Here is the penultimate post in my 2012 minor league countdown. With just 10 players ahead of this batch, we are now into the thicket of the Dodger prospects. There probably aren't any huge surprises in this group, although there are definitely a few pitchers that I have ranked lower than most and a few other players I am higher on. Please keep in mind that my rankings are not solely based on a player's ceiling, but rather on a variety of factors including the likelihood that a player will reach that ceiling. As always let me know your thoughts, and get ready for my top 10 that will be posting early next week.
20. Kyle Russell, RF (11 games in AAA, 120 games in AA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2008, 3rd round
6’5”, 195 lbs, 25.75 years old, bats left handed
.255 average, .831 OPS, 20 HR’s, 72 RBI’s, 6 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 17; Pre 2010 Rank: 14; Pre 2009 Rank: 14
Kyle Russell was the Dodgers 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft out of Texas, and after setting home runs records in college he has continued to put on a power display as a pro. He has also struck out at a pretty alarming rate (31.8% for his career), but really that just comes with the territory for Kyle. After earning co-MVP honors in the Midwest League in 2009, Russell made a joke out of the California League in 2010 by hitting .354 in 53 games with 16 homers and a ridiculous 1.140 OPS. That earned Kyle a promotion to AA in June, and while his stats dropped across the board in the Southern League, he still managed to collect 36 extra base hits in just 273 at bats. In 2011 Kyle returned to AA and he continued his trend of hitting for a lot of power while striking out a ton. He ranked 2nd on the team with 19 homers, but K'ed in 32.2% of his plate appearances. The good news is that the everyday right fielder also continues to walk at a good rate which helped him post a .840 OPS despite a .259 average. He finished 2011 with an 11 game stint in AAA (which is where he where he will be in 2012), and after the season he spent some time in the AFL and had decent results (check out his long swing here). At the end of the day you know what you’ll get out of Russell. He’s been extremely consistent with his strikeouts, posting a K rate of between 31.2% and 32.4% in each of his four minor league seasons, and has hit at least 20 home runs for the past three years. If given the chance to play every day at the big league level I think his stats would probably be pretty similar to his final line of 2011 (with a lower OPS). As mentioned above he’ll start 2012 in AAA and could quickly become a fan favorite in Albuquerque with his power potential.
Why #20: While I doubt that Russell will ever get the chance to play every day in the big leagues, I do think he could be a valuable left handed bench player with good power against right handed pitchers. He also plays a serviceable right field so he wouldn’t be a defensive liability if given the occasional start. For that reason I think he deserves to be ranked as a top 20 Dodger prospect. I expect big numbers out of him in Albuquerque this season, and I could see him helping out the Dodgers at some point in 2013 while possibly filling the void left by Jamie Hoffmann (but with more power potential).
19. Angel Sanchez, RHP (99 IP in LoA in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 7/12/10
6’3”, 177 lbs, 22.25 years old
8-4, 2.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 3.46 FIP, 7.64 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A; TBLA Prospect #12
Angel Sanchez literally came out of nowhere. Even though he was technically signed by the Dodgers in July of 2010, I would bet that nobody had heard of Sanchez coming into the 2011 season. Even the Dodgers were confused because in their 2011 media guide, they showed that Sanchez had played in the DSL last season which wasn’t true. In reality Sanchez was a rare Dominican player to sign after attending college, and made his professional debut all the way up in the Midwest League. Upon joining the Loons in May he created a lot of buzz, and rightly so because the right hander had a very successful campaign. For the season Angel posted a 2.82 ERA over 99 innings with a WHIP of 1.12. His most impressive stat, however, was that opposing batters hit just .198 against him. In terms of his stuff, Sanchez was equally impressive with a mid 90’s fastball, a sinking 2-seamer, a good changeup, and a developing curveball. His frame is also projectable, and he is still quite young at 22 years old. All that being said, I’m being a little cautious when ranking Sanchez and am not as high on him as most. His less than impressive strikeout rate worries me a bit, and his FIP of 3.46 is pretty average. He was also playing in a very pitcher friendly league and because he burst onto the scene there were no scouting reports on him which helped his cause. I’ll be curious to see how Sanchez performs in 2012, especially since his most likely destination will be HiA. If he continues to post outstanding stats then I’ll be forced to jump onboard the Sanchez bandwagon, but for now I’ll watch and hopefully even catch him pitching in person next season.
