Omaha Storm Chasers 2014 Preview

*Omaha debut

Position Players:

LF - Brian Fletcher

CF - Brett Eibner*

RF - Paulo Orlando

3B - Jimmy Paredes*

SS - Christian Colon

2B - Johnny Giavotella

1B - Matt Fields*

C - Jesus Flores*

Rotation

Chris Dwyer

Danny Duffy

Justin Marks

Ryan Verdugo

John Lamb

Bench

C - Francisco Pena*, IF - Brian Bocock*, OF - Gorkys Hernandez, OF - Melky Mesa*

Bullpen

Buddy Baumann, Aaron Brooks*, Donnie Joseph, Michael Mariot, Clayton Mortensen, Spencer Patton*, Wilking Rodriguez*, Everett Teaford, Brett Tomko*, Ramon Troncoso*, Cory Wade*, P.J. Walters*

Notes:

• A variety of position players and pitchers will make their Omaha debuts this season (14 total), including OF Jimmy Paredes and former Royal Brett Tomko. 
• CF and former Arkansas Razorback Brett Eibner makes his Triple-A debut after spending the past year in NW Arkansas.  Posting career highs in BA, HR, and OPS in 113 games for the Naturals, Eibner started off 2013 on a cold spell (1-32 to begin the season), his future seemed to be on the path towards destruction, but he began to heat up.  At the end of May, he was hitting .208.  In June, he batted .245 with 4 HR, then July he hit .270 with 8 HR.  Come August, he cooled off again, but the fact that he bounced back from such a poor start shows that he worked hard to improve his approach at the plate.  Eibner will impress the crowd at Werner Park with a strong arm and solid range in center field.
• One of the more unfortunate stories of this spring involved a fan favorite: Danny Duffy.  The 25 year old lefty, trying to bounce back from Tommy John surgery in 2012, could not overcome his command issues during his time in the Big League camp.  In 11 innings, Duffy gave up 16 H, 14 ER, 6 HR, and 6 BB.  Both Duffy and Yordano Ventura were vying for the final spot in the Royals' rotation, but in the end, Duffy's struggles and Ventura's dominance made the decision too easy.  Rather than stick Duffy in the bullpen, he will remain as a starter for Omaha to get some innings while working on his control issues.
• Omaha will return a pair of infielders that helped lead them to a Triple-A Championship.  Both Johnny Giavotella and Christian Colon will man second base and shortstop, respectively, for the Storm Chasers.  The two, much like Duffy, were fighting for a spot on the big league roster when newly acquired 2B Omar Infante started having some soreness in his throwing elbow.  Throughout Spring Training, the front runner for a back-up middle infielder was Pedro Ciriaco, who already had Big League playing time with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.  With Infante likely starting the '14 season on the disabled list, Ciriaco seems to have the spot locked down.
• Brett Tomko was an intriguing acquistion this spring.  Turning 41 in April, Tomko has 14 years of ML experience under his belt and last pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2011, only toeing the rubber in 8 games.  Tomko pitched for the Royals in 2008, appearing 16 games, 10 of those were starts.  He logged 60 innings, a 2-7 record with 6.97 ERA, 40 K's, 13 BB, and allowed 49 ER.  In mid-March, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reported that Tomko was consistently hitting 91-93 mph on his fastball, while showcasing good command with his changeup and curveball.  A true journeyman of the game, Tomko just isn't ready to hang up the ol' cleats.

Prospect Countdown: #17 Chris Dwyer

17. Chris Dwyer Left Handed Pitcher

bleacherreport.com

Age: 25
Height: 6'3" 
Weight: 210
B/T: R/L
Acquired: Drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft

2013 Rank: 18

2012 Rank: 9

2011 Rank: 7

2010 Rank: 15

Landon Adams (28): I had the opportunity to see Dwyer first hand in 2010, while working for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and I was very impressed with the lefty. His fastball sat in the 93-95 range and his curveball had some serious bite. Not coincidentally up to that point Dwyer was recording 10.5 K/9. Yes, he had struggled a little with control, but he was mowing guys down and the stuff was apparent. Since that time the control has taken a step back, while the stuff has declined he has averaged just 7.04 K/9. 

Dwyer made my top 30 for a couple of reasons. First, he is a guy that will get a shot in the Majors to an extent. Second, the stuff could play up if he transitions to the bullpen. From the time of that he was drafted, we've heard that a bullpen role is probably the floor for Dwyer. Despite the stuff not being what it used to be, he still has a solid two pitch mix. 

