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Current Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 10th

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Saturday May 11th, 2013

Jordany Valdespin hit yet another HR last night as a player that did not start the game. Incredibly, this guy has hit 9 HRs in his limited Career for this category (94 AB – versus 2 HRs in 173 AB as a Starter.) The Mets should definitely keep Valdespin in this role. Unfortunately their OF for 2013 is hitting for a Batting Average in the .225 Range.

DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.

We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.

I loved it when MLB XM Radio used to do a running total every night on their Roundtrip with Mike Ferrin (Laser Show). So I am bringing it every day on this website. To view every nights big boppers for the whole year (from May 8th on) visit the DH page!

Click beyond the Youtube link or click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.

Jordany Valdespin goes yard as a PH:

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Tags: @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, adrian gonzalez, alex gordon, andy dirks, angel pagan, anthony recker, anthony rizzo, atlant a braves, brandon phillips, Brian McCann, carlos beltran, chris davis, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, david murphy, derek dietrich, derek norris, edwin encarnacion, eric hosmer, evan gattis, garrett jones, ian desmond, ichiro suzuki, j.p. arencibia, Jarrod Dyson, jean segura, Jeff Baker, jimmy rollins, john buck, jordany valdespin, justin upton, kc royals, la angels, lyle overbay, mark reynolds, mark trumbo, miguel cabrera, Mike Morse, mike moustakas, nelson cruz, new york yankees, ny, paul goldschmidt, prince fielder, queensbury, raul ibanez, robinson cano, ryan braun, trevor crowe

Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 9th

May 10

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday May 10th, 2013

The Indians continue to lead the MLB in HRs with 49. They are now 18 – 14 for the year – after winning 11 out of their last 12. They also lead the MLB in SLG % with a .475 clip – and OPS – with a .809 mark. They boast the AL HR leader in Reynolds (11) and Santana is leading the world in OPS of (1.129). The Cleveland fans have not bought into the next exciting offensive play. The team is dead last in MLB Attendance – having only drawn 239,765 in 17 home dates thus far. This translates into just over 14100 people per contest. C’mon Cleveland, support your club! The Tribe is only 1 GB behind Detroit heading into a weekend showdown series

DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.

We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.

Click beyond the Youtube link or click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.

Cleveland Indians with 7 HRs 4/30 versus the Phillies:

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Tags: alex gordon, anthony rizzo, brendan harris, Brian McCann, bryce harper, buster posey, carlos santana, chris davis, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cleveland indians, edwin encarnacion, eric hosmer, j.p. arencibia, jason kipnis, jay bruce, john buck, josh donaldson, josh hamilton, justin upton, mark reynolds, mark trumbo, matt tuisasosopo, Mike Morse, mike moustakas, nick swisher, oswaldo arcia, paul goldschmidt, pedro alvarez, robinson cano, travis hafner, twitter @chuckbooth3024, yunel escobar

MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)

May 5

Posted by cleitch21

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Sunday, May.05/2013

The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.