Why #19: I’m just not sold on Sanchez, which is why I have him ranked lower than most. I’ve seen him pitch online and he does have quality stuff and a good motion, but again I just don’t see him as a top prospect just yet. He probably does have the ceiling of a #3 starter in the big leagues, but I think obviously a long ways off from reaching that potential and a lot can change over the next 12 months.
Follow the jump for #'s 18 - 11
Here is the next part of my minor league series, and in this post we delve into the top 30 Dodger prospects. While there probably aren't any major surprises in this group, there are some differences to some of the other top 30 that I've seen. I'm a little higher on guys like Landry and Schebler than most, while I'm not as big of a believer in guys like Van Slyke and Castellanos. As always let me know what you think.
Also, with two more post to go in the series it doesn't look like I'll be able to finish my minor league countdown before the start of spring training, but I should still have it done by the end of February.
30. Juan Rodriguez, RHP (76 IP in LoA in 2011, including 59 IP with Red Sox)
Trade with Red Sox for Trayvon Robinson
6’5”, 195 lbs, 23.25 years old
3-5, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 2.92 FIP, 12.79 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
There’s something about Juan Rodriguez that I like. The hard throwing right hander was acquired by the Dodgers as part of the Trayvon Robinson trade, and what he lacks in control he makes up for with velocity. Signed by the Red Sox as a 19 year old out of the Dominican Republic, Juan dominated the DSL for two seasons before getting promoted to the Red Sox Gulf Coast team in 2010. After a solid US debut Rodriguez was sent to the Sally League in 2011 and had a 5.19 ERA prior to be shipped to the Dodgers. Upon joining the Loons, however, Juan posted a 1.59 ERA over 17 frames and allowed just 6 hits for a .105 batting average against. At the time of the trade, Ned Colletti said “Rodriguez has power stuff and is still very young. He has potential to develop into a solid late-inning reliever." Here is video of him throwing for the Loons. In addition to an upper 90’s fastball, Rodriguez throws a slider and a changeup, but by all accounts his secondary pitches are fringy at best. He has good movement on his fastball, however, which is what allows him to strike out so many batters. Overall I love Rodriguez’s projectable frame, and because he is still just 23 I feel that he’ll be able to improve upon his control and slider with good coaching. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers challenged Rodriguez with an assignment to AA in 2012, and like Ned Coletti I think Juan could eventually be a late inning reliever for the Dodgers.
Why #30: Rodriguez’s performance with the Loons showed that he could be something special, and I especially love his projectable frame. If he can fine tune just one of his secondary pitches then I think he could reach his potential of a late inning reliever. If his secondary pitches remain fringy, however, then it’s unlikely that he’ll succeed at the higher levels of the minor leagues.
29. Josh Wall, RHP (68.2 IP in AA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2005, 2nd round
6’6”, 220 lbs, 25 years old
4-5, 3.93 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.99 FIP, 7.47 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 61; Pre 2010 Rank: 57; Pre 2009 Rank: 49
Josh Wall signed with the Dodgers out of high school in 2005 as a 2nd round pick for $500,000 and spent the first 6 professional seasons as a middling starting pitcher. 2011 brought about quite a few changes for Josh, however, because after four years in Class A the Dodgers finally decided to move him to AA, and they also changed his role from starter to reliever. Wall responded with his best season to date, posting an ERA below 4 for the first time since 2005 while providing the Lookouts with a solid bullpen arm. While his overall stats weren’t all that impressive, he did add a few ticks to his fastball and was rumored to be hitting 100 mph in some outings. After the season Wall was sent to the Arizona Fall League where he had even more success as he posted a 2.16 ERA over 8.1 frames against baseball’s best prospects. Here he is throwing for the Salt River Rafters. In addition to his strong fastball, Josh throws a hard slider along with a decent curveball and a fringy changeup. His overall potential as a reliever was too much for the Dodgers to ignore as they added him to the 40 man roster this past November. He was also invited to the Winter Development camp this past January along with several of the organizations other prospects. While there is currently no room for Josh in the big league bullpen, Wall is definitely an option to join the Dodgers at some point during the 2012 season. Given his age and experience the Dodgers probably won’t be afraid to send him to AAA despite the tough pitching conditions.
Why #29: After 7 minor league seasons, Wall has finally become relevant as a prospect thanks to his newfound success as a reliever and a fastball that apparently can reach triple digits. I’ve always liked Wall’s size and draft pedigree, and I’m glad that he’s found a home in the bullpen because that should allow him to eventually make it to the big leagues. He doesn’t seem to the stuff of a closer but I think his ceiling is that of a big league middle reliever.
