Texas notes: Lee lighting up the basepaths

Every once in awhile, when nobody is watching, Khalil Lee will sneak onto a mound to see if he still has the 90 mph fastball that had some scouts forgetting his other skills three years ago.
"I've got to be careful," said Lee, who was drafted in the third round by the Royals in 2016 as an outfielder. "Because if any of these rovers see that, then I might be in trouble and they'll want me to stay on the mound."

That hasn't happened yet. And the more he progresses, the less likely it'll become.
Ranked third in the Royals system, Lee is hitting .265 with 15 doubles, three triples and, perhaps most impressive, a career-high 41 stolen bases.
It's enough to keep Lee, and the Royals, from second-guessing the path chosen out of high school in Maryland.
"For me, hitting has always been my thing," he said. "I want to play every day. I love hitting. There's nothing like getting a base hit, hitting a walk off, running the bases. ... There's nothing better than that."
So far, Lee has made the most noise on the basepaths, ranking as one of the best base stealers in the Minor Leagues this year. His 41 stolen bases is only topped by one player in the Minor Leagues: Nick Heath, with 49, who happens to be his teammate. 
"I'd say I'm more of a good base runner than I am just naturally fast," he said. "I'm definitely not slow, but I just think the biggest thing that helps me steal so many bags is that I'm smart on the basepaths. I know when to run and when not to."

It's a pretty detailed approach, too.
When deciding when to run, Lee considers the count, the success of the hitter in the box and the pitcher's speed to the plate -- all tips he's known for awhile but is now turning into an elite skill. 
"I've always been a base stealer," he said. "I think just this year I really figured out when good times are to run, and being able to pick up on little, key things from pitchers and being able to get a good jump and run."
And now that he's not hindered by a back injury that limited him to 100 games over two levels last season, he's proving his knack for baseball as he makes quick work through the Royals system.
"I just want to do the best I can," he said. "I feel like if you produce the same numbers at a higher level, you've gotten better because the competition is better."

In brief

Another one moving on: Last month, Tulsa lost infielder Gavin Lux and pitcher Dustin May to promotions. Now they've lost another highly ranked player to Triple A Oklahoma City in catcher Keibert Ruiz. Ruiz was promoted to Oklahoma City on July 21, ending his two seasons in Tulsa. Ruiz was hitting .254 with four home runs and 25 RBIs for the Drillers. Ruiz is the Dodgers' No. 1 overall prospect and No. 26 overall. He leaves Tulsa after Lux (No. 29 overall) and May (No. 49) departed following the Texas League All-Star Game in June.
Streaking again: Amarillo's Ivan Castillo is making a habit of putting together lengthy hitting streaks this season. The 24-year-old second baseman had a 19-game hitting streak come to a halt on July 22, the second-longest in the Texas League this season. Castillo, who signed a Minor League contract with the Padres over the offseason, also had a 14-game hitting streak in May, and he hit in nine consecutive games in June. His .339 average before Wednesday's games leads all Double A hitters.
Welcome back: Since returning from a seven-game stint at Triple-A Memphis, Springfield's Yariel Gonzalez has been the Texas League's top hitter. Gonzalez, who started the year at Class A Advanced Palm Beach, is hitting .373 in July with 25 RBIs, which rank second and first in the Texas League, respectively. The 25-year-old utility player is batting .319 with six home runs and 27 RBIs on the year for the Cardinals.