Adalberto is pronounced ADD-al-berto.

Adalberto is the son of former big league outfielder Raul Mondesi. He was born in California when his father was a star outfielder for the Dodgers. So he spent a lot of time in big league clubhouses.

His brother, Raul Jr. is an outfielder who spent time in the Rays and Brewers systems.

Adalberto played in the Dominican Prospect League and trained with Basilio Vizcaino.

Mondesi's full name is Raul Adalberto Mondesi. But even though his father's name is Raul Ramon Mondesi and he has an older brother named Raul Mondesi Jr., Raul Adalberto is sometimes referred to as Raul Mondesi Jr. In fact, his Twitter handle is @raulmondesijr, while the name displayed on the page is Raul A. Mondesi.

In 2011, Mondesi signed with the Royals (see Transactions below).

In 2015, Mondesi was chosen to represent the Royals in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

October 27, 2015: The Royals submitted their roster for the World Series with just one change, but it could be a historic one. Minor League infielder Raul Mondesi was added in place of outfielder Terrance Gore on the active roster, mostly because Ben Zobrist's pregnant wife was due to deliver. The 20-year-old Mondesi would be making his Major League debut if he appears in the game.

Mondesi, ranked as the team's No. 1 prospect and No. 33 overall according to MLBPipeline.com, would be the first player in baseball history to make his Major League debut in the World Series. (Coincidentally, the Mets had a player on their NLCS roster, infielder Matt Reynolds, who also had not yet appeared in the Majors. Mondesi had never played above Double-A.)

Mondesi played and became the second player in the modern era to make his Major League debut in the postseason. Raul's father, by the same name, played 1,525 games over 13 years in the Majors, but never advanced past a division series in three postseasons.

“Many people have told me that he never played in a World Series and I had the opportunity to make my debut in a World Series, so I feel really good,” Mondesi said.

Mondesi did, in fact, become the first player in Major League history to make his debut in the World Series. In his first at-bat, he was a pinch-hitter. And Noah Syndergaard struck him out.

In 2016, Baseball America rated Mondesi as the #1 prospect in the Royals farm system.

May 10, 2016: Royals Minor Leaguer Raul Mondesi received a 50-game suspension without pay for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Mondesi, the club's top prospect and No. 33 overall per MLBPipeline.com, tested positive for Clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing substance. His suspension is effective immediately.

In a statement released by the MLB Players Association, Mondesi responded to the suspension: "Today, I agreed to accept a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball. It is by far one of the hardest moments I have had to face in my life, but it is a decision that I accept and one that I take full responsibility for as a professional. I took an over-the-counter medication [Subrox-C], which I bought in the Dominican Republic to treat cold and flu symptoms. I failed to read the labeling on the medication or consult with my trainer or team about taking it and did not know it contained a banned substance. I tested positive for that banned substance, with a minuscule amount of Clenbuterol in my system, which could not have possibly enhanced my performance on the field, and now must face the consequences of that mistake.

"I apologize to my organization, my teammates, the fans and everyone who has supported me in my career. Never did I intend to take a substance that would give me an unfair advantage on the field. It is solely my mistake and there are no excuses for my carelessness in not being fully informed of what I put in my body. My goal is to work through this setback and make it back in time to help my organization compete for another World Series title."

MLB and the MLBPA reached an agreement to drop the suspension from 80 games to 50 games after Mondesi showed the banned substance in a cold medicine, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. (C Kruth - MLB.com - May 10, 2016)

March 4, 2017: If there has been an early surprise in Royals camp so far, look no further than Raul, who is in a four-way battle for the starting second-base job with Christian Colon, Whit Merrifield and Cheslor Cuthbert. All have been impressive at times, but it's Mondesi's elite skill set that always has intrigued baseball observers. Now that skill set is emerging for all to see.

"This year he's a different guy," manager Ned Yost said. "GM Dayton Moore and I were talking about it today. He's more confident, he's more relaxed. It's like he's just a different guy this spring." "And this is part of the growing-up process," Yost said. "He was here in camp last year, went through the big leagues last year. He had a winter to digest that mentally. Now he is here and he understands what it is like to play in the big leagues. He is way more confident and relaxed. It's obvious."

Yost also has noticed a difference in Mondesi's personality. "He's more outgoing," he said. "He's a lot happier, it seems. He's engaging." (J Flanagan - MLB.com - March 4, 2017)

September 21, 2017: The father of Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi was sentenced on corruption charges in the Dominican Republic. The charges stem from his time as the mayor of San Cristobal.

Former Major Leaguer Raul Mondesi received an eight-year prison sentence after being found guilty on corruption charges. According to a report from ESPN, the elder Mondesi is also accused of mishandling public funds.

