in the league’s South Division.

Who’s Hot

The Chukars’ struggles on the mound have not extended to the batter’s box, as the team has posted a collective .291 batting average. In particular, Daniel Mateohas five hits in his last three games to bring his average to .387, while Richard Espy cranked three home runs last week, raising his team-leading total to four. Reliever Edwin Carl has yet to allow even a single run in eight appearances, converting both of his save opportunities.

Who’s Not

Starter Robert Penny got knocked around by the Orem Owlz on July 10, allowing eight runs in just two innings of work. Jonathan Dooley also had a rough go against Orem as he yielded five runs one day later. Catcher Tyler Smith will look to get his bat started, as he has just one hit in 13 at bats for the Chukars this season.

The Burlington Royals (Appalachian League) put together what was easily their best week of the season, going 4-2 as the team looks to erase their slow start to the 2011 season. Though the the team currently resides in the basement of the circuit’s East Division, they are only four games out of first with plenty of baseball to be played.

Who’s Hot

Any offensive struggles the Royals may have had are not the fault of Murray Watts, who racked up four straight-two hit games from July 8-11. He also cranked his ninth home run in 22 games and now has more than twice as many home runs as any of his teammates. Matt Ridings turned in a solid start his last time out, yielding two runs – both unearned – in five innings against the Bristol White Sox.

Who’s Not

Catcher Jin-Ho Shin had just two hits in five games last week, as his batting average fell from .211 to .189, while Kenny Swab is just 3-for-16 since joining Burlington on July 7. On the mound, Andrea Pizziconi has allowed at least two runs in each of his last three appearances, raising his ERA to 9.00.

In complex league action, the AZL Royals (Arizona League) went 3-2 over the last seven days, closing the week with back-to-back wins. At 8-10, the club sits 3.5 games out of first in the league’s West Division.

Who’s Hot

Somehow, Nick DelGuidice improved on his torrid start to the season, raising his batting average from .444 to .453 over the last seven days. Riding a nine-game hitting streak, DelGuidice has driven in 10 runs in his last five games. Nicholas Cuckovich has not kept up quite the pace of his teammate but is batting .358 with an active six-game hitting streak. On the mound, Julio Morales allowed just two hits in 4 1/3 scoreless innings last week.

Who’s Not

Right-hander Fernando Cruz had a rough outing on July 8 against the AZL Padres, allowing five runs in just an inning and a third. He has now been tagged for 13 earned runs in six innings with the club. Behind the plate, Alexander Marquez is off to a slow start with just one hit in five games this season.

Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization

Released by Kansas City in late June, right-hander Blake Johnson signed with the Colorado Rockies organization and was assigned to Triple-A. Johnson debuted with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on July 9, tossing a scoreless inning against Salt Lake. Also in the Pacific Coast League, Dan Cortes allowed three runs in one inning during his lone appearance last week, while Corey Smith has five hits in his last six games for the Albuquerque Isotopes.

In the International League, outfielder Jordan Parraz had a nine-game hit streak snapped in his last game but is now hitting .305 for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Meanwhile, in Gwinnett, Juan Abreu fired another scoreless inning in his lone outing last week and has still not allowed a run since June 8. Fellow G-Brave Ed Lucas had just two hits last week, but both of those came against Charlotte on July 10, the last time he took the field.

Down in the Southern League, Rowdy Hardy, Ben Swaggerty and Ernesto Mejia are all on the Mississippi Braves’ roster. Coming out of the bullpen, Hardy allowed one run in three innings spread over two appearances last week, while Swaggerty has not pitched since July 5. Mejia had a monster week at the plate, homering four times in a six-game span to raise his season total to 15. Mejia is now batting .314 in 2011.

In the Eastern League, Chris McConnell had just two hits last week for Harrisburg, lowering his batting average to .219.

Finally, Jose Duarte has hit safely in three straight games and is now batting .250 for the Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Mitch Maier is doing his best to not be lost in the excitement over all the young talent in the Royals training camp this spring.

When Royals fans review the box scores or scour news reports from Surprise, they are checking for names like Cain, Escobar or Jeffress – additions from the Greinke trade. Or they might be gauging the prospects of Moustakas, Hosmer and Montgomery.

