All I really care about is Julio Urias, but there were a couple prospects who had solid weeks for their respective Dodgers minor-league teams. With Yasiel Puig having been promoted from Double-A, the Lookouts offense now runs through Joc Pederson. The Dominican Summer League started play this week as well, and some of the bigger international signings should log ample playing time in the league.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2 & 3-3)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

Jeremy Moore – OF

.389/.476/.778/1.254, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 1 SB, 3 BB, 3 K

Moore, picked up in the offseason after being released by the Angels, had himself a nice week for the Isotopes. He missed the entire 2012 season, and at 25 isn’t much of a prospect, but he has a little shine left (emphasis on little).

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Matt Angle – OF

.500/.600/1.250/1.850, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K

The man who amazingly remained on the 40-man roster for the entire 2012 season, Angle had his best week to date. With Scott Van Slyke and now Alex Castellanos in Los Angeles, Angle will continue to get lots of playing time in the outfield.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Blake Johnson – RHP

7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K

Johnson has been one of the only constants in the Isotopes rotation this season. He’s having a particularly good season in Albuquerque.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Red Patterson – RHP

10 2/3 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K

I’ve had a soft spot for Patterson over the last couple seasons. He’s underrated and could be a long reliever in the majors. He’s been a staple in the Isotopes bullpen and is now getting the occasional start.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-3 & 5-1)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

Gorman Erickson – C

.333/.444/.800/1.244, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Erickson beat out the otherworldly Yasiel Puig for this week’s honor. Erickson hit almost as many home runs this week as he did all of last season in the Southern League. Unfortunately, he’s hitting less than .200.

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Sean Burroughs – 3B

.429/.529/.571/1.100, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 K

Yeah, this is that Sean Burroughs. The Lookouts haven’t been hitting a whole lot, and Burroughs’ solid week took the proverbial cake. It’s hard to give this honor to a guy who’s 32 in Double-A, but here we are.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Chris Reed – LHP

7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

It was difficult to not put Zach Lee (7 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K, Southern League Pitcher Of The Week), but Reed outdueled Diamondbacks prospect Archie Bradley in his lone appearance. That earned him some points in my book. Reed is destined for the bullpen, but if he has a few more starts like this, he could remain in the rotation for a bit longer.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Andres Santiago – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Santiago edged out some solid performances from Rob Rasmussen, Jose Dominguez, and Yimi Garcia for this week’s honor. Santiago hasn’t been great this season, but perhaps this could be the start of something good.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-5 & 3-4)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

O’Koyea Dickson – 1B

.345/.387/.724/1.111, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 2B, 7 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Dickson is steadily having a decent season for the Quakes, playing mostly first base while also DHing and even logging some surprising innings at third base. This was his best week to date.

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Darnell Sweeney – SS

.379/.424/.621/1.045, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 2 SB, 3 BB, 11 K

Sweeney has posted some decent numbers this season, including a cycle earlier this year. He’s hit both leadoff and third for the Quakes, but is firmly entrenched as their leadoff man for now and likely the rest of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Jarret Martin – LHP

6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Martin had a solid week for the Quakes, as the team continues to lose pitchers to promotions. Barring anything unforeseen, Martin should be in the Rancho rotation the rest of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Gustavo Gomez – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Gomez is pitching a lot better than expected for the Quakes this season. His 4.12 ERA, considering the environment, is solid, but his 3.41 FIP and 2.98 SIERA are even better. This was his best start of the season.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-6 & 4-2)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

Aaron Miller – OF

.273/.333/.455/.788, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K

It was a poor offensive week for the Loons, so the converted pitcher takes the honor this week. Considering Miller just recently made the change, he’s not doing too poorly.

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Tyler Ogle – C/1B

.455/.571/.727/1.298, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 2B, 5 BB, 4 K

Ogle, named to the Midwest League All-Star team, edged out Corey Seager for this week’s honor. He’s the team’s best veteran hitter, and it shows with his team-leading .418 on-base percentage.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Carlos Frias – RHP

6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Another MWL All-Star, Frias is the ace of the Loons’ rotation. At 23, he’s not age-appropriate for the league, but he’s pitching well nonetheless.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Julio Urias – RHP

5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Urias’ amazing debut continued with the best outing of his young career. He has a special arm and could be the team’s top prospect in a year or two.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-4)

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Jose Luis Javier – 3B/2B

.300/.364/.450/.814, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K

It was tough to find a player from the DSL Dodgers’ opening week, but Javier had the best statistical week. It’d be more impressive if he weren’t 20 years old. I expect guys like Michael Medina and Ariel Sandoval to populate this list the rest of the summer.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Nelson Sandoval – RHP

4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K

The 19-year-old Venezuelan had a nice season debut after throwing 17 2/3 innings with the DSL squad in 2012. He could be a guy to watch this summer.

=====

Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

The 2013 projection for the Dodgers from Dan Szymborski‘s ZiPS system was released last week, and given that it’s probably my favorite forecasting tool, it’s worth a look to see how the team fared.

Forecasting is not a complete science, obviously, and I’ll address some of the potential pitfalls as we go along, but it’s better to use objective tools like these than the hopes/dreams of fans or the bitterness/wishes of haters.

To start us off, how does the team fare, generally speaking? A solid playoff contender, for sure, but a super team? Doesn’t seem likely.

—–

The Field Players

Despite all the hype over the recent acquisitions, the key cogs in this machine are still Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. It’s a promising sign then, that Kemp projects at a 144 OPS+ and the system has confidence in him continuing to put up offensive numbers in the ~.900 OPS range. His defense in center still lags below average, but his bat more than makes up for it. His playing time projection has dropped due to his injury woes last season, and quite frankly, it’s hard to fault it for that. Regardless, he still figures to be the most valuable field player on the team.

Adrian Gonzalez is slated to be another bright spot, as ZiPS pegs him to bounceback a bit, though not as much as some want, clocking in at an ~.830 OPS/128 OPS+. That would still be his lowest OPS+ since 2008 (besides 2012, of course), but it’s a marked improvement considering his age and negatively trending skills. A-Gon compensates for that lagging bat a bit by putting up plus defense almost worth a win by itself. Hanley Ramirez factors in as yet another bounceback candidate, projecting at a 115 OPS+, which is an upgrade over last year’s 106 and is closer to his pre-2011 production. Defensively, even his horribad -8 run defensive rating is optimistic to me, as he was truly terrible with the glove last year. Given that I already wanted to barf seeing him trying to turn a double play in 2012, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him put up horrid defensive numbers after basically not playing the position all of spring.

Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of the offensive optimism ends. Luis Cruz checks in at 84 OPS+ (106 last year), which will anger many fans, but is completely reasonable given the track record. He remains valuable through plus defense, though given the sample size, there’s reason to be skeptical there as well. A.J. Ellis at 96 OPS+ (118) is another depressing but completely logical projection, as evidenced by everybody’s surprise in 2012 at his potent bat. Andre Ethier at 112 OPS+ (123) is hard to figure for me, because he has been consistently putting up ~120 OPS+ seasons even if it has come down from the ~130 OPS+ range two years ago. I suppose the projection system thinks he’ll get old in a hurry … or maybe it just thinks he’ll face an inordinately high amount of lefties. Mark Ellis at 81 OPS+ (93) shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering he’s 36 and put up an 80 OPS+ at Coors Field in 2011.

The last guy of the starters is Carl Crawford, who is the enigma of the 2013 season. He checks in at 104, which is notable because it’s basically his career OPS+ and it’s about what he did in limited time in 2012 over in Boston. That’s of particular note for me, because what he did in Boston in 2012 can be attributed to a mechanical fix that I pointed out in an article for Baseball Prospectus. Understandably, his playing time checks in low, but if he can produce like he did in 2012 but over a whole season, the Dodgers will be much better for it.

Overall, after fixing the playing time of A.J., adjusting Ethier’s offense up a bit, and adjusting Hanley’s defense down a bit, the starting lineup totaled about 22 WAR.

—–

The Bench & The Prospects

Assuming a bench of Tim Federowicz, Scott Van Slyke or Alex Castellanos, Jerry Hairston Jr., Nick Punto, and Skip Schumaker, we’re looking at around 3 WAR here after playing time is adjusted back to realistic bench levels. I’m guessing Alfredo Amezaga or Tony Gwynn Jr. work their way in somehow, but a five-man bench seems likely initially if the Dodgers can’t deal multiple pitchers before the season starts. Neither player would affect the WAR projection much though.

Honestly? I have to hope the Dodgers do something to improve the bench, because the current configuration looks rather mediocre, and the other options are keeping Juan Uribe and/or Elian Herrera. Yuck.

The good news is that Joc Pederson, T-Fed, SVS, and Castle are projected to be solid at the MLB level, though it sees Dee Gordon basically languishing behind.

—–

The Rotation

Clayton Kershaw is simply a beast, and he figures to check in with a 75 FIP-. This might seem high considering his 2011 and 2012 ERA- figures of 63 and 67, respectively, but when you consider that Felix Hernandez clocks in at 78 FIP- for 2013, you get the picture.

