The San Francisco Giants may have won the 2014 World Series, but the season belonged to the American League Champion Kansas City Royals.
General manager Dayton Moore’s vision of building a winning organization based on strong scouting and player development finally was validated, as the Royals introduced a collection of homegrown talents to a national audience last October.
More importantly, the Royals already have another wave of talent within striking distance of the major leagues.
Kyle Zimmer, should he ever stay healthy for more than a half-season, has No. 1-No. 2 starter upside with athleticism, command and a near-double-plus fastball-curveball combination. Left-hander Sean Manaea took some time to adjust to professional baseball last season, making his professional debut at the High-A level, but the left-hander eventually found his groove en route to posting gaudy strikeout numbers.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old right-hander Christian Binford, whose plus command helped him climb to from High- to Triple-A last year, is already knocking on the big league door headed into 2015.
2014 first-round pick Brandon Finnegan (No. 17 overall) made baseball history last fall by becoming the first pitcher to pitch in both the College World Series and World Series, but he’s likely to resume development as a starter next season after working out of the bullpen in his professional debut.
As for Kansas City’s other notable 2014 draft picks, left-hander Foster Griffin could receive a full-season assignment next year based on the merits of his strike-throwing ability and feel for mixing pitches, while catcher Chase Vallot already possesses arguably the best raw power in the system.
As for hitters, outfielder Jorge Bonifacio had a nightmare season in Double-A Northwest Arkansas, though, amazingly, he was still young for the level at 21. The team’s top prospect, 19-year-old shortstop Raul Mondesi, also had a forgettable year at the dish but still impressed by battling through a learning year in the Carolina League.
Here are the Kansas City Royals’ top 10 prospects for the 2015 season.