With September here and minor league seasons over, we turn our prospect attention to breaking down the top talents in each division. We break down the top five prospects for each organization for 2009, taking into consideration: games, at-bats, innings and major-league service time. We expect these players to have rookie status remaining heading into next year.
According to MLB rules: "A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the major leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a major league club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list)."
Note: Statistics are those at each stop in the minors this season and age represents how old they will be on opening day 2009.
Kansas City Royals
After years of being a moribound franchise with a strangely weak farm system, the Royals have graduated a nice mix of young hitters and pitchers. Another nice class will be on its way in 2009, but the blue chippers figure to be a few years from becoming stars.
For now, the focus will be on making disappointing Alex Gordon and Billy Butler the stars they should be.
1. 3B Michael Moustakas, 20
Moustakas got off to a slow start as a pro, but he really turned it on this summer. It is pretty clear he is going to be a big-time player in the majors now. The Royals were giving him a chance to prove capable of playing shortstop, which would have made him a ridiculously good Fantasy prospect, but he moved to third and will slot there until Alex Gordon gets going or gets out of Kansas City. One could move to first, but we don't like that ideas in Fantasy circles.
| Level | AVG | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLUG | OPS |
| Low A | .272 | 126 | 496 | 77 | 135 | 25 | 3 | 22 | 71 | 232 | 43 | 86 | 8 | 4 | .337 | .468 | .805 |
2. 1B Kila Ka'aihue, 25
What a monster year for someone who wasn't even considered one of the Royals' top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America. It was an oversight, pretty obviously, because Ka'aihue can mash and does it with a great strikeout-to-walk ratio. That is historically a great characteristic for a future superstar. He swings at good pitches and mashes them. He will complete for the starting job in spring training and we like his chances to be a big-time sleeper on Draft Day.
| Level | AVG | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLUG | OPS |
| Double-A | .314 | 91 | 287 | 64 | 90 | 11 | 0 | 26 | 79 | 179 | 80 | 41 | 3 | 2 | .463 | .624 | 1.086 |
| Triple-A | .316 | 33 | 114 | 27 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 21 | 73 | 24 | 26 | 0 | 0 | .439 | .640 | 1.079 |
| Totals | .314 | 124 | 401 | 91 | 126 | 15 | 0 | 37 | 100 | 252 | 104 | 67 | 3 | 2 | .456 | .628 | 1.085 |
3. SP Daniel Cortes, 22
Cortes is widely regarded as the Royals' best pitching prospect without debate. The Royals have making of a decent rotation, but a great spring could put Cortes in the mix out of camp. They won't be a winning team again, though, so Cortes' Fantasy value in 2009 will be limited.
| Level | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | GO/AO | BAA |
| High A | 10 | 4 | 3.78 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 116 2/3 | 103 | 51 | 49 | 13 | 55 | 109 | .760 | .241 |
4. SP Carlos Rosa, 24
Rosa got a September call-up as a reliever, but he projects to be a solid big league starter -- if the Royals so choose. He has a good fastball and might even be a candidate to close down the road, if they overwhelmed for breakout closer Joakim Soria this winter. As with Cortes, Royals pitchers don't figure to be great winners for Fantasy owners in 2009, though.
| Level | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | GO/AO | BAA |
| Double-A | 4 | 2 | 1.20 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 42 | 1.31 | .189 |
| Triple-A | 4 | 3 | 4.09 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 2/3 | 51 | 24 | 23 | 3 | 12 | 44 | 1.86 | .267 |
| Totals | 8 | 5 | 2.73 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 2/3 | 81 | 32 | 29 | 5 | 19 | 86 | 1.58 | .231 |
5. 1B Eric Hosmer, 19
Hosmer was one of the best high school sluggers in the 2008 draft and he winds up with the Royals, who gave him a nice bonus. It will take him years before he is considered for a call-up, but his long-term Fantasy prospects are great.
| Level | AVG | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLUG | OPS |
| Low A | .364 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .533 | .545 | 1.079 |
Best of the rest: SP Mike Montgomery, SP Danny Duffy, SP Danny Gutierrez, SP Kelvin Herrera, OF Mitch Maier, SP Blake Wood, OF Chris Lubanski, OF David Lough, SP Matt Mitchell, SP Brent Fisher, 2B Jeff Bianchi, SP Sam Runion, SS Yowill Espinal, C Jose Bonilla, SP Blake Johnson, SP Tyler Lumsden, RP Ray Liotta, OF Derrick Robinson, SP Julio Pimentel, 2B Johnny Giavotella, SP Tyler Sample, SP Tim Melville, SP Juan Abreu, OF Jose Duarte, OF Joe Dickerson, SP Bryan Casey, SP John Lamb, SP Dusty Hughes, SP Rowdy Hardy, C Damaso Espino, 2B Fernando Cruz, SS Chris McConnell and RP Devon Lowery.
2008 rookies to exhaust eligibility (expected): SS Mike Aviles, SP Luke Hochevar, RP Yasuhiko Yabuta.
Last year's top five here: Hochevar, RHP Billy Buckner (traded to D-Backs for 2B Alberto Callaspo), Moustakas, 1B Craig Brazell (signed to play with Seibu Lions in Japan) and Lubanski.
You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball prospect questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Royals prospects in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.