What might surprise is how close new acquisition Zack Greinke comes in behind him, as he figures to put up an FIP- of 81. Granted, he has always projected favorably, as his career FIP- is 80, while his career ERA- is 88, but even adjusting slightly for that, there’s a definite case there for the best 1-2 punch in the majors.

Unfortunately, this is where it gets murky, as Chad Billingsley has the stuff to be the #3, but if I were a betting man, I would bet his elbow implodes before July. He projects at 92 FIP-, which would put him around last year’s performance, which was his arguably his best season since 2008. However, given the nature of his injury and its history in the league, you can basically never rely on him to stay healthy again until he has Tommy John surgery.

Next in the pecking order are Josh Beckett, who comes in below-average at 103, and foreign import Hyun Jin Ryu, who comes in well below-average at 116. As mentioned before, the scouting reports for Beckett match this projection, as he’s no longer a front-line starter due to his decrease in velocity. However, if he can manage to learn to pitch a bit more, he still has the curve to perhaps slot in as a #3 more than a #4. Ryu is a case where I would take any projection with a mound of salt, because there’s hardly anything to base objective projections on. Personally, I don’t think Ryu has the stuff to be a #2, nor do I think he’ll be a #3 on a team with a $250 million payroll, but he should slot in comfortably in the back-end of the rotation for years. I would project something slightly below-average for 2013 and then hope for better.

The rotation is a strong point because it has both arguably the best 1-2 punch in the majors and depth, with Chris Capuano (108 FIP-) and Aaron Harang (114 FIP) presumably traded for upgrades (or maybe kept somehow?), and it checks in at about 17 WAR.

—–

The Bullpen & The Prospects

As of right now, I’m assuming a bullpen of Brandon League, Kenley Jansen, Ronald Belisario, Javy Guerra, Matt Guerrier, J.P. Howell, and Ted Lilly.

Jansen is the best of the bunch (63 FIP-) and League projects a distant second (92 FIP-), but Belisario has the most upside in these projections (101 FIP-). After that, Guerra, Guerrier, and Howell are all around replacement level. Lilly projects as a league-average pitcher, assuming he’s healthy, which would be a boon to a team that has a ticking time bomb in the rotation.

As far as prospects go, ZiPS thinks Chris Reed could be a replacement-level fill-in right now, but Zach Lee, Matt Magill, and Garrett Gould need more seasoning. And for all of you who have Stephen Fife wet dreams (yes, you’re out there), he projects at a 4.91 FIP, so keep it in your pants.

Speaking of replacement level, that especially applies to the Dodgers bullpen because of Shawn Tolleson, Scott Elbert, Steven Ames, and Paco Rodriguez, so the 4 WAR projection for this pen figures to be solid.

—–

Team Projection

A replacement-level team figures to win 43 games, and the team with the lowest amount of wins to get into the playoffs last year was the Cardinals at 88 wins, so 42 WAR puts you in the contender range and 45 WAR makes you viable, while 50 WAR will generally make a team a safe bet to be in the postseason. The Dodgers total 46 WAR, which puts them well within the playoff hunt: good but not great.

The Dodgers basically project neck-and-neck with the rival Giants, while the D-Backs lag behind a bit by maybe a half dozen wins or so, but they’re well within striking distance as well.

So make no mistake, the Dodgers recent spending habits did not make them an elite team, as the money simply duct-taped over both a flawed team and farm system depleted by Frank McCourt‘s ownership and Ned Colletti‘s questionable decisions. But that’s not to denigrate the job the new owners have done, as they turned the franchise into a legitimate playoff contender seemingly overnight, which is still saying a lot about what money can do.

Granted, “we gave you a team that has the chance to make the playoffs” is not what fans want to hear, but it’s an acceptable scenario as they lay the foundation to rebuild the franchise the correct way in their own minds. The 2013 projections might not reflect world-beaters like most seem to expect, but it’s a projection based on historical trends rather than hopes and dreams.

The 2013 Dodgers are indeed a team with a lot of upside, and if everything breaks correctly, they could very well end up being one of the best teams in the league, but they also carry a ton of inherent age and injury risk, which is why the projections come in understandably conservative. Either way, if nothing else, this team figures to be never boring.

The Dodgers have invited 12 players to their Winter Development Camp, which, after operating for its first five years of existence at Dodger Stadium, will move to Camelback Ranch due to construction at Chavez Ravine.

Zach Lee, Joc Pederson, Chris Reed, Onelki Garcia, Paco Rodriguez, Chris Withrow, Steven Ames, Matt Magill, Tim Federowicz, Matt Wallach, and newcomers Jeremy Moore and Rob Rasmussen makeup the 12 players selected by the organization.

Though Yasiel Puig was originally scheduled to participate in the camp, the Dodgers have opted to leave him with his Puerto Rican Winter League team, which is in the midst of a playoff run.

—–

The Dodgers signed former Rays lefty J.P. Howell to a one-year, $2.75 million deal with incentives. Chad has details and analysis here.

I’m just glad the deal is for one year, especially given Ned Colletti‘s proclivity to give veteran bullpen guys long-term deals.

—–

Jeremy Moore is one of five players to recently sign a minor-league deal with the club. Fabio Castro, Wilmin Rodriguez, Omar Luna, and Rusty Ryal round out the signings. Also, Scott Van Slyke was re-signed after being outrighted.

—–

Alfredo Amezaga has signed his second minor-league deal with the Dodgers and has been invited to Spring Training. He was an NRI to Spring Training in 2010 as well.

=====

Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

The Arizona Fall League wrapped up this week with the Mesa Solar Sox — the team with eight Dodger prospects — finishing in last place with a 10-20 record. Now, it wasn’t all the Dodger prospects fault, but there were some, shall we say, not-so-great performances from some of the fellas.

I’m going to keep my eye on the Puerto Rican Winter League now, as Yasiel Puig made his debut there on Saturday night. It’ll be nice to see him get some playing time after being forced to miss the AFL with a staph infection.

—–

Arizona Fall League

Gorman Erickson – C
14 G, .268/.400/.341/.741, 3 2B, 9 BB

Erickson played better in two weeks worth of games in the AFL than he did at Chattanooga this season. But despite playing better, his power was still absent. While the big switch-hitting catcher looks like a power hitter, he’s anything but. His on-base percentage trumped his slugging percentage, which better suits a leadoff hitter. Still, a .400 OBP is nice.

Joc Pederson – OF
15 G, .096/.161/.154/.315, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB

Atrocious. There is no better word to describe Pederson’s AFL experience. While 15 games is hardly anything to be concerned about, an .096 average will get negative attention. Despite the poor performance, Pederson is still a top five prospect in the organization.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B/SS
27 G, .330/.374/.515/.889, 10 XBH, 7 SB

Ynoa was the Dodgers’ offensive standout in Mesa this season. He led the club in batting average, RBI (20), hits (32) and triples (four). He was second in stolen bases and slugging percentage (to George Springer, .600). Ynoa is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and after a strong AFL campaign, a team could take a chance on him. Then again, he is 25 and has utility player upside (at best). With the 40-man roster pretty full, I’d expect him to be unprotected.

Eric Eadington – LHP
12.1 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 10.9 K/9

Eadington finished his AFL season on a strong note. Despite a high ERA and WHIP, his K/9 was impressive. His 15 strikeouts were tied for third-best on the club, and as a lefty who can touch 95 MPH on the gun, he potentially has a future in a big league pen.

Onelki Garcia – LHP
4 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.5 K/9

Garcia finally made his AFL debut. He threw just four innings and has a total of four professional appearances under his belt. Still, I like his potential as a starter. He needs to establish a third pitch to remain a starter going forward though.

Red Patterson – RHP
11.2 IP. 5.40 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 3.1 K/9

Patterson, who had a 9.1 K/9 with the Lookouts this season, managed just a 3.1 strikeout rate in the AFL. That might have been the most disappointing part of his season. The 25-year-old is a favorite of mine, but he doesn’t profile as much more than a middle reliever.

Chris Reed – LHP
10 IP, 7.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

Reed pitched exclusively as a reliever in the AFL and he didn’t pitch that well. He was a late addition to replace Paco Rodriguez, so that has to be taken into consideration. I’ve never been as high on him as most, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by his performance.

Andres Santiago – RHP
19.2 IP, 6.86 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 8.2 K/9

Santiago relieved Garcia in his final two outings, but made four starts for Mesa. He was up and down, but I like his potential. A full season at Double-A in 2013 will show whether he has a future as a starter or reliever.

—–

Dominican Winter League

Brian Cavazos-Galvez is 3-for-17 (.176). Looks like his Southern League numbers.

Tim Federowicz is 6-for-36 (.189) with a 1/17 BB/K rate. Ouch, again.

Dee Gordon is 28-for-88 (.318) with six triples in his 23 DWL games. He’s improved his walk rate since the last update (seven in 88 ABs).

Luis Vazquez has walked seven batters in 7.2 innings. He’s also struck out seven.

—–

Venezuelan Winter League

Alex Castellanos is 26-for-82 (.317) with four home runs and 18 RBI.

Luis Nunez is 26-for-111 (.234) with a home run, six doubles, and 12 runs scored.

Scott Van Slyke is 21-for-91 (.231) with seven home runs and 14 RBI.

—–

Mexican Winter League

J.T. Wise has not played since the last update.

