Wilmington Blue Rocks 2014 Preview

Defense

LF - Terrance Gore*

CF - Bubba Starling*

RF - Daniel Rockett*

3B - Hunter Dozier*

SS - Raul A. Mondesi*

2B - Jack Lopez

1B - Cody Stubbs*

C - Zane Evans*

Rotation

Miguel Almonte*

Christian Binford*

Sean Manaea*

Daniel Stumpf*

Jonathon Dziedzic*

Bench

C - Cam Gallagher*, C - Beau Maggi*, 1B - Mark Donato*, IF - Kenny Diekroeger, OF - Tyler Chism,      OF - Johermyn Chavez*

Bullpen

Mark Peterson, Kyle Bartsch*, John Walter*, Glenn Sparkman*, Matt Murray*, Yender Caramo*,  Aroni Nina*, Zeb Sneed*, Ali Williams

Notes

• A prospect-heavy team, the Blue Rocks will be the affiliate to watch every day to begin the 2014 season.  Not only will this team be fun to watch, the roster is practically a fresh start for the Frawley Stadium faithful in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Of the 28 players dawning the Blue Rocks uniform, 23 of them will be doing so for the very first time.
• The rotation will consist of 5 brand new starters, including 3 in the Royals' Top 10 prospects according to Baseball America.  Miguel Almonte, ranked #5, joins the Blue Rocks after a stellar 2013 campaign with Lexington.  From various scouts/media, Almonte is considered far more advanced than most of the pitchers in the organization.  He showcases excellent command and possesses secondary pitches, including the best changeup in the Royals system, that assistant GM J.J. Picollo describes as "more advanced than Yordano Ventura at this stage".  Almonte could have made the jump to Double-A with no issues, but the Royals decided to give him some innings in the Carolina League before heading to Springdale, Arkansas.
• Sean Manaea, ranked #6, will make his professional debut with Wilmington after being selected in the Supplemental Round of the 2013 MLB Draft.  Widely considered as one of the top players to go off the board early, some teams were worried about his health as he recovered from a torn labrum in his hip over the off-season, but good fortune was on the Royals side as they were able to take not only Manaea, but Hunter Dozier, as well.  Needless to say, the Royals drafted well.  For a detailed report on the 22 year old, here are some notes from Baseball Prospectus writer Jason Parks.
• If having Almonte and Manaea in the rotation wasn't good enough, Christian Binford, ranked #10, will also join Wilmington for his 3rd professional season.  The 21 year old from Hagerstown, Maryland stands at 6 foot 6 inches, which helps give him a great downward plane to the plate and throws at a 3/4 arm slot.  Although his fastball sits in the very low 90's, there's time for his body to fill out more and possibly gain a little more velocity on his fastball.  Binford is ranked by Baseball America as having the best control in the system for the '14 season, which has been backed up by astounding BB/9 rates in his first 2 seasons (0.90 and 1.67, respectively).  His height, along with the movement of his pitches allow him to keep batted balls on the ground (49.2% last season), will only be to his advantage this year in the Carolina League.  
• The left side of the infield looks down right nasty.  Those who visit Frawley Stadium better enjoy it while they're around.  Manning 3B and SS for the Blue Rocks will be Hunter Dozier (B.A. #7 ranking) and Raul A. Mondesi (B.A. #4 ranking).  In 313 plate appearances split between Idaho Falls and Lexington stints, Dozier already has a career line of .312/.403/.502 and is considered to have the best contact and strike-zone discipline in the system.  The 22 year old will show off an excellent arm and quick first step at third base, but is said to have enough athleticism to make a move to a corner OF spot, if the move is necessary.  Depending on Moustakas in Kansas City...who knows.  
• Dozier's neighbor on the diamond, Mondesi, will open 2014 as the youngest player in the Carolina League at just 18 years old.  Raul, the son of former Major League OF Raul Mondesi, Sr., bats from both sides of the plate and is considered to have better plate appearances as a lefty.  After hitting .261 with 7 HR and 47 RBI, the offensive output will only get better down the road, as he's facing pitchers 4-6 years older than himself.  At shortstop, Mondesi has an outstanding glove with exceptional range thanks to his speed, along with a strong arm.  Nathan Stoltz did a nice piece on Mondesi last November that offers a more in-depth evaluation of the future Royal.
• Two of the organization's top catching prospects will both be in Wilmington for 2014.  Cam Gallagher (B.A. #23 ranking) and Zane Evans (B.A. #24 ranking) will split time behind the plate as they enter their 4th and 2nd seasons, respectively.  

2014 Prospect Countdown: #35 Daniel Rockett

35. Daniel Rockett Outfielder

www.chukarsextra.com

Age: 23
Position: OF
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 9th Round of the 2013 Amateur Draft
From: Sugar Land, TX

Landon Adams (27): Daniel Rockett makes my list in part due to a strong debut showing in the Pioneer League, but more so because of the positive comments that I have read regarding him from Royals officials. A natural athlete, the former second team All-WAC performer can handle center field while also being a threat with the bat. Rockett enters the system with question marks regarding his make up (was arrested at the University of Texas San Antonio for beating a track player) and baseball bloodlines (his uncle Pat was a former 10th round pick and manager of the Atlanta Braves). I look for the Royals to play it aggressive with Rockett moving forward, considering he is already 22 years old. For now he is just a guy to keep your eye on.

Paden Bennett (NR): Rockett is a toolsy outfielder with good power and good defensive skills in CF.  However, at age 23 he is considered "old" for a rookie league player.  Rockett showed good power in the Pioneer League last year with 11 homers in 226 at bats but did not walk very much with 13 walks.  Rockett also will strike out a fair amount.  He is a toolsy, exciting player that I would love to get on board with but I just can't yet because of his age.  He is going to have to make some serious strides this year and move through the system a couple levels THIS SEASON for me to jump on the "Rockett".

Joe Cox (NR): Rockett was the 9^th round pick for the Royals in last year’s amateur draft out of UTSA.  He represents yet another young toolsy outfielder with very little professional experience; receiving 247 PA’s in the Pioneer League.  At 22 years of age Rockett showed solid power (11 HR) and hit for a solid average of .310 (.349 BABIP).  He did not take very many walks and did strike out just under 20% of the time.  Seeing that he will be 23 next season, he will be old for his level regardless of where the put him.  He did play 54 games in center next year which is a good sign, but he is a long ways away from making an impact for the Royals.  For what it is worth, he did have some off the field issues in college, so one would suspect he could have some maturity issues.

Dan Ware (28): Besides having an awesome name, Daniel put up very solid numbers in his rookie debut as a Chukar. He compiled a strong line of .310/.351/.531 with 11 HR, 53 RBI, 16 XBH, and showed great defensive skills in center field.  Known as an aggressive-minded player, it definitely shows at the plate.  His 49/13 K to BB ratio, along with a KSwinging rate of 15.4%, shows that he lacks a little patience at the plate.  If he can add a little plate discipline as he progresses through the system, he'll be a player you can't ignore. The 23 year old will likely start 2014 in Lexington, and at his age in Low-A ball, Daniel will need to impress the coaches a little more to move up in the organization.

Total Points: 7