Minor League Update - Lexington Legends

The mustachioed Legends of Lexington have started 9-10 to start the 2014 season. The club currently sits sixth in the seven-team South Atlantic League’s Southern Division, trailing first place Savannah (SF) by 2.5 games.

As a team, the Legends are hitting .249/.299/.350 with a league low 36 walks. The pitching staff has recorded a solid 3.31 ERA, ranking in the top half of the league. The staff has a league-high two shutouts this season.

Individual Hitting

 

MiLB.com/lexingtonlegends.com (Mary Lay)

Who’s Hot:

Outfielder and Missouri native Fred Ford leads the South Atlantic League with 17 RBI and ranks second with seven doubles. The 22-year old, who has also spent some time at first base is hitting .283/.338/.500 across 64 plate appearances in 18 games.

He and third baseman Michael Antonio each have two of the club’s eight total home runs. Antonio and outfielder Dominique Taylor have nine RBI, trailing only Ford on the Lexington roster.

Who’s Not:

Prospect Elier Hernandez is off to a slow start, hitting .206/.242/.222 in 16 games with only one RBI to this point.

Shortstop Humberto Arteaga may be turning the corner with seven hits in his last four ballgames, but his line is less than stellar at .239/.239/.254 – which of course means he has yet to draw a walk in 67 plate appearances out of the two-hole. Arteaga has collected hits in 13 of 16 games, but has scored only twice and driven in only two runs.

Individual Pitching

Who’s Hot:

Andrew Edwards ranks second in the league among qualified starters with a 1.06 ERA over 17 innings. Teammate Andrew Matt Tenuta falls just behind him with a 1.09 ERA in 24.2 innings and has allowed only 24 base runners thus far.

Luis Santos is 1-0 with a save as a tandem starter. In 14.1 innings, the right hander has allowed 13 hits and only one walk. He has struck out 13.

Who’s Not:

Andrew Fairchild was dominant in his first start of the season, tossing six no-hit innings April 8. He walked three and struck out seven in the outing and allowed one unearned run. However, in his next start, the 20-year old lefty surrendered nine earned runs in just 1.1 innings. He walked six and allowed two hits. To this point, Fairchild is 0-2 with an 11.05 ERA with four wild pitches.

Lefty Luis Rico’s three losses are tied for most in the league. He has allowed three earned runs or more in three of four starts this season, and has posted a 9.00 ERA to this point.

Prospect Countdown: #23 Humberto Arteaga

23. Humberto Arteaga Short Stop

chukarsextra.com

Age: 19
Height: 6'1" 
Weight: 160
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent on 8/10/10 for $1.1 million

2013 Rank: 27

2012 Rank: 33

2011 Rank: 37

Landon Adams (23): A slick fielder, Arteaga didn't get off to the best start as a teenager in full season baseball. There is a pretty good chance that with my ranking I have put too much stock into that 61 game stretch, but at this point I'm still waiting to see him really hit. However, in his final 69 games of the season (all of which came in the Pioneer League), Arteaga might have just given me an appetizer of things to come. 

I don't want to get too much into Arteaga, because I love what Nick says about him later in this post and I don't want to detract from that. I will say that I expect Arteaga to return to Lexington to begin 2014, and I expect him to continue the momentum he built up in the Pioneer League a season ago. 

- @Landon_Adams

Paden Bennett (24): Last season Arteaga showed his hitting potential in Idaho Falls (.280/.333/.393), which earned him a promotion to Lexington.  However he hit a wall in Lexington and his numbers reflected that: .188/.214/.225 in 240 at bats.  Arteaga is known for his defensive skills so I don't expect him to be a great hitter but the potential is there to be a plus hitter as shown by his solid Pioneer League showing.  Arteaga has his work cut out for him though with all of the SS prospects in the Royals system.  He will have to really show something to move ahead of Mondesi, Calixte, Lopez, Torres.

