In the Los Angeles Dodgers’ second season with the Tulsa Drillers as their Double-A affiliate, fans were treated to three of the best hitting prospects the organization had to offer, along with some breakout pitching.
Tulsa started the year strong, posting a 37-32 record that placed them second in the North Division of the Texas League. However, promotions and fatigue in the second half led to a last-place finish in the division.
The offense was led by three of the club’s best homegrown hitters. Cody Bellinger, who broke out in a huge way in 2015, needed a strong 2016 to prove his California-League campaign wasn’t a fluke.
He met the challenge, clubbing 23 home runs in 114 games with the Drillers. What’s more, Bellinger increased his walk rate by three percent and decreased his strikeout rate by nearly 7.5 percent, while facing advanced competition. With this performance, he’s established himself as one of the premier power prospect in the Minors.
Then there’s Alex Verdugo, the pitcher-turned-outfielder who shocked everyone last season by hitting his way out of Low-A and playing a key role in Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ championship run. This season, it was more of the same, as he hit .273 while playing against guys who were, on average, nearly four years older than him.
Verdugo’s production did drop off as the season wore on and he has admitted to feeling fatigued in the Arizona Fall League, but the 20-year-old outfielder looks like he has a promising future.
And finally, there’s Willie Calhoun. While Bellinger got lead billing as the Drillers’ power prospect, it was Calhoun who led Tulsa in homers with 27, finishing second in the Texas league. The second baseman started the season cold but heated up with the weather, standing out with a .911 on-base plus slugging percentage in July.
Calhoun’s ultimate defensive home remains a question, as does his ability to hit lefties after he posted severe platoon splits (.844 OPS vs. right-handers, .575 OPS v. left-handers).
Other contributors on offense include Edwin Rios, who came back down to Earth after his awe-inspiring time in Rancho; Kyle Garlick, who proved not to be another Cal League wonder by sporting an .815 OPS in 79 games with Tulsa; Paul Hoenecke, who provided power during his transition from infielder to catcher; Lars Anderson, a slick-fielding first baseman with strong on-base ability; and some outfielder Andrew Toles, who had an .877 OPS in 43 games.
On the bump, the Tulsa pitching staff was led by Chase De Jong, who acquired last year for international bonus money. The 22-year-old Southern California native led the team in innings with 141.2 and finished second in the league among qualified hurlers with a 2.86 ERA. After the season, De Jong was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Year.
The only other Drillers pitcher to eclipse 100 innings was Scott Barlow, the Dodgers’ sixth-rounder from the 2011 Draft. Barlow posted a 3.98 ERA in 124.1 innings in his first stint in Double-A. Oddly enough, he made one start with Triple-A Oklahoma City last year without pitching for Tulsa.
Tulsa got 10 starts each from two very talented young righties. Trevor Oaks started the season with the Drillers, but was so dominant he only lasted two months before being promoted to Oklahoma City. Brock Stewart also pitched his way out of Double-A, heading to OKC before making his Major League debut.
Other notable pitchers include Yaisel Sierra, the club’s $30 million man who seemed to find himself in Tulsa’s bullpen, and Josh Sborz, who returned to a relief role with the Drillers in order to limit his innings after an outstanding stay in Rancho’s rotation.
Grant Dayton pitched in a dozen games for the Drillers before eventually joining the Dodgers. Joe Broussard led the Drillers with seven saves and posted a 1.93 ERA. Caleb Dirks, who was acquired from the Atlanta Braves last year, and traded back to the Braves this year, shined for Tulsa.
Tim Shibuya, who placed third on the team with 75.1 innings and first on the team with “last name that is most fun to say out loud,” and Jordan Schafer, whose career path has seen him transition from top outfield prospect to lefty reliever to late-game pinch-runner.
Unfortunately for the Drillers, their first-half finish wasn’t good enough to land them a playoff berth. However, they should continue to field exciting teams moving forward.
Power hitters like Rios and Johan Mieses figure to begin the year in Tulsa. Big-name international signees such as Sierra and Yusniel Diaz should see plenty of time in Drillers uniforms next season. Although the big three of Bellinger, Calhoun and Verdugo will be gone, their replacements should provide plenty of reasons to watch.
You can listen to Jared on the weekly Dugout Blues Podcast