All charges stem from his time spent as mayor of his hometown—San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. The ESPN report also states that a three-judge panel slapped Mondesi with a fine equivalent to $1.27 million for his transgressions, which took place during his six-year term as mayor.

A man formerly known as Raul Mondesi said he will now go by his middle name of Adalberto, because he wanted to distinguish himself from his family members.  After all, his father is Raul Mondesi and he has a brother named Raul Jr.

"I just wanted to be different and use my middle name," Adalberto said. "When I signed, [Adalberto] is the name I used. Back home, everyone knows me by that."

Around the Royals' clubhouse, Mondesi is called something else.  "Here, the team and everyone knows me by 'Mondi,'" Mondesi said, smiling.  (Flanagan - mlb.com -2/23/18)

2019 Season: In his first season playing over 100 games, Royals’ fans caught a glimpse of what the future has in store for shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. At only 24 years of age, the switch-hitter finished his 2019 season slashing .263/.291/.424 while driving in 62 and swiping 43 bags. He also finished atop the league with 10 triples, tied with teammates Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier.

In the field, Mondesi appeared in 100 games and 853 innings at shortstop. In 440 total chances, he recorded 147 putouts, 286 assists, and turned 66 double plays. The 24-year old faltered seven times on fielding plays, bringing his season fielding percentage to .984.

Mondesi also ranked ninth in the AL in defensive WAR at 1.6. Additionally, he placed first in both Range Factor per nine innings at shortstop (4.57) and Range Factor per game as a shortstop (4.33). The next closest was White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson at 4.34 and 4.15.  (Jack S. Johnson - SBNation - Oct. 21, 2019)

2020 Season: To look back on Mondesi’s 2020 is to focus on three things. First, that he is still young. Mondesi just turned 25 when the season started in July. Barely a week later, Brady Singer, hyped rookie and potential future face of the pitching staff for years to come, turned 24. Coming into this season, Mondesi had accrued 4.4 Wins Above Replacement, per Fangraphs, in 249 career games.

Second, that Mondesi possesses perhaps the greatest blend of power and speed in Major League Baseball, and with that talent his ceiling is immense. From September 3 through the end of the year, Mondesi played like every fiber of his being was on fire. During that period, he hit .368/.421/.690—good for a wRC+ of 197—and was the most valuable player in baseball. He also stole 16 games during that time period. The guy with the second-most stolen bases in baseball, Jonathan Villar, also stole 16—just, you know, over the entire season, not just in 23 games.

Third, that Mondesi has significant flaws that have thus far held him back from being a star, and those flaws probably will hold him back from ever being a star. To be succinct: Mondesi swings and misses at pitches at an extremely high rate, and he does not walk enough or hit for enough average to have a high enough on base percentage to develop any sort of consistent production.

And we all saw that: from the beginning of the year through September 2, a period of 136 plate appearances, Mondesi hit .182/.206/.235, with a strikeout rate of 31.6% and a walk rate of only 2.2%. That combined for a wRC+ of 14—no, seriously, fourteen—and he was the third least valuable qualified player in baseball. How does that make sense when Mondesi can also crush home runs from the other side of the plate, because oh yeah he’s a switch hitter, too? I do not know. No one does, really.

You could speculate why he was so bad. You could speculate if he really turned a corner. You could speculate whether or not Mondesi will ever reach his potential. All are valid questions, and his Jekyll and Hyde performance in 2020 yields as many answers or as few as you really want.

However, the true takeaway from Mondesi’s 2020 season is rather boring, despite the radically different halves Mondesi had. The fact of the matter is that pretty much every player goes through weeks of slumps and weeks of hot hitting to some degree. Baseball isn’t just played over 20-game or even 40-game stretches; they’re judged in aggregate over dozens and hundreds of games. And, ultimately, Mondesi has been the same guy since the start of 2018. He’s hit roughly the same the same (89 wRC+ in 2020 and 82 wRC+ in 2019) and generally produced the same value (about at a 3.5 WAR pace in both seasons, if you prorate his stats out to 150 games).

If Mondesi never improves, he’ll likely be a great player for the Royals. An elite shortstop glove and elite baserunner who can hit near league average is very valuable. But if Mondesi does improve on the hitting front, well, watch out. Frustratingly, 2020 tells us nothing about the latter.  (Matthew LaMar - Oct 26, 2020)

2022 Season: Mondesí played in just 15 games in April 2022 before tearing his left ACL and undergoing knee surgery.

2023 Season: Mondesi spent the 2023 season with the Red Sox after coming over from Kansas City in a trade that sent lefty reliever Josh Taylor to the Royals. He was recovering from a torn ACL that wiped out nearly all of his 2022 campaign in K.C., but myriad setbacks and a lack of progress in his recovery led to Mondesi missing the entire 2023 season as well. In addition to what’s now pushing a two-year absence due to that ACL tear, he’s suffered a pair of shoulder subluxations, the second of which required surgery in 2019. Mondesi has also had IL stints owing to oblique, back, groin and hamstring injuries throughout his career.



