DODGERS 2018 MINOR LEAGUE/PROSPECTS THREAD

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by ColoradoKidWitGame, Apr 2, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    HI A Rancho just won the Cal League championship as well tonight! This team cruised all season and the playoffs were no different even with some significant turnover in the second half. They won their series 3-1 and 3-0. This team does not appear to possess on the surface the top flight talent that AA Tulsa has, but it does have some interesting filler guys. Christian Santana was the sleeper pick of many, but a disappointing year(though stronger finish) didn't help fulfill the prophecies.

    Cingrani went 1 IP, 2K's, 1 BB
    Axford .2, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
    Garcia .2 1 K
     
    Finski likes this.
  2. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

    Joined:
    Sep 2015
    Messages:
    25,538
    Likes Received:
    9,526
    Trophy Points:
    228
    And Lux led the game off with a HR. With Seager and his assortment of health related worries, nice to have Lux coming into his own. Sort of similar to Buehler rising after Julio's fall health-wise
     
    ColoradoKidWitGame likes this.
  3. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Loving what Lux is doing, but all reports are that he's going to be a 2B in show. He has some serious accuracy issues with his throws and the reports of his overall defense reminds me a lot of what we heard about Dee Gordon coming up.
     
    fsudog21, Fall Winslow and Finski like this.
  4. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

    Joined:
    Sep 2015
    Messages:
    25,538
    Likes Received:
    9,526
    Trophy Points:
    228

    Yeah that's what I meant by sort of similar. Not quite set up to step directly into the role the way Buehler did, but wherever he ends up playing, if he stays healthy and rakes that level of production from the middle of the diamond will be much appreciated given the current circumstances
     
    Finski likes this.
  5. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,208
    Likes Received:
    40,790
    Trophy Points:
    278
    drillers and quakes sweep their way to their championships
    LINK
     
    Doughty8 and Finski like this.
  6. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Dodgers MiLB affiliations had the 3rd best all around record behind only the Rays and Astros. They also had the most playoff teams (6 out of 6 domestic). Interesting thing mentioned in BA is that teams have started to add a 7th domestic team to their roster. The Dodgers were already one of the few, but growing number of orgs to have a second DSL team. I would not be shocked to hear that we would join the party with a second AZL team in the years ahead.
     
    Doughty8 likes this.
  7. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    The Padres are going to have a new AA team in the Texas League based out of Amarillo.
     
  8. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    53,208
    Likes Received:
    40,790
    Trophy Points:
    278
    they could accomplish the same thing by just moving the padres there
     
    blazer5, rube, BigDaddyKaine and 4 others like this.
  9. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    MLB.com updated their top 100 for the end of the season and the Dodgers had 4 in the group after graduations. Lux is in and was rated one of the fastest risers in MiLB. Smith is out after an abysmal display in OKC. The club has 6 55-grade prospects now.
    #32 Verdugo (#7 OF)
    #39 Ruiz (#3 C)
    #71 May
    #82 Lux (#9 SS)
    Smith (#8 C)
    Santana
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2018
    Doughty8, irish, rube and 1 other person like this.
  10. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Here is a story about LHP prospect Julian Smith. There was some recent talking leading up to the weekend about him and it sounds like even though it was only one inning, this kid got the attention of more than just BA. If anything, it sounds like he has the stuff to be a big league reliever. It will be interesting to watch how he responds to better strength training as it sounds like that was something he needed a lot more of and has already seen the benefits of it.

    SURPRISE, Ariz. — Saturday morning was easily the highlight of Julian Smith’s professional career. You could see it in his eyes afterward, bursting with the pride of knowing he’d finally taken the mound and faced hitters in the iconic Dodger blue that so many greats have worn throughout the history of the sport.

    His one inning in an instructional league game against the Rangers was his first outing of any kind as a professional, so it being the highlight of his career was almost by default. Still, that didn’t mute his excitement afterward.

    “It was great to be out there,” he said. “It was more excitement being able to wear Dodger blue. It means a lot to the organization, to the program. It was just a great feeling being out there.”

    Smith was taken by the Dodgers in the 15th round out of Catawba Valley (N.C.) JC and given a $152,000 bonus to sign. This came after he missed the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery, but then showed little rust after pitching again this past spring.

    The skinny lefthander showed on Saturday why he caught the Dodgers’ eye. He pitched with a low-spin fastball with rising life that touched as high as 94 mph, and he backed it up with a downer curveball in the 79-80 mph range and a developing changeup in the low 80s. His long-levered frame is still projectable, and his delivery is fluid and athletic.

