We’re note quite one full month into the 2017 Minor League season and, while it’s too early to draw any concrete conclusions, there have been a number of players in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization who have gotten off to hot starts and are looking to bolster their prospect status.
Let’s take a look at the top performers for each Minor League team, as well as reviewing how top prospects handled April.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Hitter of the Month – Cody Bellinger
The Dodgers’ top hitting prospect wasted little time kicking off his 2017 campaign, picking up right where he left off last season. Bellinger went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles on Opening Day and didn’t stop, reaching base safely in 16 of 18 games.
He was hitting .343/.429/.627 before earning a call-up to the Majors on April 25.
Pitcher of the Month – Trevor Oaks
The Dodgers’ No. 18 prospect entering the year, Oaks saw his 2016 season come to an abrupt end due to a groin injury. He’s now healthy and dominant in the Pacific Coast League, boasting a 1.89 ERA through four starts with 21 strikeouts in 19 innings.
Top 50 Update
No. 4 prospect Alex Verdugo got off to a hot start and is batting .329/.398/.438 with four doubles and two triples in 20 games. He’ll turn 21 years old on May 15.
No. 6 prospect Willie Calhoun got off to a slow start but is now heating up. Calhoun is batting .368 in his last 10 games, and overall entered play on Monday hitting .320 on the season with six doubles. Calhoun hit his first home run on April 25.
No. 39 prospect Jacob Rhame has pitched well, striking out nine batters in eight games with a 2.25 ERA and one save.
CONTINUE READING: Tulsa Drillers recap and more
Double-A Tulsa
Hitter of the Month – Edwin Rios
A breakout prospect a year ago, Rios clubbed an impressive 27 home runs in just 108 games. He climbed the ladder all the way from Low-A Great lakes to Double-A Tulsa, but his production slowed down once he joined the Drillers.
This season, Rios is back in Double-A, and his bat has been red hot. The Dodgers’ No. 25 prospect is hitting .376 with eight doubles and three home runs through 21 games.
Pitcher of the Month – Yaisel Sierra
After signing a six year, $30 million contract in February 2016, Sierra struggled during his debut as a starter but made progress when he was moved to the bullpen.
He’s been used exclusively in relief this season, where Sierra’s explosive fastball and wipeout slider make him a legit late-inning option. In eight games, the No. 27 prospect has posted a 1.98 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.
Top 50 Update
No. 21 prospect Johan Mieses has struggled mightily in his first taste of Double-A, hitting just .100 with 17 strikeouts in 40 at bats.
No. 23 prospect Josh Sborz struggled through his first two starts before regaining his composure in his third, pitching 5.1 scoreless innings.
No. 26 prospect Jacob Scavuzzo has played in just 11 games, hitting .171 with a .556 on-base plus slugging percentage. He has hit a pair of home runs but also struck out 15 times in 41 at-bats.
No. 28 prospect Jose Miguel Fernandez is hitting well against much younger competition. The 29-year-old Cuban native is batting .301 with six doubles and a pair of home runs.
No. 32 prospect Andrew Sopko has made two starts for the Drillers, striking out seven and walking just one in eight innings.
No. 34 prospect Kyle Farmer has walked more (nine) than he’s struck out (eight) and he’s thrown out a third of attempted base stealers.
No. 41 prospect Kyle Garlick leads the Drillers in home runs with five, but also leads the team in strikeouts with 22.
No. 42 prospect Scott Barlow has been Tulsa’s best starter, posting a 3.24 ERA in four outings.
No. 46 prospect Erick Mejia has been surprisingly capable with the bat in Tulsa, posting a .387 on-base percentage in nine games. However, he’s also committed three errors in six games at shortstop.
CONTINUE READING: Walker Buehler, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes recap and more
High-A Rancho Cucamonga
Hitter of the Month – Will Smith
The Dodgers had three first-rounders a year ago, and Smith was taken with their second selection. He struggled down the stretch in his debut, likely tiring after playing more baseball than he ever had.
The 22-year-old backstop hit just .216 in 25 games with the Quakes last year. This season, he’s been much better offensively. Smith hit four home runs in 55 games during his debut season and has already matched that mark in 20 contests this year.
He’s shown off his speed, stealing five bases in six tries. And if that wasn’t enough, the No. 14 prospect has shown a lightning-quick release behind the plate that’s enabled him to nab nine of 20 potential base stealers.