By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

One month down in the MLB season and that means it’s time for some Power Rankings! Chuck Booth the czar of MLBreports.com joins us in studio to rank every team from worst to first. Where does your team rank? Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: a.j. burnett, a.j. pierzynski, a.j. pollock, aaron hill, adam dunn, adam laroche, adam wainwright, adrian beltre, al central, AL East, AL West, alex ríos, Alexi Ogando, American league, andy pettitte, anibal sanchez, anthony rizzo, asdrubal cabrera, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, barry zito, bartolo colon, billy beane, billy butler, boston red sox, brandon maurer, brandon moss, brandon phillips, Brian McCann, brian wilson, bruce bochy, bryce harper, buster posey, carl crawford, Carlos Marmol, carlos quentin, casey kotchman, cc sabathia, chase field, chase headley, chase utley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chris archer, chris carter, chris denorfia, chris johnson, chris nelson, cincinnati reds, Cito gaston, clay buchholz, clayton kershaw, cleveland indians, cliff lee, cole hamels, collin cowgill, colorado rockies, Coors Field, danny hultzen, dave dombrowski, dave kingman, david ortiz, david price, david wright, detroit tigers, didi gregorius, don mattingly, Drew Smyly, dusty baker, dylan bundy, edwin encarnacion, eric hosmer, ervin santana, everth cabrera, felix hernandez, Fernando Martinez, freddie freeman, garrett jones, George Kontos, gerardo parra, giancarlo stanton, hanley ramirez, hiroki kuroda, hisashi iwakuma, houston astros, huston street, ian kinsler, jacoby ellsbury, james loney, james paxton, james shields, jarrod parker, jason giambi, jason grilli, jason heyward, jed lowrie, jeff francis, jeff francoeur, jeff samardzija, Jeremy guthrie, jerry dipoto, joel hanrahan, joey votto, john farrell, john gibbons, johnny damon, jon lester, jorge de la rosa, jose altuve, jose bautista, jose fernandez, jose reyes, jose valverde, josh beckett, josh hamilton, josh rutledge, Juan Francisco, jurickson profar, justin upton, justin verlander, kansas city royals, kevin slowey, kyle blanks, kyle lohse, kyle seager, la angels, la dodgers, lance berkman, lorenzo cain, lucas duda, luke gregerson, lyle overbay, mariano rivera, mark reynolds, mark trumbo, Matt Adams, matt cain, matt harvey, matt moore, max scherzer, miami marlins, Michael Saunders, michael wacha, miguel cabrera, mike aviles, Mike Morse, mike moustakas, mike napoli, mike scioscia, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, national league, new york mets, new york yankees, NL Central, NL east, nl west, nolan arenado, Nolan Reimold, oakland athletics, oscar taveras, ozzie guillen, pablo sandoval, paul goldschmidt, paul konerko, peter bourjos, phil hughes, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, pnc park, rafael soriano, randy winn, rick porcello, ricky nolasco, roy halladay, ryan braun, ryan howard, ryan vogelsong, ryan zimmerman, seattle mariners, sergio romo, shelby miller, shin-soo choo, Sid Bream, st louis cardinals, stan musial, starling marte, taijuan walker, tampa bay rays, Terry Pendleton, texas rangers, tim lincecum, tom wilhelmsen, tony cingrani, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, trevor hoffman, troy tulowitzki, ubaldo jimenez, vernon wells, washington nationals, wil myers, will venable, yasmani grandal, yoenis cespedes, yonder alonso, yovani gallardo, yu darvish, Yuniesky Betancourt, zack greinke, zack wheeler

Early Season Power Outage For The Royals Corner Infielders

May 5

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Sunday, May.05/2013

Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur have a combined 2 HRs between them to start the 2013 MLB Campaign. Despite KC being tied for fewest HRs in the Major Leagues (and last in the AL with 16 HRs) – the club is 15 – 10 and only trails Detroit by one half game in the American League Central heading into play Sunday. For the Royals to compete all season, it would be nice if all of these guys could crack 20+ HRs each like they are capable of.

By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @quickdraw29

The good news . . .

As of May.04 , the Royals record stood at 16 -10, good enough to claim second spot in the American League Central after the first five weeks of the 2013 season – behind the Tigers who are a half game behind them.

The Royals’ focus on pitching in the offseason has paid dividends up to this point, as the team ranks among the league leaders in staff ERA and walks and hits allowed.

As cliché as it sounds, good pitching gives teams a chance to win every day. Look no farther than the San Francisco Giants championship team in 2012, who won the World Series despite finishing last in the Majors in Home Runs during the regular season.

Mike Moustakas early season power surge 2012

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Tags: @quickdraw29 on twitter, al central, alcides escobar, American league, billy butler, chris getz, detroit tigers, eric hosmer, kc royals, lorenzo cain, miami marlins, michael mcGraw, mike moustakas, Mike Trout, minnesota twins

Kansas City Payroll In 2013: Royals Organizational Rosters + Depth Charts – (MLB + MiLB)

Apr 27

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Saturday, Apr.27/2013

Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Billy Butler are part of a young core of talent that could really all flourish at the same time. The franchise had added Veteran Starting Pitching this year and look as strong as ever to end the 28 year Playoff Drought. The management and ownership has spent more money than any Royals team in club history. The will probably battle with the Detroit Tigers all season long for the AL Central Division

Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Billy Butler are part of a young core of talent that could really all flourish at the same time. The franchise had added Veteran Starting Pitching this year and look as strong as ever to end the 28 year Playoff Drought. The management and ownership has spent more money than any Royals team in club history. The will probably battle with the Detroit Tigers all season long for the AL Central Division.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster

You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.

Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.

In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!

Jeff updates this page below on a daily basis. After you click on it….Bookmark it. There is a 3 year salary forecast and stats not listed here on this page.