    He didn’t play any other sports—at least on an organized basis—growing up, but he does have a background as a position player, which probably is part of the reason for his athleticism on the mound.

    “I really idolized Willie Mays. My favorite number is 24. I like Josh Hamilton a lot,” Smith said, explaining who he modeled his game after growing up. “During my high school years, the pitching started to bear fruit, so when I got to college (I started pitching).”

    Smith had planned to play at North Carolina State this coming spring, which would have made him the first CVCC alumnus to move on to play at a Power Five conference. But then the Dodgers, a franchise with a special significance for black players like Smith, came calling.

    “The Dodgers mean so much to the baseball community. Going back to Jackie Robinson and 42, you know, if it wasn’t for him and the Dodgers, I wouldn’t be here today,” Smith said. “That’s extremely important to be able to wear the same jersey that he wore. It’s just a great organization altogether and L.A. just means a lot.”


    Smith dealt with a bit of shoulder fatigue coming off his final college season, so he didn’t get to pitch at any level of the minor leagues. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t working to get better behind the scenes.

    The team has helped Smith find ways to get stronger and increase his mobility and flexibility, and even in one outing he can already feel the benefits.

    “I feel a lot stronger when I’m out there and I feel more in control with my body,” he said.

    Smith’s goal coming out of Cox Mill HS in Concord, N.C. was to sign with a Division I college, preferably in the Southeastern or Atlantic Coast Conferences, but when his grades weren’t up those schools’ standards, he opted for Catawba Valley.

    “It was tough times, because every kid’s dream is to go to a big D-I school out there in the ACC or the SEC,” he said, “but when that wasn’t going to work out I wasn’t necessarily discouraged. I just knew what I had to do, and coach (Paul) Rozzelle gave me an opportunity, so I took it.”

    In his final season with the Red Hawks, after the Tommy John surgery, Smith dazzled. He went 8-2, 2.51 and struck out 130 hitters in 79 innings and became the first player in school history to hear his name called in the draft.

    Smith says that he recalls scouts taking an interest in him as a freshman, but he really took notice of the radar guns popping back up last year, when he’d see 10-15 per game behind the backstop.

    That’s when he knew things were getting real.

    “Ever since I was kid, this has been my dream,” he said. “I was like, ‘I want to play major league baseball, this is what I want to do.’ Whether that was in the field or that was on the mound, I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’”

    Now, with a pro appearance—albeit one that won’t show up outside of the Dodgers’ internal databases—under his belt, Smith is a small step closer toward that goal.
     
    TheKnockdown, Doughty8 and rube like this.
  11. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    10,213
    Likes Received:
    4,243
    Trophy Points:
    198
    AFL back in business.

    Dodgers: First baseman Jared Walker showed the power that allowed him to hit 25 homers during the regular season across two levels of A ball when he launched a solo shot to deep right field in the bottom of the seventh inning. Left-hander Ben Holmes turned in a strong first start, tossing three scoreless frames, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four.
     
  12. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    After the first weekend, here are some of the early results from Dodgers prospects
    Keibert Ruiz 3-9, 2 BB, 0 K's
    Jared Walker 1-7, HR, BB, 3 K's
    Errol Robinson 2-4, 2B, SB
    Cody Thomas 3-13, 2B, SB, 4 K's


    Jordan Sheffield 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
    Andre Scrubb 2.1 IP, 4 H, 0 K's, 2 BB, 1ER
    Ben Holmes 3 IP, 3 H, 4 K's, 1 BB

    I don't really have a firm grasp of why the team elected to send Ben Holmes to the AFL as he is way older than the competition at 27 years of age. This is usually used for teams to test their top prospects against more MLB caliber talent and though Holmes has had success since joining the org in, it is not like he has looked like the second coming either. Would have thought that May or White were due for some more innings here, so it is still a bit odd that they sent him, imo.

    Keibert Ruiz is obviously the big name to watch here. He turned in a solid season for his age, but I would consider it a bit of a letdown year. He started to catch on later in the season, so continuing that run here in front of a lot more scouts could get a little more helium back in his balloon.

    Cody Thomas is kind of a DJ Peters lite. He doesn't have the raw talent that Peters possesses, but he does have the tools to be an interesting potential MLB'er. He is coming off of a solid season in Rancho and has garnered some interest from scouting services leading up to the AFL.

    Andre Scrubb is coming off of a strong finish in Rancho and Tulsa after a rough start in Great Lakes(these words are hardly ever said together in regards to pitchers). I don't know much about Scrubb other than he was probably drafted for his size as he is BIG dude at 6'4" 265 lbs. He did not possess much of a FB when he was drafted, so I am interested to see if that has improved. Also, the kid has a pretty great personality.