—–

Puerto Rican Winter League

Freddie Cabrera has struck out three, walked two and given up seven hits and two runs in six innings.

Jarret Martin has appeared in two games so far. In 1 2/3 innings, he’s given up three runs and three walks. He’s also struck out three.

Yasiel Puig made his winter debut on Saturday night by going 2-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base, and two strikeouts. He went 0-for-3 in his second game.

=====

Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

I had the opportunity to speak with Chris Reed before his Nov. 8 Arizona Fall League game.

Edited for sanity, because nobody wants to read “uh” and “um” and laughs and transitions and crap.

—–

Pitching in the AFL is always difficult, so are you making any conscious adjustments to that or is it just specifically working on things beyond results?

“Yeah, we’re working on a few things. Working both sides of the plate and throwing off-speed in fastball counts. And I’d say adjusting to the hitters too because that’s who you’re going to be facing in the future.

Is there a mental aspect to that due to the increased competition or the hitter’s environment there in Arizona?

“Guys are looking for fastballs here, so you have to throw off-speed in fastball counts, and you have to be consistent with the fastball. Also, taking a mental approach where you have to pound the zone and make them hit it, hopefully right at somebody.”

As far as adjustments go, were there any mechanical or mental things that the Dodgers have made with you or wanted out of you?

“Yeah, I made a few mechanical adjustments. We’re trying to work them out because we didn’t want to make them in-season, so I’m working on that here. It’s more about repertoire and facing hitters here, but yeah, a few mechanical adjustments.”

Is there anything more specific you can say about it?

“Staying behind the ball and taking my hand behind me versus towards third base, shortening my arm path up, and hiding the ball a little better.”

You talked about pitch selection and what not, so as far as that’s concerned, what pitch do you have the most confidence in and what pitch needs improvement going forward?

“I’m most confident in my two-seam fastball, that has been my go-to pitch, both inside and outside. It’s been my best pitch and my best command, but also, I’ve been working on getting my slider back, so when I have that, I’m most confident in using that in two-strike situations or even like getting ahead of lefties. I like to use that pitch. In terms of what pitch I need to work on the most, it’s my change-up, but I felt I came a long way with that here so I feel I can use that next season as well.”

As far as your change-up goes, do the Dodgers have an organizational philosophy to teach that or is that more of your own work?

“We’re working with individual coaches that throw similar to you or have an idea of what you’re going through, so I’ve been working with Matt Herges here in terms of putting more pressure on the inside of my middle finger and the circle part of the change-up. So that’s what I’ve been working on, is just putting more pressure on the inside of the ball.”

—–

Chris Reed was great to talk with because he seemed conscious of what I wanted to know and even provided extra details to questions without me asking. I thought it was a pretty revealing conversation because I was personally interested to see what the Dodgers were having him do mechanically so I could look at it later.

The last question I asked was because I know readers here and commenters at True Blue LA have speculated that the Dodgers hate the change-up and don’t teach it, speculation primarily based on the lack of pitchers that use the pitch in the system. However, it seemed to me that if you do throw the pitch, they don’t mind and find coaches that can work with them. Maybe it’s a new switch in organizational philosophy? I dunno, but if they did have something against it before, it certainly didn’t seem like there was an organizational mandate on it now.

Chris Jackson of the Albuquerque Examiner tweeted to me and said that Dodgers left-hander Onelki Garcia hasn’t appeared yet in the Arizona Fall League because of an oblique injury, but he was unable to confirm it. If true, I wouldn’t expect to see Garcia play at all in the AFL, though he could still pitch in another winter league.

—–

Arizona Fall League

Gorman Erickson – C
11 G, .276/.432/.345/.777, 2 2B, 8 BB

Erickson is having a decent AFL campaign in his second year in the league. The power he displayed in his 2011 campaign (.204 ISO) is all but gone, as hi ISO at Chattanooga was .095 and it’s just .069 in the AFL.

Joc Pederson – OF
9 G, .094/.171/.094/.265, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Pederson had been out of action since Oct. 23, but he returned to the Solar Sox‘s lineup yesterday and promptly went 0-for-3. His AFL season has been atrocious, but he still got an invite to the Rising Stars game, which was held on Saturday.

Someone mentioned that Pederson could be fatigued and I buy it. He played 110 games this season, then played in the World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament with Israel before heading to Arizona. I don’t think the jump in competition had this much negative impact on Pederson.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B
18 G, .338/.365/.529/.893, 7 XBH, 7 SB

Ynoa has been a stud for Mesa so far. He leads the club in hitting and is tied with Cubs prospect Matt Szczur in stolen bases. He’s also popped two home runs in the league — two more than he did in 421 Southern League at-bats. Ah, the rarefied air of Arizona.

Eric Eadington – LHP
8.2 IP, 7.27 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 11.4 K/9

Eadington was doing fairly well a couple weeks ago, but he ran into some trouble, as his high ERA and WHIP show. The positive: he’s striking guys out at an elite rate.

Red Patterson – RHP
8.0 IP. 7.88 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 3.4 K/9

Patterson started off the AFL great but has been awful in his last five innings. The positive: not much. But it’s just fall ball, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned about him at this point.

Chris Reed – LHP
6.1 IP, 9.95 ERA, 2.68 WHIP, 8.5 K/9

Reed’s ERA is finally in the triple-digits, so that’s progress, I suppose. He’s also improved his strikeout rate. Not too hard to improve on zero, though.

Andres Santiago – RHP
15.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

Finally, a good pitcher! Santiago has held his own in the AFL and, despite the higher-than-desired WHIP, he hasn’t allowed a home run in his 15 innings. I’m eager to see what he does in 2013.

—–

Dominican Winter League

Brian Cavazos-Galvez is 3-for-17 (.176). Looks like his Southern League numbers.

Tim Federowicz is 2-for-20 (.100) with 11 strikeouts. Ouch.

Dee Gordon is 14-for-43 (.326) with three triples in his first 10 DWL games. He’s only drawn two walks in 43 at-bats, though.

Luis Vazquez has walked four batters in three innings.

—–

Venezuelan Winter League

Alex Castellanos is 9-for-31 (.290) with two home runs and eight RBI.

Luis Nunez is 18-for-72 (.250) with four doubles and nine runs scored.

C.J. Retherford is 22-for-73 (.301) with three home runs and five doubles.

Scott Van Slyke is 16-for-62 (.258) with seven home runs and 13 RBI.

—–

Mexican Winter League

J.T. Wise is 4-for-17 (.235) with a home run.

=====

Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

The Dodgers sent eight players to the Arizona Fall League this season to play for the Mesa Solar Sox. Only Onelki Garcia has yet to appear in a game. I’m hoping he gets in soon because he only threw in two minor-league games this season. We all know about Yasiel Puig suffering the staph infection, which caused him to miss the league.

Position Players

Gorman Erickson – C
3-for-10 (.300), 1 run, 3 strikeouts

Erickson, who struggled last year in the AFL (.213/.279/.361), is sharing catching duties with two other prospects, hence the limited number of at-bats. He’s coming off a disappointing 2012 campaign, so a chance to re-establish himself in the league is needed.

Joc Pederson – OF
0-for-15, 1 run, 2 BB, 3 K

Pederson, one of the youngest players in the league, has struggled (obviously). Whether it’s fatigue or him just being overmatched, Pederson just hasn’t been able to get on track thus far. He’ll face similar talent in the Southern League in 2013, so it’d be nice to see him get it going.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B
7-for-17 (.412), HR, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB

Ynoa has been an offensive star among the Dodger talent in Arizona, leading the Solar Sox in batting through the first seven games. He also clubbed a home run, something he didn’t do in 421 Southern League at-bats in 2012.

Pitchers

Eric Eadington – LHP
3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Eadington gave up two runs in his first outing — both on solo home runs — but has been lights out since. This is a good test for the 24-year-old, who should begin 2013 with the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Red Patterson – RHP
3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Patterson has been nearly perfect in his first few AFL outings. He could see some time in Albuquerque next year with a potential call-up to the majors waiting in the wings.

Chris Reed – LHP
2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Reed, who picked up a victory in his second AFL outing, was absolutely rocked in his third appearance to the tune of five hits and five runs without recording an out. What’s disturbing is it took just 17 pitches (10 strikes) to accumulate the damage. Reed replaced Paco Rodriguez on the roster.

Andres Santiago – RHP
3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Santiago didn’t receive any help from his defense in his lone AFL start, hence the three unearned runs. He recovered nicely to strike out three batters in his next two innings though. This is a good test for the 22-year-old, who made a name for himself this season.

Matt Kemp left Tuesday’s game in Colorado after smashing into the center field wall, somehow managing to stay in, and soon thereafter diving for a ball and landing awkwardly. If you’re so inclined, GIFs of the collision can be seen here. Tests revealed no concussion or concussion symptoms, and Matt walked away from the incident with nothing more than a bruised left knee. He returned to the lineup a few days after the frightening incident.

—–

Kenley Jansen was unavailable for the series in Colorado after experiencing recurring issues with his heart, which felled him for a month or so in 2011 and earlier in 2012 during Spring Training. These new issues are related to the old ones, reports Dylan Hernandez. The Dodgers and Jansen await test results, as his season could be over.

