Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (23) | 2011 (12) | 2010 (21) | 2009 (23) | 2008 (6)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [86-76] NL West
AAA: [80-64] Pacific Coast League – Albuquerque
AA: [73-65] Southern League – Chattanooga
A+: [68-72] California League – Rancho Cucamonga
A: [67-73] Midwest League – Great Lakes
Arizona Fall League Players — Mesa Solar Sox
Eric Eadington (LHP); Onelki Garcia (LHP); Red Patterson (RHP); Chris Reed (LHP); Andres Santiago (RHP); Gorman Erickson (C)
Graduated Prospects of Note
Nathan Eovaldi (RHP); Shawn Tolleson (RHP); Josh Lindblom (RHP)
The Run Down
The Dodgers entered the 2012 season with a deep farm system, flush with solid pitching prospects. It was also a system that was virtually void of high-impact talent. Almost a year later, though, the system has a different look. Thanks to blockbuster trades with Boston and Miami, the pitching depth has shrunk considerably — Nate Eovaldi and Allen Webser were top three arms in the organization. The high-impact outlook has only improved, however, after signing the touted Cuban outfielder, Yasiel Puig. The aforementioned blockbuster trades have given LA an experienced and pricey MLB roster, but they’ve also clogged any prospect throughways that previously existed. Barring injury in the outfield or the rotation (which certainly is a possibility), I don’t foresee much prospect turnover in 2013.
Top Ten Prospects
1. Yasiel Puig, OF: Cuban outfielders are the new hotness. Yoenis Cespedes was outstanding in his rookie season with Oakland, and Jorge Soler exceeded lofty expectations in his North American debut in the Cubs’ system. Puig’s $42 million signing occurred with a little less hype than either the Cespedes or Soler deals, but the 21-year-old still was able to lock up a major league contract which will keep him with the Dodgers through 2018. Puig hit .354/.442/.634 through 95 PA between instructional ball and High-A. He’ll likely be challenged with a Double-A assignment to begin 2013. But don’t expect his arrival too soon — the Dodgers’ outfield is crowded with big names and big contracts. ETA: 2014
2. Zach Lee, RHP: Lee’s stock has slipped a bit following a rather dull year between High-A and Double-A. The 21-year-old posted a 4.39 ERA along with a 1.33 WHIP and a K/9 at 7.7 in 2012. Still, Lee has always been touted more for his advanced makeup and supreme athleticism than for his lines in the box score. Expect better production from him in 2013 in a second go at Double-A. ETA: 2014
3. Joc Pederson, OF: Pederson hit .313/.396/.516 with 18 homers and 26 stolen bases during a full season at Rancho Cucamonga in 2012. It’s fair to assume his line was inflated somewhat by the hitter-friendly nature of the California League, but he still brings the upside of a 20/20 outfielder, which would be significant in the fantasy game. He’ll begin 2013 at Double-A. ETA: 2015
4. Corey Seager, 3B: Corey, brother of Kyle, was drafted 18th overall in June. The 18-year-old has entered pro ball with more hype than his brother (a 3rd round pick in 2009), but Kyle’s big league debut in 2012 will be a tough one to live up to for Corey. Seager will reach full-season ball in 2013. ETA: 2016
5. Chris Reed, LHP: Reed was quite bad in Arizona Fall League play, allowing 13 runs in 10 IP, and a WHIP at 2.40. It’s never a good idea to make too much out of these fall league numbers, but it’s a little disconcerting to see a quality prospect like Reed get roughed up so thoroughly. The 22-year-old will try to get back on track in 2013 — an assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque isn’t out of the question. ETA: 2014
6. Matt Magill, RHP: Magill had a bit of a breakout year in 2012 at Double-A, posting a 3.75 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and a 10.3 K/9 in 146 IP with Chattanooga. The 23-year-old stands 6-3, 190, and features a mid-low-90s fastball, a plus slider, and a tricky changeup. He shouldn’t need much more time in the minors. ETA: Late 2013
7. Alfredo Silverio, OF: Silverio missed all of 2012 to injuries, but it’s tough to forget the monster year he put up in 2011 at Double-A: .306/.340/.542, 18 homers, 11 stolen bags. The time missed is cause for concern, but if Silverio can rediscover his offensive tools in 2013, he’ll surface in the bigs before long. Late: 2013
8. Alex Castellanos, OF/2B: Castellanos earned a taste of the big leagues in 2012, making 25 trips to the plate — he even hit a homer. The bulk of his time, however, was spent at Triple-A where the 26-year-old collected 49 XBH (17 HR) in 407 PA. The overall upside here isn’t huge, but Castellanos is a pretty safe bet to have a nice career in the bigs as a utility-type. ETA: 2013
9. Angel Sanchez, RHP: Sanchez had an ugly line in at Rancho in 2012, but very few pitchers handle the California League well. The 23-year-old has a big frame to go with a solid fastball, a decent changeup, and a work-in-progress curveball. He’ll need to trust his secondary stuff more if he’d like to be successful in the upper levels. ETA: 2015
10. Chris Withrow, RHP: Withrow arrived at Double-A in 2009, but he hasn’t been able to break through to the next level. The 23-year-old has terrific stuff, but since he arrived in Chattanooga he simply hasn’t been able to throw strikes. The Dodgers were optimistic for better production in 2012, but Withrow’s year was shortened due to injuries. Still, if he can sort out the command issues, he’ll move quickly toward the bigs. ETA: 2014
