SURPRISE, Ariz. | It is here, under Arizonas still-brutal autumnal sun, that outfielder Wil Myers seeks to append an upbeat conclusion to a summer of sobering disappointment. It was only a few months ago that Myers typically found himself linked with first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas as the brightest nonpitching prospects in what reigned unchallenged as baseballs best farm system. Some scouts then viewed Myers as the best of the three. But while Hosmer and Moustakas carved out a future this season in the Royals big-league lineup, Myers battled through a series of injuries and, for the first time, something other than unqualified on-field success while slogging away at Class AA Northwest Arkansas. That was tough, he acknowledged in assessing his .254 average. Ive never struggled like that before. And another thing, Ive never dealt with injuries before in high school. Growing up, I never had any big-time injuries where I was out for a period of time. But, yeah, struggling at the plate that was definitely something new for me. Myers batted .324 in his first two pro seasons after his selection, as an 18-year-old, in the third round of the 2009 draft. That success included a scalding .346 over 58 games at the end of 2010 at Class A Wilmington and its notoriously unfriendly hitters park. That sweet run-production swing along with the emergence of Wilmington teammate Salvador Perez prompted the Royals to shift Myers this season from catcher to the outfield in an attempt to shorten his timetable to the big leagues. The Royals also expected Myers to struggle, they insist. This time last year, general manager Dayton Moore said, we were debating whether to send him back to the Carolina League for half of a year or to Double-A. Moore said minor-league hitting coordinator Jack Maloof was adamant that Myers be sent to Northwest Arkansas precisely because hed never experienced failure. We thought he needed to experience some, Moore said. And he did, though not right away. Myers got off to a quick start before a freak off-field knee injury derailed his season in late April. Racing from his car to his apartment in a rain storm, he slipped on wet concrete and slammed his left knee into a building column. It cut through, and I had to have four staples and two stitches to repair it, he said. It was bad. I missed a week with that. Then I came back, played a few games, and that scab got infected. I missed more time and had to have surgery on it. Even so, Myers returned in early June with four hits in his first nine at-bats, which boosted his average to .301. He was still at .296 after going two for three on July 1. Another strong finish would put a high shine back on his resume. Inexplicably, failure bit and bit hard. Myers simply couldnt buy a hit through the rest of July. He went 13 for 84 over the next 24 games and finished the month at .249. I just felt like I wasnt good anymore, he said. Id never gone through anything like that before. I just didnt feel comfortable at the plate. I was thinking too much. I was thinking, OK, what is he going to throw here? And when I play, I dont like to think too much. Thats the old baseball cliché, of course: Stop thinking; youre hurting the ballclub. Its funny now. Almost. I like to go up there and just do my thing, Myers said. But I was pressing and overthinking things. Trying to work on too many things. I couldnt get my foot down (for proper timing). I was getting a little too selective. Myers arrested his decline over the closing weeks, but he still closed with just eight homers and 49 RBIs in 99 games. So getting sent to the Arizona Fall League, which styles itself as a finishing school for top prospects, was just what he needed. I finally feel good, he said. Im finally back to where I want to be. Im feeling healthy, and Im feeling better at the plate. Myers typically bats third in the Saguaros lineup and has eight hits and four walks in 26 plate appearances for a .364 average and a .462 on-base percentage. He also has five extra-base hits, including two homers, and six RBIs. Tellingly, perhaps, hes quicker to comment on how he recently gunned down a runner at the plate from right field a notable professional first in a still-challenging defensive switch. I really struggled in spring training and into the season with just catching fly balls, Myers said. About halfway through the year, I got pretty comfortable with that, but then, and its pretty weird to say, ground balls gave me some trouble when I charged them. I was an infielder in high school, but I found charging balls in the outfield was a lot different. Its different throwing, too. Its a lot different arm angle. So that was kind of cool to throw someone out at home plate. Crowds in the Fall League are sparse and sleepy. Many in attendance are scouts. The rest tend to be retirees and a handful of relentlessly intrepid autograph collectors. Crowds could hardly be less rowdy. (Still, no chances are taken; beer sales end in the seventh inning.) It offers opportunity, though. He can hit, assistant general manager J.J. Picollo said. His confidence was down this year because hed never really failed before. But guys need to fail in the minor leagues so they know how to deal with it in the major leagues. Hes still ahead of the curve. I think we tend to start thinking of some players a little too soon in our major-league picture just because theyre high picks. But Wil, other than (Angels phenom Mike) Trout, was the youngest guy in Double-A. The Royals decision earlier this year to sign right fielder Jeff Francoeur to a contract extension through 2013 effectively set an unofficial timetable for Myers development. Hell probably go back to Double-A, Moore said. Hopefully, at the halfway point hes doing enough to get him to Triple-A. Hes a special talent with the bat and athletically. Hes a confident kid. He always has been very sure of himself, but in a good way. Timetables can change. Kansas City likes to promote from within, Myers said. If youre doing well, theyre not going to waste any time. Theyre going to move you up there. Yeah, its cool to see guys like Moose, Hos, (Danny) Duffy and Salvador up there. I played with all of those guys in spring training, and now theyre in the big leagues  Myers let the thought hang for a moment. And then smiled.A look at other prospectsOutfielder Wil Myers is just one of seven Royals players on the Surprise Saguaros, who also staff their roster with prospects from Atlanta, Florida, Tampa Bay and Texas for a 38-game schedule in the six-team Arizona Fall League. The others:RHP Nate Adcock: Spent the season in the big leagues following his selection last December from Pittsburgh in the Rule 5 draft. The Royals simply want him to get some additional innings prior to before next season.INF Christian Colon: The fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, he just completed his first full pro season by batting .257 with eight homers and 61 RBIs over 127 games at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.RHP Jeremy Jeffress: A power reliever who opened the season in the big leagues before command problems prompted his demotion. Spent much of the season as a starter in order to gain innings but did so with disappointing results a 3-6 record and 5.50 ERA in 25 games.LHP Brendan Lafferty: A third-year pro who appeared to regress this season in compiling a 4.48 ERA while splitting time in 30 relief appearances at Northwest Arkansas and Class A Wilmington. RHP Bryan Paukovits: Became a full-time reliever this year and posted a 3.46 ERA in 31 appearances at Wilmington after having a 4.63 ERA in three previous seasons as a starter in the low minors. INF Anthony Seratelli: A replacement for 1B/DH Clint Robinson, who suffered a sports hernia late in the season. Seratelli, 28, batted .282 with nine homers and 64 RBIs in 129 games at Northwest Arkansas.