—–

Chad Billingsley‘s season also hangs in the balance as he awaits what could be season-ending surgery. These fears were expressed earlier in the week by Stan Kasten. Bills’ right elbow was treated with an injection of platelet-rich plasma in an effort to avoid missing the stretch run. Tommy John surgery seems like a possibility if our worst fears come to fruition.

—–

Scott Elbert was placed on the 15-day DL once again with left elbow inflammation. Shawn Tolleson was recalled to take his place. Don Mattingly is cautiously optimistic that Elbert could return when the 15-day period concludes.

—–

Matt Guerrier was activated from the 60-day DL, sending Josh Wall back to AAA and Dee Gordon from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL in the process. Gordon won’t be gone for long though, as he is eligible to return now that rosters have expanded.

—–

Alfredo Silverio was transferred to the 60-day DL in order to free up a spot on the 40-man roster to allow for John Ely‘s call-up. Silverio is on the DL after suffering multiple injuries in a car crash earlier this year.

—–

In minor league injury news, Arismendy Ozoria, Luis Vasquez, Mike Antonini, Jarret Martin, Aaron Miller, Greg Wilborn, Casio Grider, Charlie Mirabal, Bobby Coyle, and Tyler Henson were all placed on the 7-day DL, while a host of others – most notably Chris Reed and Bobby Abreu – were activated from the 7-day DL.

Chad Billingsley is back on the 15-day DL for the second time this season, and once again it’s due to right elbow soreness. Bills had an MRI that revealed inflammation and will have further tests once the inflammation has subsided.

Chad left his last start early after feeling something in the elbow on a pitch. He had been on quite the run since returning from his first elbow injury, and will be replaced in the rotation by newly-acquired Josh Beckett.

—–

Shane Victorino was scratched from Saturday’s game due to tightness in his back. Dylan Hernandez reports there may be some hip tightness as well, though the club only reported the back issue. Shane returned to the starting lineup on Sunday.

—–

Ted Lilly, rehabbing with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, felt “something … in his back or something”, according to Don Mattingly, and will have his next scheduled start skipped.

—–

Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers highly-paid Cuban import, was out of the lineup for a few games due to a bruised right heel, according to the Quakes official Twitter page. He returned to bang out four hits on Sunday though, so he should be fine.

—–

Matt Guerrier continues rehabbing in Rancho.

—–

Jerry Hairston Jr. is done for the season, as he’s scheduled to undergo surgery on his ailing left hip.

—–

Blake Hawksworth had arthroscopic shoulder surgery and is done for the year.

—–

Within the last two weeks, Chris Withrow, Chris Reed, Matt Wallach, and Angelo Ponte have all spent time on the 7-day DL, while Kazuya Takano was placed on the 60-day DL.

According to George Ofman of WBBM in Chicago, the Dodgers have an offer on the table for the Cubs‘ Ryan Dempster that involves two pitching prospects.

Cubs have at least 2 deals on table for Dempster. One from Tigers including young lefty and from Dodgers for two pitching prospects.

— George ofman (@georgeofman) July 14, 2012

I’ve already explored the potential deal for Dempster and explained why I don’t mind the idea, but the price is a separate issue altogether.

By itself, two pitching prospects doesn’t mean much, as it all depends on the names. So who might the involved prospects be?

—–

Despite Ned Colletti being Ned Colletti, I would believe that Zach Lee (Age 20|Level A+/AA|3.45 SIERA) and Nate Eovaldi (22|MLB|5.01) would be off the table for a #2/#3 starter rental. Also, Allen Webster (22|AA|3.81) would be an odd inclusion to me, as would Chris Reed (22|A+/AA|3.42) because I feel the organization thinks highly of him.

All of that leaves Garrett Gould (20|A+|3.77) as a potential centerpiece prospect that sticks out once again, as the team was willing to part with him in a Carlos Lee trade. I would think the surging Ethan Martin (23|AA|4.19) could also be a potential centerpiece of a trade, as a friend of mine says he’s touching high-90s again. As for the secondary prospect, Chris Withrow (23|AA|3.96), Aaron Miller (24|AA|4.39), Angel Sanchez (22|A+|4.11), Matt Magill (22|AA|3.66), and Ryan O’Sullivan (21|A/A+|4.50) would be the possibilities. So mix-and-match one from each pool and there you have the potential deal in place.

—–

Would the deal be worth it? Probably.

While both Gould and Martin are likely top ten prospects in the system at this point, and all the secondary prospects have potential value, the Dodgers have a ton of arms in the system. None of the mentioned names strike me as sure thing MLB contributors, and given the bust rate of prospects, I think a deal of this nature is an acceptable risk to take for a rental.

It would be difficult to complain if the team made a deal like the one I proposed above for what represents a clear upgrade in the rotation and a pitcher that slots in nicely behind Clayton Kershaw. However, if the deal includes Lee, Eovaldi, Webster, or Reed, it could come back to haunt the team sooner than later.

Playing for the World Team in the 2012 Futures Game (because he was born in England), the Dodgers lone representative, Chris Reed, got rocked a bit in his one inning of work. He gave up two hits, a walk, four runs (two earned), and struck out one.

It’s indicative of exactly nothing, but it would have been awesome for him to turn some heads there.

The Chattanooga Lookouts were the system’s best team this week, going a perfect 7-0 by allowing just nine runs — the entire week. That’s by far the fewest number of runs allowed by a Dodger minor league team this season, and part of the reason for their success were the reinforcements from Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the form of Chris Reed and Zach Lee (who had a great Double-A debut).

The Quakes scored the most runs this week at 50, including 17 on Sunday night.

—–

Notes: Corey Seager signed his contract with the Dodgers and will report to the Ogden Raptors this week. Yasiel Puig also signed and will get acclimated to professional ball in Arizona to start.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

Fields takes home his second award of the season by going 8-for-27 (.296) with a home run, four RBI, two doubles, and four runs scored. Fields has been hitting the ball well, as he posted a 1.010 OPS in June. On the season, he has a .329/.397/.503 line with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and 56 runs scored.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

I’m really thinking about renaming this the “John Ely Award” because he seemingly wins it every week. This is the fifth time he’s won it (most by any Dodgers minor leaguer), and he did it by posting the following line: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. Not his best work, but still good enough. An interesting note: all three runs he gave up were via solo home run.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (7-0)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 9

Player Of The Week

Blake Smith – OF

Smith takes home his fourth award of the season by going 8-for-27 (.296) with one home run, four RBI one double, one triple, and four walks. There wasn’t much going on offensively in Chattanooga this week. Rafael Ynoa went 10-for-28, but all 10 hits were singles. Smith is up to .294/.386/.498 on the season and is establishing himself as one of the Dodgers best positional prospects.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ethan Martin – RHP

Martin had a fantastic outing this week for the Lookouts to earn his third POTW award of the season. He’s been the most consistently good pitcher for the Lookouts this season and I’m more than happy to say I was wrong about him. There is still plenty of hope for the power right-hander.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 50
Runs Allowed: 45

Player Of The Week

C.J. Retherford – 3B

I’m tired of giving this award to a 26-year-old in High-A, but he’s absolutely mashing, and this week was no exception: 17-for-29 (.586) with two home runs, four doubles, two triples, and 10 RBI. He’s at .368/.425/.676 with 18 home runs on the season.

Honorable mentions go to Joc Pederson and Bobby Coyle. Pederson had one of the best games of any Dodgers minor leaguer this season, going 3-for-6 with three home runs, four RBI, and four runs scored on Sunday. Coyle, on the strength of a 5-for-5 game, also Sunday, received consideration this week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jon Michael Redding – RHP

Redding had another solid week for the suddenly pitching-thin Quakes: 12 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 9 K. Redding had a better season with Rancho last season and was demoted from Chattanooga earlier in the year. He isn’t much of a prospect these days, but he’s a decent pitcher for a team looking to make a playoff push in the second half.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (3-4)

Runs Scored: 31
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Pratt Maynard – C

Maynard has been disappointing this season, but the man with the 80 name had a solid week, including some surprising speed: 5-for-13 with a home run, three walks, four runs scored, and three stolen bases. I’m not sure where the speed burst came from, but I wouldn’t expect it to last.

Pitcher Of The Week

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

Schamann, the Dodgers 15th-round pick out of Texas Tech, made his debut with the Loons this week: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Not bad for a guy who was a college student a month ago.

—–

Ogden Raptors (4-3)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 39

Player Of The Week

Alex Santana – 3B

The Dodgers 2011 second-round pick makes his first appearance of this season after going 10-for-20 (.500) with one home run, one double, seven RBI, and two runs scored. Santana has gotten off to a good start in the Pioneer League at .370/.354/.565. You’ll notice his on-base percentage is lower than his batting average — well, that’s because he’s yet to draw a walk this season. Now, he’s just 18 years old, but it’d be nice to see him show a little patience at the plate. He has 13 strikeouts to accompany those zero walks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jake Hermsen – LHP

Hermsen, the Dodgers 28th-round pick this year, had a good outing to earn this week’s award: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. He’s thrown a solid 12 innings for Ogden so far, posting a 2.25 ERA and allowing just one walk.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (4-1)

Runs Scored: 40
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

Ogle, the Dodgers ninth-round pick in 2011, went 10-for-18 (.556) this week with four doubles, four RBI, and, you guessed it, four walks. He played just six games for the AZL Dodgers last year and is up to nine so far this season. He’s listed as a catcher, but he’s caught just two games this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Miguel Sulbaran – LHP

Sulbaran had a great week as an 18-year-old in the Arizona League: 11 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. He’s one of the better pitchers there and pitched with the DSL Dodgers last year (6-1, 2.81 ERA, .179 BAA).