- @PadenBennett22

Joe Cox (19): Thought of as a plus defensive short stop, Humberto Arteaga split his age 19 season between Lexington and Idaho Falls.  In the Pioneer League Arteaga made all but five of his starts at shortstop and compiled 346 PA’s.  In those appearances, Arteaga walked at twice the rate of the years prior (7.5%) while maintaining a decent strikeout rate (15.0%).  His wOBA was a good but not great .329, but showed little power and was inefficient on the base baths, executing a steal on only 11 of his 18 attempts.  

Unfortunately, that is just half of the story, as his 251 PA’s in A ball went very badly. In Lexington he continued his trend of not walking (2.4 BB%) and showed absolutely no power with a .038 ISO.  His .188/.214/.225 line made it pretty clear that the slick fielding short stop was not ready for a higher level of pitching, but time is on his side as he turns just 20 in January of 2014.  Any SS prospect that can stick at the position defensively is a nice thing to have in the organization, but he clearly has much work to be down on the offensive side of the game. 

- Twitterless Joe

Dan Ware (28): Humberto, at the youthful age of 19, showcased a solid season for Idaho Falls in 2013, but Lexington and South Atlantic League got the better of him.  In 300 AB's for I.F., a line of .280/.333/.393 with 3 HR and 58 RBI along with 20 extra base hits, easily earned him a promotion to Lexington.  Unfortunately, his line dipped at least 100 points in each aspect, as he only collected 13 RBI and 7 XBH.  

Although he won't impress with power or speed, he's well known for his defensive prowess.  The arm strength is not there just yet, but with his soft hands and plus range, he has the makeup to be a solid shortstop.  The problem for Arteaga is that Kansas City has a plethora of SS in the system including Mondesi, Calixte, Lopez, and Torres.  Humberto will need to improve at the plate in order to move up, at least the age is on his side for the time being.

- @Daniel_L_Ware

Nicholas Ian Allen (--): I am excited about Humberto Arteaga. Had I joined Royal Revival prior to the ranking stage for this list,  he would have been in serious contention for a spot in my top ten. I was lucky to see Arteaga in Helena and Idaho Falls in 2013, and I was not the only person he impressed. Sources raved about his defense and one even called him the best overall player in the Pioneer League. 

At just 19 years old, Arteaga put in a full season of work in 2013. He played 136 games, including playoffs. Though his offensive numbers were poor in Lexington, they improved greatly with a move down to Idaho Falls. In fact, his numbers improved as the season wore on - which is a very good sign for someone so young. Also keep in mind, 19 is still very young in the Pioneer League, so the move down should not be seen as a red flag.

The Venezuelan certainly struggled offensively through 61 games with Lexington. .188/.214/.225 will not excite anyone. What should be noted is he was given the opportunity to play nearly every day for more than two months in the South Atlantic League at age 19. Usually, if someone is slated to move down once short-season begins, they will platoon at best in April and May. The Royals wanted Arteaga on the field.

After the move to Idaho Falls, Arteaga improved mightily. While spending his time mainly in the two hole or the sixth spot in Lexington, Arteaga hit leadoff every game he played in IF. Though his numbers in the first inning and leading off an inning were his worst, his walk rate improved greatly from 2012. He can and will bunt, and has some speed - which can be seen by his five triples in IF. However, his stolen base rate is not great (11-for-22 on the year, including 0-for-4 in Lexington). He did damage for the Chukars with runners on base, hitting .337/.342/.480 with RISP, and pounded lefties .404/.446/.577.  

Arteaga’s defensive reputation certainly precedes him. He was listed as the best defensive infielder in the Royals organization in 2011, 2012 and 2013 by Baseball America. His glove should take him to the big leagues. How long he stays, and in what capacity will depend on his production at the plate. He may eventually end up as a utility man, but the potential is there to become an everyday shortstop.

- @NicholasIAllen

Total Points: 30

Prospect Countdown: #27 Humberto Artenaga

27. Humberto Arteaga Short Stop

photo courtesy of: milb.com

Age: 18
Position: SS
Height: 6-1
Weight: 160
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent on 8/10/10 for $1.1 million
From: Caracas, Venezuela

Paden Bennett (NR):  Arteage is a young pup, but it doesn't seem to be phasing him.  He has been called a smooth fielding shortstop with great hands.  His defense is what has people salivating right now but his hitting also has been better than I expected at his age.  His .274 avg last season is something to get excited about.  Keep your eye on this kid.

