Age just a number for Naturals' Mondesi

Age is just another number to Raul Mondesi. That number imposes no limits on his talent, and the Royals' top prospect is quickly proving he can hold his own at any level he plays and against opponents with much more experience.

On Wednesday night, youth prevailed again, thanks to the Texas League's only teenager.

Mondesi went 3-for-4 with an RBI triple, three runs scored and a stolen base as Double-A Northwest Arkansas outlasted visiting Tulsa in an 11-10 slugfest at Arvest Ballpark.

"You know, it was a good game," he said. "I just tried to help the team win by getting on base, stealing a base, scoring runs and playing good defense."

Batting second and playing second base, Mondesi legged out a run-scoring triple to right field in the first inning, dropped down a sacrifice bunt in the second and singled to center field and scored in the fourth.

After grounding out to end the fifth, the California native singled to left field, stole second and scored again in the seventh.

"I was waiting for my pitch and staying patient at the plate," said Mondesi, who appeared in the Naturals' season opener on April 9, then missed five weeks with a back injury. "I've been working a lot with my hitting coach [Brandon Moore] in the cage and that has made me feel better. I'm hitting the ball middle-away and letting the ball travel.

"First inning, I thought [Tulsa starter Jose De Leon] would throw fastballs and I was looking to put it in play and I hit it well. I got a fastball ... and I was ready for it and I got it. First inning, I didn't think that guy is going to throw curveballs. You're facing guys who throw a lot of fastballs, and I got it."

At 19 years old, MLB.com's No. 35 overall prospect is more than two years younger than the Naturals' second-youngest player, 22-year-old Jorge Bonifacio, and nine years younger than the team's oldest, Mike Bianucci.

The switch-hitting son of 1994 National League Rookie of the Year Raul Mondesi is one of only two players in the Texas League born in 1995 (Frisco's Nomar Mazara is the other, three months Mondesi's senior).

"I just feel normal," said Mondesi, who signed with the Royals as a non-drafted free agent in 2011. "It doesn't matter how old I am. Just come out and try to help the team every day and get better. I've been working on my hitting and I'm getting the results staying gap to gap. I'm working every day during BP on my defense and trying to get better."

Alex Liddi went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for Northwest Arkansas, while Bubba Starling -- Kansas City's 13th-ranked prospect -- was 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Bianucci and Lane Adams hit their 11th and first Texas League homers, respectively.

Daniel Mayora and Ali Solis had three hits apiece for Tulsa, while Jeremy Rathjen slugged a two-run homer.