Follow the jump for #'s 28 - 21
Here is the Valentine's Day edition of my minor league countdown. As we move closer to the end of the list you'll see that we are getting into the legitimate Dodger prospects, and this group in particular feature a lot of young talent. This post also brings us right up to the top 30, and in case you want to compare my list to Baseball America's I'll do part of the math for you and let you know that we only differ by 3 players. Our placement of the players in the top 30 is obviously, however, so they are two unique lists. As always feel free to leave feedback, and you can find my other posts from this series in the "Prospect Section" of this site.
40. O'Koyea Dickson, 1B (48 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2011, 12th round
5’11”, 215 lbs, 22 years old, bats right handed
.333 average, 1.005 OPS, 13 HR’s, 38 RBI’s, 1 SB
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
After leading Sonoma State to a Division II championship in 2011, O’Koyea Dickson was selected by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2012 draft. Dickson's 11 homers in were more than double of any college teammates in 2011, and he also hit .341 for the Seawolves. Here is his scouting video from 2011, and here is a music video that was made about him. Dickson signed with the Dodgers for $45,000, and after getting assigned to the Pioneer League he quickly became one of the Raptors best players. His 13 home runs lead the club, as did his 1.005 OPS. He struck out in 20.5% of his plate appearances and walked 8.8% of the time which lead to an OPS of .402. Strictly a 1st baseman, Dickson is going to have to continue to be an offensive force if he wants to make it to the big leagues. He has a wide stance and generates a lot of bat speed with his quick swing, and so far that has worked against younger competition. His raw power only grades out as average, however, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in a less hitter friendly environment. Dickson has definitely earned a promotion for 2012, and he’ll probably move up to LoA where he’ll be the Loons primary 1st baseman.
Why #40: Dickson was an offensive force for Ogden, but college draftees tearing up the Pioneer League are actually pretty common. I’ll have to wait and see what he does in 2012 before I can really judge his prospect status. For now O’Koyea’s ceiling is that of a starting big league 1st baseman with 20 HR to 25 HR’s annually and a .280 average, but I think his probability of realizing that potential are extremely low given the reports on his lack of true power and his small stature. Those low odds of him reaching his potential are why he didn’t rank higher for me.
39. Pratt Maynard, C (25 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2011, 3rd round
6’0”, 215 lbs, 22.25 years old, bats left handed
.239 average, .687 OPS, 2 HR’s, 11 RBI’s, 0 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
Pratt Maynard never caught a game while in high school, but upon arriving at North Carolina State the Wolfpack decided to try him behind the plate. The conversion was obviously a success, and it led to the Dodgers picking Maynard in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft. In an interview right before the draft, Maynard said "It's worked out great for me. I wasn't drafted in high school as a pitcher. I came [to NC State] willing to play where the coaches needed me, but I never thought much about catching till they asked me." Pratt didn’t do much during his freshman year of college, but as a sophomore he socked 11 home runs and set a NC State record with 64 walks (vs just 42 strikeouts). As a junior his power number dropped off a bit thanks to the new bats introduced by the NCAA in 2011, but he managed to hit .323 and led his team with 21 doubles. Here he is smacking a double off Jed Bradley, the #15 overall pick of the 2011 draft. Pratt signed relatively quickly with the Dodgers for $315,000 and was sent to the Pioneer League. An ankle injury limited him to just 25 games with Ogden and he never really got in a groove as he hit just .239 with only 5 extra base hits. The Dodgers weren’t too worried about his offensive struggles, however, because the sample size was very small and they know from his college days that he has good pitch recognition and the ability to hit the ball to all fields. In addition, the Raptors were impressed with his defensive skills, and manager Damon Berryhill said “If you're an athletic kid and you have range and flexibility and a good first step and decent hands, catching is a good spot for you. For a kid that's only been catching for a couple years, [Maynard] is pretty polished, which is a pleasant surprise." Heading into 2012, Pratt will be the Dodgers best catching prospect in the lower minor leagues. He’ll almost certainly spend the season with Great Lakes where he’ll be the Loons primary catcher. While I don’t think he’ll ever be a star, I do believe he has what it takes to one day be a starting catcher at the big league level.