The Royals are deep in the bullpen, so Dwyer figures to be on the outside looking in for this roster. My opinion would be that he should return to the Omaha rotation for 2014 and if the results don't improve (I'm talking about strikeouts and walks) then he should be moved to a bullpen role at midseason.

Paden Bennett (11): Before last season, I had jumped off the Chris Dwyer bandwagon.  I had big expectations for him from previous years but he just didn't pan out.  However, last year Dwyer showed me some things that made me a believer that he could be in our rotation someday.  

You don't see a lot of things that jump off the page looking at his minor league numbers last season.  In 159 innings pitched for Omaha he only had 112 K's and 72 walks.  However, when Dwyer came up and pitched for the Royals for a brief stint last season I saw a different pitcher than what his minor league numbers showed.  I saw an overhand curveball reminiscent of a Barry Zito curve and I saw good velocity.  I also thought Dwyer just had the attitude that I like to see on the mound, he seemed to attack hitters and have a little swagger to him.  I don't expect big things from Dwyer this year but I would not be surprised to see him have a good Spring and make a run at a rotation spot.

Joe Cox (25): Chris Dwyer, once a top prospect in a highly touted Royals organization of years past, has turned out like many of the other pitchers from those lists.  That means, of course, that things have not gone well for Chris Dwyer.  Dwyer will be entering his age 26 season this year with all of three major league innings to his name.  

Other than those three innings, Dwyer spent the entire year pitching in AAA, where he compiled an uplifting 160 innings.  He managed an impressive 3.55 ERA with a somewhat less impressive 4.43 FIP.  His walk and strikeout rates were both pretty pedestrian, as is his fastball velocity.  Dwyer will provide pitching depth and could be a piece in the majors this year.  Dwyer should not be relied upon as a reliable arm and I would suspect the Royals would prefer to add pitching depth thus pushing him further back on their depth chart. 

Dan Ware (17): 2013 was very nice to Dwyer. Posting a 3.55 ERA in 159.2 innings, 112 strikeouts and 72 walks.  Last season didn't save his career as a starter, but I would say it bought him some time. The command issues started to creep in, along with a dip in his velocity and some DL time seemed to be the culprit to his downfall in both the 2011 and '12 seasons. 

Chris overcame the challenges and revamped his status as a rotation candidate. If his 2013 resurgence wasn't good enough, the Storm Chasers made it all the way to the Triple-A National Title game and put the ball in Dwyer's hand, and boy did he come through. Flirting with a perfect game into the 7th inning, giving up just a single in 7 innings while striking out 8 batters, he helped lead Omaha to a 2-1 victory, was named the game's MVP.  Later in the week, the Royals called him up for his ML Debut, logging just 3 innings in 2 games. Although his walk rate is at 10.6%, which is lower than what it's been in the past, it's still fairly high.  2014 will probably be his last chance to improve his command and to remain a starter, or else a move to the 'pen will likely be made.

Nicholas Ian Allen (--): Dayton Moore had some interesting things to say recently about Chris Dwyer:

"Chris Dwyer is a pitcher that's a little under the radar for us, but we like him a great deal," Moore said. "He's got a great overhand curveball, a pitch that a lot of left-handers don't have in the game today and therefore it makes it tough on the hitters. He's got a changeup that is really good, and his velocity picked up a little bit last year and his command really improved, so he'll got a shot to compete as well."

I would be shocked if Dwyer takes the spot. In fact, I am surprised Moore even brought him up. Dwyer did bounce back from a rough 2012 and with his strong showing last season, Dwyer proved to the Royals he was worth protecting in the Rule 5 draft. The club rewarded him with a trip to Kansas City in September and his Major League debut September 24. That said, he pitched just three innings for the Royals in 2013 and the team has better options with more experience. Speaking of options, Dwyer has them, so there is no need to rush him. Look for Dwyer to start the season in Omaha, but be among the first call-ups during the season. 

Total Points: 43

Prospect Countdown: #18 Chris Dwyer

18. Chris Dwyer Left Handed Pitcher

Chris Vleisides/Kansas City Royals

Age: 25
Position: LHP
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215
B/T: R/L
Acquired: Drafted in the 4th Round of the Amateur Draft
From: Boston, MA




Paden Bennett (NR):  I didn't put Dwyer in my rankings because my patience has run out.  He is 25 years old and we haven't seen any improvement at all. In fact, he has just consistently gotten worse.  He doesn't have overpowering stuff and he walks too many.  That's not a combination for success.  So as excited as I was for Dwyer when he was a young prospect. I am down on him until he shows me something big.