But when the final 25-man roster is set for March 30, many of the players in Surprise will not be on it. Maier knows he’s at a crossroads in his career, and he’s playing like a man fighting for his professional life.

Maier went on an 8-for-8 tear last week, making a desperate bid to be included in the crowded outfield crew that breaks camp. Against the Angels last Thursday, he went 4-4, scored twice and drove in two, while adding two stolen bases. The next day he added four more hits and a walk and drove in the winning run against the Cubs.

Hitting like that, he’s a shoe-in for the major league roster, right? Well, not quite.

Assembling a major league baseball roster isn’t like making cuts in an NFL training camp. The best players don’t necessarily make the team. In the case of the Royals, there will be several of the best players, or at least the ones with the most potential, left off.

The Royals will most likely take five outfielders to Kansas City. Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francouer will be among those. Though Alex Gordon will probably not play like one of the top three outfielders in camp, he will go as well.

So that leaves Maier fighting with Cain, Gregor Blanco, Jarrod Dyson, David Lough and Derrick Robinson for the final two spots. The two who play the best won’t necessarily make the cut, however.

Maier and Blanco cannot be sent to the minors without clearing waivers first. The others can – they have what teams refer to as “options.” That means if the Royals believe Maier or Blanco have any value whatsoever, they will not be cut.

The same is true in regards to other positions as well. Bob Dutton did a great job describing how a major league roster is assembled and how options work for the Kansas City Star a couple of weeks ago.

Maier doesn’t have options, but he does give the Royals some. He’s a solid enough fielder, and a good enough athlete that he can play all three outfield spots. He can pinch run.

What he hasn’t been able to do thus far, however, is hit left-handed starting pitching. He’s hit .200 with no homers against lefty starters. A platoon could work in his favor. But if he’s filling in due to an injury to a starter, he could be a liability.

Maier will turn 29 in June. If he doesn’t make the team this year, his career could be in jeopardy. It’s hard to imagine another major league team that could use his limited skills.

The team may feel a vested interest to keep Cain as instant return for the Greinke trade. He is, by all accounts, an impressive athlete.

Fans hungry for a more dynamic player may be rooting for Cain, or for Dyson, Blanco or Robinson, all speedy athletes. Lough appears to be a well-rounded talent who has been a minor league fan-favorite.

With Maier, fans know what they will get, but they may want more than he can offer. Because he is “out of options,” the Royals may feel they have no other option but to keep him.

The Extreme Makeover, Outfield Edition hit Kansas City this winter with the recent additions of two 26-year-old former Atlanta Braves, Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera. Their past is not the only thing they have in common – they are both very average.

The Royals will field a completely revamped outfield from last year’s opening day trio of Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, and David DeJesus. With Mike Aviles’ move to third base, Alex Gordon will join the aforementioned Francoeur and Cabrera to complete the outfield makeover.

But when Ty Pennington shouts “Move That Bus!” on opening day at Kauffman Stadium to reveal the American League’s least potent outfield, will Royals fans be pleased with their beloved team’s renovations? Only time will tell, but they have to be excited with Cabrera and Francoeur’s playoff experience.

With the return of Gregor Blanco and Mitch Maier, the Royals’ veteran outfielders appear to be very run of the mill. The better of the two, Maier, hit 15 doubles, 5 homeruns, with a tolerable .263 average and .709 OPS last year.

Blanco, who will turn 27 this Christmas Eve, is not far behind in terms of skill, but does not quite possess the pop (2 career homeruns) that Maier has. Youngsters like David Lough, Jarrod Dyson, and Derrick Robinson are all chomping at the bit for a roster spot as well and could prove to be a difficult challenge for Blanco and Maier this offseason.

Of the three young bloods, the former 50^th round draft pick, Dyson, saw the field for the Royals in 2010. He had some opportunities to display his lightning-fast speed, but ultimately did little to impress in 18 games, hitting .211 with 1 homerun.

Amid the second rate makeover, which feels like a few patched holes more than anything else, glimmers two gems for Royals fans – Lough and Robinson.

