Bubba Starling

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #30 prospect in 2017
  The 2011 draft already has produced five players among the top 20 selections who have either made an all-star team or earned MVP votes. That list includes Gerrit Cole, Sonny Gray, Francisco Lindor, Anthony Rendon and the late Jose Fernandez. Starling, selected fifth overall in 2011, is one of two players taken among the top 20 who has not reached the big leagues. Making consistent, solid contact has been a struggle for Starling, in part because he has never figured out how to lay off sliders out of the zone. His 2015 season seemed to indicate that he was finally catching up to his peers--he reached career highs by hitting .269 with 12 home runs--but in 2016 he looked more lost at the plate than ever before, hitting an abysmal .183/.235/.298 in 109 games at Double-A and Triple-A. His on-base percentage ranked worst in the full-season minors. Starling consistently took defensive swings in which he appeared to be guessing at pitches. The Royals promoted him to Triple-A Omaha in July in a change-of-scenery gambit, but he hit just .181 in the Pacific Coast League. Starling's above-average raw power evaporated as he seemed to lack the confidence or ability to get into hitter's counts. A plus-plus defender in center field with an above-average arm and above-average speed, he has no chance to claim even a bench role unless he can up his average to .240.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #3 prospect in 2016
  Starling was supposed to be a centerpiece of the Royals' rebuilding project. Picked fifth in 2011, Starling, a high school three-sport star, turned down Nebraska football to sign with the Royals then spent much of the past four years buried under the weight of lofty expectations. For much of his pro career, Starling has had too many at-bats where he looked lost. He chased too many pitches but also failed to take advantage of hitters' counts. He still has rough stretches, but he does a better job of recognizing breaking balls and driving balls. Starling's hit tool will likely always be below-average but he can be a very useful big leaguer as a .240 hitter. He's a plus defender who makes it look easy in center field with a plus arm and at least average power. Starling is an above-average runner out of the box who is a better underway. Starling's struggles to make contact make it unlikely he'll ever be an impact big leaguer, but the Royals got production out of Paulo Orlando this past season and Starling should be able to exceed that--Kansas City's love of exceptional defensive outfielders will play in Starling's favor. He was added to the 40-man roster, so a late-season 2016 Kansas City arrival is a solid probability.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #18 prospect in 2015
  If hitting for average weren't required to reach the majors, then Starling would already be an all-star. He turned down a chance to be Nebraska's quarterback to sign with the Royals for $7.5 million as the fifth overall pick in 2011. He's an excellent center fielder with plus range and an above-average arm. He turns in average to tick above-average times coming out of the box, but he's an above-average runner underway. But as a hitter, Starling is still a long way from where he needs to be. He simply struggles to square up the ball. Part of it is a pitch-recognition issue, but part of it appears to be a hand-eye coordination issue. The Royals see signs of an improved approach. He no longer is a consistent victim of sliders off the plate. Starling's tools (and his signing bonus) give the organization every reason to be patient, but it's harder to find scouts for other teams who still view him as a future regular. Starling can hope the better hitting environment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas gives him a shot of confidence in 2015.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #8 prospect in 2014
  As a high school star in Gardner, Kan., everything came easy to Starling. He showed NCAA Division I ability in football, basketball and baseball. He turned down a chance to be Nebraska's quarterback to sign with the Royals for $7.5 million as the fifth overall pick in 2011. Professional baseball has proven more of a challenge, though Starling did improve his contact rate significantly after mid-May laser eye surgery. He has above-average speed, is a plus center fielder and has an above-average arm. But none of that will matter if he doesn't improve his feel for hitting. The Royals spread out Starling's stance early in his pro career, but have now moved his feet back together to improve his timing. With the wide stance and a small toe tap, he struggled to get his legs involved in his swing, and a torso-turn as part of his load made it hard to properly time pitches. Starling has enough bat speed that he is rarely late on pitches, but when he doesn't get the timing of his front foot and hands in sync, he often rushes the bat through the zone, rolling over outside pitches. He has decent pitch recognition skills and draws walks, so if he can get his timing issues corrected, he could unlock his plus power potential. Starling needs to prove that a solid second half--.269/.359/.434 in 65 games--is a sign of good things to come. He'll face the difficult hitting environment of high Class A Wilmington in 2014.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #2 prospect in 2013
  A three-sport star in high school, Starling turned down a scholarship to play quarterback at Nebraska when the Royals selected him fifth overall and paid him $7.5 million in 2011. He remained in extended spring training at the start of 2012 to retool his set-up and swing, then headed to Rookie-level Burlington. Of the 13 high school first-rounders from 2011, he was one of three who didn't play full-season ball during the year. Starling has well above-average raw power and his speed, center-field defense and arm strength all project as at least plus tools. His ultimate impact will be determined by his bat, however. He's still raw at the plate and swings and misses a lot--he struck out in 35 percent of his at-bats, fifth-worst in the system. He too often drops his bat head during his load, which leads to a long, flat swing. Kansas City is working on having him pull his bat back with his top hand instead of pushing it back with his bottom hand to help him control the bat head better. He also has to improve in recognizing breaking balls. Defensively, he's more advanced than expected and projects as a plus center fielder. Starling's power and speed will allow the Royals to live with some strikeouts, but he still has a long way to go at the plate. He'll advance to Kansas City's new low Class A Lexington affiliate in 2013.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #2 prospect in 2012