For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Royals Organization click here

Kansas City Royals World Series Victory Parade 1985:

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Tags: 1b Tim Melville, 3b Eric Hosmer, Aaron Brooks, aaron crow, Adam Moore, alcides escobar, Alec Mills, alex gordon, Alex Llanos, Alex McClure, Alexander Marquez, Ali Williams, Andrew Triggs, Andy Ferguson, Angel Baez, Angel Franco, Anthony Ortega, Anthony Seratelli, Antonio Cruz, Aroni Nina, Atahualpa Severino, Bill Shea, billy butler, Blaine Boyer, Brandon Wood, Brett Eibner, brett hayes, Brian Buchanan, Brian Fletcher, Brian Poldberg, Brian Sanches, Brooks Pounders, bruce chen, Bryan Brickhouse, bubba starling, Buddy Baumann, c Mike Moustakas, chad tracy, Charles Thomas, Chase Boruff, Cheslor Cuthbert, Chino Cadahia, chris getz, Chris Kemple, Christian Binford, christian colon, Christopher Dwyer, Clayton Schulz, Cody Fassold, Cole White, Colin Rodgers, Cory Hall, dan wheeler, Daniel Hernandez, Daniel Mateo, Daniel Stumpf, Danny Duffy, David Glass, David Lough, dayton moore, Donnie Joseph, Doug Henry, Doug Sisson, Eddie Rodriguez, Edwin Carl, elliot johnson, Eric Edelstein, eric hosmer, ervin santana, Everett Teaford, Felipe Paulino, Francisley Bueno, Fred Ford, Freddy Sandoval, george kottaras, George Sherrill, Geulin Beltre, Greg Billo, greg holland, Humberto Arteaga, Irving Falu, J.C. Sulbaran, Jack Lopez, Jack Maloof, james shields, Jarrod Dyson, Jason Adam, jeff francoeur, Jeremy guthrie, Jerry Nyman, Jim Brower, John Lamb, Johnny Giavotella, Jon Keck, Jorge Bonifacio, Jose Bonilla, Juan Graterol, Juan Gutierrez, Justin Gemoll, Justin Marks, Justin Trapp, Kellen Moen, kelvin herrera, Kenny Diekroeger, Kenny Swab, Kyle Smith, kyle zimmer, Lane Adams, Leonel Santiago, Lexington Legends (SAL), lhp Aaron Crow, lhp Chris Dwyer, lhp Christian Colon, lhp Danny Duffy, lhp David Lough, lhp Mike Montgomery, lorenzo cain, louis coleman, luis mendoza, luke hochevar, Malcom Culver, Manuel Pina, Mark Peterson, Martie Cordaro, Matt Fields, Matt Ridings, Max Ramirez, Michael Mariot, Miguel Almonte, Miguel Tejada, Mike Jirschele, mike moustakas, Mike Murtaugh, Mike Woleben, Mitch Canham, Murray Watts, Nathan Adcock, Ned Yost. Dave Eiland, Nelson Liriano, Nicholas Cuckovich, Nick Rogers, Noel Arguelles, Northwest Arkansas Naturals (TEX), of, of 2010 Baseball America's Top Ten Prospects Mike Montgomery, Omaha Storm Chasers (PCL), Orlando Calixte, Parker Morin, Paulo Orlando, r Julio Bruno, Rey Navarro, rhp Brett Eibner, rhp John Lamb, rhp Wil Myers, Robinson Yambati, Roman Hernandez, ryan verdugo, salvador perez, Sam Runion, Sam Selman, Santiago Garrido, Scott Alexander, Spencer Patton, ss Danny Duffy, Steve Foster, Steve Luebbe, Sugar Ray Marimon, Terrance Gore, tim collins, Tim Ferguson, Tom Palmer, Tommy Gregg, Tyler Sample, Vance Wilson, wade davis, Whit Merrifield, Will Smith, willy taveras, Wilmington Blue Rocks (CAR), xavier nady, Yeliar Castro, Yem Prades, Yordano Ventura, Yowill Espinal

MLB Weekly Power Rankings – Week 3

Apr 22

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday Apr.22/2013

The Giants have gutted out a 12 – 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 – 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89. Buster Posey is also off to a slow start. This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown now that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation. The Giants take their rightful spot as #1 in the MLB Reports Weekly Rankings thids week.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

The Major League Baseball Season is roughly 10% over and we are seeing some trends and patterns. The next time you wonder why games are so long in the game right now, look no further than there are about 150 hitters that are currently on pace to Strikeout 100 plus times this season.

Other Notes:

The Cincinnati Reds won every game this past 7 days, after losing every day the week prior. This is simply why they shot up the rankings. I think the NL Central is the weakest Division this year. It was my prediction that the oldest professional baseball club would run away with this Division by at least 10 games.

Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto are on the Basepaths at all times – carrying an OBP of over .500 plus each. Votto is starting to drive the ball with authority too. Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart are driving in Runs at an incredible rate.

Look for BP Follow @DatdudeBP to be a dark horse NL MVP candidate.