Last year, the versatile Lough led all Royals minor leaguers with a promising .375 average. He’s comparable to David DeJesus, according to Royals’ scouting and development.

The youngest of all the names vying for an outfield spot is the 23-year-old Derrick Robinson. He led the Texas League in stolen bases last year with 50 on 67 attempts. In his minor league career, the speedster has accumulated a total of 236 steals.

The question still remains, which of the aforementioned will patrol the outfield for the Royals in 2011? On opening day, fans will most likely see Alex Gordon in left field, Melky Cabrera in center field, and Jeff Francoeur in right field. Maier will be a corner outfield back up, sprinkled with a little Gregor Blanco in all three positions from time to time.

Do not be surprised if the speedy Dyson makes the roster and even sees some time in center this season, but it is unlikely that David Lough and Derrick Robinson will make enough waves in training camp to earn a spot over the veterans. Both are still young and developing.

Bold Prediction

Versatility and speed are commodities in Major League Baseball and David Lough has them both. Here is a bold prediction for the Royals’ outfield in 2011: Lough’s stellar play will propel him to the big leagues sooner rather than later. With inconsistencies and less than average play in the outfield, do not be surprised if David Lough is called up earlier than September. He can play all three outfield positions, he can hit, and he can run.

Photo by Erika Lynn

Moving Forward

Hopefully Alex Gordon can live up to his uber-prospect status, Melky Cabrera can play like he did with the Yankees, and Jeff Francoeur can show us why Dayton Moore seems to have a man crush on him. Citing the inner-optimist, the hope is that the Royals improve in the outfield this season but in reality, this feels like a quick fix until Major League’s best farm club reaches maturation and joins the big league ranks in 2012 and beyond.

Most off-season talk is being devoted to the Royals farmhands anchoring Team USA through the qualifying round of the 2010 Pan Am Games. Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer have started every game helping Team USA to a 9-1 showing to start off qualifications. Meanwhile, 60% of the starts have gone to Royals southpaws, Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery, and Everett Teaford. Tim Collins is the icing on the cake, the undersized reliever leads Team USA’s bullpen in appearances.

Mike Moustakas by Erika Lynn

While not playing internationally Hosmer, Duffy, and Montogomery stay busy in the Arizona Fall League playing for the Surprise Rafters. The Royals sent pitcher Patrick Keating, pitcher Brandon Sisk, outfielder Derrick Robinson, and second baseman Johnny Giavotella along with the threesome to sharpen their game in the AFL.

Everywhere you look, Royals prospects are beginning to pop up at every minor league level. All of a sudden it isn’t just a few standouts. When guys who aren’t featured as top level prospects begin to perform like youngsters Giavotella and catcher Wil Myers have, everyone else around the league takes notice.

It all started with the regime shift. With fresh minds in the front office, the Royals were more willing to give the top level talents in the draft the money they wanted. The money the Royals have spread across the amateur drafts is now beginning to show some impact. A perfect example is the 20 year old lefty who won the Royals Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award. Consider this, Kansas City has a minor league with such a depth of prospects, the winner of the most prestigious pitching award for Royals prospects, isn’t even one of the guys playing for Team USA or the Rafters.

On September 1, 2010, the Kansas City Royals named John Lamb as the Paul Splittorf Pitcher of the Year. Lamb is a perfect example of a kid a more conservative Royals front office wouldn’t have invested in. Lamb was a top level high school talent, but wanted six figures and had missed his entire senior season due to a car accident. The Royals put down $165,000 on the 6’3’’ lefty in the fifth round of the 2008 amateur draft. The Royals approach in the 2008 draft was dead on.

The 2008 MLB draft class has already began its impact on the league. First rounders Andrew Cashner (Cubs), Ike Davis (Mets), Brett Wallace (Astros), Justin Smoak (Mariners), Brian Matsuz (Orioles), Pedro Alvarez (Pirates), and Gordon Beckham (White Sox) all have already made their way to the big leagues. The draft class is probably headed by a guy still making a huge impact on the World Series, the Giants catcher Buster Posey.