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 23

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – 1B/C

Again, Gerson Nunez fell short this week (8-for-12). If he had more at-bats, I probably would have gone with him. Instead, Cordero wins his third consecutive award by going 10-for-25 (.400) with two doubles, a triple, five RBI, two walks (against zero strikeouts), and seven runs scored. He really can’t do much more in this league (.453/.491/.679) and should be promoted.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP

Diaz made one relief appearance and one start this week: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. The 21-year-old is in his second stint with the DSL Dodgers. Last season, he had a 0.67 ERA in 27 innings.

For the 14th annual Futures Game, Chris Reed of AA Chattanooga Lookouts will be the lone Dodgers representative.

In 36 innings at A+ ball, he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 2.59 FIP and 2.96 SIERA, earning him a promotion to AA. In limited time there (nine innings), he has put up a 2.00 ERA, 3.31 FIP, and 2.84 SIERA.

The game will take place on July 8th at 5 PM EST.

While the Dodgers minor league teams didn’t do well in the win-loss column, there were some solid performances this week. The Isotopes tied with the Lookouts for fewest runs allowed at 28. The ‘Topes also had trouble scoring though, averaging just three runs per game this week.

The Quakes, after scoring just 16 runs last week, exploded for 51 runs this week. They also had the most wins for the week (four). Then again, they also allowed 44 runs — most in the system.

—–

Ethan Martin is on the list for the second consecutive week, while Josh Fields, Michael Pericht, Zach Lee, and Scott Schebler are all making their first appearance on the POTW list.

—–

I’ll be seeing the Quakes live on Tuesday and Wednesday as they come up my way to face the Stockton Ports (Oakland Athletics affiliate). Unfortunately, with Chris Reed‘s promotion, I won’t get to see him (wasn’t scheduled to pitch anyway). The projected starters, if things stay the way they are right now, are Jon Michael Redding (whom I saw last year) on Tuesday and Lee on Wednesday. Garrett Gould also relieved Lee in his last appearance, so maybe I’ll get to see him pitch, too.

Follow me on Twitter (@FeelinKindaBlue) for updates and photos from the games.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (2-5)

Runs Scored: 21
Runs Allowed: 28

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

I’d have thought Fields would have made this list sooner, but this is his first honor of the season. He went 8-for-25 (.32o) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, and five runs scored. Take the next sentence with a grain of salt: Fields has a nice on-base percentage, but his .454 slugging percentage leaves a little to be desired.

Pitcher Of The Week

Stephen Fife – RHP

Fife takes home the POTW award for the second time in three weeks by having his best outing of the season: 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. After a horrendous start to the season (a one-time owner of a 9.92 ERA), Fife has a 5.43 ERA in 11 starts — roughly 0.80 points more than league-average. So, that’s progress … I suppose.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 28
Runs Allowed: 28

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – INF

This is Nunez’s second award, and he picked it up in a week where no one really impressed at the plate for the Lookouts. Nunez went 9-for-30 (.300) with four doubles, a triple, four RBI, and three runs scored. The 25-year-old is getting a lot of the playing time over a guy like Jake Lemmerman (for some reason) and is not exactly tearing the cover off the ball: .274/.316/.411.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ethan Martin – RHP

Martin takes home this honor for the second consecutive week by having a really good performance against Birmingham: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. He’s allowed four runs in his last three outings and has given up just three home runs this season (all in the same game). He’s easily the most surprising prospect in the Dodgers system and has definitely restored my faith in him.

I’m looking forward to doing midseason prospect rankings on my blog. I had him slotted in at No. 37 to start the season. Let’s just say he could easily be 20 spots higher than that come later in the month.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 51
Runs Allowed: 44

Player Of The Week

Michael Pericht – C

It’s hard to overlook a 10-for-20 week for Bobby Coyle or a 12-for-27 week by Chris Retheford, but Pericht’s hits had more substance than Coyle and his week was slightly better than Retheford’s.

Pericht, the subject of my most recent post, went 12-for-23 (.522) with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. The big catcher is hitting .337/.409/.704 this season in 98 at-bats. His playing time should increase in the coming weeks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

This could have gone to Jordan Roberts, but Lee’s outing — short as it was — was masterful: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. That’s the Zach Lee we all know and love.

He appears to be 100 percent after spending some time in Arizona for Extended Spring Training. Now that he’s back (hopefully for the rest of the season), and with Chris Reed getting promoted to Double-A, he’s the unquestioned ace of the staff. But most importantly, he needs to stay healthy. I assume he’s on target for about 130 innings this season after throwing 109 in his debut campaign.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (2-4)

Runs Scored: 25
Runs Allowed: 33

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

Schebler had a great week for the Loons, going 10-for-28 (.357) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored. Schebler has been hot and cold this season, so this is just a typical hot streak for him. He’s hitting .261/.298/.441 on the season.

As you can probably tell by the OBP, he doesn’t draw any walks — eight in 222 at-bats. That rate isn’t going to get it done. However, 26 of his 58 hits have gone for extra bases, so the ability is there. He’s just 21, but it’s hard to teach plate discipline.

Pitcher Of The Week

Joel Lima – RHP

This is Lima’s second award, and he picked it up by pitching two games in long relief: 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K. It wasn’t a great week for the Loons on the mound, so that’s why a reliever gets the award for the third consecutive week. On the season, Lima has a 1.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .203 BAA in 20 1/3 innings. The 22-year-old is one of the Loons’ go-to guys out of the bullpen when a starting pitcher falters in an appearance.

This was an interesting week in the minors. The Isotopes actually looked like they were playing in the Pacific Coast League, scoring 45 runs in seven games (6.4 runs per game) while giving up 57 runs (8.1). Despite that, they were still be better than .500 this week. Of course, they got a little help from Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera in Sunday’s game.

The Quakes only scored 16 runs on the week, and that’s not a typo. The Lookouts gave up the fewest runs with 27. That pitching staff, despite the promotions, is really stepping up.

The Loons should get a boost this week from new additions Angelo Songco and Ralston Cash, both of whom made their season debuts Monday.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 45
Runs Allowed: 57

Player Of The Week

Brian Cavazos-Galvez – OF

Despite struggling mightily in Double-A, Cavazos-Galvez, local to New Mexico, is flourishing with the Isotopes. He went 11-for-24 (.458) with a home run, seven RBI, three doubles, a triple, and six runs scored. I wouldn’t get too terribly excited; Cavazos-Galvez has done well in the hitter’s league and has struggled in the pitcher’s league this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Can there really be a Pitcher Of The Week when the staff allowed 57 runs in seven games? Sure. This week, it’s Ely. Elymania posted a great line this week: 14 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 13 K. This is his second POTW honor, and it’s really surprising to see such a good performance from him in a week the team allowed so many runs. In fact, if you take away Ely’s three runs allowed, the rest of the Isotopes staff allowed 54 runs. That’s … ugly.

After a rough start to the season, Ely has put up some great numbers in an extreme hitter’s league: 3.58 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.2 BB/9, 9.7 K/9, 4.33 BB/K and a 1.85 groundout to flyout rate. He wouldn’t be nearly this good in the majors, but it’s nice to see him pitching well in case the Dodgers need an emergency starter later this season.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (4-2)

Runs Scored: 31
Runs Allowed: 27

Player Of The Week

Pedro Baez – 3B

Nick Buss pushed hard for this award, but Baez gets the nod this week. He went 8-for-20 (.400) with two home runs, six RBI, a double, and, most encouraging, five walks (against three strikeouts). I have long since given up on Baez being any kind of contributor for the Dodgers, but the talent is there, as his defensive ability at third base has never been questioned. His bat, however, hasn’t lived up to the potential. While he’s hitting just .259, he does have a .360 on-base percentage and is improving his pop a little bit.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ethan Martin – RHP

Martin’s resurgence continues, as he had a good start and a mediocre start this week: 11 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 12 K. The walk total was a bit high this week, but it’s still pretty good by Martin’s standards. He’s holding opposing hitters to a .190 batting average and has given up just three home runs this season.

With Nate Eovaldi‘s promotion to Los Angeles (for now), Martin is vying with Matt Magill for the role of Chattanooga‘s ace — something I bet no one was expecting coming into the season (on both accounts).