Joe Cox (15): Chris Dwyer has had a rough career relative to what expectations were for him as a former top prospect in the organization.  Dwyer will turn 25 this season and time is running out for him to prove himself useful to the major league club.   The lefty has had a similar career path of former Royal Mike Montgomery in that he still could make a difference in the majors, but scouting reports and stats show that they are not the same pitchers they used to be. 

Dwyer had a very disappointing 2012 season split between AA and AAA, but the Royals still added them to the 40 man roster following the season to protect him from being lost in the Rule 5 draft.   Dwyer combined for a 5.58 ERA between levels and struggled with command at both levels.  In 23 starts, Dwyer allowed 23 home runs and was only able to strike out 33 batters in 50 innings.  There is little to be excited about based on his numbers, but he has maintained his health somewhat the last two years and is still a lefty with a major league skill set.  I don’t see Dwyer starting in the majors but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Kansas City at some point in 2013. 

Damion Mandalas (30):  Chris Dwyer made my personal top 30, but only just. The issues with Dwyer last year stemmed from a lack of consistency in his command that resulted in way too many big innings throughout the season. By the end of the season the lack of command was coupled by a dip in velocity and all of the sudden one had to wonder if Dwyer would even be salvageable as a useful bullpen piece.

Now the Dwyer is on the 40 man, the clock is only going to tick faster for him to put thing together. He'll likely continue to log innings as a starter, but a switch to the bullpen could occur quickly if he doesn't show quick progress in 2013. Dwyer reminds me a bit of Brandon Wood, in that he was a high round pick that performed well at the low levels. Eventually, I think Dwyer with shift to the pen like Wood, where he could be serviceable as a middle reliever.

Dan Ware (21):  Dwyer could be a lefty in the mix to see some time in Kansas City upon September's arrival (pending on the Royals record, injuries).  His first 2 professional seasons in the Royals organization were very promising, which made him well known to the front office.  The past 2 seasons, especially last year, Dwyer has taken a couple steps backwards.  In 2012, his strikeouts have gone downhill while the walks have been staying high and steady, and let's not forget the fact that he was shut down in August for his decrease in velocity.  During the offseason, the Royals added him to the 40-man rather than lose him to the Rule 5 draft, so for his sake, this is a good thing.  Chris needs to come into ST feeling 100% fresh and needs to impress if he wants to start off in Omaha.  I still have hope for Dwyer, but it's wearing thin.

Total Points: 27

Looking Ahead: The Rotation

Unfortunately, we are 40 games into the season and the Royals sit just 16-24. It doesn't take an astute observer to point out that the major flaw of this team and largest hindrance on future optimism has been its rotation. So what are we looking at to open 2013? Can the rotation at least be average? 

Potential Rotation Members Returning:

• Luke Hochevar
• Felipe Paulino
• Bruce Chen
• Danny Duffy* (Won't be back until June at the earliest.)

If you are still a believer in Hochevar, the Royals are two starters short, if not Kansas City will need to fill three spots. What the Royals do with these two openings will be critical, if they play it safe as they did last off season, an average rotation is likely a pipe dream. But let's keep in mind that the Royals may not necessarily have to fill all the open spots via free agency. So who could be ready from the farm?

• Mike Montgomery- With 35 starts in AAA, it'll just take a few dominate starts for Montgomery to break into the majors. Considering he has about 20 starts left in this season, he'll likely be ready to bust in next season. (We hope.)
• Will Smith- People tend to forget about Smith, because the upside just isn't as high for the former Angels farmhand. But the Royals feel very strongly that he has a near Major League arm and that eventually he could hold down a spot at the back of the rotation.
• Jake Odorizzi- Having proven himself in AA, he has the remainder of the summer to do the same in Omaha. He may not open in Kansas City next season, but there's a good chance he'll be in the mix to do so. 

(I've chosen not to include either Chris Dwyer or John Lamb because both have yet to prove themselves in AA. They could easily break into the Majors at some point in 2013, but we're looking at what the rotation could be to open the season.)