The Royals took away a pretty impressive haul from the large pool of talent. The Royals spent their first six picks on Hosmer, Montgomery, Giovatella, RHP Tyler Sample, RHP Tim Melville, and Lamb. Hosmer and Montgomery’s success has been well documented. Sample and Melville haven’t put up as impressive numbers, but are still considered high talent prospects.

Giovatella started the 2010 year off in AA Northwest Arkansas. He had the best season of his young, three year career posting a line of: .322/.395/.460, 35 2B, 9 HR, 65 RBIs, and 13 SB. Giovatella was named a 2010 Texas League All-Star. He was a mainstay at second base and in the number two spot in the Natural’s lineup. He played in 134 games for the Texas League Champions.

He’s now extended his career year into the first few weeks of the AFL. Giovatella leads the Rafters in hitting and doubles at .448 and seven, respectively. He also leads the team in total bases (23) thanks to his first AFL dinger on October 22.

Lamb has had a similar success through his first two professional seasons.

Considering he hadn’t pitched in over a year, there weren’t many expectations for the Laguna Beach, California, native. Lamb impressed so much he was promoted to Idaho Falls after only six starts in Burlington. This year he started his season in Class A and ended it in AA, contributing to the Texas League crown. As Lamb progressed from Class A to high A, his numbers improved across the board.

In 2010 Lamb threw 147.2 innings, with a 2.38 ERA, while striking out 159 and only allowing 45 free passes. He had two postseason starts, posting a 3.12 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 8 SO, 4 BB, in 8.2 innings of work.

Lamb has been praised for his pitching intelligence and mound awareness. He is an extremely talented athlete, hitting .396 in his junior year. Some saw him as a hitting prospect, a ‘John Mabry’ type stick. Lamb gets his fast ball into the low 90’s, with a change up as his best off-speed threat. The Baseball America 2010 Prospect Handbook described Lamb as, “a 19 year who pitches like a major league veteran, never getting rattled.”

Since Dayton Moore has arrived, there have been many comparisons to the shape of the Royals farm system and the Braves of the 90’s. Lamb’s free flowing, natural motion, along with his athletic background naturally draw comparisons to Braves workhorse Tom Glavine.

Glavine was drafted out of high school in the second round of the 1984 MLB Draft. Glavine displayed similar athleticism in high school, earning a selection in round four of the 1984 NHL Draft as well. The L.A. Kings gambled on Glavine, but ultimately lost out to the Braves.

In reality, Lamb’s high school injury setback his major league arrival by a year. His first two years in pro ball mirror Glavine’s first two years though.

Glavine – 11-9, 2.65 ERA, 143 H, 86 BB, 201 IP

Lamb – 15-10, 2.83 ERA, 179 H, 65 BB, 230 SO, 216.1 IP

Glavine, age 20, began his third year at AA, finishing his year in AAA. Glavine made his MLB debut the next season at age 21. Lamb, who turned 20 in July, seems to be leading a similar path. Expect a mid-season Omaha call-up if Lamb continues his progress. Even if he doesn’t hit the big leagues for a September call-up two years from now, he will still only be 22.

His arrival would coincide with the projected Kansas City arrivals of multiple other highly touted prospects. Glavine’s arrival was complimented by the debut of John Smoltz. A couple years later Braves brass lured Greg Maddux away from the Cubs to complete their famous trio.

Royals’ fans hope the pitching depth will ultimately provide a similar threesome for the future. Many expect the Royals to earn the award for the top minor league organization in baseball. The 2009 winner, the Rangers, can attest what the award means. The Rangers farm has been built on pitching depth and complimented by kickbacks from trading homegrown prospects like Mark Teixeira. The Rangers received shortstop Elvis Andrus and reliever Netalfi Feliz in the deal.

Many have criticized the Braves for overextending. Top MLB level talent comes at a steep price though. This is the type of price Zack Greinke would command. I’m not suggesting a trade, but at this point in the process it’s a mistake to ignore it.

It’s possible the Royals will enhance their roster through free agency and trade over the next few years. But the stars of the future are already within the core of talent surging through the minors now. The Royals amassed so much talent, it will be interesting how many will eventually make a big league impact. With the likes of Lamb leading the way, it is beginning to be undeniable the twenty something’s will be making a splash soon.