Royals on the Farm 2009 finale

Well, we've come to the last RotF report of 2009. I don't know if it's the last ever yet or not. A few months of offseason may be what I need to recharge, but the frustrations of this season and this front office/ownership regime go far beyond a couple months of downtime. On the other hand, the report is kind of the identity of this blog, and I'm not sure I want to be just another blog out there. I'd rather shut it down than do that, in many ways. If I shut down the daily reports, I can see still keeping up with the minors teams and doing a month-end report, maybe, but then I'd want to find something else to post regularly about. It's been a tough year in several ways, and right now my brain is a wad of chewing gum, so it's hard for me to say where it'll go from here. This wraps up my fifth season of minors coverage, which is difficult for me to fathom -- I'm nearing 1,000 posts overall and something like 800 RotF reports. Time will tell if we get there or not...

AA - NW Arkansas: stat wrap

OPS check (* - led team)

> OF Jordan Parraz 1.005 OPS -- .358*/.451*/.553*, 35 RS, 17 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 29 BB/25 K, 4/12 SB, 4 E in 64 G/226 ABs -- SB rate is about the only thing to bitch about there, turns 25 in October, kind of faded away because of late injury in AAA and the doings of Lough and Bianchi, should be in Omaha starting OF or maybe even KC to begin 2010...
> C John Suomi .949 OPS -- .311/.378/.571 in 37 G/119 ABs -- did great at NWA, stunk out loud at Omaha, we'll see if they bring him back for 2010 or not, if so, he might be back at AA
> OF David Lough .887 OPS -- .331/.371/.517, 41 RS, 13 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 12 BB/30 K, 13/17 SB, 4 E in 61 G/236 ABs -- had breakout year, like Parraz, in organization, not 24 until January, struggled to .429 OPS vs LH, hit for over 1.000 OPS vs. RH, should be in AAA to start 2010
> C Cody Clark .864 OPS -- .304/.366/.497, 33 RS, 13 2B, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 15 BB/27 K, 3 E in 65 G/191 ABs -- had good year, but no spring chick as he turned 28 last week...hit way better on road, August was only bad month...
> IF Ed Lucas .836 OPS -- .290/.388/.448, 61 RS, 22 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 58 RBI, 53 BB*/75 K, 18/20 SB, 15 E in 103 G/355 ABs -- turned 27 in May, so this is probably as good as it's gonna get, got shot at Omaha but didn't produce in limited PT, had great year from June on, .970 OPS with RISP

others

> I skipped Alex Gordon's 1.124 OPS in 8 games and Vance Wilson's .803 OPS because he's 37 years old in March...
> IF Jeff Bianchi .797 OPS -- .315/.356/.441, 42 RS, 17 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 42 RBI, 19 BB/58 K, 10/14 SB, 8 E in 68 G/270 ABs -- turns 23 next month, had resurgent season fans have been waiting for, .676 OPS in August kinda put a damper on it, but he stayed healthy and hit well at two levels....could use some work on plate discipline, should get a shot at AAA to start 2010......
> IF Corey Smith .722 OPS -- .249/.302/.420, 67 RS*, 29 2B*, 3B, 21 HR*, 90 RBI*, 39 BB/132 K* (wow), 12/20 SB, 20 E* in 140 G*/550 ABs* -- led team in many categories, as you can see, turned 27 in April, had .490 OPS in April but did well thereafter, until .645 OPS in August. Couldn't quite follow up his 2008 AA numbers in the TL.
> C Jeff Howell .701 OPS -- maybe starting AA C next season
> IF Kurt Mertins .698 OPS -- .275/.332/.366, 64 RS, 23 2B, 8 3B*, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 41 BB/107 K, 11/21 SB, 16 E in 126 G/495 ABs -- turned 23 in April, had good April and June but didn't post higher than .674 OPS thereafter, expected he'd do better than this, will likely start 2010 in AA, too
> OF Jose Duarte .689 OPS -- turns 25 next March, got first shot at AAA this season and responded with .468 OPS in 17 games, which earned him a quick trip back to NWA, AA OPS actually improved from 2008 as he upped his OBP, did well defensively again...I don't know what they'll do with him for 2010.
> OF Joe Dickerson .655 OPS -- injuries derailed season, and I guess, his career, as he retired
> OF Jarrod Dyson .649 OPS -- .258/.331/.318, 38 RS, 7 2B, 4 3B, 14 RBI, 27 BB/54 K, 37/43 SB*, 4 E in 63 G/248 ABs -- turned 25 in August, pretty mediocre season, although it felt like he produced better than Norris or Ortiz or D. Robinson in A-ball.
> IF Marc Maddox .572 OPS -- injuries cost him his chance at Omaha and he never got in a groove at AA, turned 26 last week
> IF Mario Lisson .566 OPS -- already covered in AAA rehash
> IF Chris McConnell .552 OPS -- didn't cut it