Why #39: Pratt is obviously just starting his professional career, but he seems to have the right combination of offensive skills and defensive abilities to eventually make it to the show. He has a nice swing from the left side with occasional power, and like AJ Ellis he really has a good eye at the plate. As I mentioned above I think he has the ceiling of an average starting catcher in the MLB.
Follow the jump for #'s 38 - 31
As we move into the top 50 of my minor league countdown we are going to start seeing some of the best Dodger league prospects. Just like last year, for the final 50 players I'm going to add a short justification to the end of each paragraph to provide a little more insight as to why I ranked each player where I did. Just as a reminder, the age I list for each player is as of 2012 opening day. As always, let me know what you think.
50. Russell Mitchell, 1B/3B (93 games in AAA, 25 games in Majors in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2003, 15th round
5’10”, 210 lbs, 27 years old, bats right handed
.283 average, .875 OPS, 16 HR’s, 69 RBI’s, 1 SB (minor league stats only)
Pre 2011 Rank: 34; Pre 2010 Rank: 52; Pre 2009 Rank: 32
Most people wouldn’t really consider Russ Mitchell a prospect at this point, but heading into 2012 he still qualifies as a rookie and has just 93 big league at bats. He is also just 27 years old despite the fact that he was drafted way back in 2003. Mitchell’s journey as a Dodger has a been a long one as he has played on 9 different minor league teams and has spent time at 6 different positions during his minor league career. The organization even considered trying him out as a catcher at one point, but after a lot of hard work he has established himself as a serviceable 3rd baseman. Russ has spent the majority of the past two seasons in Albuquerque, and has been a September big league call up both years. His stats for the Isotopes have been very strong, and in 2011 he hit 16 homers and posted a .875 OPS while striking out in just 15.8% of his plate appearances. The only drawback to his success is that Mitchell has been much better at home than on the road since joining the Isotopes, which obviously gives the impression that he has been aided by Albuquerque’s hitter friendly park. For 2012 there didn’t look to be any room for Russ in Los Angeles, so he was designated for assignment and removed from the 40 man roster. That will make it difficult for him to make it back up to the big leagues, but you never know so he’ll serve as an insurance policy while spending a 3rd season in Albuquerque.
Why #50: While Mitchell was never going to be a big league regular, give his marginal power and ability to 3rd base I always considered him a cheap option that had the ability to fill in as a bench player for a major league team. The fact that the Dodgers chose to take him off their 40 man roster over guys like Troncoso and Oeltjen isn’t a good sign for his future, however, and the two home runs he hit for Los Angeles in 2011 might be the highlight of his big league career.
49. Noel Cuevas, OF (23 games in HiA, 60 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2010, 21st round
6’2”, 187 lbs, 20.5 years old, bats right handed
.267 average, .740 OPS, 8 HR’s, 43 RBI’s, 15 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 52; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
The Dodgers selected Noel Cuevas in the 21st round of the 2010 draft, and after a lengthy holdout he finally inked a deal with the club for $100K. The outfielder from Puerto Rico was just 18 years old when he signed, and according to Baseball America he had “intriguing raw power”. Even though Cuevas only had 3 professional games under his belt heading into 2012, the Dodgers sent Noel to the California League in May. Cuevas was mostly overmatched against the advanced competition, however, and after hitting .220 the month long experiment was over as he was sent back down to the Pioneer League. Noel fared much better in Ogden as he saw his OPS rise from .538 with the Quakes to .814 with the Raptors, and he ranked 3rd on the team with 29 extra base hits. He also made decent contact as he struck out in 19.9% of plate appearances for the season, and even stole 15 bases. Here he is getting a hit during the Raptors’ playoff run. Defensively Cuevas was pegged as a left fielder when he was drafted, but he held his own in center field during James Baldwin's absence. Left field is probably still his best position, but it’s still encouraging to know that he's athletic enough to handing playing in the middle of the field. In 2012 I’m guessing that Cuevas will get another shot with the Quakes, although it’s just as likely that he’ll spend the season in the Midwest League. He’s got an interesting set of tools and is still quite young so he’ll definitely be someone worth following next season.
Why #49: Cuevas’ power potential makes him deserving of a spot in my top 50, although he’s still quite raw and has a long ways to go before reaching Los Angeles. I’m guessing that his defense limitations will be more apparent as he moves up through the system, although I was encouraged by his stolen base numbers and his ability to handle center this past season. Overall Noel’s ceiling appears to be that of big league outfielder with 25 homer potential, but he obviously has a long ways to go before we can even think about him reaching that level.