There's another guy that should be given the chance to start in 2013. The Royals paid a lot of lip service to Aaron Crow in the rotation entering 2012, but when Joakim Soria lost his season to Tommy John, the Royals felt Crow was needed to much in the bullpen. Considering the way the rotation has gone thus far, come mid-August Crow absolutely should be given the opportunity to start every fifth day. If Crow pitches even average in that month and a half, he should be given a rotation spot entering 2013.

So there's seven possibilities heading into 2013. If two out of Montgomery, Odorizzi, and Crow show they are ready to hold down rotation spots the Royals rotation will already receive an upgrade. Sure there would be some growing pains, but the talent and upside would be there. 

I also find it very unlikely that the front office would keep their hands out of free agency should the rotation continue to be as bad as it has been thus far. Fortunately for Kansas City, the upcoming free agent crop appears to be strong on the pitching side of things. The most intriguing name of the group for most of us is Zack Greinke. Personally, I expect him to be priced way out of the Royals range.

Another name to keep an eye on would be Kansas City's own and Missouri State prospect Shaun Marcum. If the Royals were able to net any hometown discount at all he would make a ton of sense. In seven seasons he boasts a career 3.74 ERA with a career K/BB of 2.64. 

Obviously, the road bump that Mike Montgomery has encountered is nerve racking. Clearly, the current rotation is a cause for concern. However, Chen continues to defy odds and it isn't hard to imagine him at least being a serviceable back end guy in 2013. Paulino could be the best starter on the roster. Personally, I could see him as a 2 or 3 on an average staff. If the Royals go get a free agent the Royals will have a make shift 1 (albeit most likely not an ace).

Finally, out of Luke Hochevar, Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, Nate Adcock and Will Smith, you need two to be the 3 and 4 starters. Obviously, several of the aforementioned guys offer more upside than the Royals have had in past rotations. Oh, and don't forget Danny Duffy will be back in June and John Lamb, Chris Dwyer, Jason Adam, and Yordano Ventura could be knocking at the door soon after. 

The Royals don't necessarily need to trade for a front end starter. The possibility exists that the rotation could be stronger next year than this year simply by giving the right guys the opportunity. I'd prefer to see the Royals take a more aggressive approach. There are free agents that would make sense, that could round out the front end. There's no reason to sell out for the ace, if the Kansas City's in contention next July, maybe then it will be time.

Prospect Countdown: #9 Chris Dwyer

#9 Chris Dwyer

Age: 23

Position: LHP

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Acquired: Drafted in the 4th Round of the 2009 Amateur Draft

From: Boston, MA

Entering last season Dwyer represented 25% of the fabulous quartet of left handers. However, a season later he may be coming off the most disappointing season of the bunch. Yes, Dwyer was often considered the fourth best of the group, but I'm not sure there is a prospect that has fallen out of Royals fans collective conscience more than Chris Dwyer.

Yes, Dwyer's ERA ballooned to 5.60, but as Baseball America points out he was much better down the stretch posting a 3.53 ERA in his final 9 starts. Dwyer still has the low 90s heater, devastating curve ball, and average change-up. His potential is that of a #3 starter, but 2012, is obviously a big year for him.

Dwyer has difficulty repeating his delivery and as a result the ball gets up in the zone and becomes less effective. Hopefully, with another year under his belt his mechanics can continue to improve, if not he could still wind up as a set up man. He should open 2012 in the Naturals' bullpen and I hope that he can take the next step, because the Royals already have the arms in the bullpen. What the Royals need is starting pitching.

Picture taken from ArkansasOnline.com

Time to get Frustrated?

Here we go again… It is June 20th and once again our beloved Royals find themselves in the cellar of not just the Central but also the entire American League. Of course now is the time for fans to flip out and complain about what little progress this team has made.


Fans have been told wait for next year for too long, and they are beginning to grow tired of it. I don’t blame them. But for those that are suggesting that the Royals could have prevented this in the offseason, they need to stop and consider reason.

You can’t in one breath complain about Lorenzo Cain being blocked in center by a free agent stop gap, and then in the next breath complain that the Royals didn’t sign a player to man second base. You have to chose one way or another or else you are someone who is going to complain regardless.

Either the Royals should have signed the stopgaps and stick with them until the deadline, while they keep the seat warm for the prospects in Omaha. Or the Royals shouldn’t have messed with either. What isn’t fair is to complain about the Royals being in last place because they didn’t sign free agents and then go off and bash the Jeff Francis or Jose Guillen signing.

Obviously there were other guys available this offseason, but there was no reason at all for the Royals to drop boatloads of cash on an aging veteran. Thankfully it seems they have learned from that mistake when they signed Jose Guillen to a three year thirty-six million dollar deal.