The Southern League, however, doesn’t agree with my pick as Magill was named league’s Pitcher of the Week (for the second time this season) on Tuesday. He had a fantastic outing on Thursday: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K.  Seems I should have gone with him instead of Martin, but I’m standing by my choice.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-4)

Runs Scored: 16
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Austin Gallagher – 1B/DH

This was slim pickins, as the Quakes scored an unimpressive 16 runs in six games this week. Gallagher was the best of the bunch, going 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, two RBI, three walks, and a run scored. Like I said, slim. Gallagher, who earns his second POTW award, is still hitting with some pop, posting a .483 slugging percentage on the season. However, I’d like to see his .264 average come up substantially.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Sanchez – RHP

Wasn’t much to get excited about this week on the hill for the Quakes. Chris Reed made his return and Scott McGough was solid out of the bullpen, but Angel Sanchez had one of his best starts of the season, earning him this week’s honor: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Sanchez has been a bit up and down this season, but hopefully this outing gets him going. He’s issued just two walks in his last 27 2/3 innings. Like Gallagher, this is Sanchez’s second POTW award.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (3-3)

Runs Scored: 33
Runs Allowed: 39

Player Of The Week

James Baldwin – CF

Baldwin just edges out O’Koyea Dickson for the honor this week. It would have been Dickson’s third consecutive award, but instead, this is Baldwin’s second award this season. He went 9-for-24 (.375) with two doubles, two RBI, two walks, and seven stolen bases. Baldwin did most of his damage on May 21st, going 5-for-5 on the day.

Despite the solid week, he’s struggled mightily this season. His power has completely disappeared (six doubles, no triples or home runs) and he’s still striking out far too much (35.2 percent). His potential and talent is unquestioned; the ability to harness said potential is what’s in question.

Pitcher Of The Week

Yimi Garcia – RHP

As you can probably tell from the 39 runs allowed in six games, it wasn’t a great week on the hill for the Loons. So, this award is going to the Loons’ closer this week. Garcia was decent but not great this week: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 saves. Garcia is more than holding his own as a 21-year-old in Low-A (1.93 ERA, 12.5 K/9) and should get the call to Rancho Cucamonga soon.

The Loons are on fire, going 5-1 this week and taking top honors. They also have the week’s top pitcher in Jarret Martin. Surprisingly, the hitters stepped up this week, especially Scott Van Slyke, who helped the Isotopes put up 43 runs in seven games. The Loons allowed 21 runs, while Albuquerque checked in with 22 runs allowed.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2)

Runs Scored: 43
Runs Allowed: 22

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – OF/1B

Van Slyke tends to hit in waves, and this week was no exception. He went 7-for-23 (.304) with four home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored, and five walks. His best game came on Thursday, when he went 3-for-5 with two home runs against Oklahoma City. He’s up to .330/.406/.626 on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Elymania! Well, not really. But Ely did have a good week, making two strong starts: 1-0, 12 2/3 IP, 16 H, 2 R (earned), 3 BB, 14 K. Ely has struggled ever since getting off to a fast start in the 2010 season, spending the majority of his time with the Isotopes. Ely has a 4.64 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and .316 BAA so far this season.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Runs Scored: 27
Runs Allowed: 26

Player Of The Week

Jake Lemmerman – SS/2B

Late Night, my boy, had himself quite a week, going 7-for-13 (.538) with two home runs, four RBI, two doubles, six runs scored, three walks, and two stolen bases. Despite starting the season off slowly, Lemmerman is up to .316/.391/.500 this season while splitting time at shortstop and second base.

Pitcher Of The Week

Red Patterson – RHP

Despite being a little old for the league (25 on Friday), Patterson has been awfully effective out of the Lookouts’ bullpen. This week, he pitched in four games and posted this line: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 7 K.

Patterson started with the Loons and Quakes last season and was effective, but with the logjam of starters in Chattanooga, Patterson has been relegated to bullpen duty – and has done well: 2.11 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9, and a 10.1 K/9.

He’s nothing more than Triple-A roster fodder, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him throw a pitch in the majors before the end of next season.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-5)

Runs Scored: 37
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Austin Gallagher – 1B

Gallagher is finally tapping into the power potential that a 6’5″, 210-pound frame should have. He went 6-for-20 (.300) with three home runs, seven RBI, five runs scored, and a double. He’s hitting just .265 and has a .336 on-base percentage, but he does have a .504 slugging percentage to supplement his line. If there’s any hope left for him, he’ll start completely mashing – but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Gallagher just edged out catcher Michael Pericht, who hit four home runs this week, including a walk-off shot on Thursday.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Sanchez – RHP & Logan Bawcom – RHP

Sanchez had been struggling a little bit, but he put together two fine performances this week: 1-0, 14 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 R (earned), 5 BB, 10 K. His season line isn’t pretty (4.83 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.4 H/9, 4.68 FIP), but he’s shown signs of improving.

Bawcom had an impressive week out of the bullpen despite only making two appearances. He threw 2 2/3 innings, allowed two hits, no runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts. He struck out all six of the batters he faced on Friday night. Bawcom doesn’t get a lot of love in prospect rankings, but he’s quietly posting some great numbers as the Quakes closer: 23 strikeouts, six walks, and zero runs allowed in 13 innings.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (5-1)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 21

Player Of The Week

Joseph Winker – 1B

Like the Loons, Winker had himself a week: 9-for-23 (.391) with a home run, seven RBI, five doubles, six runs scored, and three walks. The 22-year-old is hitting .273/.331/.473 after today with three home runs, 19 RBI, and a league-leading 13 doubles. He’s not much of a prospect right now, but he’s having moderate success so far in the Midwest League.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jarret Martin – LHP

In perhaps the biggest no-brainer for Pitcher Of The Week, Martin continued to have success in the Midwest League. This week’s line: 1-0, 14 IP, 5 H, 1 R (earned), 4 BB, 10 K. He had a bad start on April 26th (5 IP, 11 H, 7 R), but he still boasts a 2.63 ERA, .205 batting average against, and a 2.17 GB/FB ratio.

He definitely needs a promotion to Rancho Cucamonga, and it’s kind of weird that the Dodgers promoted Brandon Martinez instead of Martin, unless the fits the rotation schedule better. If not, Martin should get promoted as soon as possible, especially with Chris Reed suffering from shoulder fatigue.

Scott Wingo bats against the Visalia Rawhide on April 20th at the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga.

Overall, it was a decent week for the minor league affiliates of the Dodgers.

The AAA Isotopes checked in the best record and the best offensive performer, but the A+ Quakes had the best pitcher, just edging out the AA Lookouts.

—–

Albuquerque Isotopes (6-1)

Runs Scored: 55
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – 2B/OF

Castellanos continued his torrid start, going 11-for-25 (.440) with four home runs, eight RBI, nine runs scored, a double, two triples, four walks, and three stolen bases. If he keeps this up, he’s going to force the Dodgers to give him a shot in the majors. His line through 17 games is as follows: .371/.483/.757, four home runs, seven doubles, four triples, seven stolen bases, 18 runs scored, and 12 walks.

Pitcher Of The Week

Cole St. Clair – LHP

St. Clair threw five innings of scoreless relief for the ‘Topes this week. He struck out four, walked three, gave up two hits, and, most importantly, zero runs. With the Dodgers lefty-deficient in the majors, St. Clair could get a look sooner rather than later.

—–

Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Blake Smith – OF

Smith got off to an absolutely miserable start (3-for-27), but he finished this week 9-for-23 (.391) with a home run, a double, four RBI, eight runs scored, and three walks. He seems to be finally hitting his stride and still profiles as one of the best Dodger power prospects in the minors.

Pitcher Of The Week

Shawn Tolleson – RHP

Tolleson threw just 3 2/3 innings this week, but he struck out seven batters while allowing three hits. The performance dropped his career ERA to 0.95 in 106 1/3 innings.

With a low-90s fastball, wipeout cutter, and solid slider, Tolleson isn’t long for the Lookouts and should be among the first relievers called to Los Angeles when the team needs a bullpen arm.

—–

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Runs Scored: 31
Runs Allowed: 30

Player Of The Week

Scott Wingo – 2B

Wingo only played in four games this week, but he played well. He went 5-for-13 (.385) with two triples, three runs scored, four walks, zero strikeouts, and three stolen bases.

The 2011 11th-round pick started off his season with a bang, and I was in person on Friday night to see his two triples, which were legit. As Jared Massey of LA Dugout described, he has long strides for being a shorter player (5’11″). Also, he made a nice pivot at second base.

Pitcher Of The Week

Chris Reed – LHP

Reed threw 13 innings in the week, seven of which he did Sunday in his best outing as a professional. He allowed four hits, zero runs, zero walks, and struck out eight. It was a masterful performance by the big lefty and it could be something for him to build on. He had a case of the walks on April 16th against San Jose (five), but still managed to throw six innings of three-run ball.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 26
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

James Baldwin – OF

Baldwin, who started the season 1-for-30, caught fire a bit this week, going 6-for-22 (.273) with four runs scored and four stolen bases. He’s still striking out too much (35.2 percent), but he’s showing just a little improvement at the plate.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jarret Martin – LHP

Martin was downright masterful at times for the Loons. One of the guys acquired in the Dana Eveland deal, Martin struck out 17 batters in 12 1/3 innings this week, posting a 0.73 ERA while allowing just four walks. Command is Martin’s biggest bugaboo, but it looks like he’s destined for a promotion before too long.

Prospect Rankings Thoughts

Zach Lee has the projection to eventually be a #1/#2, but his stuff right now definitely resembles more of a #2/#3. Hence his production in low-A.