TRANSACTIONS

July 2011: Mondesi signed with the Royals for a $2 million bonus soon after his 16th birthday. Scouts Edis Perez and Alvin Cuevas signed him for K.C.

Jan 15, 2021: Keller and the Royals avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.3 million.

Jan 15, 2021: Mondesi and the Royals avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.

March 22, 2022: Mondesi and the Royals avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3 million.

Mondesi gets a 50 grade for his hitting ability, and a 40 for his power, on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Raul is a switch-hitting shortstop. He has a decent approach from both sides of the plate and good bat speed.

He should hit for a good average, currently has gap power and should develop into a decent home run threat as his skinny frame continues to fill out. (Spring 2016)

Adalberto can be overmatched at the plate at times. He swings at everything, and seems to struggle to accept a base on balls. So pitchers can work him into a poor hitter's count. He can be overmatched.

He needs to improve his poor plate discipline and approach. He will chase pitches out of the zone, but at times he shows solid pitch recognition. His ability to work counts needs improvement.

He has a poor two-strike approach. That is when he really expands the zone and chase unhittable breaking balls and fastballs. His swing has no obvious mechanical flaws from either side, but too often he gets caught lunging because of poor pitch recognition that disconnects his legs from his swing.

Mondesi has a fairly simple swing from both sides of the plate and shows no pronounced difference when hitting against lefthanders or righthanders. Long-term, he projects as an above-average hitter with average power.

Raul will be a solid big leaguer once he finds a hitting approach, as one said he was “just a pup” who made decent contact and had all the tools. He won’t hit for more than fringe power, but he can spray the ball around and run with plus speed, so he projects to hit for average. (Spring 2016)

Raul strikes out too much for a guy who won't hit many home runs. He whiffed 26 percent of the time in 2015.

Mondesi's speed will always allow his hit tool to play up. He can bunt or beat out an infield hit. And he can hit one out of the yard.  But Raul can't seem to put together a consistent approach.

July 27, 2016: Raul has another reason to remember his first Major League hit—it helped win a game on his 21st birthday. Mondesi's bunt single helped trigger a four-run seventh that rallied the Royals to a 7-5 win over the Angels, snapping a four-game losing streak. 

“He’s a great talent,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s extremely athletic. The thing that’s fun right now is you saw him two years ago and he’s starting to fill out. He’s starting to get stronger, like you knew he would. He’s able to do more things on the baseball field. It’s a fun progression to sit back and watch. It takes time, but you see him getting better and stronger every year. It’s fun to watch his development. We knew he had some pop. He can do more than people realize.”

2018 Improvements: Mondesi spent his offseason in the Dominican Republic revamping his hitting mechanics. He opened his stance from both sides. And he worked on waiting for the right pitch, rather than hacking at everything that looked right.

"Yes, I did a lot of hitting work," he said. "Every day. I changed everything. It feels good."

Mondesi reports he can see the ball better with his open stance, and combined with a more selective approach, he feels he can more easily make the transition to the big leagues again. (Jeffrey Flanagan - MLB - Feb. 2018)

Sept 28, 2020: Mondesi were named AL Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season

Mondesi led MLB for the week in batting average (.615), on-base percentage (.655) and slugging percentage (1.154), as well as runs scored (10) and stolen bases (five). He finished the season with 24 steals to lead the Majors.

It's the first career Player of the Week Award for Mondesi.

This is the player the Royals have been touting for years, and if he can put it all together for an entire season, the 25-year-old Mondesi will emerge as one of the best players in the Majors. (J Flanagan - MLB.com - Dec 28, 2020) 

Adalberto/Raul is a true shortstop, with good quickness along with soft hands, plus range and arm strength. He has fluid actions.

He shines defensively. He rates an impressive 70 for his defense and also a far-above-average grade of 65 or 70 for his strong arm.

Mondesi has very good instincts for the game. He makes plays few other shortstops can make. He has a lithe, athletic body. He gets to balls that other shortstops can't reach. He is especially good at coming in on balls.

Raul has excellent shortstop actions.

Mondesi's hands are so quick that his transfers seem like a blur.

Raul never takes a bad at-bat back into the field. He plays with joy.

Adalberto is far-above-average as a runner. He has gained speed, now rating a 70 as a runner on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Mondesi is not considered the fastest baserunner in the game.

But in 2019, he was considered the best baserunner in the AL in Baseball America's Best Tools survey of managers, coaches, scouts and executives.