People are glad that the Royals aren’t blocking their own prospects, but some are also complaining that they should have added veterans to some of the positions that aren’t playing up to snuff, particularly second base. The thing that has to be remembered is that literally every position on the roster besides catcher could have a prospect emerge as major league ready this season.

No matter where the Royals spent the money they ran the risk of blocking a prospect, unless that money was spent on one or even two year deals for catcher or the rotation. One year deals aren’t the issue here though, because they are so easy to flip at the deadline and they involve very little commitment by the team.

So if fans are wanting the Royals to add more serious players to make them contenders this year, it is just ludicrous to think that it could have been done without shelling out multi-year deals and huge bucks. I mean what pitcher could the Royals have added without doing that? Carl Pavano? I’ll take Jeff Francis and Bruce Chen.

A local radio host openly complained today about how the Royals went into the season with Chris Getz and Mike Aviles competing for the job at second base. First off it didn’t seem that ridiculous in the offseason that one of the two could be a solid contributor. Secondly, Giavotella is waiting in the wings and after tearing through the second half of last season and the Arizona Fall League was knocking at the door. Finally, I question anyone’s baseball understanding if they really believe that the Royals could have became contenders in 2011 if they would have just spent a few million for a second baseman.

The same show host, then went on to talk about the rotation holes and how the Royals should have spent big bucks this offseason in that area. But my question is who should they have signed? What pitcher on the market could the Royals have brought in that could have made them contenders in 2011 and would have fit into their long term plans?

Also, we shouldn’t forget that heading into the season the Royals had four of the top starting pitching prospects in baseball, all of which could have been ready for their debuts within a year’s time. When you add in Aaron Crow and a couple of the lower tier guys, then it is easy to see why the Royals proffered the stop gaps in the rotation for this year anyway.

What the Royals didn’t foresee was Montgomery and Dwyer both struggling immensely and John Lamb having to undergo season ending Tommy John surgery.

It is much wiser for the Royals to wait out this season and feel for what they have before making the moves on the market. Next offseason the Royals will have had another year of evaluating their prospects, some even at the highest level. Not to mention that the starting pitching class for this offseason is much more impressive than last.

The Royals will have money to spend and should they play it right in the offseason, could very easily position themselves as favorites for the AL Central entering 2012. It is frustrating that once again we find ourselves in last place. But sometimes one must take a small step back in order to take a giant leap forward.

Prospect Countdown: 10-6

10. Jeremy Jeffress RHP

By now we all know several things about Jeremy Jeffress. First, he came as part of the Greinke to Milwaukee deal. Second, he has had to serve a couple of suspensions due to recreational drug use. Third, Jeffress throws gas.

Upon acquiring Jeffress the Royals elected to use him strictly as a reliever, continuing on a decision the Brewers made with him last summer. This is definitely a good move. In the pen Jeffress stuff can play up even more and his "80" fastball can be used in the late innings to render hitters obsolete.

Jeffress also has a strong slider that sits between 78-83 mph. His changeup still needs a lot of work but as a late inning reliever it won't be crucial to his success that this pitch develops. Given the strength of his triple digit fastball his slider should be plenty to throw hitters off balance in the late innings.

Jeffress could be the closer of the future for Kansas City and could take the reins from Joakim Soria when his time in Kansas City comes to pass. However, that could still be several years away so the Jeffress will have plenty of time to get acclimated to late inning, high-leverage situations. He could be a Joel Zamaya type for Kansas City and along with Soria could form a vicious two-headed monster at the end of games as soon as this season begins.

Jeffress will likely begin the year in the big league pen, and as the season progress could be pushed into higher leverage situations. If Tejeda is dealt at the deadline like I expect, Jeffress is a prime candidate to become the right-handed set-up man.

9. Christian Colon SS

The Royals have made a living drafting right behind the consensus and in the 2010 draft this was no different. Heading into draft day the top three were very clearly Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon, and Manny Machado. The Royals picked 4th and many believed that prospects 4-40 could go in any order and be easily justified. The Royals elected to go with the guy I pinned as my choice roughly six months before the selection was made: Christian Colon.

Christian Colon immediately strengthened my good feeling regarding the pick when he signed for the MLB slot recommendation so that he could start his pro career. Due to this enthusiasm Colon was able to play in sixty games for Wilmington in 2010, which puts him ahead of the curve right from the start.

