The next installment in ranking the Los Angeles Dodgers’ top 50 prospects for the 2017 season features power-hitting outfielders and two of the hardest throwers in their farm system, among others.
40. Cody Thomas, OF
One of the more intriguing players taken in last year’s draft, Thomas was a quarterback on the University of Oklahoma’s football team before switching to baseball full time his junior season. He went on to sign with the Dodgers as a 13th-rounder.
In his debut, Thomas put on a prodigious power display. He played seven games with the Arizona League Dodgers, homering three times in his last four games. Thomas then joined Rookie-Level Ogden and homered in his first three games as a Raptor, giving him a streak of five games with a homer.
He had a 1.228 on-base plus slugging percentage in July, before falling off to .668 in August but finished strong with a 1.132 OPS.
Thomas has good size at 6’4 and 211 lbs., as well as the strong arm you’d expect of a former quarterback. He’s athletic enough to have played center field in rookie ball and even stole 10 bases.
At the plate, Thomas shows solid bat speed and strong wrists, with enough natural loft to project to at least average power. Despite being 22, Thomas is raw and will need time to develop. If everything comes together, he could turn into a prototypical right fielder.
39. Jacob Rhame, RHP
A sixth-rounder from 2013, Rhame is likely the best pitcher that remains in the system after that year’s 24th-round selectoin, Jose De Leon, was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays during the offseason.
The power-righty came out of the same Texas junior college that produced former Dodgers’ top prospect Andy LaRoche, Grayson County College. Rhame relies almost exclusively on his fastball, which is to be expected when he can consistently hit the upper 90s and scrape triple digits.
He hasn’t settled on a reliable secondary offering and would have trouble getting by in the Majors with one pitch, regardless how hard he throws. Rhame’s control comes and goes.
If Rhame develops a solid breaking ball or offspeed pitch, he could be a solid bullpen piece. If not, he’ll likely continue lighting up radar guns in Triple-A Oklahoma City.
38. Oneil Cruz, SS
Another one of the Dodgers’ bonus additions from the 2015-16 international signing period, Cruz signed for $950,000 on July 2, 2015. He’s experienced a growth spurt, listed at 6’1 before he signed and now stands closer to 6’6. That likely means his days at shortstop are over.
While Cruz’s defensive future is uncertain, he’s not a statue in the field. He played multiple positions during the Instructional League and should be a good defensive third baseman when he matures physically.
Offensively, he’s already making noise, with one scout lauding his hitting ability in Arizona. He hit .294 with an .811 OPS in his debut in the Dominican Summer League last year, with 18 doubles in 55 games.
Just 18 years old, Cruz is a breakout candidate this year, though it’s unclear when and where he’ll debut. A safe bet would be him remaining at extended Spring Training until rookie ball begins in June.
37. Aneurys Zabala, RHP
Originally signed by the Seattle Mariners out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, Zabala spent three years in rookie ball before coming to the Dodgers in the Chase De Jong trade this spring. While his experience is limited, Zabala’s stuff is not.
Zabala has arguably the best name in the system, as well as the best fastball. It’s developed into a near 80 grade offering that regularly touches 100 mph. He’ll also show a plus curveball from time to time, giving him closer potential.
The issue, though, has been throwing strikes. Even after breaking out last season, Zabala walked 13.6 percent of the batters he faced.
Initially being used as a starter, Zabala has found himself as a reliever and it’s time that he takes the next step up the Minor League ladder. He should be the closer for Low-A Great Lakes to begin 2017 and, with a little polish, could move up pretty quickly.
36. A.J. Alexy, RHP
Before being selected and signed by the Dodgers in the 11th round of last year’s draft, Alexy was the subject of much consternation in the scouting community after making 164 pitches in a start during his senior year.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers signed him for $600,000 and sent the right-hander to rookie ball. During his debut, Alexy posted a 4.61 with 12 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. He is all about projection.
The 6’4 righty has a lean frame that should carry plenty of good weight as he matures. He currently sits 88-92 mph with his fastball and should throw harder in the coming years. His curveball shows potential and could be a plus pitch in time, while a changeup lags behind.
A northeast arm who will be just 19 next season, there’s no need to rush the young hurler. There’s a chance Alexy could begin next season back in rookie ball before heading to a familiar region in Great Lakes.
CONTINUE READING: Impressive outfielder, versatile catcher, and more prospects
35. Carlos Rincon, OF
Yet another member of the international signings, Rincon was also inked on July 2, 2015. He received $325,000 and made his debut last year. Unlike the more heralded signees, Rincon performed so well that he forced his way stateside.
As an 18-year-old, Rincon dominated Dominican Summer League pitching to the tune of a .364/.458/.714 line in 26 games. He also homered in the DSL All-Star Game. Rincon was then promoted to the Arizona League, where he hit .301/.314/.621.
Already listed at 6’3 and 190 lbs., Rincon is a quintessential right fielder. He projects to have below-average speed as he continues to fill out but has enough arm for right field and the power to match.