I liked both Webster and Eovaldi as sleepers a while ago, but I gave the edge to Allen Webster over Nate Eovaldi because although there’s more risk to Webster, I think there’s more upside as well. Eovaldi can improve his breaking pitches, but not enough to be more than a #3 starter, and I think ending up as a reliever is a definite possibility.

I have Joc Pederson higher than most, and I acknowledge the risk, but I liked his swing, his plate discipline, and he’s probably going to be good defensively. If the power projection comes through, he’ll end up as a solid regular.

Angel Sanchez is currently what everybody assumes Chris Reed will be. Both can pitch in the mid-90s, have good secondary pitches, and possess a solid tertiary offering. They are basically the same to me, but Sanchez actually accomplished something as a professional, so he gets the edge. It’s odd that people bag on Sanchez because he might be a reliever down the road but don’t pay any attention to the fact that while Reed has the pitches, he hasn’t even made the transition from reliever to starter yet.

Garrett Gould is a solid prospect that does everything well but has concerns about how his stuff will play against advanced bats.

Even though he’s a reliever, Josh Lindblom clocks in so high because it’s rare to have a guy on a prospect list that has posted a 2.73 ERA and 2.35 FIP in 29.2 innings over 27 appearances at the MLB level.

Chris Withrow has a ton of potential, but he’s going to be 23 and I have a hard time believing his control with improve drastically. However, it just needs to get a bit better for him to be MLB useful.

Gorman Erickson might be a surprise this high, but there’s a lot to like from big switch hitting catchers with pop, plate discipline, consistent contact, and decent defensive skills. A worry of mine is that the Dodgers don’t seem to like him, as they favor defensive catchers who can’t hit, but hopefully he hits enough in 2012 to change their minds.

Alfredo Silverio and Alex Castellanos both have the tools to succeed, but you’ll have to excuse me for not being excited about their plate discipline, and the strikeout rate of Castellanos is scary. Silverio has made me believe he can be a major leaguer, but I don’t know if he’ll ever be regular. Similarly, I think Castellanos’ bat only plays at second, so it’s important to me that he can stay at the position.

Shawn Tolleson could be better than Lindblom, but there are more question marks there with him, including experience and his almost dangerous throwing motion.

James Baldwin and Scott Barlow are the upside guys. Both could be out of the top 25 by November or be in the top 10, depending on how their 2012 goes. Following them are Tim Federowicz and Steven Ames, both of whom aren’t impact players but look to be a solid bet to be contributors.

Blake Smith and Angelo Songco are one to two years behind where most regulars are at this stage in their careers (well Songco isn’t that bad, but he lacks the raw tools), so they will always have questions about competition level until they hit at the MLB level. Speaking of that, it’ll be interesting to see if Scott Van Slyke ever gets a chance. I think he can hit, but he’s gonna have to hit a ton to be relevant.

Aaron Miller and Ethan Martin both need breakout 2012 seasons in a bad way. Miller simply needs to regain his old stuff and stay healthy. Martin needs to find his mechanics and the strike zone. Upside will only take them so far as they age.

Jonathan Garcia has always been an underdog favorite of mine. He wrecked the Midwest League early on but got exposed later by breaking balls. Realistically, he’ll have to hit a lot because he has little else of value, but he has surprising pop and a solid swing. O’Koyea Dickson is another prospect that will have to be rushed because of his age, but if he hits like he’s capable, he could reach high-A in 2012. I really like his swing and I think he has good pop, but he’s not tall and is stuck at first base, so there’s a ton of pressure on his bat.

Much like Webster and Eovaldi, Matt Magill was a favorite of mine from before, but unlike them, his stuff hasn’t exploded quite the same. Still, he has above average velocity and can miss bats with his off-speed stuff, but he’ll have to perform at AA to gain any respect. I’m interested to see if he progresses at that stage or becomes Tim Sexton.

=====

Honestly, I thought it would be a lot worse than this. Fortunately though, the Dodgers have a ton of potential contributors, even if most of them are clocking in on the pitching side of the ledger.

The top 10 is quite solid from my view, even if it does lack huge upside. However, after that the Dodgers are stuck with a bunch of guys who are more likely to end up as part-timers or utility players than regulars. My hope is that one out of the seven or eight bats that are too old for their level but still produce in the minor leagues eventually becomes a regular.

No, there’s not a ton of star potential, but given the budget restraints, the complete lack of care in the international market, and the mass graduation of talent in 2011, it could have been a ton worse.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters
Ogden Raptors: Pitchers
Ogden Raptors: Hitters
Great Lakes Loons: Pitchers
Great Lakes Loons: Hitters

=====

Today I continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates, moving on to the pitchers of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

—

I’ll be picking the prospects for the 2012 Prospective Prospect Profiles list from these reviews, so it might be worth reading. Or not.

=====

Jon Michael Redding – 23 – RHP

Jon Michael Redding Statistics

Way older than his competition in the California League, Redding turned in a solid season, posting a 3.66 ERA and a 3.53 FIP. Seemingly average numbers, but made all the better when considering league average was a 4.90 ERA and a 4.13 FIP.

He missed bats and prevented walks at league average rates, so it’s not like he set the world on fire, but he could be solid AAA rotation depth, much like Jesus Castillo was for the Dodgers a couple years ago. A solid frame, a low-90s fastball, and a sharp slider also make him a candidate for relief, but the Dodgers are stock full of those types with superior stuff.

He’ll need to prove himself at AA in 2012 to have a shot.

—–

Allen Webster – 21 – RHP

Allen Webster Statistics

Posting a 2.33 ERA and 2.77 FIP in high-A, Webster struck out 27.2% of batters (League Average=20.0%) and issued free passes to 9.2% (League Average=8.9%). Based on his stuff and his performance there alone, I would have felt comfortable putting him in the same league as Zach Lee. Unfortunately, that’s not the whole story for Webster, as he struggled in AA, posting a 5.04 ERA. However, he was nowhere near that bad, with an FIP clocking in at 3.98.

Normally that’s enough of a disparity for me to dismiss, and his control was about the same as ever, but the area of concern is that his strikeout rate dipped to 17.9%, almost 10% lower than in high-A. I hate that number because it gives me pause as to whether or not his stuff is good enough to dominate advanced hitters.

It’s an odd question to ask considering Webster’s fastball sits 92-93, touches 96, and has both sink and tail. A rarity in the Dodgers system, Webster’s changeup is probably his best off-speed offering, whereas his slurve/slider struggles to find two-plane depth.

Webster has come a long way since I first saw him in 2009. I loved him then and I still do. Webster doesn’t have the projection and potential that Lee does, but in their respective current states, I don’t think they’re that far apart despite Lee being infinitely more touted. Webster will have to prove he can handle advanced bats in 2012 to ease concerns, but if he does so, he could be fighting for a September call.

—–

Matt Magill – 21 – RHP

Matt Magill Statistics

Solid but not spectacular, Magill posted league average strikeout and walk rates while scoring a 4.33 ERA and 3.93 FIP.

I observed that his stuff took an uptick last year, following through on his projectability, moving from 87-89 up to 89-91 or so. I was hoping that the progress continued, but his stuff stalled a bit, and if he doesn’t continue to develop, he could be in the same boat as Jon Michael Redding. Neither his slider nor change are knockout pitches against advanced bats, and with only an average fastball, I’m curious to see how he performs in 2012 if the Dodgers move him up to AA.

—–

Aaron Miller – 23 – LHP

Aaron Miller Statistics

Unfortunately, there’s not much to say here because he only threw 36 innings on the year (3.97 ERA/3.88 FIP) due to a groin injury.

That’s not the worst part though, as his stuff took yet another step backwards, going from 91-94 in college to 89-92 in 2010 to 87-90 in 2011. Due to injury? Perhaps, but it’s certainly not a positive.

He’s going to be 24 next year and he still doesn’t have a ton of experience on the mound, so he might be one of those late bloomers. However, he’ll have to actually stay healthy, regain his stuff of old, and show well in high-A at the minimum, if not moving up to AA.

—–

Ethan Martin – 22 – RHP

Ethan Martin Statistics

It’s never a good thing when a former first rounder has to move to the bullpen just to find the plate, but Martin found himself shifting roles in 2011, a sign the Dodgers don’t quite know what to do with him anymore.

In 95.3 innings between high-A and AA, Martin put up a 5.95 ERA and 4.75 FIP. The stuff is still there, the 23.5% strikeout rate shows that, but the problem remains his terrible 14.9% walk rate, which the Dodgers coaches can’t seem to solve.

Will he try starting again in 2012 or will the Dodgers convert him to relief? I’m not sure which they choose, but finding a role won’t matter if he can’t find his release point.

—–

Steven Ames – 23 – RHP

Steven Ames Statistics

Put up a 1.17 ERA and 0.59 FIP in high-A before moving up to AA and still doing work with a 2.48 ERA and 2.53 FIP. Given those numbers, it shouldn’t surprise that he had a 34.8% strikeout rate and a 6.6% walk rate between levels.

