#5 Mike Moustakas

By Chris Douthat


[Photo Credit: thegoldensombreo.com]

     When discussing the best farm systems in baseball, there are two groups. You have the Kansas City Royals…and then you have everybody else. Thanks to top-notch scouting and risky draft picks, Kansas City has put together what many people in the game consider the best farm system in the history of the game. In their annual top prospect list, Baseball America put nine Kansas City prospects in the Top 100, a record for the publication.



     Mike Moustakas, in my opinion, is the pride and joy of the system. The second overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft, Moustakas has done nothing but hit since being selected out of high school. Splitting the 2010 season with AA and AAA, the third baseman hit .322 with 41 doubles, 36 HR, and 124 RBI, good for a slugging percentage of .630 and an absolutely ridiculous OPS of .999.

     At 5’11 and 230 lb, Moustakas won’t be stealing many bases, but with a respectable career on-base percentage (.336), he’ll be in many run scoring opportunities. Widely expected to be the first of the Royals prospects to reach the majors, look for Moustakas to make his debut as soon as this year, whether by injury or mid-to-late call-up, with him sticking for good in 2012.