KansasCity.com

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Royals prospect Myers aims to get back on track

By BOB DUTTON

The Kansas City Star

Royals interview Eiland for pitching coach

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SURPRISE, Ariz. | It is here, under Arizona’s still-brutal autumnal sun, that outfielder Wil Myers seeks to append an upbeat conclusion to a summer of sobering disappointment.

It was only a few months ago that Myers typically found himself linked with first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas as the brightest nonpitching prospects in what reigned unchallenged as baseball’s best farm system.

Some scouts then viewed Myers as the best of the three.

But while Hosmer and Moustakas carved out a future this season in the Royals’ big-league lineup, Myers battled through a series of injuries and, for the first time, something other than unqualified on-field success while slogging away at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

“That was tough,” he acknowledged in assessing his .254 average. “I’ve never struggled like that before. And another thing, I’ve never dealt with injuries before in high school. Growing up, I never had any big-time injuries where I was out for a period of time.

“But, yeah, struggling at the plate … that was definitely something new for me.”

Myers batted .324 in his first two pro seasons after his selection, as an 18-year-old, in the third round of the 2009 draft. That success included a scalding .346 over 58 games at the end of 2010 at Class A Wilmington and its notoriously unfriendly hitters’ park.

That sweet run-production swing — along with the emergence of Wilmington teammate Salvador Perez — prompted the Royals to shift Myers this season from catcher to the outfield in an attempt to shorten his timetable to the big leagues.

The Royals also expected Myers to struggle, they insist.

“This time last year,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “we were debating whether to send him back to the Carolina League for half of a year or to Double-A.”

Moore said minor-league hitting coordinator Jack Maloof was “adamant” that Myers be sent to Northwest Arkansas precisely because he’d never experienced failure.

“We thought he needed to experience some,” Moore said.

And … he did, though not right away. Myers got off to a quick start before a freak off-field knee injury derailed his season in late April. Racing from his car to his apartment in a rain storm, he slipped on wet concrete and slammed his left knee into a building column.

“It cut through, and I had to have four staples and two stitches to repair it,” he said. “It was bad. I missed a week with that. Then I came back, played a few games, and that scab got infected. I missed more time and had to have surgery on it.”

Even so, Myers returned in early June with four hits in his first nine at-bats, which boosted his average to .301. He was still at .296 after going two for three on July 1. Another strong finish would put a high shine back on his resume.

Inexplicably, failure bit and bit hard. Myers simply couldn’t buy a hit through the rest of July. He went 13 for 84 over the next 24 games and finished the month at .249.

