The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their annual non-roster invitees to Spring Training on Monday, with this year’s number totaling 16 players.
While the usual suspects included fringe Major Leaguers, there are also a handful of intriguing names on the list.
It includes six pitchers, five infielders/outfielders, three catchers and two infielders.
With the crop of players slated to spend time in big league, let’s examine what their chances are of breaking camp with the Dodgers.
Julio Urias
Obviously, Urias is the biggest name on the list. The 19-year-old lefty has established himself as the best southpaw in the Minor Leagues.
Last season, he posted a 3.81 ERA in 18 starts with 88 strikeouts and 22 walks in 80.1 innings. He features an advanced four-pitch mix and projects as a No. 2 starter. The downside is workload.
Obviously, a player of Urias’ age hasn’t logged a ton of innings and the Dodgers have been very careful to limit his usage. While 2015 could have been the year for him to really test his limits, he wound up having surgery a month into the season, which cost him two months worth of starts. He finished 2015 with 7.1 fewer innings than he logged in 2014.
Urias is definitely a starter and should continue to develop as one, though the team did flirt with the idea of bringing him up as a reliever last September. However, a pair of disaster starts in Triple-A Oklahoma City quashed that plan.
Urias will return with the OKC Dodgers this season, where he’ll need to show he’s capable of handling a larger workload. If everything goes right, there’s a chance he could make his Major League debut in September.
Jose De Leon
From 24th-rounder to top prospect, De Leon’s rise through the Minor League ranks has been nothing short of meteoric. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican righty broke out in 2014 and continued his dominance last season, posting an ERA of 2.99 in 114.1 innings while striking out an astonishing 12.8 batters per nine innings.
After dominating the California League for a couple months, De Leon faced his first real challenge in Double-A Tulsa. His ERA rose to 3.64 with the Drillers and he allowed 11 home runs in 16 starts, but still managed to strike out 105 batters.
De Leon missed a few starts with a back issue, but was still able to increase his workload by roughly 40 innings from 2014. He probably needs one more year in the upper Minors to build innings before he’s ready to join the Dodgers.
There’s no rush to get De Leon into the Major-League rotation, as the team’s depth in that department is unrivaled. With a healthy and productive 2016 campaign, most likely between both Double-and Triple-A, De Leon will be ready to force his way into the Dodgers’ rotation in 2017.
CONTINUE READING: Analyzing Cody Bellinger, Chris Anderson and Kyle Farmer
Cody Bellinger
Perhaps the most surprising name on the list was Bellinger, who spent all of last season in High-A Rancho Cucamonga.
It was an aggressive assignment, as he started the year as a 19 year old and established himself as the sixth-best first base prospect in the minors according to MLB.com.
After totaling just four home runs in his first two pro seasons, Bellinger hit 30 during the regular season for the Quakes in 2015, then added three more in their championship run.
His .873 on-base plus slugging percentage ranked in the top 10 in the California League and Bellinger’s .538 slugging percentage was fourth-best. He’s listed as an infielder/outfielder on the Dodgers’ non-roster invitee list.
While Bellinger was drafted as a first baseman and is an excellent defender there, his athleticism resulted in some playing time in the outfield with the Quakes.
He played 26 games in center field and looked surprisingly competent most of the time. That type of versatility only adds to his value. However, Bellinger is likely still a few years away from making his Major-League debut.
He’ll need to prove himself in Double-A this season and prove his 2015 production wasn’t a Cal-League mirage. He won’t turn 21 until July, so youth is on his side. If Bellinger continues to develop, he looks to be the heir apparent at first base after Adrian Gonzalez’s time with the Dodgers is up.
Chris Anderson
The club’s first-rounder in 2013, Anderson reached Double-A in his second full season and held his own there. The 6’3 righty offers a power fastball that’s been up to 98 mph and a reliable slider in the mid 80s.
However, his lack of a reliable third pitch and wavering command got him into some trouble in Tulsa. After striking out 9.8 batters per nine innings in his debut season in 2013 and again in 2014,that mark dropped to seven last season.
More advanced hitters were able to take advantage of mistakes over the plate, even if they came in at 95 mph. Anderson’s home run rate remained steadily under one per nine innings and his walk rate slightly decreased, which led to his ERA dropping to just over 4.00.
Anderson, along with Jharel Cotton and Urias, moved up to Triple-A late in the season as something of a September call-up showcase. While Cotton thrived, Anderson and Urias struggled mightily.
Anderson allowed 15 runs (13 earned) in 6.1 innings over three appearances. While a few disaster appearances shouldn’t dampen a prospect’s standing, Anderson does seem better-suited for the bullpen in the long run.
With his arm strength and slider, a relief role will better hide his lack of command. He’ll return to the rotation in 2016, likely with the Drillers, but a Major-League debut in 2016 as a reliever wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Kyle Farmer
Yet another 2013 draftee on this list, Farmer was taken out of the University of Georgia where he played shortstop and immediately transitioned behind the plate. Defensively, he’s made progress but still has a ways to go. On offense, however, he’s already shown promise.
Farmer hit decently in his first full season in 2014 with Low-A Great Lakes, posting a .798 OPS over 57 games in the Midwest League. After a promotion to High-A Rancho, his production fell off slightly, but he greatly improved the following year.
He batted .393 in April 2015, including a five-game stint up at Double-A Tulsa in which he filled in as an injury replacement, then headed back to High A. Farmer continued hitting well through June, when he re-joined the Drillers for good.
Farmer’s production dropped off as the season wore on, though he hit well in the Arizona Fall League, posting an .840 OPS in 15 games. He threw out 42 percent of attempted baserunners last season, though he did allow 12 passed balls.
Farmer also spent time at third base, giving him valuable versatility. With the Dodgers’ current catching situation, he’s already behind Austin Barnes, A.J. Ellis and Yasmani Grandal on the organizational depth chart.
Moreover, Farmer must improve his defense to secure the fourth spot behind Barnes. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he debuts with the Dodgers this season, but that depends entirely on how much progress he makes.
In the end, none of these prospects are likely to break camp with the big club. The organization has preached patience with young players and won’t rush someone up before he’s ready.
Top arms such as De Leon and Urias may join the Dodgers at some point this season, but 2017 seems to be the more likely year for them to make their mark. Anderson could appear in relief, while Bellinger and Farmer still need more refinement. With so many promising prospects, time is definitely on the Dodgers’ side.
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