Colon's numbers weren't awe-inspiring in his debut but they were strong enough to make me extremely confident in his future. Colon has solid tools across the board. He could find his home run totals in the 10-15 range and the same could be said for his stolen base numbers. He should post a strong average throughout his career and his hit tool is obviously his best.

Many have compared Colon's floor to that of Placido Polanco and some have even thrown out Derek Jeter comparisons. Colon will probably fall somewhere in the middle and be a solid contributor with a long career, but never being a superstar. Colon can speak both Spanish and English and scouts rave about his leadership qualities.

With the acquisition of Alcides Escobar many expect Colon to shift over to second. However, the Royals are going to continue to develop him as a shortstop at least for the short term. Colon's range and arm have both been questioned, but the organization believes that his fundamentals are strong enough to be an adaquate fielding shortstop. If Escobar can hit, then Colon will eventually shift to second and be an above average fielder from the right side of the diamond.

Colon should begin the season in Northwest Arkansas and along with a top notch rotation and mega prospect Wil Myers they should push for a second Texas League title.

8. Jake Odorizzi RHP

Like Jeffress, Odorizzi came to Kansas City as a part of the package Kansas City received for Zack Greinke. Ironically some scouts have stated that Odorizzi could be a lesser version of Greinke at some point down the road. Odorizzi ranked as the top prospect with his former club. However, he comes in at just number eight on the Royal Revival Prospect Countdown.

Odorizzi was drafted in the supplemental round of the 2008 draft and many in the game regarded him as the top prep pitcher available. Odorizzi's reminds me a bit of Kansas' City's Tim Melville as a top right handed high school talent that isn't far into his development. Unlike Melville, Odorizzi has not yet tasted high A competition due to the Brewers conservative approach with him.

Odorizzi pitches out of a 3/4 arm slot and displays a fastball that sits in the low 90s, a slider in the high 70s, a curve in the mid 70s and a changeup that sits in the lows 80s. All of his secondary pitches need to show improvement, but scouts believe his curve could develop into an above average pitch.

Odorizzi may have the highest upside out of all the players the Royals received for Greinke. He could develop into a frontline starter and provide the Royals a right handed anchor for a predominately left-handed rotation. Odorizzi should begin the season in Wilmington and could filter up to Northwest Arkansas for the second half depending on his numbers and what happens ahead of him.

7. Chris Dwyer LHP





Now is the time that we reach what has been dubbed by some as the "Sinister Seven" this final group offers three future middle of the order superstar caliber bats and four southpaws with front of the rotation potential. The system is considered strong for its depth of prospects at all positions. However, the next seven prospects give Kansas City what some believe to be the best farm system in the history of system rankings.

Chris Dwyer is just another guy that shouldn't be a Royal. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. He is a blend of a scout's choice and an overslot bonus baby. He was a rare draft eligible freshman and even though his numbers at Clemson weren't great, the Royals front office loved what they say and put the dollar sign on the muscle of $1.45 million.

Dwyer has a fastball that sits in the low to mid 90s and a changeup that he has greatly improved since the time he was drafted it. But it is his 12-6, hammer curveball that turns him into an elite prospect. The pitch was rated by prospect guru John Sickels as the top curve among prospects. Coming from the same release point as his fastball it is a true out pitch in every sense of the word.

Injury precautions limited Dwyer's workload upon his promotion to the Texas League last season. But there are no concerns going forward. He should begin 2011 in one of the best minor league rotations in recent memory for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

6. Danny Duffy LHP

Duffy gave Royals nation a scare a year ago when he abruptly left the game to sort his life priorities. After some time off he decided that baseball was important and he returned to the game. After the Royals rebuilt his arm strength he found himself in the Naturals' rotation where he continued to post dominating minor league results and show an uptick in velocity.

Duffy has a career k rate of 10.5 and a career walk rate of 2.9. He is one of the most advanced arms in the system and was even granted an opportunity to make the big league club out of Spring Training. Duffy didn't take advantage of this and at times he seemed timid, displaying poor command. He also had flashes of brilliance with six strikeouts versus just five hits allowed in eight innings pitched.

Duffy has a fastball that has reached 97 mph, but works best when he is in the low or mid 90s. He also has a changeup that should be an above average offering and a curveball that could be scrapped for a slider that will fit better with his cross fire delivery.

Duffy will begin the season in the Northwest Arkansas Naturals rotation and with a strong season should find time in Kansas City by season's end.

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