Brandon Phillips Talks about Winter Workouts:

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Tags: @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, a.j. pierzynski, adam dunn, adam lind, al central, AL West, albert pujols, alfonso soriano, American league, andre ethier, anthony rendon, anthony rizzo, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, barry zito, boston red sox, brandon phillips, Brendan Ryan, brett lawrie, bryce harper, buster posey, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, cincinnati reds, cleveland indians, colby rasmus, colorado rockies, david price, dayton moore, dee gordon, detroit tigers, emilio bonifacio, eric hosmer, giancarlo stanton, heath bell, houston astros, jean segura, joe mauer, john buck, jordan walden, jose altuve, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh hamilton, justin morneau, justin smoak, kansas city royals, la dodgers, los angeles angels of anaheim, maicer izturis, mark derosa, matt cain, matt harvey, matt kemp, matt moore, melky cabrera, miami marlins, mike moustakas, mike piazza, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, MLB power rankings, munenori kawasaki, national league, new york mets, new york yankees, NL Central, NL east, nl eat, oakland athletics, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, rajai davis, Rick Ankiel, ryan vogelsong, ryan zimmerman, san diego padres, san francisco giants, seattle mariners, shin-soo choo, st louis cardinals, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tim lincecum, todd frazier, tom seaver, tommy hanson, toronto blue jays, washington nationals, wil myers, zack cozart

Kansas City Royals Payroll in 2013 – And Contracts Going Forward

Mar 5

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Tuesday, March.05, 2013

There should be a lot more smiles and high-fives for the Royals in 2013 as they are continue to improve around their core of talented players. Will 2013 finally be the year the Royals make their long overdue return to the playoffs. They are amongst three teams who have not made the playoffs since the 1994 Lockout (TOR (1993) and PIT – (1992)) and they hold the longest streak of not making an entrance into the Post Season. KC last made the playoffs in 1985 – when they won their 1st and only World Series.

By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @michaelmcgraw

With the Royals finishing the 2012 season with a 72-90 record, the eighth year out of the past nine in which the team finished with at least 90 losses, General Manager Dayton Moore spent the winter focusing on acquiring durable pitching to strengthen the rotation in the short-term, including a controversial trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that reads like a law firm transaction: Myers, Montgomery, Leonard, & Odorizzi for Shields, Davis, & Johnson.

Although the merits of the deal can be debated, as it cost the Royals one of baseball’s top prospects in Wil Myers, the Royals hope that a rotation now featuring three veterans arms, a young, powerful, and strong Bullpen, and the hopeful continued growth of the team’s young hitters can lead the organization to its first playoff appearance since its World Series Championship in 1985.

As Spring Training has progressed into Cactus League action, the Royals opening day roster appears to be predominantly solidified with the exception of one relief spot, backup Catcher and Second Base.

KC Royals 2012 Highlights and Past Photos:

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Tags: 1985 World Series, 25 man roster Kansas City Royals, aaron crow, al central, alcides escobar, alex gordon, American league, angels, billy butler, brandon sisk, brett hayes, bruce chen, carribean world series, chris getz, Chris Getz. Johnny Giavotella, christian colon, cy young, dan wheeler, Danny Duffy, Donnie Joseph, eric hosmer, ervin santana, Everett Teaford, Felipe Paulino, francisely bueno, Francisley Bueno, george kottaras, greg holland, Guillermo Moscoso, J.C. Gutierrez, jake odirizzi, james shields, jeff francoeur, Jeremy guthrie, jonathan broxton, Kansas city, kansas city royals, kansas city royals payroll 2013, kauffman stadium, kelvin herrera, lorenzo cain, louis coleman, luke hochevar, michael mcGraw, Miguel Tejada, mike moustakas, Nate Adcock, ned yost, oakland athletics, ryan dana, salvador perez, tampa bay rays, tigers, tim collins, tommy john, wade davis, wil myers, zack greinke

Mike Moustakas: Analyzing His Strengths And Weaknesses

Mar 5

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

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Tuesday March 5th, 2013

Moustakas will need to improve on his 20 HRs and 73 RBI year in 2012. He is only 24 Years of Age heading into 2013.

Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @thejakeman24

The Kansas City Royals might have something special in Mike Moustakas. He’s a cornerstone-type piece, and he plays a position that starting to run low on quality young talent.

Of course, he has his good attributes and bad attributes. In a nutshell, he’s a work in progress offensively, but far from a work in progress on defense.

Players typically start to bloom in their third year in the major leagues, and it just so happens that 2013 will be Moustakas’ third year in the majors.

