Mondesi, Starling return to Northwest Arkansas

SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas Naturals manager Vance Wilson said he likes a strong core up the middle and this year's team should fill that bill.

Shortstop Raul Mondesi and center fielder Bubba Starling, two of the Kansas City Royals' top rated prospects, head up the the 2016 Naturals' roster. Both Mondesi and Starling were part of last year's Northwest Arkansas team that reached the Texas League Championship Series before being swept by Midland.

Infielder Ramon Torres (.275, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs in 51 games) also returns and adds more strength up the middle, after a strong showing late in the season. He was added to the Royals' 40-man roster in the offseason.

Mondesi (.243, 6 HRs, 43 RBIs in 81 games) is rated as the No. 1 prospect in the Royals' minor league system by Baseball America and among the top 50 in all of the minor leagues,. Starling (.254, 10 HRs, 32 RBIs), a first-round pick in 2011, skyrocketed up the ratings list after a strong season in Northwest Arkansas to No. 3 in the Royals' system after being 18th in 2015. Mondesi, Torres and Starling are all three touted for their defense with good speed and strong arms, which is something Wilson said is important.

"I never really look at the offensive side because offense is so up and down," Wilson said. "Defense and pitching, that's the stuff that doesn't go in a slump very often."

The Naturals open the season by hosting Frisco on Thursday night with 11 returnees on the 25-man roster.

Lane Evans returns behind the plate, while Cam Gallagher, who spent the last two years at Class A advanced Wilmington, will also catch. Evans hit .252 with six home runs and 41 RBIs in 65 games with the Naturals.

Wilson said the Naturals have all the assets to again be strong up the middle.

Orlando Calixte is another name that's familiar to Northwest Arkansas fans since he spent most of the 2013 and '14 seasons in Springdale, but he played the infield then. Calixte spent all of last season at Triple-A Omaha, but will play the outfield mainly for the Naturals this season, Wilson said.

"We know what Torres can do," Wilson said. "Gallagher's catching has come quicker than his bat and Zane has improved remarkably defensively. And we have Calixte as an option there, we have some impact guys there defensively up the middle." Third baseman Hunter Dozier, the Royals' first-round draft pick in 2013, returns to Northwest Arkansas after hitting just .213 in 128 games with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs, but also 151 strikeouts.

The starting rotation won't have much Double-A experience, but there's several returnees in the bullpen. Christian Binford is the lone holdover from last year's Naturals' rotation. But 6-foot-7 lefthander Eric Skoglund, along with Alec Mills, Matt Strahm and Jacob Junis all spent time in Wilmington last season.

Paul Boyd can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaulb.

Sports on 04/03/2016