    Jordan Sheffield is to me, the second most important player in this group. His introduction to professional ball has been quite the uphill battle. Armed with some of the best pure stuff in the draft a couple of years ago, Sheffield has completely fallen on his face while nearly every other top arm in the org around him has at least seen some stretches of success. Sheffield has been a mess, whether it has been mildly pedestrian K numbers, high WHIP or worrisome HR numbers, but the org continued to roll him out as starter when every scout in the world said he needed to go back to the pen.The club finally did the deed mid season and saw a bit of a turnaround. He had one truly awful outing, but was otherwise meh to decent the rest of the time. If he can ever harness his stuff, he is a true 8th-9th inning guy with 3+ pitches including an upper 90's fastball. A movement back towards what he should be would add two very intriguing bullpen arms for the Dodgers in the 2nd half of next season along with Marshall Kasowski.
     
    TheKnockdown, Doughty8, rube and 2 others like this.
  13. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Final tally in the division of Top 100 prospects on MLB.com
    Padres: 10!!!
    Dodgers: 4
    Rockies: 3
    Giants: 2
    D'Backs: 2

    Other contenders
    Braves: 10
    Cardinals: 3
    Phillies: 3
    Nats: 3
    Cubs: 1
    Brewers: 1
     
    Doughty8 likes this.
  14. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    14,824
    Likes Received:
    9,005
    Trophy Points:
    198
    He posted NL teams the Astros have 2-3 top prospects
     
  15. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    As VRP said, I left off the AL, just felt it’d be a little much. The Astros have 4 top 100 prospects. We saw one last night, Josh James and he’s tough to project due to the rapid/huge uptick in his stuff. What they do have are two top 10 prospects in the upper minors and that is what I was talking about in terms of scary players on the way. One is Kyle Tucker and he’s an OF’er with star skills with the stick and could be a corner OF’er for them soon. The other player is Forrest Whitely and I’ve seen more than a couple folks that think he’s the best pitcher in the minors with ace potential. That part sucks, though the next couple years could see Keuchel, Morton, Verlander and Cole all walk of the org decides not to send any cash.








    I don’t want to talk about the other guy in the top 100. I’ll just say he’s a sweet swinging 1B they acquired for Josh Fucking Fields
     
    rube and Finski like this.
  16. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Not gonna do a big write up, but the Dodgers players aren't doing a whole lot. Ruiz is continuing to look like a high contact plus decent walk rate guy, which like Verdugo is something many of us are clamoring for. Though also like Verdugo, the power has not shown up. Ben Holmes continues to put up decent numbers. Sheffield has only thrown 3 innings in relief, but has given up only 1 H and K'd 3. PLEASE BE GOOD.

     
  17. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    15,460
    Likes Received:
    8,213
    Trophy Points:
    198
    But can he catch the ball?
     
  18. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Yes, his defense was already decent and I have heard the feeling is that he took a step forward this year.
     
  19. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Messages:
    15,460
    Likes Received:
    8,213
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Awesome!
    Can he start in the World Series for us right now?
     
    lastatman likes this.
  20. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 2013
    Messages:
    11,710
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    198
    Sheffield and Ruiz continue to be the only Dodgers players really doing anything great in the AFL and are also the organizations players invited to the Fall Stars. Sheffield has put up 6 scoreless frames on 3 hits, 5 K's and NO walks. While Ruiz has hit for average and gotten on base at a good clip, but hitting for absolutely no power. He has also K'd only twice in 47 PA's which is damn impressive for his age and level of the competition. If the power never comes, Ruiz could still show to be a valuable offensive weapon.

    Now going back to Sheffield, this is where things get interesting. He has the stuff to be a #2 starter, but his command/control has not worked and some of that stuff just hasn't played up as well at starter than it has shown it could be out of the pen. I have gotten no real updates on Sheffield other than he has looked "impressive" during his run in the AFL. Scouts and prospect services still feel that he is probably a back end reliever that could be a closer if everything clicks. He possesses 3 plus pitches as it is, including an upper 90's FB. The Dodgers have some interesting prospects that should contribute to the big club in 2019(Verdugo, Santana, May, Rios, White, Gonsolin, Kasowski and Smith), but outside of maybe Verdugo you could argue that the one that could hold potentially the greatest impact would be a potential reaching Jordan Sheffield. The bullpen has been the achilles heal the last two World Series runs for the Dodgers and adding Sheffield at his potential would be a massive upgrade the second half of the season. Fingers crossed that this is the start of this kid finally figuring things out.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page