Originally Posted by
billysink
Dan Duffy is the wild card on that staff. I think we learn something about that kid this year one year now removed from Tommy John.
After coming up through the Royals system and being tagged as a cornerstone for the franchise for years to come, Mike Moustakashas struggled mightily. It's a key year for the young third baseman and it looks like some of his poor performance in 2013 may have been due to bad luck. His BABIP of .257 is a bit low considering his line drive rate of 19%, which should help him post a higher batting average in 2014. Despite the dip in batting average, he improved his contact rate by 4% to 82%.
He also swung at more pitches inside the zone and chased fewer pitches out of the zone. On Sunday, Moustakas launched two homeruns while going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. "Moose" is now hitting .556 on the spring and looks poised to take a big step forward offensively.Rotation Battle in KC
Kansas City has a battle brewing for the final spot in their rotation. Candidates include veterans Luke Hochevar and Wade Davis and top propsects Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy. Luke Hochevar was outstanding out of the bullpen last year and has not had much success as a starter. For that reason, it's hard to believe the Royals would remove him from the bullpen when they have other options for the final spot.Wade Davis also had success pitching out of the bullpen late last year but struggled in his starts earlier in the year. Davis started for the Royals on Sunday and looked outstanding. In two innings, he stuck out three batters and gave up just one hit and one walk. He'll need to continue these performances to remain in the running for a rotation spot. A lot has been said about Yordano Ventura this spring and his stock is rising in drafts. In order to return value for his owners, he needs to lock down the fifth rotation spot. In five seasons in the minors, Ventura has struck out just under 10 batters per 9 innings with a 3.47 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. In his first major league game last year, he threw a 101.9 MPH fastball. Unfortunately, he has yet to develop successful secondary pitches so a great fastball will only go so far. Another issue is his somewhat small frame at 5'11'' and 180 pounds. For a power pitcher, he's certainly on the small size. Thanks to an underwhelming major league debut in 2011, followed by Tommy John surgery in 2012, Danny Duffy is being overlooked in a lot of drafts this year. Through 6 seasons in the minors, Duffy has a K/9 of 10.6 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Now 20 months removed from surgery, Duffy believes he's ready to compete for the 5th starting job and is in the best shape since being drafted. Duffy was outstanding in five starts last year after returning from the injury, posting an ERA of 1.85 with 22 strikeouts in 24 innings. From a fantasy perspective, owners are hoping that Hochevar and Davis go to the bullpen to give Ventura or Duffy a chance to start