Matt Strahm Makes Impact In Royals Bullpen

Best Player: Raul A. Mondesi never hit for a high average. Nor did he produce a lot of power.

But Mondesi was almost always the youngest player in his league. He was 16 in 2010 when he hit .290 at Rookie-level Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League. He was 20 when he made his major league debut in the 2015 World Series.

He hit .268/.322/.469 this year at three minor league levels, with 24 stolen bases, and was 21 when he hit his first big league home run on Aug. 16 off Justin Verlander.

“He’s a great talent,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s extremely athletic. The thing that’s fun right now is you saw him two years ago and he’s starting to fill out. He’s starting to get stronger, like you knew he would. He’s able to do more things on the baseball field. It’s a fun progression to sit back and watch. It takes time, but you see him getting better and stronger every year. It’s fun to watch his development. We knew he had some pop. He can do more than people realize.”

Best Pitcher: Lefthander Matt Strahm broke out in 2015 and was in the Royals bullpen for the stretch run this season. Strahm has had success in a relief role (21 strikeouts in 16 innings), but his future may be in the rotation.

Strahm has a 96 mph fastball and an outstanding curveball. He made 18 starts this season, going 3-8, 3.43 with 107 strikeouts in 102 innings for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, before the Royals moved him to the bullpen, in part because he already had reached a career high for innings. Next spring, Strahm will compete for a 2017 rotation slot.

“He’s going to be good, but he’s at that stage where we’ve got to pick our spots for him,” Yost said. “It’s not the innings. It’s just making sure we don’t overwork him. With him being a starter, we’re just being extra cautious.”

Keep An Eye On: Outfielder Khalil Lee was the best athlete still on the board when the Royals drafted him in the third round.

He started on the basketball team, ran indoor track and was a pitcher and outfielder on his Flint High (Centreville, Va.) team.

Lee demonstrated five-tool potential, leading the Rookie-level Arizona League with 84 total bases and 33 walks. His .396 on-base percentage ranked second while his .484 slugging percentage was fifth.

He has the speed to play center and the arm to play right field.

“When I’m on the field, I think of myself as a speed guy, steal some bags and run some balls down in the outfield,” Lee said.