SPRINGDALE -- The Northwest Arkansas Naturals will have plenty of star power.
The Naturals, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, will start the season with four of the Royals' top six minor league prospects according to Baseball America.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Name^Position
Lane Adams^Outfielder
Miguel Almonte^Pitcher
Mike Bianucci^Outfielder
Jorge Bonifacio^Outfielder
Dusty Coleman^Infielder
Anderson De La Rosa^Catcher
Hunter Dozer^Third Base
Jonathan Dziedzic^Pitcher
Andy Ferguson^Pitcher
Brandon Finnegan^Pitcher
Angel Franco^Infielder
Balbino Fuenmayor^First Base
Micah Gibbs^Catcher
Terrance Gore^Outfielder
Alex Liddi^First Base
Raul A. Mondesi^Shortstop
Santiago Nessy^Catcher
Aroni Nina^Pitcher
Mark Peterson^Pitcher
Reid Redman^Pitcher
Sam Selman^Pitcher
Glenn Sparkman^Pitcher
Daniel Stumpf^Pitcher
J.C. Sulbaran^Pitcher
Ali Williams^Pitcher
Pitcher Brandon Finnegan, who helped the Royals last year in September on their march to the World Series, is back with the Naturals. The 21-year-old, who became the first player to pitch in the College World Series and the World Series in the same year, made eight appearances out of the bullpen for the Naturals before being called up to the Royals.
But this time the left-hander, who is rated among the top 50 prospects in all of baseball and the Royals No. 2 prospect, will be working as a starter in Northwest Arkansas.
Slick-fielding shortstop Raul Mondesi will make his Double-A debut with Northwest Arkansas. The 20-year-old is rated as the Royals' No. 1 prospect. He is joined by starting pitcher Miguel Almonte. They were teammates at Class A-advanced Wilmington last year and also both played for Naturals manager Vance Wilson in the Arizona Fall League.
Wilson said the Naturals' starting rotation is definitely eye-catching with lots of talent.
"It's young other than J.C. Sulbaran. You take Almonte, he might have the highest ceiling of any starter in our organization," Wilson said. "We've seen what Finnegan can do. Glenn Sparkman was our pitcher of the year in Wilmington."
Wilson was also pleased the organization has mized some older, more experienced players with the prospects.
"That mix is something that's needed I believe as a coach and the organization went out and go that," Wilson said. "Mike Bianucci hit 30 homers in this league and the guy (Balbino) Fuenmayor was the Independent League Player of the Year and then he went did well in Venezuela in the winter."
Infielder Dusty Coleman is another addition. He spent the past three seasons with Midland and was a Texas League mid-season All-Star the last two years and helped the RockHounds to the Texas League crown last year.
Jorge Bonifacio (No. 9) and Hunter Dozier (No. 5) are also rated among the Royals' top 10 prospects, but they also have something else in common. They are two of nine players on the roster, who were with the Naturals last season.
Center fielder Lane Adams is back with the Naturals, after having a strong year in Double-A and evening earning a Sept. call-up to the Royals. But he and pitcher Andy Ferguson will start the year back in Northwest Arkansas.
Ferguson was the Naturals' Pitcher of the Year and Adams was rated the best defensive outfielder and most exciting player by managers in the Texas League a year ago.
"It was a numbers game," Wilson said. "I know Lane was disappointed, but I think he handled it professionally. It's a hard sell, but at a point you can be called up from either level."
Paul Boyd can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaulB.
Sports on 04/05/2015