Mike Moustakas Highlights – Mature Lyrics – So Parental Guidance is advised:

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Tags: @TheJakeMan24 on twitter, al central, drew stubbs, eric hosmer, ike davis, jake dal poro, Kansas city, kansas city royals, kauffman stadium, mark reynolds, mike moustakas

Kansas City Royals Roster in 2013: State Of The Union

Jan 11

Posted by kdana2012

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Friday, January, 11/2013

Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Intern): Follow @ryandana1

The Kansas City Royals have been notorious bottom dwellers of the American League Central for years now. Their last and only World Series title came in 1985, and since then they haven’t even made a playoff appearance. After the ’93 season – the Royals moved from the AL West to the AL Central, and have only finished with 80 or more wins once.

The 2013 Royals shouldn’t let this dismal past hold them back though. The 2013 Royals should be better than the 2012 team which finished a somewhat respectable 3^rd in their division, and the team of 2013 has the potential to be the best team the Royals have had in the past 20 years. There are a lot of variables that could make or break this Royals season, so you might not want to mark them down for a World Series appearance just yet, but making the playoffs with a winnable Central Division, and two wild card spots up for grabs might be within Kansas City’s reach.

2012 Kansas City Royals Highlights and Pictures

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Tags: 1985 World Series, @ryandana1 on twitter, aaron crow, al central, alcides escobar, alex gordon, angels, billy butler, bruce chen, chris getz, christian colon, cy young, eric hosmer, ervin santana, greg holland, jake odirizzi, james shields, jeff francoeur, Jeremy guthrie, jonathan broxton, Kansas city, kansas city royals, kelvin herrera, lorenzo cain, louis coleman, luke hochevar, mike moustakas, ryan dana, salvador perez, tampa bay rays, tigers, tim collins, wade davis, wil myers

Billy Butler: The Consistent Royal

Jan 2

Posted by bernieolshansky

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Thursday January 3rd, 2013

Billy Butler (Country Breakfast) heads into 2013 with a .300 Career Average and coming off a personal best year of 107 RBI in 2012. The big DH is perhaps the 2nd best player for the position in the AL next to Big Papi.

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky

For the past few seasons, the Kansas City Royals have not had a lot of consistency. The pitching has been sub-par, and the hitting has been disappointing. But, there has been one guy the Royals have been able to rely on: Billy Butler. Butler, a First Round pick in the MLB Amateur Draft (14th Overall), is not the type of player that is a household name, but he gets the job done—very well for that matter. Not much attention has been paid to Butler, probably because of the lack of success that the Royals have had. From 2009 to 2012, Butler has played in no less than 158 Games—something that is very valuable to a team. His worst season (power-wise) in that 4 Year span was 2010, in which he hit .318 with 15 HRs and 78 RBI. In 2012, Butler was outstanding, hitting .313 with 29 HRs and 107 RBI. This season included his first All Star Game Appearance and a Silver Slugger Award.

In terms of defense, Butler has been squeezed out. The rise of star prospect Eric Hosmer eliminated any possibility of Butler playing First base. Butler did not play much defense before Hosmer came up anyway, but the call-up solidified this. Now, Butler is the everyday DH, similar to a David Ortiz-type. He occasionally gets some time in the field, notably in 2012 when Hosmer was mired in a deep slump. If Butler was more versatile, maybe he would be more recognized and could receive the attention he deserves. When Ortiz retires soon, Butler may take the reigns as the best DH in the game.

Billy Butler 2012 Highlights

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Tags: @bernieolshansky on twitter, al central, American League DH Position, bernie olshansky, billy butler, david ortiz, DH Leaders, eric hosmer, josh hamilton, Kansas city, kansas city royals, mike moustakas, rays, stove, trades, wade davis, yankees

Dissecting The Royals And Rays Trade: Shields And Davis For Wil Myers + Prospects

Dec 11

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Tuesday, Dec.11/2012

James Shields has 2 years left on his contract with the Rays. He was the first player they signed to many years of Club Options. It is a system they have used to sign Zobrist, Longoria and Moore. It gives the team the flexibility to option out of a contract with a player heading into any year

James Shields has 2 years left on his contract with the Royals. He is 31-22 with 448 Strikeouts in 477 IP in the last 2 years. While he might not be a Premiere Ace, he is a front end starter that Kansas City has not had for a long ime.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