Follow the jump for #'s 48 - 41
Here is the next part of my Dodger minor league player countdown, and we are now just outside my top 50 prospects. This is definitely a good group and only includes two players who have seen their ranking decrease since last year. Also, if you missed any of previous parts of this series, simply click here as it will take you to the "Prospect" section of True Blue LA. As always let me know your feedback on where I ranked everyone.
60. Justin Boudreaux, SS (32 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg, 12 games in Arz Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2011, 14th round
6’1", 190 lbs, 22.5 years old, bats right handed
.253 average, .793 OPS, 3 HR’s, 25 RBI’s, 17 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
Justin Bourdreaux was selected by the Dodgers out of Southeastern Louisiana University in the 14th round of the 2011 draft. He was coming off a junior season where he hit .333 with 8 homers, and in his 3 year college career he had a .307 average, 25 HR’s, and 37 stolen bases for the Lions. In their pre-draft analysis, Baseball America had a surprisingly detailed report on Bourdreaux and predicted he’d be drafted in the 6th – 10th round range. BA also said that Justin has good power and speed, and that on defense he is a solid shortstop (although some scouts think he’s better suited for 2nd or 3rd base). Upon signing with the Dodgers, Bourdreaux was sent to Arizona where he got off to a rough start. Nevertheless he was promoted to the Pioneer League at the beginning of August and he finished the year as the Raptors starting shortstop. Despite his .265 average with the Raptors Justin was a pretty exciting player as he posted a .842 OPS and stole 16 bases without getting caught. His fielding percentage was a little ugly, but his plate disciple and his overall offensive ability lived up to the expectations of his glowing pre-draft scouting report. Looking to the future, if Bourdreaux can stick at shortstop then he has the chance to be a solid Dodger prospect. He’ll probably play with the Loons in 2012, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his first full season as a professional.
59. Jarret Martin, LHP (110.2 IP in LoA in 2011)
Obtained in a trade for Dana Eveland
6’3", 230 lbs, 22.5 years old
5-12, 4.96 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 7.9 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
The Baltimore Orioles selected Jarret Martin in the 19th round of the 2008 draft, but he declined to sign and instead spent a year at Bakersfield Junior College. The Orioles tried again in 2009 by picking Martin one round earlier, and this time they got their man for a $200,000 signing bonus. Jarret didn’t see any game action in 2009, but his professional debut in the Appalachian League in 2010 was very successful as he posted a 4.07 ERA and struck out 68 batters in 59.2 innings. He did have an issue with his control, however, which is a problem that continued to plague him in 2011 when he was promoted to the South Atlantic League. Strangely enough, Martin also struggled against left handed batters in 2011 as his ERA vs lefties was 6.00 compared to 4.67 vs righties. In addition, Martin’s K rate decreased against the more advanced competition. This past winter he was traded to the Dodgers in the Dana Eveland trade, and despite his mediocre season in 2011 he seems to be a solid pickup for the organization. According to scouting reports he throws in the low 90’s and has decent movement on his fastball, and also has a solid curveball and changeup. He also has a good pitching frame at 6’3", and is still just 22 years old. As I already mentioned his lack of control is his biggest flaw, although I’m also not a big fan of his pitching motion. In 2012 Martin will almost certainly return to class A ball, although I’m not sure whether the Dodgers will send him to the Midwest League of the California League. He’s a guy who could move up significantly in my rankings next year with a good season, and that’s really going to depend on his ability to throw strikes.
Follow the jump for #'s 58 - 51
Here is the next part of my minor league countdown, with just 6 posts remaining in the series. This group of players includes several familiar names, along with a few lesser known guys who have moved up significantly in my rankings from a year ago. As always I welcome feedback on the placement of each player on the list.