  As a high school senior, Starling accounted for 3,167 yards and 39 touchdowns as a quarterback and averaged 28 points per game in basketball. He could have been Nebraska's quarterback of the future, but the Royals signed him for a franchise-record $7.5 million bonus after selecting him fifth overall in the 2011 draft. In an organization that covets premium athletes, Starling is the best of the bunch. He has excellent strength and bat speed and shows plus-plus power in batting practice. While he's not nearly as polished as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas were when the Royals drafted them near the top of the first round out of high school, Starling has shortened his swing enough over the last year that scouts believe he'll hit for average as well. He's a well above-average runner, making him a basestealing threat and giving him plus range in center field. Clocked at 95 mph on the mound, he has a stronger arm than most center fielders. He was cited for underage drinking during instructional league, but the Royals say his makeup isn't a problem. Starling has a huge ceiling but will need more development time than Hosmer or Moustakas did. Starling could make his pro debut at low Class A Kane County, or he could begin 2012 in extended spring training.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #19 prospect in 2013
  Older than Bryce Harper and not yet master of the SAL, Starling may never figure things out and reach his ceiling. The fifth pick in the 2011 draft has moved at a glacial pace through the Royals system, and he?s still a relatively easy mark for pitchers who bust him up and in with fastballs and then induce him to chase sliders, curveballs and changeups off the plate. However, Starling did show signs this year that his outstanding tools might come into play at the plate more often, particularly after having Lasik surgery in mid-May. He began unlocking his power late in the season, hitting .322/.398/.575 with 11 extra-base hits in 25 August games. Starling is an above-average defender in center field with a solid-average arm and above-average speed. He has plus raw power, even if it hasn?t turned into productive in-game power yet. Given the entire picture, scouts and managers are leery of giving up on his still impressive potential. ?I saw a little more improvement in idea of what to do (late in the season),? an NL scout said. ?He?s reacting better to offspeed pitches.?
• 
  Ranked American League #3 prospect in 2012
  The Royals committed a franchise-record $7.5 million to sign Starling, the fifth pick in the 2011 draft. Despite that outlay, Kansas City pumped the brakes this season, holding him back in extended spring training and then sending him to Burlington at age 20 rather than to a more advanced league. For Starling to deliver on his immense offensive potential, he'll need to streamline his hitting mechanics and develop better pitch recognition. Pitchers had success retiring Starling with good fastballs and breaking pitches away because a hitch in his stroke didn't allow him to consistently get to his plus power. His lower half gets out of sync when his foot doesn't get down in time, and he struggles to stay inside the ball or hit outside pitches with authority with his long, loopy swing path. An top-notch athlete who had a football scholarship to play quarterback at Nebraska, Starling shows plus range in all directions in center field and could handle the defensive demands of the position right now in the big leagues. He averaged 2.5 putouts per game, tops among Appy outfield regulars. He throws well and possesses the above-average speed necessary to pose a threat on the bases.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #35 prospect in 2013
• Ranked Baseball America's #24 prospect in 2012

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: A three-sport star in high school, Starling turned down a scholarship to play quarterback at Nebraska when the Royals selected him fifth overall and paid him $7.5 million in 2011. He remained in extended spring training at the start of 2012 to retool his set-up and swing, then headed to Rookie-level Burlington. Of the 13 high school first-rounders from 2011, he was one of three who didn't play full-season ball during the year. Scouting Report: Starling has well above-average raw power and his speed, center-field defense and arm strength all project as at least plus tools. His ultimate impact will be determined by his bat, however. He's still raw at the plate and swings and misses a lot--he struck out in 35 percent of his at-bats, fifth worst in the system. He too often drops his bat head during his load, which leads to a long, flat swing. Kansas City is working on having him pull his bat back with his top hand instead of pushing it back with his bottom hand to help him control the bat head better. He also has to improve in recognizing breaking balls. Defensively, he's more advanced than expected and projects as a plus center fielder. The Future: Starling's power and speed will allow the Royals to live with some strikeouts, but he still has a long way to go at the plate. He'll advance to Kansas City's new low Class A Lexington affiliate in 2013.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: As a high school senior, Starling accounted for 3,167 yards and 39 touchdowns as a quarterback and averaged 28 points per game in basketball. He could have been Nebraska's quarterback of the future, but the Royals signed him for a franchise-record $7.5 million bonus after selecting him fifth overall in the 2011 draft. Scouting Report: In an organization that covets premium athletes, Starling is the best of the bunch. He has excellent strength and bat speed and shows plus-plus power in batting practice. While he's not nearly as polished as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas were when the Royals drafted them near the top of the first round out of high school, Starling has shortened his swing enough over the last year that scouts believe he'll hit for average as well. He's a well above-average runner, making him a basestealing threat and giving him plus range in center field. Clocked at 95 mph on the mound, he has a stronger arm than most center fielders. He was cited for underage drinking during instructional league, but the Royals say his makeup isn't a problem. The Future: Starling has a huge ceiling but will require more development time than Hosmer or Moustakas. Starling could make his pro debut at low Class A Kane County, or he could begin 2012 in extended spring training.