His swing right now is very long, but when he connects he can hit the ball plenty far. Rincon drew just two walks in 26 games in the AZL last year, but plate discipline generally comes along later.
With the aggressive promotion to the states, Rincon could be pushed even more aggressively to Low-A to begin the season. If the Dodgers want to take it easier with the 19-year-old, they could keep him in Arizona for extended Spring Training and he could then make his debut this summer with Ogden.
34. Kyle Farmer, C
Drafted in the eighth round out of the University of Georgia, where he played shortstop, the Dodgers immediately moved Farmer behind the plate. Slowly but surely, he’s demonstrated enough progression to justify being added to the 40-man roster during offseason.
Farmer is built like a catcher at 6’0 and 225 lbs. However, he’s a better athlete than most backstops. He runs fairly well and is agile behind the plate. He also shows a strong arm and threw out 35 percent of attempted base stealers last year. He’s even athletic enough to have spent some time at third base when he’s not catching.
At the plate, Farmer employs a line-drive stroke and makes a good amount of contact. However, he doesn’t walk a ton and has hit just 16 home runs in 332 games in the Minors. Unless Farmer improves his offensive production, he’s likely to be relegated to backup duty.
While the signing and Spring Training presence of Bobby Wilson casts some doubt on Farmer’s role with the club this year, he’s still one of three catchers on the 40-man roster. Barring an injury-free season from Yasmani Grandal, Farmer should make his Major League debut at some point this year.
33. Mitch Hansen, OF
After signing as the second-rounder in the Dodgers’ 2015 Draft class, Hansen went to the Arizona League and had an utterly forgettable debut. In 44 games, he batted just .201/.281/.282 with no home runs and 51 strikeouts. He desperately needed to bounce back in 2016, and that’s exactly what he did.
Hansen remained in rookie ball but moved up to Ogden and thrived in the hitter’s haven that is the Pioneer League. He lifted his average over 100 points to .311 and collected 11 home runs, which was good for fifth in the league.
Hansen walked more, struck out less, and even added 11 stolen bases. He played all three outfield positions last season (27 in left field, 10 in right field, three in center field) and likely fits best in a corner as his 6’4, 210-pound frame continues to fill out.
However, even with Hansen’s significant increase in production, there are still questions about his overall potential. He was playing in rookie ball as a 20-year-old and will turn 21 in May.
He’ll need to prove that his offensive uptick wasn’t a product of his environment by continuing to rake in A-ball. If that happens, he could quickly rise up prospect lists.
32. Andrew Sopko, RHP
Sopko was the first pitcher I saw last year during Spring Training. While he didn’t really stand out, he showed enough to think that with a little development, he could pitch in the Major Leagues.
A seventh-rounder in the 2015 Draft, Sopko joined the chorus of recent draft picks who rose multiple levels last season. After a successful debut, he made one start with the Loons to begin 2016 before moving up to High-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he posted a 3.26 ERA in 18 games.
The right-hander was then promoted to Double-A Tulsa to finish out the final month of the season and struggled a bit, surrendering a 4.94 ERA, which was greatly impacted by allowing five runs in three innings during one start. Sopko finished with an overall 3.53 ERA in 135 innings.
With a workhorse frame, Sopko attacks hitters with his low-90s fastball and uses his slider as a swing-and-miss pitch. He throws plenty of strikes and had a solid strikeout rate before he reached Double-A. Sopko’s changeup lags behind his other two offerings.
Still just 22 yaers old, Sopko will likely return to Tulsa to begin 2017 to prove himself in the upper Minors. While it’s unlikely he breaks into the organization’s pitching depth this season, a strong campaign could lead to a shot with the Dodgers next year.
31. Ariel Sandoval, OF
Signed shortly after his 17th birthday in 2012, Sandoval spent his first three seasons in rookie ball with mixed results. He struggled in his first two seasons as a pro, posting a sub-.600 OPS in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona League.
Then, Sandoval broke out in 2015 by posting a .325/.337/.520 batting line, with eight home runs and 10 stolen bases. Impressively, he drew just three walks in over 200 plate appearances.
Last year was Sandoval’s first taste of full-season ball. He went to Great Lakes and hit for more power while also drawing more walks (though it did take him 36 games to eclipse his previous season’s mark). But the power surge was more impressive, considering it came in the Midwest League.
He hit 11 home runs in 79 games with the Loons, good for top-20 in the league even though he left about halfway through. Solid production in May and June earned Hansen a promotion to the Quakes in July, but his bat cooled off considerably in the California League.
He OPS’d just .615 in July and .599 in August, hitting only three home runs with the Quakes (two of which came in High Desert, which is equivalent to Coors Field).
To say Sandoval is a free-swinger would be an understatement. He did increase his walk rate last year, but that’s not hard to do when you walked 1.5 percent of the time the previous season. He has some speed but may not stick in center field.
At 21, there’s still a lot of development needed to turn Sandoval into a Major Leaguer. The tools are there, so it’s simply a matter of refining them into skills.
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