Royals Prospect Primer: Finnegan to start

Some players are on the verge of stardom, others are entering a crucial phase of their development and still others are getting their first tastes of full-season ball. With the 2015 season approaching, MiLB.com takes a look at the most intriguing prospects from each Major League organization.

Shining star: Raul Mondesi, SS

The eponymous son of the former National League Rookie of the Year, the younger Mondesi played against advanced competition last season in the Carolina League, beginning the year with Wilmington at the age of 18. Though his .211/.256/.354 line may not look impressive, the Royals believe their shortstop of the future is set for big things.

Kansas City's top prospect likely will head back to Class A Advanced for another shot with the Blue Rocks, and his tools are those of a potential star in the making.

"Everything jumps out," Royals manager Ned Yost told MLB.com at the start of Spring Training. "He's that kind of guy. He just stands out a little bit. He's going to be a special player."

Mondesi saw action in 14 Cactus League games at both second base and shortstop and batted .235/.316/.412. The native of the Dominican Republic also drew two walks -- something he didn't accomplish in 17 Arizona Fall League games in 2014.

"This has been a great experience being around all of these veteran players who can help me on and off the field," Mondesi told MLB.com. "This is my first time here in big league camp, and I'm really grateful for the coaches and players who have guided me, making sure I do the right thing."

Mondesi's run, arm and field tools all grade as 60 or better on MLB.com's scouting scale, and the Royals are confident his bat will follow in a second tour of the Carolina League.

Major League-ready: Brandon Finnegan, LHP

It's easy to call Finnegan ready for "The Show" because the southpaw from TCU already made an impact on the big league level. Last year, Finnegan became the first pitcher in baseball history to pitch in both the College World Series and the World Series when he blew through two Minor League levels to reach Kansas City in September. He pitched in 13 games -- five as a starter -- between Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas before his call to the bullpen at Kauffman Stadium.

Now, Finnegan is set to return to a starting role after being sent to Minor League camp on March 22.

"We just thought it was better for him to go down. He had a huge workload last year," Yost said. "He hasn't been real sharp in Spring Training. Just get him back down, get him going again and have him ready for whenever we need him."

Finnegan went 0-1 with a 1.29 ERA in seven regular-season appearances for the Royals before appearing in seven postseason contests. This spring, he struggled to an 8.53 ERA in four outings with the big club.

"I think the biggest thing with a kid like Brandon and the fact that he was in the Major Leagues, he kind of skipped some of the development and not from a pitching standpoint, on the mound, just fundamentals of baseball," Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson told MiLB.com. "Of course, he's going to be a good player, and a pitcher of his caliber, you're happy to have him, [but] more than anything, I'm just glad that between my pitching coach, Jim Brower, and myself, he'll develop into a more well-rounded baseball player."

Finnegan is ticketed for the Texas League but should return to Kansas City this season.

Breakout prospect: Sean Manaea, LHP

Like his Draft stock two years ago, Manaea's 2015 success will hinge on the big lefty's health. The Royals selected him out of Indiana State in 2013, even though he suffered a torn labrum late in his college career. He rewarded them with 25 starts at Wilmington, going 7-8 with a 3.11 ERA.

This spring, Manaea has been hampered by a strained abdominal muscle but said he's prepared to be back for the season at full strength.

"I've got to listen to the trainers and everything," he said. "My ab gets better and better each day. We just have to keep resting it and try to keep as little resistance as I can on it. I can't wait to get back to throwing."

The Royals' No. 2 prospect led the Carolina League with 146 strikeouts last season and didn't break down as his first professional season wore along.

"I didn't really have any issues throughout the whole season, just a little soreness here and there," he said. "For the most part, for my first season I felt really good throughout the entire season. Working out and stuff, I tried to find a routine and stuff with my workouts. ... Halfway through the season, stuff started clicking and I finally found a routine working-wise and what to do in between starts throwing and all that."

Manaea will head to Double-A to form an impressive starting tandem with Finnegan.

At the crossroads: Bubba Starling, OF

Starling could be listed as "Major League-ready" if one side of the game was all it took.

"He's an athletic guy who could play in the big leagues right now defensively," Royals vice president and assistant general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com last month. "Obviously, there are some hurdles yet for him at the plate."

While Starling's prowess with the glove is undisputed, his bat has yet to catch up. In three Minor League seasons, the former Nebraska quarterback commit has batted .237/.326/.388 with 348 strikeouts in 1,117 at-bats.

"I want to just keep working hard," Starling said in February. "I feel comfortable in the outfield defensively. But I worked very hard this offseason on offense. ... I worked with George Brett up at [Kauffman] Stadium. Hopefully, it pays off."

The fifth overall pick in the 2011 Draft showed glimpses of an improved approach at the plate when he batted .287/.350/.468 in 26 July games for Wilmington. He followed that with a .202/.309/.255 line in August, however, and hit .177/.226/.241 in 20 AFL games.

The Royals' 13th-ranked prospect should spend a healthy portion of 2015 at Northwest Arkansas.

Full-season debutant: Foster Griffin, LHP

Griffin is the Royals' 2014 first-round pick who people may have forgotten because of Finnegan's success. Like Finnegan, the southpaw is set for his first full-season Minor League test.

Taken 28th overall (11 picks after Finnegan), Griffin was impressive in 11 starts for Rookie-level Burlington in his pro debut, going 0-2 with a 3.21 ERA and a .186 batting average against. The 19-year-old's fastball hits the low 90s and is his best pitch, according to MLB.com's grades. He also throws a changeup and curveball that have the potential to develop into plus offerings.

The organization's No. 7 prospect will head to Class A Lexington to start his first full pro season.

More to keep an eye on: After signing for the highest bonus ever paid to a European amateur at $1.3 million in 2013, Marten Gasparini is hoping to become the second Italian-born player since 1962 to reach the big leagues. … Righty Kyle Zimmer, a 2012 first-round pick, pitched only 4 2/3 innings last season and had surgery to remove damaged tissue from his shoulder in October. He'll be out until at least May. … The Royals pulled a master stroke in the 2013 Draft when they selected Hunter Dozier eighth overall to save enough bonus money to sign Manaea later in the first round. Dozier has impressed, batting .295/.357/.429 with Wilmington last year to make the jump to Double-A, where he'll open 2015.