Kansas City Royals: Breaking Down the Top 5 Prospects in the Royals' Farm System

We have talked about the Kansas City Royals farm system in glowing terms for the last two years. You can see the fruits of the scouting department's labor starting to pay off already with the stellar debut of Eric Hosmer last year. 

As good as Hosmer looked, he is not the only impact prospect on the way. Their system is not as strong this year as it was last year, due to promotions and some injuries/poor performances from key players, but there is still a ton of upside and potential here. 

It is going to take some time before the Royals are challenging the Tigers atop the American League Central, but they could easily start flirting with .500 this year, if a few things break in their favor. 

Here is our look at the five prospects that have brought faith and optimism back to Kansas City. 

1. Bubba Starling, OF, 19

Last year's draft was as deep as any in recent memory, but Starling was easily the best all-around athlete available and a potential five-tool superstar. He fell to the Royals with the fifth pick, partly because of bonus demands. He ended up signing for a huge $7.5 million bonus at the deadline and could start his career in low Class A. 

Strengths: Starling is an incredible athlete—he had a scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Nebraska. He shows the potential to have five above-average or better tools. He has great bat speed and projects to hit for big power. His swing is a little long right now, but he can cut it down when he gets experience and learns to make adjustments. He has an outstanding throwing arm, which will play well in center field. His speed makes him a good threat to steal bases and will help him run down balls in center. 

Weaknesses: As good as Starling looks when you are evaluating him, he has not played a professional game. We will have to see how he takes to the competition and whether he is able to make adjustments. He isn't a polished player right now, which is not that surprising considering his age. 

Report: The sky is the limit for Starling. It is very rare that you can find a potential five-tool up-the-middle player, much less with the fifth pick in the draft. He has superstar potential, but it is going to take a while before we know if he will reach his ceiling. 

ETA: 2016

2. Wil Myers, OF, 21

Myers was on the fast track to the big leagues last season, but he injured his knee and never got his swing back in Double-A. He had a down year and his stock might have suffered a little. Since the poor performance can be attributed to an injury, you still have to believe he will be the player that everyone believes he can be. 

Strengths: Before converting to the outfield last year, Myers was a top catching prospect. The team moved him because they wanted his bat in the lineup as soon as possible. You can understand why—he has an advanced approach at the plate with good discipline. He should also hit for a lot of power thanks to his tremendous bat speed, strength and ability to drive the ball to all fields. He has a strong throwing arm that will play well in right field. 

Weaknesses: His defense is not up to par right now. He doesn't look comfortable out there yet, which is understandable. He doesn't read the ball well off the bat, which leads to a lot of balls dropping in that shouldn't. 

Report: As long as Myers can stay healthy, he should be an All-Star in Kansas City. He projects to hit for a high average, get on base and has a lot of power. He has to keep working on his defense to at least be adequate. He should eventually slide into the No. 4 spot in the lineup, right behind Hosmer. 

ETA: 2013

3. Jake Odorizzi, RHP, 21

Of the four players that the Royals acquired for Zack Greinke, Odorizzi is probably going to end up being the best. He had a great start to the 2011 season in high Class A, posting a 2.87 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 78 innings. He struggled after being promoted to Double-A, but his stuff is sharp, and he should improve with more experience. 

Strengths: Odorizzi is a very good athlete, making good use of his body to get easy velocity on his low-to-mid-90s fastball, which also has great movement. He also has a hammer curveball that is going to miss a lot of bats. His changeup is getting better and could be an average offering.

Weaknesses: He has problems with walks in the past, and those problems came back after he was promoted. His control is good, but he lacks command right now. He needs to develop a strong third pitch to remain a starting pitcher. 

Report: If Odorizzi can figure out his command and find a usable changeup, he can be a good No. 2 or 3 starter in the big leagues. In a worst-case scenario, he could move to the back of the bullpen and miss a lot of bats with his fastball and curveball. 

4. Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, 19

While the Royals have improved their farm system largely because of smart drafting, there are a few international signings that look like they could turn into at least solid, big league contributors. In the case of Cuthbert, who was signed out of Nicaragua, he could turn into a star. 

Strengths: Cuthbert has an advanced hitting approach already. He has a great eye at the plate, shows the ability to work counts and a simple swing that will let him hit for average and power. He has a strong throwing arm and good hands at the hot corner. 

Weaknesses: While his arm and glove look good at third base, he does not have good lateral movement and limited range. He has little speed and could become a liability defensively. 

Report: Cuthbert's bat will play anywhere, especially when he develops his power. He could turn into a middle-of-the-order hitter. His future at third base will depend on whether he can improve his lower half to add some range. He has the arm for it, but he could end up at first base. 

ETA: 2015

5. Mike Montgomery, LHP, 22

Montgomery still remains one of the Royals' best pitching prospects, despite a poor 2011 in which he posted a 5.32 ERA and allowed 69 walks in 151 innings, but his ceiling looks a little bit lower now than it did one year ago. 

Strengths: He has the size and delivery to get on top of his low-90s fastball and throw it downhill. His best pitch is his changeup—he shows a good feel for and it has good fade. He has worked to improve his mechanics, though he still struggles to find a consistent release point with his pitches. 

Weaknesses: Montgomery's control and command have actually regressed over the last year. He had issues throwing strikes on a consistent basis. He doesn't have a third pitch right now. He uses a curveball, but he doesn't have a feel for it and has no idea where its going when he releases it. 

Report: While Montgomery still has the ceiling of a No. 2 or 3 starter because of his size and raw stuff, his stock is sliding a bit. He is still young enough to warrant some benefit of the doubt. He needs to tweak his mechanics to find a consistent release point and find a third pitch.

ETA: Late-2012

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