His velocity took a tick upwards from what I had last year when he sat around 89-91, as he was generally around 91-93 this year. His secondary pitches are a slider and a change, but both suffer due to his tendency to fly out with his lead shoulder. The slider is his strikeout pitch but it has inconsistent sharpness. He doesn’t use his change in the game often, but it flashes solid fading movement.

I expected him to have more dominating stuff after looking at the numbers, but he has solid command and isn’t afraid of mixing sequences. Should be interesting to see where the Dodgers put him to begin 2012, as he could be at AAA to start the year and a candidate for the Dodgers squad if he gets off the mark quickly.

—–

Chris Reed – 21 – LHP

Chris Reed Statistics

Reed only threw seven innings as a professional, so his performance isn’t worth noting. However, his stuff is enough to make him a good prospect alone, as he has a low-90s fastball, a slider, and a change for three legitimate pitches.

The Dodgers seem confident that his stuff will translate to his new role as a starter after being a closer in college, but it’s no sure thing. Needless to say, he’ll be one to monitor closely as 2012 progresses, and his immediate results probably won’t be as important as how his stuff grades out.

—–

Javier Solano – 21 – RHP

Javier Solano Statistics

Solano’s ERA in high-A was a mediocre 4.09, but his FIP was 2.59 on the strength of a 23.8 K% and 4.8 BB%. He also proved his mettle in AA, putting up a 3.03 ERA and 3.23 FIP. However, his peripherals sunk to 19.7 K% and 11.7 BB%, not doing much to allay fears that his prospect potential was built on good statistics but a shaky foundation of tools.

From my view though, it’s hard to complain too much, and he at least deserves to be in the conversation with the rest of the relief prospects considering he held his own at AA at 21. Solano sits 89-92 with a solid breaking ball and controls the strike zone well, so it’s not as if he doesn’t have potential major league grade stuff either.

2012 will be a big year for him as far as proving his prospect status, as he’ll likely tackle AA.

—–

Carlos Frias – 21 – RHP

Carlos Frias Statistics

Once dubbed a sleeper prospect with the potential to breakthrough into the top 25 or even top 10, Frias posted a 6.19 ERA with a 7.45 FIP thanks to an unbelievably terrible 14.5 K% and 22.4 BB% ratio.

That’s two years of cringe worthy performances in a row with serious peripheral regression in 2011, so it’s going to take a good 2012 just to keep him relevant. Throwing in the mid-90s can only take one so far.

Clayton Kershaw

Was there anyone else to begin this review with? Just 23-years-old and consistently underrated and overlooked by the mainstream media entering 2011, Clayton Kershaw silenced all of his remaining critics with one of the best seasons for a pitcher in recent memory, Dodger or otherwise.

Consistent from start to finish, Clayton improved in every respect from his fantastic 2010. First and foremost, he cut a walk and a half off of his 2010 mark, and has seen a three-year improvement in that area of his game (4.79/3.57/2.08 BB per nine). He set career highs in tERA (2.52), FIP (2.47), and SIERA (2.81); induced more ground balls than last season (40.1%/43.2%), while giving up less fly balls (42.1%/38.6%); and continued to master the craft of creating weak contact. With his already amazing ability to get hitters to swing and miss, Kershaw also generated more infield popups, in 13.3% of his opponents’ plate appearances to be exact. An infield popup serves the same purpose as a strikeout, as no runner who may be on-base will advance, and it does in fact speak to his skill at creating weak contact, a point that can’t be emphasized enough.

Kershaw, who has seen a four-year incline in his WAR (1.4/4.1/4.7/6.8), struck out 9.57 per nine innings pitched, and combined with his limiting of free passes, saw his K/BB ratio leap up to over four and a half and his WHIP reach a new low of 0.977. Keeping hitters off-balance with a four pitch repertoire that features a fastball, slider, change, and Public Enemy Number One, Clayton is in line to finish first or second in the Cy Young voting.

—

Considering that he’s young, has had tremendous success already, and captured the pitching Triple Crown in 2011 (two of which are meaningless categories, though that of course does not diminish his dominance this season), he’ll be in line for a lengthy raise as he hits arbitration for the first time.

With the season he just had, proving conclusively that he could control his walks and be a workhorse at the same time, as he made 33 starts and surpassed the 200 IP mark for the second consecutive season, the Dodgers would be wise to sign him long-term. They would have been wise to do that prior to this campaign, of course, but better late than never.

Chad Billingsley

Chad Billingsley entered 2011 on the heels of his best season as a pro, one in which he posted a career best 3.18 tERA and a FIP of 3.08, another professional low for the righty. He had washed away the complaints of many that he lacked the intestinal fortitude and mental stability to pitch successfully, deep into games, and in high-pressure situations (though, of course, we know that those claims never carried any water to begin with). His performance earned him a new multi-year, big money contract, and the Dodgers entered the season with one of the premier one-two punches on the mound in either league.

Unfortunately for Chad and the Dodgers, 2011 proved to not be another step forward for Chad. His numbers fell across the board, as he missed fewer bats, allowed more free passes, and saw his home run rate nearly double as his BABIP remained steady with his 2010 mark. While there were undoubtedly games where he was singled to death, as it was put by one Dodger blogger, Bills simply did not perform as well as he is clearly capable of. His tERA, FIP, and SIERA all increased from their 2010 resting places (4.18, 3.83, and 4.26 in 2011, respectively), but most troubling of all were his strikeout and walk ratios. He whiffed a full season low 7.28 opposing batters per nine while walking a full season high of over four per nine.

Bills struggles resulted in a WAR cut in half from the previous year (2.1, down from 4.5) and questions about his mechanics and health. Still shy of his 28th birthday, Billingsley has every chance to rebound, and much like his poor second half of 2009 led to his best professional season, said rebound in 2012 would not be the least surprising to me. In fact, I’ll call it right now, as I fully expect Chad to be productive as Kershaw’s running mate next season, provided he is in fact healthy.

Hiroki Kuroda

Hiroki Kuroda, in perhaps his final season as a Dodger, was once again solid, though he followed Billingsley in having a down year from 2010. His WAR fell from 4.1 to 2.4, his K/9 IP dipped down to 7.17, and he allowed a whopping 24 long balls in over 200 IP.

Again though, at the progressing age of 36 and as a third starter, Hiroki was not the issue. His 4.22 tERA left much to be desired, but his FIP was 3.78 and his SIERA checked in at 3.66, and as always, his control was impeccable (2.18 BB per nine, and a K/BB ratio of over three and a quarter). 13.1% of plate appearances ended in an infield popup, though he induced far fewer ground balls than in 2010 (51.1%/43.2%).

Should this in fact be his last season in Los Angeles, Kuroda departs with a career FIP of 3.55, over three strikeouts for every walk issued, and 12.2 WAR over four seasons. All in all, a very good big league career for the Japanese import, and Kuroda’s consistency will be missed.

Ted Lilly

After coming over from Chicago at the deadline in 2010, Ted Lilly was signed to a ridiculous three year, $33 million dollar deal by Ned Colletti to be a fourth starter. And quite predictably, he flopped in a major way for most of the season. Competing with Matt Kemp to be the second Dodger to go 30/30 in 2011, Lilly couldn’t help himself in allowing home runs and stolen bases at a seemingly record pace. The lefty threw just under 200 innings and allowed 28 home runs and 35 stolen bases, with 4.24 tERA and a FIP of 4.21.

The 35-year-old did end strong, holding opponents to a .169/.250/.293/.543 line over the final two months of the season (though it should be noted he benefited immensely from a .208 BABIP).

Dodger fans have to hope and pray he can be half the man he was from August on, as he still has two years and $22.5 million remaining on his contract, will most likely be the third starter in 2012, and has a full no-trade clause for this upcoming campaign.

Rubby De La Rosa/Nathan Eovaldi

Rubby De La Rosa made his major league debut on May 24th, and would throw 60 and two-thirds innings over 10 starts and three relief appearances before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. The young righty was impressive in his limited exposure, whiffing 60 against 31 walks and displaying a nice collection of four pitches. Out for anywhere from 10 months to over a year, the Dodgers will be without his electric arm as he works his way back to the starting rotation.

With some major league experience and success, excellent swing and miss ability, and a strong minor league track record, if he rebounds from the arm injury, the Dodgers have a potential gem and fixture in the rotation for years to come, as he held opponents to a .225/.306/.364/.670 line with 33 Ks in 35 IP over his final six trips to the hill.

—–

Nathan Eovaldi replaced De La Rosa in the rotation before being moved to the pen as the season wound down and he reached his innings cap. Eovaldi posted a 4.35 FIP, but struck out just under six per nine while walking just over five per nine. Whether he settles into the rotation or the pen, Nate will need to refine his control and bump his strikeout numbers back up to what they were at a handful of minor league stops, including an 8.65 mark in AA prior to his call-up.

Minor League Strength

The starting rotation is a definite organizational strength for the Blue Crew. Along with young arms we’ve seen, like De La Rosa and Eovaldi, the Dodgers also boast minor league stud Zach Lee, as well as Garrett Gould, Allen Webster, Ralston Cash, 2011 draftee Chris Reed, and even the consistently frustrating Chris Withrow.

The Dodgers have shown the ability to draft and develop starters in abundance, an excellent quality and a testament to the work of Logan White, De Jon Watson, and their respective staffs.