We at the MLB Reports have established that we are far more in favor of acquiring hitters than pitchers in today’s MLB. Why do you ask? It is simple. The amount of pitchers that end up injured for the year is mind boggling. You can check out our Tommy John Surgery Tracker Page here. Point being, is that is risky to trade away top tier offensive prospects for pitching in return. Having said this, I like this trade of James Shields, Wade Davis and a player to be named later, for Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard for both clubs. It addresses immediate concerns with a look to the future. To fully assess how this trade will break down we start with the Royals: Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: al central, AL Cy Young Award, AL East, alex cobb, alex gordon, appalachian league, b.j. upton, ben zobrist, billy butler, bret saberhagen, bruce chen, burnett, carlos beltran, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, david price, desmond jennings, drayton moore, eric hosmer, ervin santana, jake odirizzi, james loney, jeff neimann, Jeremy guthrie, jeremy hellickson, jermaine dye, johnny damon, jonathan sanchez, josh johnson, kansas city royals, kauffman stadium, lorenzo cain, luis mendoza, luke hochevar, matt moore, melky cabrera, mike montgomery, mike moustakas, mike sweeney, omaha, patrick leonard, pcl, rays 2013 payroll, rookie league, rookie of the year, Royals 2013 Payroll, tampa bay rays, tommy john, twitter @chuckbooth3024, wade davis, wandy rodriguez, wil myers, yunel escobar

Top 5 Center Field Prospects in Baseball

Aug 25

Posted by Codey Harrison

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Saturday August 25th, 2012

Codey Harrison: (Lead MiLB Prospect Analyst) - Today represents the final installment of the three-part series featuring middle of the field positions. The most important outfield position usually is played by the team’s most athletic position player has seen some big stars come into the big leagues in recent years. With the likes of Matt Kemp, Andrew McCutchen, Mike Trout, Adam Jones, and Austin Jackson the center field position has grown from a defensive minded position, into one that includes some of the games biggest superstars. The current minor league crop of center fielder’s is a very solid group which is led by 2011 first round pick Bubba Starling of the Kansas City Royals organization.

1.) Bubba Starling (Kansas City Royals Rookie Lg) - The 6’4″ 180 pound former University of Nebraska quarterback commitment has it all in terms of abilities on a baseball field. The fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Gardner Kansas has drawn comparisons to Cincinnati Reds center fielder Drew Stubbs, the only difference is that scouts see Starling as a much better pure hitter than Stubbs. In his first pro season, it’s pretty evident that Starling is still very raw as a baseball prospect, as he began this season with Rookie League Burlington at 20 years of age. In his first 50 career games, Starling has shown off all of his tools as he is currently batting .282, with a .379 OBP, .505 SLG, with 10 home runs, and 10 stolen bases. The Royals are already loaded with young hitting studs like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Billy Butler, Wil Myers. With Bubba Starling, the Royals should be one of the AL’s premier offenses within the next 3-4 years. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

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Tags: adam jones, Andrew McCutchen, austin jackson, baseball, BIlly Hamilton, Brett Jackson, bubba starling, eric hosmer, gary brown, justin upton, matt kemp, melky cabrera, Mike Trout, milb, mlb, prospect, starling marte, wil myers

In The Year of The Rookie: Who’s For Real? Comparing MLB Prospects and Suspects in Fantasy Baseball

Jul 30

Posted by pwstein87

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Monday July 30th, 2012

Peter Stein: 2012 truly has been the year of the rookie.

With all of this new talent and many surprises, it most likely means that there is a lot of parity amongst fantasy leagues. This is great. But the question you must ask moving forward: which players can actually sustain this level of play? Remember that last year, the entire buzz was around Eric Hosmer, whose sophomore campaign (.232/9/42) indicates that he might actually need some time in AAA. Don’t forget about Jason Heyward’s disappointing encore after his breakout rookie campaign too. And didn’t we all write of Anthony Rizzo after he was completely over matched by major league pitching in 2011?

Amazingly, Yoenis Cespedes has produced a stat line of .305/14/54 and 8 SB through 69 games played and has no shot of winning rookie of the year. That honor will belong to Mike Trout – .350/16/49 and 31 SB in 79 total games. A plethora of other rookies are mashing too, including Rizzo (.941 OPS), Todd Frazier (.857 OPS), Will Middlebrooks (.848 OPS), and Matt Carpenter (.836 OPS). Not included in this list is Bryce Harper, who is already a dynamic fantasy option at the age of nineteen. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

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Tags: addison reed, anthony rizzo, baseball, bryce harper, eric hosmer, fantasy baseball, jarrod parker, jose quintana, julio teheran, matt carpenter, Mike Trout, mlb, prospect, ryan cook, todd frazier, tommy milone, wade miley, will middlebrooks, yoenis cespedes, yu darvish

Wil Myers is Off to a Tremendous Start in the Minors: Royals Prospect is On the Verge

Jun 2

Posted by samevans87

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Saturday June 2nd, 2012

Sam Evans: A couple of years ago, the Kansas City Royals had not only the best farm system at the time, but maybe one of the best farm systems in the history of baseball. Fast forward a few years later and the Royals still have a bright future, and a lot of their prospects have graduated to the major league level. One of their top prospects, Wil Myers, is on the verge of the major leagues after tearing up both Double-A and Triple-A in 2012. If he can stay healthy, he has the potential to become a perennial All-Star.

