Dodgers News: Rookie Level Ogden Raptors Announce 2016 Opening Day Roster

The 2016 Major League Baseball Draft has come and gone, and with the end of the festivities comes the beginning of a new Minor League season: rookie ball.

Short-season leagues are set to start up within the next few days, as young players who’ve been playing exhibition games at the Spring Training complex now venture out into bus leagues where crowds will grow from dozens to hundreds.

The first rookie league affiliate to begin its season for the Dodgers is the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League.

They’re managed by Shaun Larkin, who joined the Dodgers organization after spending the past three coaching in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system. Larkin managed High-A Lake County last season.

Don Alexander is the Raptors’ pitching coach, while Austin Chubb is hitting coach and Pedro Guerrero as fourth coach. Ogden opens the 2016 season on the road Friday night against Idaho Falls.

Bats in the Outfield

While there are no Cody Bellingers or Julior Uriases on this team, there are some notable names. The highest rated prospect on the team (at this time) is Mitch Hansen, the Dodgers’ second-round pick from the 2015 MLB Draft.

Hansen played in the Arizona League in his debut year, batting .201/.281/.282 in 44 games. The club’s No. 28 rated prospect turned 20 years old on May 1 and needs to establish himself early in order to retain his prospect status and climb the ladder.

Another top prospect playing for the Raptors is Jordan Paroubeck. After being acquired last July, Paroubeck split time between both of the Dodgers’ rookie league affiliates, really taking off with Ogden when he hit .379/.455/.621 in 22 games.

He debuted this season with Great Lakes, but batted just .200 in 17 games before returning to Arizona. The 21 year old should put up strong numbers once again, which will hopefully lead to a quick promotion to a full season affiliate.

Completing the trio is Michael Medina, who ranked 30th in the Dodgers organization coming into the season. The hulking right fielder batted .254 with nine home runs in 46 games with the Raptors last year, though that also came with 73 strikeouts.

He’ll turn 20 in August, so he may be due for a step forward in terms of his ability to make contact.

Old Friends

While some players will be making their professional or American debuts, others have worn the uniform before and are returning, but hopefully not for long.

Jairo Pacheco is entering his third season with Ogden, as he appeared in two games for the Raptors in 2014 and made 14 starts for them last season. He’s still just 19 and has a career 2.77 ERA, including a solid 4.08 mark in the Pioneer League last year.

It’s doubtful he remains in rookie ball for the remainder of the season. He’s joined by another three-timer in Bernardo Reyes. The 20-year-old Mexican right-hander made 17 appearances for Ogden in 2014 and 20 more last year.

He’s pitched just one game above rookie ball, for Great Lakes, in which he hit a batter and walked a batter while striking out a pair over two scoreless innings. One of Ogden’s better pitchers last year was MJ Villegas.

Taken in the 23rd round of the 2013 Draft, Villegas pitched in 13 games last season, all in relief, and yielded just a 3.09 ERA in 23.1 innings. The Arizona native will turn 22 in September.

Others of Note

Miguel Urena, a 6’8 right-hander, went from the bottom of the system to the very top, making an appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 30, pitching two scoreless frames. This comes after he spent two years in the Dominican Summer League and last season with the AZL Dodgers.

Dillon Moyer, son of Jamie Moyer, will follow in his father’s footsteps in another capacity. After being drafted as a shortstop, Dillon will continue his development as a pitcher. He made four appearances for High-A Rancho Cucamonga last season, allowing just one run and striking out five in four innings of work.

The youngest player on the Raptors team is shortstop Moises Perez, who won’t turn 19 until July. The Venezuelan infielder hit just .162 in 40 games with the AZL club last season.

The oldest player on the team is Cameron Palmer, who will be 25 in December. The Dodgers’ 24th-rounder from a year ago pitched mainly for Great Lakes during his debut, allowing a 3.68 ERA in 18 games, striking out 40 but also walking 30 in 36.2 innings.

And finally, be on the lookout for newly signed draftees. While the Dodgers haven’t announced assignments yet, recent additions to the organization will be shipping off to Ogden and Arizona over the coming weeks.

Be sure to check back at DodgerBlue.com and @JaredJMassey on Twitter to see where top draftees are headed.