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| Photo: Courtesy of the Kansas City Royals |
Hosmer is now the Royals' highest rated prospect according to Baseball America. He's proving why this spring. In 19 games, he is hitting .474 with a .542 OBP. Even so, he'll start the season in either Double-A NW Arkansas or Omaha. Given the numbers he put up in NW Arkansas last season, fans in Omaha should expect to see him sooner rather than later.
NW Arkansas general manager Eric Edelstein and Naturals' radio broadcaster Steven Davis took the time to answer some questions to give fans in Omaha an idea about what they'll see when Hosmer puts on the Storm Chaser uniform. First, here's a look at Hosmer's minor league numbers so far:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 18 | Idaho Falls | Rk | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .364 | .533 | .545 | 1.079 |
| 2009 | 19 | 2 Teams | A-A+ | 106 | 377 | 40 | 91 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 59 | 53 | 90 | .241 | .334 | .361 | .695 |
| 2009 | 19 | Burlington | A | 79 | 280 | 31 | 71 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 49 | 44 | 68 | .254 | .352 | .382 | .734 |
| 2009 | 19 | Wilmington | A+ | 27 | 97 | 9 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 22 | .206 | .280 | .299 | .579 |
| 2010 | 20 | 2 Teams | A+-AA | 137 | 520 | 87 | 176 | 43 | 9 | 20 | 86 | 59 | 66 | .338 | .406 | .571 | .977 |
| 2010 | 20 | Wilmington | A+ | 87 | 325 | 48 | 115 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 51 | 44 | 39 | .354 | .429 | .545 | .974 |
| 2010 | 20 | Northwest Arkansas | AA | 50 | 195 | 39 | 61 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 35 | 15 | 27 | .313 | .365 | .615 | .980 |
| 3 Seasons | 246 | 908 | 129 | 271 | 64 | 13 | 26 | 147 | 115 | 158 | .298 | .378 | .483 | .861 | |||
| A+ (2 seasons) | A+ | 114 | 422 | 57 | 135 | 31 | 8 | 8 | 61 | 53 | 61 | .320 | .396 | .488 | .884 | ||
| A (1 season) | A | 79 | 280 | 31 | 71 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 49 | 44 | 68 | .254 | .352 | .382 | .734 | ||
| AA (1 season) | AA | 50 | 195 | 39 | 61 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 35 | 15 | 27 | .313 | .365 | .615 | .980 | ||
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 3 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .364 | .533 | .545 | 1.079 | ||
Hosmer's career hit a snag in 2009. His problems at the plate were attributed to a hand injury and an eye condition he had corrected with laser surgery. Edelstein said there was no evidence Hosmer was dealing with either issue by the time he arrived in NW Arkansas in 2010. Davis didn't see any problems either.
"Eric has said that he felt more confident going into 2010 and wanted to prove that all of his problems were behind him," Davis said. "Having not seen him before the ’10 season, I can’t say how he looked then, but he was spectacular when he was with us."
So what did Edelstein and Davis see in Hosmer in 2010? What were his strengths and weaknesses? How did the big lefty look against lefties? How quickly did he adjust once a pitcher figured him out? And how do they think he'll adjust to Triple-A pitching, where starters often have a third pitch they can throw for strikes and many have Major League experience?
"There was nothing that surprised Eric that I could see last year," Edelstein said. "He was equally confident against lefties and righties. He's not afraid to go with a pitch. He has power to all fields and covers the plate wonderfully. There is no doubt in my mind that he'll do just fine in Triple-A and there is nothing that will intimidate him about being at a higher level.
"It's worth noting that as well as he played in the regular season, he turned it up a notch in the playoffs. Everyone in the ballpark knew he was the best hitter in the lineup, yet he hit (I believe) 6 home runs in 9 playoff games. His 2-run homer in Game Four of the first round against Springfield with 2 outs, in the 8th, down a run, brought us back from the brink of elimination."
"Hosmer was an all-around good hitter," Davis added. "He made contact, hit for a great average, and [showed] power as well. Several of his homers were not the big, gorgeous fly balls but rather line drives that just carried a long distance. He showed a great ability to hit the ball forcefully the opposite way.
"He was very effective against lefties and I’m sure he will adjust just fine if a pitcher figures him out, but he really didn’t show that skill with us because he was good enough that no one truly 'figured him out.' I don’t think he will have any problems adjusting to Triple-A pitching as evidenced by how well he has hit in major league spring training this year."
The 2010 edition of the Baseball America Prospect Handbook described Hosmer as an "average defender with soft hands" so I asked Edelstein and Davis if Hosmer was doing anything specific to work on his defense while he was in NW Arkansas last season.
"I love watching him play first," Edelstein said. "Very loose, smooth, and good hands. Like everyone with the Naturals, he had an early work schedule. I can't say he worked any harder on any aspect of his game than anyone else, but that's to say that everyone is working hard to improve every day at the Double-A level, and Hosmer did the same."
"I would say Hosmer’s defense is undervalued," Davis said. "He made every play and looked effortless and smooth in the process. He saved countless errors in the playoffs both with his reach and ability to pick balls out of the dirt. I believe that his defense is the most overlooked part of his game."
The Naturals won the 2010 Texas League championship. As some of those players make their way through Omaha in the next season or two, Edelstein believes baseball fans in Omaha have a lot to look forward to.
"We had a lot of prospects last year, and sometimes you can see guys become a bit self involved with their status," Edelstein said. "None of our team was like that this past year. They were all about the team, all about winning, and everyone worked toward that common goal. Omaha is in for a real treat as this group of guys ascends the organization. You're going to see tremendous energy night in and night out and you'll never be out of a ballgame."