Wil Myers was born in High Point, North Carolina in December of 1990. After four seasons of baseball at Wesleyan Christian High School, Myers committed to the University of South Carolina, which was at the time, was one of the best baseball programs in the country. After the Royals selected Myers in the third round of the 2009 Amateur draft, it took a $2 million signing bonus to get Myers to turn professional. Despite the high cost, it was evident that the Royals got a very talented player in the third round of a strong draft. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

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Tags: al central, alex gordon, baseball, billy butler, eric hosmer, Kansas city, mike moustakas, minor leagues, mlb, northwest arkansas, prospects, royals, wil myers

The DH Tandem of Ibanez and Jones Are Providing Great Value Amongst the Position

May 28

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday, May.28/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones might only be hitting about .250 as a combined DH unit, however they are providing some much-needed power from the DH slot for the New York Yankees. Ibanez is batting .260 with 9 HRs and 27 RBI in 137 AB, Jones is .227 with 5 HRs and 10 RBI in 66 AB. The two totals combined equal 14 HRs and 37 RBI in 193 AB. This is really good production in the power department. This puts the duo on pace for about 45 HRs and 120 RBI out of the DH slot. These numbers are comparable to Chicago White Sox primary DH Adam Dunn, who is .240 with 15 HRs and 35 RBI, and Edwin Encarnacion for the Toronto Blue Jays, who is .274 with 15 HRs and is second in the AL with 39 RBI.

There are factors that cancel out the production of both Encarnacion and Dunn. The Blue Jays first base position has killed any type of edge that Encarnacion’s start should have provided. Adam Lind hit himself out of the Majors with his under .200 average, thus negating the production that the position of 1B needs to have in order to compete along with a DH. Adam Dunn has racked up 74 strikeouts to add to his power numbers. While this has been a renaissance year for Dunn so far, the all or nothing philosophy does hurt in the clutch sometimes. I think the White Sox have to be happy with his production, plus Paul Konerko has been the best player in the AL outside of Josh Hamilton. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: adam dunn, adam lind, albert pujols, American league, andruw jones, angels, billy butler, blue jays, Chuck Booth, david ortiz, DH position, edwin encarnacion, eric hosmer, indians, jesus montero, john jaso, johnny damon, josh hamilton, justin morneau, kendrys morales, Luke Scott, manny ramirez, mariners, mark reynolds, micheal young, miguel olivo, nick johnson, oakland, orioles, paul konerko, prince fielder, rangers, rays, royals, ryan doumit, the fastest 30 ballgames, tigers, travis hafner, twins, victor martinez, vladimir guerrero, white sox, wilson betemit, yankees

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

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Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you a monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few verses for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

May Power Rankings

Texas (19-10) Josh Hamilton is clubbing the ball at his 2010 like AL MVP clip. Yu Darvish appears to be the real deal. Mike Napoli hits 8^th on most nights. Michael Young might be the most under-appreciated hitter in the last decade. Ian Kinsler is on pace for 162 runs. If Nelson Cruz starts hitting and or Nathan rounds into form, than this team may blitz by every one.
Tampa Bay (19-10) The pitching staff is incredible right now. David Price is asserting himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in baseball. Strong starts from Evan Longoria, Luke Scott and Carlos Pena have helped. Joe Maddon may be the best ‘in-game manager’ of baseball now with Tony La Russa out of the Majors.
Atlanta (18-12) The reason I have Atlanta rated so high is they are not even having a good year from Tim Hudson yet and Jair Jurrjens has been atrocious. Still they sit near the top of the standings. Chipper Jones has 21 RBI and Freddie Freeman has taken the next step so far with 26 RBI. Last year the team had a lot of players with career worst years and they were only eliminated on the last day of the season. This year may be different.
St. Louis (18-11) You lose a franchise player like Albert Pujols and you spend half the money for Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal, who are finally hitting the numbers like the back of their bubble gum cards from 5 years ago. Are we giving enough credit to Mark McGwire here? Lance Lynn has morphed into Chris Carpenter with his 6-0 start.
LA Dodgers (19-10) Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball right now and may walk away with the triple crown this year. Andre Ethier has matured into the RBI guy he needs to be. Solid pitching by Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have this team looking solid. Dodgers look good in the future when the new ownership takes over. (more…)