In 2019, Speed was Mondesi’s best attribute. His 29.9 sprint speed (feet per second) ranked in the top one percent of the league. For his career bests, he clocked it at 4.08 seconds from home to first and amassed 68 bolts (defined as feet per second in a player’s fastest one-second window).

A shoulder injury cost him the stolen base title, as he missed much of the second half and still finished just three stolen bases behind Seattle outfielder Mallex Smith for the league lead. Adalberto finished with 43 steals.

“That’s why Mondi’s one of those special players,” Matheny had said. “We celebrate what he can do and will end up doing.”  (Castrovince - mlb.com)

“He’s got to stretch all the time, a normal routine,” he said. “If he does that, his back is not going to bug him.”

March 10, 2017: Mondesi was shut down to recover from a collision at first base during an 11-7 loss against the A's. Mondesi showed symptoms of a mild concussion after the collision, so the Royals are being precautious with regards to his activity.

Royals manager Ned Yost seemed hopeful that Mondesi would be available to practice again in a day or two.

"I just saw him this morning, and he said he feels much better," Yost said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow, and if he is asymptomatic, he can practice." (J Flanagan - MLB.com - March 11, 2017) 

March 29-April 30, 2018: Adalberto was on the DL with a right shoulder impingement.

June 18-July 2, 2019: Mondesi left the 9-0 win over the Mariners with right groin tightness, aggravating what had been an injury that he was dealing with. 

Mondesi said that his groin and hamstring area tightened up when returning to the bench after an awkward slide into Mariners catcher Omar Narvaez during the first inning, when he scored from second. Mondesi arose gingerly and favored his right leg, which collided with Narvaez’s shin protector mid-slide and moved Narvaez off the plate before he could corral the ball.

June 20, 2019: Mondesi was on the IL with groin strain.

“Nothing he could do," manager Ned Yost said. "Just going for the ball and got extended. Hurt his shoulder.”

Sept. 22-end of 2019 season:  Mondesi left a game against the Twins at Target Field with what the club announced was a left-shoulder injury after he dove for a ball in the first inning. Mondesi ranged to his right to grab a line drive off the bat of Nelson Cruz.  He dove head-first and fielded the ball but could not make a throw to get a force at second base.  It’s the same shoulder Mondesi injured in July that resulted in a shoulder subluxation and put him on the DL for six weeks. After the game, manager Ned Yost said Mondesi’s season was over.  

September 25, 2019: Trainer Nick Kenney said that Adalberto will require left shoulder surgery to repair a labral tear.  The surgery is expected to take place in October, and the Royals' medical staff is in the process of selecting a surgeon. Kenney said that the anticipated recovery time is five to six months.

“That puts us in the window of him being ready for Opening Day,” Kenney said. “That is our hope.”  (Flanagan - mlb.com)

March 30-May 25, 2021:  Mondesi was on the IL with right oblique strain.

May 8, 2021: Mondesi is going to the team’s Spring Training facility in Surprise, Ariz., to make sure that he is up to game speed before returning from the injured list.

 Mondi is going there and [getting] on his feet, [moving] around,” Matheny said. “They have a lot of people down there who could help him take that next step. He can get as many live swings from the right side as [he needs while] making progression on the left side. It’s a good place for him to be right now.”

June 6-15, 2021: Mondesi was on the IL with left hammy strain.

June 21-Sept 1, 2021: Mondesi was on the IL with strained left oblique.

Aug 16, 2021: Mondesi suffered a setback in his recovery from an oblique injury, another detour on the path to his return to the Major League club this season.

The shortstop has been returned from his rehab assignment to be further evaluated after feeling tightness in his right oblique the past couple of days, manager Mike Matheny said. Mondesi has been on the 10-day injured list since June 21 with a left oblique strain, but he missed a month and a half to begin the regular season with a right oblique strain. The tightness comes from the scar tissue that formed around the strained oblique.

April 28-Nov 10, 2022: Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, team president Dayton Moore announced on Thursday. Mondesi appeared to suffer the injury during Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox when he had a series of awkward plays, including a long stride on a pickoff attempt. The Royals placed Mondesi on the injured list as part of a series of transactions ahead of Thursday's game against the White Sox, and he'll presumably miss the remainder of the 2022 season.

Late-May/early June, 2023: Mondesi estimates he is running at 80-85 percent. He is participating in all baseball activities. The infielder estimated that he will be cleared to play in Minor League games "soon."

June 13, 202:  The Red Sox don't seem any closer to knowing when or if Mondesi will play this season than they did during Spring Training. Manager Alex Cora confirmed that Mondesi, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in April of 2022, is no longer participating in baseball activities.