6. Nicky Lopez, SS
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/13/1995 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals
2017 Stats: .279/.348/.356, 577 PA, 2 HR, 21 SB, 52/52 BB/K
Info: No one in the Kansas City Royals system improved his stock in 2017 as much as Lopez. Heck, no one in baseball improved their stock as much in the Arizona Fall League as Lopez did.
A polished infielder from Creighton that was drafted as a “senior sign” , Lopez has a mature approach at the plate. After hitting .281/.393/.429 with 17 extra base hits and 24 stolen bases over 62 games in the advanced rookie Appy League in his draft year, Lopez was pushed up to high-A to open 2017.
He responded well to the push, hitting .295 in high-A before finding footing a bit more difficult in AA in a the second half of the season. Overall in 2017, he hit .279/.348/.356 with 18 doubles, 8 triples, 2 home runs, and 21 stolen bases with a 52/52 BB/K ratio.
Then Lopez went to the Arizona Fall League. With Surprise, he hit .383/.433/.568 against some of the top prospects in the game with 9 extra base hits and 3 stolen bases in 20 games. Lopez also impressed at both shortstop and second base defensively. Lopez was voted to the All-Prospect team at the end of the AFL.
Some evaluators in Arizona opined that Lopez could push Raul Mondesi for shortstop work in Kansas City as soon as opening day, but most likely he’ll open in the upper minors in either AA or AAA with a chance to see the big leagues for a late-season call up. However, Lopez has established himself as a guy who could have a nice career as an average big-league regular.
5. Josh Staumont, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/21/1993 (24)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals, AAA Omaha Storm Chasers
2017 Stats: 26 G, 25 GS, 124 2/3 IP, 5.56 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 17% BB, 24.1% K
Info: For those who didn’t select Dozier atop their Royals list coming into 2017, it was often to select Staumont ahead of him. Staumont came out of Azusa Pacific, where the Kansas City Royals selected him in the 2nd round in the 2015 draft.
Staumont has incredibly elite raw stuff with a fastball that can reach triple digits, a hard curve, and a change. The issue is control for Staumont, and it is why he was considered a “project” coming out of the draft, surprising many with his quick ascent in 2016.
Staumont has incredibly elite raw stuff with a fastball that can reach triple digits, a hard curve, and a change
Staumont’s fastball reaches triple digits, but unlike many upper velocity, max effort delivery fastballs, Staumont’s has some excellent movement. He gets “rise” on the pitch from the top of the belly button up in the zone, and he gets some glove side finish below the mid-thigh. In between can be dangerous for sure, but that level of movement from that velocity is incredible.
He works with a curve that has the chance to be one of the absolute best in the game at drawing swing and miss. The pitch, when thrown from his best arm slot, which is between 3/4 and what is termed “high 3/4”, a spot one scout called “7/8″ in his description to me, sits right around 80 MPH with incredible snap and two-plane depth, sometimes playing as a fastball out of the hand before it falls off it has such a high spin to it.
His change is average, though when he can stay in that best arm slot, he gets on top of the pitch and gets a low cut action on the pitch that makes it a ground ball machine of a pitch. He really doesn’t need the pitch to be more than just average to really be an incredibly effective pitch, however.
Staumont’s delivery has him reaching within every angle of his 6’3”, 200-ish pound frame to generate his velocity and spin on his pitches. Oddly, he really doesn’t need to do it, as when he gets into his delivery that maximizes his “7/8” release point, he has a more easy-going delivery than in any other release point that he seems to find.
Consistency will be the issue for Staumont above all else. If he could find consistency in his delivery, he would eschew his high walk rate and could fulfill the frontline ceiling that he has. He’ll likely open at AAA to secure that delivery, but he could be up to the majors quickly if he shows that kind of consistent delivery, and he could move to the front of the rotation in a hurry.
Next: #3 and #4