70. Delvis Morales, SS (38 games in Arz Rookie Lg in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 10/22/09
6’1”, 146 lbs, 21.5 years old, switch hitter
.277 average, .689 OPS, 0 HR’s, 12 RBI’s, 8 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 176; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
Delvis Morales got a little bit of a late start on his baseball career as he didn’t sign with the Dodgers until he was 19 years old. He made his professional debut in the DSL in 2010, but hit just .220 and made 17 errors in the field. He did steal 18 bases for the Dominican Dodgers, however, and walked more than he struck out. Apparently that was good enough to earn a promotion to the Arizona Rookie League as that is where Delvis spent the 2011 season as the Arizona Dodgers’ main shortstop. Even though Morales didn’t have a great season for the Dodgers, he was impressive enough to get mentioned by Baseball America in their chat about the Arizona Rookie League where they said Morales was the team’s second best prospect behind Alex Santana (in their opinion). Baseball America also compared Delvis to Dee Gordon, saying that he is extremely athletic just without the plus-plus speed. In the field Morales posted another ugly fielding of .927, but Baseball America said his defense has greatly improved since 2010 and I'm guessing that his errors were mostly the result of him making bad throws on acrobatic plays. Overall Morales seems to be an intriguing player in the Dodgers system, especially since he is a switching hitting shortstop. Questions remain about whether he’ll be able to hit as he moves up through the system, but it sounds like he’s an exciting player who could make his way to a full season league in 2012.
69. Daniel Tamares, RHP (21.1 IP in Arz Rookie Lg in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 9/26/06
6’3”, 170 lbs, 22.25 years old
0-1, 2.11 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 1.65 FIP, 13.92 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 93; Pre 2010 Rank: 119; Pre 2009 Rank: 74
After 4 years in the Dominican Summer League, including a fantastic 2010 season during which he posted a 1.41 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP, and a 2.64 FIP over 57.1 innings, Daniel Tamares finally got a chance to play in a US based league. The Dominican native spent 2011 in the Arizona Dodgers bullpen, and although he was using sparingly at the start of the season he really came into his own in the month of August when he appeared in 9 games and threw 14 innings. In those 14 frames Daniel allowed just 3 earned runs, struck out 26 batters, and had a .143 batting average against. He also didn’t allow a homer all year long and walked just 8 batters. I'll be honest in that I don't know how hard he throws or what type of pitches he has, but Tamares is a big man at 6'3" and just recently turned 22 so he is still young enough to make a name for himself in the Dodger minor league system. For 2012 I wouldn’t be surprised if Tamares started the year in extended spring training and then joined the Loons after the weather warms up in Michigan. He’s another young international signee to watch closely next season.
Follow the jump for #'s 68 - 61
Here is the next part of my Dodger minor league countdown. We are getting to the point of my ranking where basically all of the players could be considered fringe prospects at the very least, so most of the names should be pretty familiar. This group in particular includes a few younger players whose ranking is based on projection, as well as some older minor league veterans who are basically a breakout season away from making it up to the big leagues. As always feel free to debate my ranking and let me know who you think should have ranked higher or lower.
80. Matt Kirkland, 1B/3B (39 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2010, 12th round
6’2”, 210 lbs, 21 years old, bats right handed
.292 average, .755 OPS, 4 HR’s, 30 RBI’s, 0 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 59; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
Matt Kirkland was selected by the Dodgers out of high school in the 12th round of the 2010 draft, and although he had committed to play college ball at Tennessee he signed with the Dodgers pretty quickly. After signing he said, “It's a thrill. My family is excited. The community is excited. I got a lot of support. I think it's good for the community. I plan to represent my family and community as best as possible.” In high school Kirkland hit 17 homers as a junior and 11 bombs as a senior (with a .505 average). According to pre-draft scouting reports, Kirkland was described as having plus raw power and was also said to be an above average defender with a plus arm and good range. You can judge for yourself in this showcase video. After a short 16 game professional debut in the Arizona Rookie League, Kirkland spent 2011 with the Ogden Raptors. Matt put together a relatively solid campaign in his sophomore season, and even though he only hit 4 homers Kirkland managed to bat .292 and had a torrid month of July during which his OPS was .958. The one problem with his season, however, was that Kirkland has apparently switched positions from 3rd base to 1st base because that is where he spent the entire year. That move causes Matt to lose a ton of value as a prospect because while his bat would have been intriguing at 3rd base, as a 1st baseman his hitting potential appears to be average at best. I don’t think there will be room for Kirkland in a full season league in 2012, so I believe that he’ll probably return to the Pioneer League for another season. Hopefully he’ll get another shot at the hot corner so he can regain some of his value, but if he remains at 1st base for the rest of his career then I doubt he’ll have what it takes to make it to the show.