Pitcher of the Month – Walker Buehler
When Buehler returned from Tommy John surgery last year, the Dodgers wanted to take special care of his right arm. He made just five appearances before heading to Instructional League and pitched about 20 total innings.
This season, Buehler is still on a strict innings limit, but what he’s done has been remarkable. He’s allowed just five hits in 12.2 innings, two runs (only one of which was earned) and he’s struck out 19, including eight in a row in his second start of the season.
He was the organization’s No. 3 prospect heading into the season, but he may well be No. 1 when it ends.
Top 50 Update
No. 1 prospect Yadier Alvarez made his debut in Lancaster against the Colorado Rockies’ California League affiliate, and got blown up. Alvarez has pitched far better in his last two outings, including a dominant four inning, seven strikeout performance last Thursday.
No. 10 prospect Mitch White pitched the first four innings of a seven-inning, combined no-hitter on Opening Day. Like Alvarez, he’s gotten knocked around in Lancaster but has looked great everywhere else.
No. 11 prospect Yusniel Diaz got off to a hot start in his second stint with the Quakes but has cooled off considerably, going 2-for-his-last-18.
No. 15 prospect DJ Peters was the opposite of Diaz, starting off cold, and since destroying the baseball. He’s homered in four of his last seven games and is hitting .309 in 22 games.
No. 20 prospect Dennis Santana has been one of the best pitchers in the California League, with his 1.17 ERA ranking second in the circuit.
No. 22 prospect Drew Jackson looks much improved at the plate, hitting .273 with four home runs and 16 walks, while playing an impressive shortstop to boot.
No. 24 prospect Omar Estevez got off to a rough start to the season, hitting .233 before landing on the disabled list with a hand injury.
No. 29 prospect Caleb Ferguson showed pinpoint control last season, walking just five batters in 66.1 innings. But he’s walked 13 batters in 17.2 innings so far this season.
No. 31 prospect Ariel Sandoval broke out with 14 homers a year ago, but has hit just one in the first month while striking out in a third of his at-bats.
CONTINUE READING: Update on Gavin Lux and Great Lakes Loons
Low-A Great Lakes
Hitter of the Month – Carlos Rincon
While players like Yadier Alvarez, Omar Estevez, Starling Heredia and Ronny Brito got the big bonuses during the Dodgers’ 2015 international spending spree, Rincon settled for a paltry $325,000 as a 17-year-old outfielder with power potential.
The following summer, he set the Dominican Summer League on fire, hitting .364 with six home runs in 26 games. The Dodgers brought Rincon to the states and he clubbed another seven homers in one month with the Arizona League club.
His power output has remained steady with the Loons, where he hit six homers in April while batting .343.
Pitcher of the Month – AJ Alexy
The Dodgers took Alexy last year in the 11th round and signed him for just under $600,000, similar to the deal they made with Joc Pederson out of high school. Like many of the Dodgers’ young arms, Alexy’s innings have been strictly monitored.
He threw just 13.2 innings in his debut, after a laborious senior season which saw him overworked by his high school coach. So far this season, Alexy has averaged just over three innings per start, but he’s been dominant.
In 12.2 innings, he’s allowed just four hits, one walk and one run while striking out 19 batters, numbers nearly identical to Walker Buehler. The stuff may not be as good, but the production has been.
Top 50 Update
No. 9 prospect Gavin Lux joined the Loons late but started strong, walking six times and stealing three bases in his first three games. Since then, he’s gone 2-for-23.
No. 16 prospect Dustin May had a disaster start his first time out for Great Lakes, but has allowed just two earned runs in his last four games.
No. 17 prospect Jordan Sheffield has had an up and down season thus far, posting a 4.20 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 15 innings over four starts.
No. 19 prospect Keibert Ruiz may be a little shell-shocked, moving from Rookie-level Ogden to Great Lakes, where he’s hitting .237 early on and has thrown out just three of 18 attempted base stealers.
No. 30 prospect Brendon Davis returned to Great Lakes after struggling there last year and has been one of the league’s best hitters, with his .904 OPS ranking 12th in the Midwest League.
No. 33 prospect Mitch Hansen joined the team late as well and, like Lux, has struggled to get going. He’s hitting just .185 through his first 15 games.
No. 38 prospect Oneil Cruz turned heads during Instructs last year and was a surprise addition to the Loons’ roster. He’s had trouble adjusting to the cold weather, batting .133 in April.
No. 40 prospect Cody Thomas has also had problems getting his bat going, as his average is at .190 though he does have four home runs.
You can listen to Jared on the weekly Dugout Blues Podcast