BASEBALL AMERICA RELEASES ROYALS TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Top four prospects played at Arvest Ballpark in 2015

By Naturals PR Department

January 12, 2016

SPRINGDALE, Ark. - The popular baseball circulation Baseball America recently released the publication's latest top-10 prospect list for the Kansas City Royals, the parent club of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Five former Naturals highlight the top-10 list including four players who played at Arvest Ballpark during the 2015 season.

Rated as the No. 1 overall prospect, Raul Mondesi, appeared in 81 games for Northwest Arkansas in 2015 batting .243 with six home runs and 33 RBI playing as a 19 year-old for the majority of the campaign. The Dominican shortstop came up with a clutch 2-run home run in the bottom of the 8^th inning of Game 1 of the Texas League Divisional Series against in-state rivals, the Arkansas Travelers, to tie the game at 3-3 in the eventual 4-3 triumph for the Naturals.

Mondesi became the first player in Major League history to make his big league debut during World Series play. The Royals called up the phenom-infielder and promptly added him to the World Series roster making him the youngest player to appear in a game during the Fall Classic at 20 years old.

Ranking at No. 2 overall is former first-round draft selection, Kyle Zimmer. After a multitude of injuries have plagued his young career, the 24 year-old right-hander finally put together a healthy season logging 48.0 innings for the Naturals in 2015. The 6-foot-3 hurler posted a 2-5 mark with a 2.81 ERA in 15 games including seven starts. He also notched three saves in a trio of attempts.

Outfielder Bubba Starling upped his prospect stock with a breakthrough 2015 playing primarily in a Naturals' uniform. The 6-foot-4 centerfielder hit .254 in 91 games for the Naturals while smacking 10 home runs and driving in 32 runs in his first season at Double-A. Starling, 23, became the first player to hit for the cycle in Naturals' history doing so on July 28 in North Little Rock against the Travelers.

Right-handed pitcher Miguel Almonte and infielder Cheslor Cuthbert are the two other players to formerly play for Northwest Arkansas - both of whom made their Major League debuts during the 2015 season for Kansas City.

Below is Baseball America's top-10 list of the Royals' prospects:

1. Raul Mondesi - Shortstop

2015 Team: Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Double-A)

2015 Totals: 81 G, .243, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 19-25 SB

2. Kyle Zimmer - Right-handed pitcher

2015 Teams: Lexington Legends (Low-A), Northwest Arkansas

2015 Totals: 3-5, 2.39 ERA, 24 G/7 GS, 64.0 IP, 72 K, 20 BB, 1.14 WHIP

3. Bubba Starling - Outfielder

2015 Teams: Wilmington Blue Rocks (Advanced-A), Northwest Arkansas

2015 Totals: 103 G, .269, 12 HR, 44 RBI, 23 2B, 4 3B, 6-12 SB

4. Miguel Almonte - Right-handed pitcher

2015 Teams: Northwest Arkansas, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A), Royals

2015 Totals (Minors): 6-6, 4.51 ERA, 28 G/23 GS, 103.2 IP, 96 K, 42 BB, 1.35 WHIP

2015 Totals (Majors): 0-2, 6.23 ERA, 9 G, 8.2 IP, 10 K, 7 BB, 1.62 WHIP

5. Nolan Watson - Right-handed pitcher

2015 Teams: Burlington (Rookie)

2015 Totals: 0-3, 4.91 ERA, 11 G/11 GS, 29.1 IP, 16K, 11 BB, 1.71 WHIP

6. Ashe Russell - Right-handed pitcher

2015 Teams: Burlington

2015 Totals: 0-3, 4.21 ERA, 11 G/11 GS, 36.1 IP, 24 K, 13 BB, 1.24 WHIP

7. Marten Gasparini - Shortstop

2015 Teams: Idaho Falls (Rookie)

2015 Totals: 54 G, .259, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 4 2B, 10 3B, 26-35 SB

8. Matt Strahm - Left-handed pitcher

2015 Teams: Lexington, Wilmington

2015 Totals: 3-7, 2.59 ERA, 29 G/11 GS, 94.0 IP, 121 K, 31 BB, 0.97 WHIP

9. Scott Blewett - Right-handed pitcher

2015 Teams: Lexington

2015 Totals: 3-5, 5.20 ERA, 18 G/ 18 GS, 81.1 IP, 60 K, 24 BB, 1.38 WHIP

10. Cheslor Cuthbert - Infielder

2015 Teams: Omaha, Kansas City

2015 Totals (Minors): 104 G, .277, 11 HR, 51 RBI, 22 2B, 1 3B

2015 Totals (Majors): 19 G, .217, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals will return to action on Thursday, April 7 of 2016 when they host the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A Affiliate of the Texas Rangers, to begin Season Nine of Naturals Baseball at
Arvest Ballpark.

Follow the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Twitter @NWANaturals all throughout the year by using the hashtag #NaturalPastime for all of our up-to-date information on the Season Nine of Naturals Baseball, tickets, groups, promotions, roster, and off-season information.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR.

-Naturals-