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03/21/2006 6:41 PM ET
Royals' Cota comfortable with 'prospect' status
Switch from shortstop to pitcher paying off for young righty
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
Luis Cota spent all of last year in the Midwest League with the Burlington Bees. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

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SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Once upon a time, Luis Cota was a pretty good shortstop. That's primarily the position he played as a high school star in Tucson.

Those days are from a bygone era, if there can be such a thing for someone who won't turn 21 until August. Cota is all about trying to make a name for himself on the mound, not at the plate or on the field.

"No, I'm done with picking up the bat," Cota said. "I don't even try that anymore. I'm over those days."

Cota turned his focus to pitching after the Royals selected him in the 10th round of the 2003 draft and sent him to South Mountain Community College as a draft-and-follow. The gamble paid off, Cota's power arm started to take off and he was named the 2004 Arizona JuCo player of the year. The Royals signed him to a record bonus for a 10th-round pick in the hopes that he would continue to develop that arm and become a frontline starter.

So far, so good. After getting his feet wet in the Pioneer League in 2004, the right-hander spent all year with Burlington in the Midwest League. His overall numbers -- 5-8, 4.01 ERA, 143 hits, 63 walks and 137 strikeouts in 148 innings -- may not look overwhelming, but he made more progress than the stats indicate. Already armed with a fastball that touches 95 mph with tremendous movement, Cota worked very hard on bringing the secondary pitches up to snuff with the heater. It's a project that will continue into 2006 and beyond.

"The big thing we did was concentrate on his changeup, which he's taken to very well," said Royals farm director Shaun McGinn. "We've been working on his slider in instructs and this spring. We're focusing on his secondary pitches because his fastball is very effective for him.

"We just need to make sure that we take our time with him. There are a couple of mechancial adjustments we're trying to make to allow him to repeat his mechanics and make quality pitches down in the zone more consistently."

Staying down in the zone is the key for any pitcher's success, at any level. It'll be even more important for Cota, and not just because he's a young pitcher still learning the nuances of his craft. He'll be heading to the hitter-friendly California League and, it should be noted, the best hitter's park in the circuit -- High Desert's Mavericks Stadium.

"No matter where you play, whether the wind is blowing out or in, you still have to keep the ball down as a pitcher," Cota said. "That's the main focus, to keep the ball down. You're not going to get away with as much stuff if you leave the ball up there."

It's that inability to get away with mistakes that has the Royals thinking that going to High Desert could be a blessing in disguise for Cota. Sure, it could hurt a young pitcher's confidence, but it also serves as a perfect tool to hammer home the organization's thoughts on pitching.

"It's a challenge within a challenge," McGinn said, noting that moving up a level is tough enough on its own. "He's going to have to pitch down. That will help us with our development as pitchers.

"It will reinforce all the things we do in development. If you don't do those things in High Desert, you can get hurt. Your mistakes come to the forefront a lot faster in that league than maybe in some other leagues. I think it'll be good for Luis to go there."

If Cota can survive that ordeal by fire, he will further cement himself as the Royals' top pitching prospect. Truth be told, there isn't much competition, with most of the buzz down on the farm generated by bats like Alex Gordon, Justin Huber, Billy Butler and Chris Lubanski. Cota may be aware that he's the top arm in a sea of offensive potential, but he's not going to let it change what he's trying to accomplish.

"I try not to pressure myself too much," he said. "I know what I'm capable of if I work hard, which I try to do. The prospect thing doesn't really bother me. You still have to go out there and perform, whether you're a prospect or not a prospect. Whoever performs is going to get the opportunity. It's just a (label), 'prospect.' "

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.