“I just felt like I wasn’t good anymore,” he said. “I’d never gone through anything like that before. I just didn’t feel comfortable at the plate. I was thinking too much. I was thinking, ‘OK, what is he going to throw here?’ And when I play, I don’t like to think too much.”

That’s the old baseball cliché, of course: Stop thinking; you’re hurting the ballclub. It’s funny now. Almost.

“I like to go up there and just do my thing,” Myers said. “But I was pressing and overthinking things. Trying to work on too many things. I couldn’t get my foot down (for proper timing). I was getting a little too selective.”

Myers arrested his decline over the closing weeks, but he still closed with just eight homers and 49 RBIs in 99 games. So getting sent to the Arizona Fall League, which styles itself as a finishing school for top prospects, was just what he needed.

“I finally feel good,” he said. “I’m finally back to where I want to be. I’m feeling healthy, and I’m feeling better at the plate.”

Myers typically bats third in the Saguaros’ lineup and has eight hits and four walks in 26 plate appearances for a .364 average and a .462 on-base percentage. He also has five extra-base hits, including two homers, and six RBIs.

Tellingly, perhaps, he’s quicker to comment on how he recently gunned down a runner at the plate from right field — a notable professional first in a still-challenging defensive switch.

“I really struggled in spring training and into the season with just catching fly balls,” Myers said. “About halfway through the year, I got pretty comfortable with that, but then, and it’s pretty weird to say, ground balls gave me some trouble when I charged them.

“I was an infielder in high school, but I found charging balls in the outfield was a lot different. It’s different throwing, too. It’s a lot different arm angle. So that was kind of cool to throw someone out at home plate.”

Crowds in the Fall League are sparse and sleepy. Many in attendance are scouts. The rest tend to be retirees and a handful of relentlessly intrepid autograph collectors. Crowds could hardly be less rowdy. (Still, no chances are taken; beer sales end in the seventh inning.)

It offers opportunity, though.

“He can hit,” assistant general manager J.J. Picollo said. “His confidence was down this year because he’d never really failed before. But guys need to fail in the minor leagues so they know how to deal with it in the major leagues.

“He’s still ahead of the curve. I think we tend to start thinking of some players a little too soon in our major-league picture just because they’re high picks. But Wil, other than (Angels phenom Mike) Trout, was the youngest guy in Double-A.”

The Royals’ decision earlier this year to sign right fielder Jeff Francoeur to a contract extension through 2013 effectively set an unofficial timetable for Myers’ development.

“He’ll probably go back to Double-A,” Moore said. “Hopefully, at the halfway point he’s doing enough to get him to Triple-A. He’s a special talent with the bat and athletically. He’s a confident kid. He always has been very sure of himself, but in a good way.”

Timetables can change.

“Kansas City likes to promote from within,” Myers said. “If you’re doing well, they’re not going to waste any time. They’re going to move you up there. Yeah, it’s cool to see guys like Moose, Hos, (Danny) Duffy and Salvador up there.

“I played with all of those guys in spring training, and now they’re in the big leagues …”

Myers let the thought hang for a moment. And then smiled.

A look at other prospects

Outfielder Wil Myers is just one of seven Royals players on the Surprise Saguaros, who also staff their roster with prospects from Atlanta, Florida, Tampa Bay and Texas for a 38-game schedule in the six-team Arizona Fall League.

The others:

RHP Nate Adcock: Spent the season in the big leagues following his selection last December from Pittsburgh in the Rule 5 draft. The Royals simply want him to get some additional innings prior to before next season.

INF Christian Colon: The fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, he just completed his first full pro season by batting .257 with eight homers and 61 RBIs over 127 games at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

RHP Jeremy Jeffress: A power reliever who opened the season in the big leagues before command problems prompted his demotion. Spent much of the season as a starter in order to gain innings but did so with disappointing results — a 3-6 record and 5.50 ERA in 25 games.

LHP Brendan Lafferty: A third-year pro who appeared to regress this season in compiling a 4.48 ERA while splitting time in 30 relief appearances at Northwest Arkansas and Class A Wilmington.

RHP Bryan Paukovits: Became a full-time reliever this year and posted a 3.46 ERA in 31 appearances at Wilmington after having a 4.63 ERA in three previous seasons as a starter in the low minors.

INF Anthony Seratelli: A replacement for 1B/DH Clint Robinson, who suffered a sports hernia late in the season. Seratelli, 28, batted .282 with nine homers and 64 RBIs in 129 games at Northwest Arkansas.