Royals Instructional League
10/15/2018
Brady Singer, RHP
From the windup, most athletic delivery I have seen since Hunter Greene. Excellent light feet. Special blend of momentum and balance. FB 90-93 danced to both sides with sink. In this look, FB was left up too often and hit hard. SL 80-82 flashed plus with inconsistent shape. Sporadic feel for CHG 85-87 with moderate depth and run. Not great outing, but the ingredients are here for a mid rotation SP.
M.J. Melendez, C
Exudes leader vibe in interactions with teammates. Frame is starting to fill out. Looks significantly stronger than 2017 Instructs MJ Melendez. Still adroit and flexible behind home. Does not get cheated on his swings, appears to be deliberate choice to exchange strikeouts for hard contact. Utilizes leg kick early in counts and shortens stride with two strikes. Still swings hard in two strike counts though.
Kyle Isbel, OF
Good athlete with a strong chest. Great use of lower half. Moderate leg kick with torque. Quiet hands slot at shoulder height. Swings hard. Made Faustian Bargain: bat path geared for loft, yet still short to ball?? Looks comfortable working deep into counts, but may border on passive. At times, expands the zone up. Handles premo velo, no problem.
Carlos Hernandez, RHP
Ideal pitcher body, listed 6'4" 200 with room for more. Smooth, easy delivery. Strong lower half well-utilized. Twists front leg back for added torque. Cross body arm action leads to glove side movement. FB 95-96 with natural cut. Mid 80s slider around 1500 RPM looks cutterish with short break. CB shape oscillated between 12 to 6 and 11 to 5. Above average depth but hitters seem to pick up well out of hand. Average present offering. Solid bet to remain a starter.
Travis Jones, 1B
Patient hitter with good feel for the zone. Bat path is fairly direct. Quiet hands preslot. Short stride. Slight uppercut bat path. Contact-oriented approach. A little stiff in movements at first base and on the basepaths. Surprised to see he stole 31 bases in 43 attempts in 2018. Unsure what to make of him. Need more looks.
Zach Haake, RHP
Seen 10/3/18 Thin, projectable frame. Lots of legs and a high waist. Slot between three quarters and high three quarters. Works downhill. Low effort loose arm 94-97 but fairly straight. Changeup 88-90 with inconsistent shape sometimes only depth and at other times depth and run. Threw two mid 80s breakers, one was plus.