The Royals’ expectations for Mondesi in 2019 includes a Patrick Mahomes comparison
Royals general manager Dayton Moore visited the Dominican Republic earlier this month with a top assistant, and the first item on their itinerary was dinner with shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. A few minutes into that conversation, Moore asked Mondesi if he had been following the Chiefs much. Had he tracked the success “of this amazing athlete,” Patrick Mahomes?
Mondesi nodded.
“You know who has that type of athletic ability, don’t you?” Moore asked.
He recalls the way Mondesi smiled in response to the question.
“You do,” Moore said. “You have that type of athletic ability. You have the ability to take over a baseball game. You’re one of the very best athletes who puts on a baseball uniform each and every night.”
As the Royals opened their two-day FanFest at Bartle Hall on Friday, the talks on stage and with media alike centered less on the past of a 104-loss season and more on the future. As 2018 grew older, the team grew younger, trading veterans and plugging prospects into the vacancies.
Well, any discussion about the future starts with Mondesi, a true five-tool talent. And this is where Moore’s Mahomes comparison comes into play. Mondesi doesn’t just have a single trait to change a game. On the surface, he appears to have them all — power, speed and defense.
“He’s gonna be a superstar shortstop for us,” catcher Salvador Perez said. “I don’t want Mondesi to get any pressure — just play the game like he played last year.”
Well, the end of last year.
Mondesi hit only .200 in June, his first month after being called to the big leagues. But he batted .288 with 13 home runs and 29 stolen bases over 240 at-bats to finish the season.
After his call-up, Mondesi had the fourth best WAR (wins above replacement) in the American League, according to FanGraphs.
Royals manager Ned Yost recalls an exact moment in 2018 where he felt everything slowed down for Mondesi. It wasn’t a specific play. It was his desire to be on the field.
Mondesi’s days in the minor leagues were derailed by injuries. Most were mild, but they added up. So when he was called up to the Royals, they didn’t initially play him every day, hoping to protect his health. Yost would routinely ask Mondesi how he was feeling. Eventually, after several weeks, Mondesi responded, “You don’t have to ask me how I feel. I’m gonna play every single game.”
As the Royals project their expectations for Mondesi in 2019, his first full season in the majors, they point toward that moment.
“That’s a big step to get yourself prepared mentally to go out there because it’s a lot of wear and tear on his body being the type of athlete that he is,” Yost said. “There’s a lot of diving around. There’s a lot of sliding into second base. There’s a lot of quick-twitch movements in his game that take a toll on your body. He was mentally prepared to grind it out and play every single day. It’s a big step.”
The Royals expect another step in his development to show up in 2019. The defense, power and speed will always be there, they believe. The consistency can improve. The selectivity at the plate can too.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing — on any given night, he could be the best player in that game,” Yost said. “That’s the type of talent he is. He still has a huge ceiling and still has a lot of areas to grow in and continue to better in. He’s gonna be a fantastic player.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 6:04 PM.