Joe Cox (28): Arteaga played his second professional season in the Appalachian League and impressed in every facet of his game.  Fangraphs Mike Newman ranked him as his 10th best Shortstop prospect in 2012, and was very impressed with how 'smooth' he was playing shortstop.  While Arteaga's best gift may be his glove, he also improved at the plate last season.  Arteaga only turns 19 in January and will look to continue to show an ability to hit older competition.  While Arteaga is a long ways away from the majors, he is a raw talent and an exciting prospect to keep your eye on in 2013.

Damion Mandalas (22): There was a brief moment following the breaking of the James Shields trade in which it seemed Arteaga would no longer after Clint Scoles incorrectly tweeted that he heard Arteaga was on the move. Ultimately, fellow Burlington Royal infielder Patrick Leonard was sent to Tampa Bay as the fourth piece in the deal. As a result, the Royals system will continue to possess a wealth of prospects at the lower levels of the system.

I like Arteaga and was impressed by his season in a tough hitting environment in the Appalachian League. It will be interesting to see how the Royals handle their shortstop prospects for the 2013 season. Quite frankly, there are three Royals short stop prospects that it could be argued should be assigned to Low-A Lexington. Adalberto Mondesi impressed in Idaho Falls and is clearly ready for full season ball. Humberto Arteaga had a nice debut in Burlington, and Jack Lopez could benefit from a return trip to Low-A. We will see how the Royals navigate this, but if I had to guess, I'd expect to see Arteaga get the large majority of his 2013 at bats in Idaho Falls. 

Dan Ware (NR): At age 18, Humberto possesses great potential at SS as he has an extremely advanced glove in the field, amazing range, strong and accurate arm, along with quality fundamentals.  A much improved line of .274/.313/.380 in 2012 should only improve with his short, compact swing, which has received great praise.  Some extra pop could always turn up at some point in the future, but the Royals aren't expecting much more than what he has presently.  Hopefully we can see Arteaga begin his 2013 campaign in Idaho Falls.

Total Points: 9

Prospect Countdown: #33 Humberto Arteaga

#33 Humberto Arteaga


Age: 17
Position: SS
Height: 6-1
Weight: 160
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent on 8/10/10 for $1.1 million
From: Caracas, Venezuela



I'm afraid I won't be able to provide much in the way of ground breaking information on Royals' shortstop Humberto Arteaga. In my mind Arteaga is the second in the new line of million dollar Latin American shortstops that the Royals are attempting to develop. A Royal line that may come to an end with Adalberto Mondesi, thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Royals say that Arteaga is an extremely advanced fielder for his age, with great range, a strong arm, and quality fundametals. Arteaga's offense also some praise thanks to his smooth line drive swing, with the Royals believing he'll add power as he grows into his 6-1 frame.

At first glance Arteaga's offensive showing in the Arizona League is a bit disappointing. However, once you consider that he played the season at the ripe age of 17 you start to see why the Royals are so high on the prospect. Plus when you really delve into Arteaga's 2011 statistics you find that maybe he wasn't quite as bad as you would have first thought.

Arteaga's line came in at just .254/.291/.321 which considering the hitter friendly environment of the Arizona League doesn't compare favorably with the league average line of .274/.351/.405. But looking closer you'll find that Arteaga's line drive percentage was higher than the league average at 15.3% and his K percentage of only 16.9% was much lower than the average 20.7%.

Based off Arteaga's ability to make contact with the ball in a league comprised of players several years older than him it's hard to not be excited by the potential of the Royals young Venezuelan shortstop. Last season the Royals were aggressive with the first in the Royals line of million dollar Latin American shortstops, when they assigned Orlando Calixte to Kane County. It is possible that the Royals take a similar approach with Arteaga. Likely though I expect Arteaga to spend 2012 in Burlington, NC, or Idaho Falls, ID.