Blazing their way through the summer months of the 2017 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers called up Kyle Farmer from Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 28. It marked the first time the versatile catcher had been on the active roster.
The Dodgers added Farmer to their 40-man roster last winter in order to protect against potentially losing him in the Rule 5 Draft. Upon receiving his MLB call, Farmer had hit a combined .326/.384/.488 with 20 doubles, nine home runs and 47 RBI for Double-A Tulsa and OKC.
He began the season with the Drillers, marking a third stint with the affiliate, before earning a promotion to Oklahoma City in May. The experience at the Triple-A level was a first for Farmer.
While the Dodgers weren’t in need of a third catcher — Farmer replaced Grant Dayton on the active roster — he provided versatility, having made starts for OKC at first base, second base, third base and shortstop.
Farmer appeared in 10 games, each time off the bench, before being optioned back to the Minors. He returned Aug. 23, was sent down one week later, and returned for good from Sept. 9 on.
Farmer finished the season hitting .305/.354/.480 with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 38 RBI over 59 games with Oklahoma City. He went 6-for-20 with one double, two RBI and three strikeouts in 20 games (one start) for the Dodgers.
Despite the limited playing time, Farmer was included on the active roster for the National League Division Series and Championship Series. There wasn’t much success to be had for the 28-year-old, however, as he went hitless with one sacrifice fly and an RBI in five plate appearances as a pinch-hitter.
2017 highlight:
Farmer’s MLB debut was made all the more memorable as he delivered in dramatic fashion against the San Francisco Giants. He was the Dodgers’ final bench player when called on to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 11th.
Farmer stepped to the plate with the game tied and the winning runs on base. He fell behind in the count, 0-2, but fouled off multiple pitches and worked the count full. Farmer then slapped a walk-off, two-run double down the right-field line.
He became the first Dodgers player since Darren Dreifort on May 27, 1994, for his first career hit be a walk-off. Farmer also became the first player in franchise history with a walk-off RBI in his first career plate appearance.
2018 outlook:
As it stands, Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes figure to again split catching duties. Grandal is eligible for salary arbitration, while Barnes remains under team control. Thus, that earmarks Farmer for another season in Oklahoma City.
That could change, however, if the Dodgers are to part with Barnes or Grandal in any potential trades during the offseason.