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Image

The First Five Games of The Streak

Apr 10

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Tuesday April.10/2012

Douglas “Chuck” Booth at Citi April 9th

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024)- Well, I finally get a chance to breathe for one second. Too bad it was at the expense of the events that transpired yesterday. Contrary to popular belief, this world record streak is not a walk in the park. Traveling is a hard thing to do at the best of times. I will break down the trip synopsis game by game. I am breaking down the travel games at Parks day by day. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: albert pujols, alex gordon, Amtrak, andre ethier, Angel Stadium, bobby abreu. vernon wells, brett myers, bryce harper, chase field, Chuck Booth, citi field, cole hamels, colorado rockies, daniel murphy, david wright, dfw, eric hosmer, Greyhound, Houston, iah, johan santana, jose altuve, kirk nieuwenhuis, LAX, Lori Martini, Los Angeles, luke hochevar, marlins, matt kemp, mets, mike moustakas, mike pelfrey, minute maid park, morgan ensberg, National Car Rental, nationals, new York, omar infante, petco park, philadelphia, phillies, Phoenix, phx, rangers, raul ibanez, stephen strasburg, Steve Fekete, texas, The Ball park in Arlingotn, the fastest 30 ballgames, todd helton, Torii Hunter, united airlines

Christian Colón Interview: Ready to Take His Game to Kansas City

Feb 19

Posted by MLB reports

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Sunday February 19th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: A special day on MLB reports. It is the first official day of Spring Training, as camps officially open and pitchers/catchers report for most teams. To honor this special day, we present a very important interview. An exciting interview. For today, we are featuring the highest MLB draft pick to grace the pages of MLB reports. Christian Colón of the Kansas City Royals. Originally a 10th round pick of the Padres in 2007, Christian waited to sign. The gamble paid off, as the Royals took the shortstop prospect in the 1st round of the 2010 draft, 4th overall. Christian completed his second professional last year, playing for AA Northwest Arkansas of the Texas League. He showed a nice overall game, stealing 17 bases in 127 games, while popping 8 home runs. Christian drove in 61 RBIs and scored 69 runs. With the ability to play shortstop as well as second base, the Royals have a very exciting prospect on their hands. With a prospect base including the likes of Hosmer, Myers, Moustakas, Lamb and Perez, expect Christian Colón to join the other top Royals prospects in KC very soon. The Royals look to build a dynasty, with playoff aspirations becoming a near reality. Christian Colón is certainly excited about to become part of that future.

Today on MLB reports, we proudly present Royals prospect and future lead-off hitter, Christian Colón:

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Posted in Interviews with MLB Stars

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Tags: baseball, christian colon, eric hosmer, kansas city royals, mike moustakas, mlb, northwest kansas, prospect, second base, shortstop

The Future of the Kansas City Royals

Jan 12

Posted by samevans87

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Thursday January 12th, 2012

Sam Evans: Over the last couple years, the Royals have finally begun the climb towards respectability in the baseball world. Not especially for their major league team, but more so due to the volume of minor league talent they have recently accumulated. In 2011, both Baseball America and Keith Law ranked the Royals first in their annual organization prospect rankings. Now, with some of their top prospects already having graduated to the majors, it’s time to see what these guys can do.

Royals GM Dayton Moore has made some questionable, and to be fair, inexplicable moves since he took over in 2006. For example, he signed Jose Guillen and Gil Meche to contracts where both players were making over ten million dollars a year. On the positive side, Moore has been valorous enough to outbid teams for young, international talent. Despite his somewhat ineffective grading of major-league talent, Moore has acquired the pieces to assemble a playoff contender in the next coming years through his development of the farm.

Sometimes people think that Moneyball was all about on-base percentage. Actually, it is about the A’s finding a way to compete with teams with larger payrolls by exploiting market inefficiencies. It seems that over the last couple of years, other small-market teams have found a way to beat the system by paying more for talented international players. The Royals have used that, along with numerous other scouting techniques, in order to attain the talent that they otherwise could not ordinarily afford.

The Royals have talent everywhere, but most of it is a couple of good years away from making a difference in the majors. Sure, in 2012, the Royals will have young studs like Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain playing every day. But they are definitely not ready yet to compete with the Tigers. Kansas City has an unexciting rotation heading into spring training, that will be probably be one of the worst in the American League, given that too many inexperienced players will be counted on to play above their heads.

The truth is that the Royals have some of the top talented prospects in the game. The top prospects don’t always pan out, while some of the lesser-known ones turn into superstars. You just have to hope to have the right combination of breakout players on your team to succeed. The Royals have built a bottom-heavy organization that is a few years away from competing. Royals fans have a lot to be excited about… in the future. 2012 will most likely be another sub-.500 year for the Royals, but it will be filled with highlights and the promise of a future playoff contending team. At least there is hope and promise!

**Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Sam Evans. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Sam on Twitter***

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