Nine Things to Take from Baseball America's 2010 Scouting Report on the Kansas City Royals

Baseball America recently released their 2010 scouting report on the Kansas City Royals.

Among the items they addressed were the organization's top 10 prospects, best tool players, 2013 projected lineup, and a narrative reflecting the team's current status.

Since his arrival in Kansas City, Dayton Moore's emphasis has been on building the team from the ground up through acquiring talent at all levels. There is no doubt he has read, and is invested in, this report.

Baseball America is long regarded as a leader in the realm of baseball analysis so their word is not to be ignored; however, we will examine what we can take from this report and what it means for this coming season.

Aaron Crow is Lethal

After being drafted ninth overall in 2008, Crow was unable—or unwilling—to agree to terms with the Washington Nationals. That sent him back into the draft, where the Royals selected this hometown product.

Crow was born in Topeka, Kansas and attended local Washburn University before transferring to the University of Missouri, where his ability took off. In his final season, he led the the Tigers with a 2.35 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 107 innings and went on to be named the Big XII Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Baseball America points to Crow's best two pitches (fastball and slider) as a reason for future successes.

The main question about Crow is when will he be ready? Since he is already two seasons removed from college, he will undoubtedly be given a shot to win a rotation spot this spring.

If his college domination transfers to early Major League success, he could make the pitching rotation competition in Kansas City a very heated affair.

M&M - Mike Montgomery

Twenty-years-old and the 36th pick of the 2008 draft, Mike Montgomery is one portion of the Mars, Incorporated tandem in Kansas City.

In his short tenure in Royal Blue he has propelled himself into the upper echelons of their prospects list, ranked No. 1 in the franchise by Baseball America. The lefty's emergence is a major plus for the Royals as they have had trouble obtaining a quality left handed starter for some time now.

Just as the Kansas City Chiefs are turning into "New England West" with the additions of general manager Scott Pioli, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, Mongomery's development could become a major contributor in turning Dayton Moore, John Gibbons, Ned Yost, and the rest of the Royals into the Braves of the 1990s.

Zack Greinke and Aaron Crow appear to be the best long term starting pitching options in the organization, and if Mike Montgomery can continue develop into a quality top of the rotation starter, the Royals will be in great position to turn their ship around.

M&M - Mike Moustakas

Two seasons ago, at age 19, Mike Moustakas led the Midwest League in home runs (22)— the largest total by a teenager since prolific home run artist Prince Fielder.

"Moose Taco" hit 13 of these long-balls after the All-Star break, when he also raised his .228 average (.198 after April) to .321. During that span he began to mature at the plate as he adjusted to the elevated level of competition.

Moustakas regressed a bit last year, likely due to the grind from 2008. Adjusting to a professional schedule right out of high school can take its toll.

In spite of last season, Moustakas has already earned an invite to Royals spring training due to his good speed and a plus plus bat and arm. Though he doesn't have a set position yet (he has switched from his high school position of shortstop to a crowded third base) they will make sure to find a spot for him if he proves he can hang offensively.

The Royals assistant GM and head of Scouting & Player Development, J. J. Picollo, best outlined Moustakas' value when he said:

"Mike is a throwback player who plays the game hard and can hit. He's got plus power but can impact a team with his leadership as well."

Wil Myers Has a Bright Future

Matt Wieters who?

Maybe that's showing a bit too much confidence, but the fact remains that Myers was a steal when the Royals selected him in the third round of the 2009 draft—he was originally pinned as a late first round selection but age and signability allowed him to slip to the Royals.

With his ability to play all over the diamond (his best positions are catcher and third base) and ranking as the "best hitter for average" in the Royals farm system, Myers' value has skyrocketed in just one season.

He can hit for average, hit for power, play good defense, and even run a bit. Myers athleticism will eventually get him to the show, but since he's just one year out of high school, many of his skills are still developing.

He will need to remain dedicated to his craft while the Royals decide if they want to keep him at catcher or move him, but the fact that he is coming along at a more rapid pace than first round bonus-babies Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas bodes well for this prospect, while vastly improving Dayton Moore's draft resume.

Derrick Robinson's Dash to the Pros

At age 22, Derrick Robinson will be attending his second big league spring training.

Over his limited time in Royal blue, Robinson has benefited from the mentoring of David DeJesus and Coco Crisp—both quality defensive outfielders—while not being rushed through the system. His overall potential could have made that rush tempting.

Winner of "Best Athlete" and "Best Outfielder" honors in Baseball America's report, Robinson's path to Kauffman Stadium is relatively clear. The Royals do not currently possess any long term answers at any outfield position, even with the recent signings of Scott Podsednik and Rick Ankiel.

So Many LHP Prospects...

Where did we get all of these left handed pitching prospects?

Mike Montgomery, John Lamb, Danny Duffy, and Chris Dwyer all ranked as Top 10 Royals prospects by Baseball America.

If one or two of these lefties pan out, the Royals pitching rotation will become rock solid.

It's Time to Give Kila a Shot

Kila Ka'aihue has never been a top prospect and, even after he has had some level of success, still isn't even regarded as one of the team's Top 10 talents.

The fact is that Kila has been hitting well for a couple years and has demonstrated an ability to hit for power while being patient and taking walks.

Jack Cust's are a dime a dozen in the minor leagues—a hitter that shows a lot of power but strikes out far too much to be very effective in the major leagues—but Kila's patients at the dish could make him more serviceable.

In his first stint with the club at the end of the 2008 season, Kila was able to prove his ability as he managed an OPS over .800 and even got a hold of a long ball in a limited 24 at-bats.

He may never be a star, or he could be a diamond in the rough; however, when your offense is as inept as the Royals has been the past few years, there is no reason not to give this young kid a shot. He gets on base and hits for power—two elements the Royals desperately need more of.

Hosmer: Hype or Hope?

The fact that Eric Hosmer ranked lower than fellow top draft picks Mike Moustakas and Aaron Crow isn't surprising.

What is surprising is that catcher Wil Myers (91st pick last year) has already surpassed him in the eyes of outsiders.

Word of vision issues and overall ineffectiveness have plagued Hosmer's young career. This is reflected in Baseball America's report as Hosmer is only mentioned two times other than the top prospects list: once as a prospective member of the 2013 roster, and the other for being the recipient of the highest bonus paid in franchise history ($6,000,000).

He is not considered to be "the best prospect" at anything.

Hosmer needs to start developing or he risks challenging Colt Griffin as the biggest draft bust in Kansas City Royals history.

Who the Heck is Jeff Austin?

I have followed the Royals my entire life, but I never heard of Austin before I read Baseball America's report. Somehow he must have slipped under my radar.

That is hard to believe since the Royals were duped into paying the Stanford alum a whopping $2.7 million signing bonus back in 1998. This was before the Royals began regularly exceeding MLB's slot recommendations, so Allard Baird's scouting crew must have loved the kid.

While it is true that the baseball draft is a crap shoot, selecting a player in the first round of the amateur draft and paying him a tremendous bonus—fifth highest in team history that came 10 years before the highest paid bonus—only to see him out of baseball after logging only 65.1 career innings at the MLB level is an epic fail.

Maybe I have been riding Colt Griffin too hard all these years; Austin appears to be just as big of a bust.