79. Travis Denker, 2B/3B (66 games in AA, 55 games in HiA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2003, 21st round, released, then resigned in May 2010
5’9”, 205 lbs, 26.5 years old, bats right handed
.274 average, .879 OPS, 25 HR’s, 81 RBI’s, 9 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 83; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
Travis Denker was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2003, and moved slowly through the system before getting sent to the Giants in the famous Mike Sweeney trade of 2007. At the time of the trade, Denker was with the 66ers in Inland Empire and was having a pretty good season. Fast forward 3 years, and Denker was back with the 66ers after resigning with the Dodgers in May of 2010 as a minor league free agent. In between his time with the Dodgers, Denker spent time with the Padres, Red Sox, and Mariners, and even made it up to the big leagues with the Giants in 2008 where he played in 24 games and can tell his kids that he hit a major league home run. Denker finished the 2010 season in AAA with the Isotopes, but returned to the California League at the start of the 2011 season as the Quakes main 3rd baseman. After smacking 15 homers in just 197 at bats, Travis was promoted to AA where he finished the season. Denker did very well with the Lookouts, hitting .288 with 10 more homers to give him 25 total bombs for the year. He also walked almost as much as he struck out and had an OPS of .862 with the Lookouts. That being said, Denker had an ugly fielding % at 3rd base and was one of the older players in the league. In 2012 Denker will probably serve as an insurance policy for the Dodgers while playing the infield for the Isotopes. He has outstanding power for an infielder, but unless there are some injuries with the Dodgers I’m not sure he’ll ever make it back to the show. Finally, here’s a batting practice video of Denker during the Dodgers 2011 spring training.
Follow the jump for #'s 78 - 71
Here is the next part of my Dodger minor league countdown. There are definitely some interesting players in this group, including a couple of guys from the DSL who could be headed to the US soon. It's usually around this point in my list that people start to have opinions about whether I should have ranked players higher or lower, so feel free to let me know what you think.
90. Jackson Mateo, RHP (72.1 IP in DSL in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 11/13/09
6’0”, 193 lbs, 19.5 years old
5-1, 1.62 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 3.32 FIP, 6.47 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 75; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A
After an outstanding professional debut in the DSL as a 17 year old in 2010 (1.23 ERA and .169 batting average against in 22 innings), Jackson Mateo got even better in 2011 for the Dominican Dodgers. After spending 2010 in the bullpen, Mateo transitioned into the rotation this past season and made a team high 15 starts while posting eye popping numbers. His 1.62 ERA ranked 2nd out of all Dodger minor leaguers in 2011, and his 0.93 WHIP was the best in the entire system. He also was among the DSL League Leaders in those two categories, and again was virtually unhittable with a .190 batting average against. The only thing Jackson didn't do well in 2011 was strike out batters, but that didn't seem to matter as he found other means to get the outs he needed throughout the year. I was unable to find any scouting reports on Jackson despite his two impressive seasons in the DSL so I have no idea how hard he throws or what type of pitches he has, but he must have something special about him to possess a career ERA of 1.53. Now 19 years old, Mateo will almost certainly move to the Arizona Rookie League in 2012 since he has nothing left to prove in the DSL. His performance in Arizona should give us a better idea of what type of future Mateo has with the Dodgers.
89. Andres Santiago, RHP (121.2 IP in HiA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2007, 16th round
6’2”, 200 lbs, 22.25 years old
8-5, 5.03 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 3.79 FIP, 8.36 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 107; Pre 2010 Rank: 147; Pre 2009 Rank: 133
Andres Santiago was drafted out of Puerto Rico in 2007 at the tender age of 17, and spent his first four professional seasons in the Dodgers lowest US based rookie league (2 season in the GCL, and two seasons in the Arizona League). After posting a 2.18 ERA with the Arizona Dodgers in 2010, Santiago was promoted all the way up to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and he surprised a lot of people by logging 121.2 innings, which was 3rd most on the team. He was in the Quakes’ rotation for the majority of the year, and while his ERA and WHIP were a little high, he had a solid K/9 of 8.36 and his FIP was 3.79 despite playing in the hitter friendly California League. He also won the Dodgers Pride Award in June when he posted a 2.97 ERA and won 3 games. I wasn’t able to see him pitch in 2011 and I didn’t find any good scouting reports on him so I don’t know how hard he throws or what type of pitches he has, but he has a solid pitching frame and is still just 22 years old despite having 5 years of professional experience. Santiago seems to have turned into a sleeper prospect heading into 2012, and since he probably isn’t quite ready for AA he will most likely spend another year with the Quakes where he’ll try and improve upon his stats.
Follow the jump for #'s 88 - 81
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