WHIP check

> P Victor Marte 0.91 WHIP -- 2-1, 2.45, 4 SV, HRA, 5 BB/17 K in 13 G/22 IP -- earned call to Omaha, and now KC
> P Chris Hayes 1.06 WHIP -- 3-0, 0.98, 3 SV, HRA, 6 BB/17 K in 18 G/36 2/3 IP -- already covered in AAA
> P Federico Castaneda 1.13 WHIP -- 0-3, 4.28, 1 SV, 2 HRA, 11 BB/27 K in 12 G (2 starts)/27 1/3 IP -- turns 26 in January, Royals picked him out of Mexican League, .204 OAV, didn't do poorly, probably either in AA/AAA to begin 2010
> RP Aaron Hartsock 1.18 WHIP -- 3-1, 2.82*, 8 SV*, 4 HRA, 17 BB/27 K in 28 G/51 IP -- turns 26 in January, .223 OAV, did great at Wilmington and held his own in AA, may start 2010 there.
> SP Rowdy Hardy 1.31 WHIP -- 4-4, 3.43, 5 HRA, 20 BB/39 K in 11 G (10 starts)/60 1/3 IP -- turns 27 next month, .258 OAV, markedly better than '08 AA debut, AA/AAA bound next year

others

> I skipped some rehabbers and Chad Orvella's 0.64 mark in 11 IP...
> P Chris Nicoll 1.39 WHIP -- 7-0, 3.50, 1 SV, 4 HRA, 26 BB/58 K in 33 G/61 2/3 IP -- had durability problems as starter, but they gave him another shot there at Omaha late in season, turns 26 next month, .251 OAV, another wait-and-see for 2010
> P Anthony Lerew 1.44 WHIP -- 10*-6, 4.09, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 14 HRA, 55 BB/101 K* in 27 starts*/152 IP* -- turns 27 next month, .275 OAV, had ugly May but was solid thereafter, finished strong...Omaha rotation candidate in 2010?
> P Everett Teaford 1.48 WHIP -- 3-7, 5.11, 1 CG, 12 HRA, 34 BB/42 K in 16 starts/81 IP -- ungood K/BB and K rate, .269 OAV, turned 25 in May, pitched badly at home, best month was July, probably back in NWA to start 2010
> P Blake Wood 1.53 WHIP -- 2-8, 5.83, 1 CG, 8 HRA, 28 BB/49 K in 17 G (13 starts)/78 2/3 IP -- injuries hampered his season, still waiting to see him hack AA, promising 2008 performance didn't last
> P Blake Johnson 1.55 WHIP -- 8-8, 4.57, 11 HRA, 41 BB/61 K in 24 starts/122 IP -- shine has worn off Dessens trade with Johnson unable to get past AA and Pimentel hurt and on shelf all season, .305 OAV, turned 24 in June, July was worst month, but did have OK August...
> P Matt Kniginyzky 1.59 WHIP -- 5-10*, 5.48, 21 HRA*, 57 BB*/68 K in 26 G (24 starts)/134 2/3 IP -- was AA's Runion, although his OAV was better at .297, turns 27 next month, had good July but otherwise struggled
> P Ben Swaggerty 1.67 WHIP -- 4-1, 4.33, 1 SV, 3 HRA, 20 BB/54 K in 26 G/43 2/3 IP -- turned 27 in August, .298 OAV, horrible July, somehow won NWA Pitcher of Year, I still say Lerew or Hartsock
> P Gilbert de la Vara 1.71 WHIP -- 6-2, 5.74, 2 SV, 6 HRA, 27 BB/40 K in 35 G* (1 start)/64 1/3 IP -- Royals lost him in rule 5, got him back from 'Stros and he stunk it up, .304 OAV, turns 25 next month...
> P Juan Abreu 2.02 WHIP -- 2-2, 5.75, 4 SV, 3 HRA, 22 BB/25 K in 16 G/20 1/3 IP -- turns 25 next April, .247 OAV, dominated in Wilmington, not quite so in NWA, got hammered on road, probably back in AA pen to start 2010
> P Jason Godin 2.16 WHIP -- 0-2, 6.48, HRA, 13 BB/9 K in 8 G (2 starts)/16 2/3 IP -- again, never good to have more BB than Ks, turns 25 this week, .324 OAV, pitched well in Wilmington, will likely get another shot at AA rotation in 2010