Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers
Arizona League Dodgers: Hitters

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Besides the fact that Raptors actually had feathers, is it just me or is the logo creepy as hell?

Anyway, I’ll continue my off-season recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates today, moving on to the pitchers of the Ogden Raptors.

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

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Ryan O’Sullivan – RHP – 20

Ryan O’ Sullivan Statistics

A fourth round pick of the Dodgers in the 2011 Draft out of Oklahoma City University, Ryan O’Sullivan only ended up at the school because of academic problems that forced him to transfer from San Diego State. Additionally, he missed essentially all of 2010 at San Diego State with an elbow injury.

In his professional debut, he posted a 6.48 ERA over 8.1 IP with 6 walks and 5 strikeouts, statistics that won’t turn any heads, but it’s his stuff that’s worth mentioning. Since high school, he has put on 15-20 pounds and upped his velocity from 88-90 to 91-93 and tuned his high-70s slurve to a low-80s power curve.

With the layoff, I’m unsure of his future as a starter, especially since he essentially missed two years of competition, but the potential seems to be there. Given that he missed all of 2010 and then showed up in 2011 academically ineligible, I would have to say that’s a concern as well.

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Yimi Garcia – RHP – 20

Yimi Garcia Statistics

In 52.1 IP for Ogden in 2011, primarily out of the bullpen, Yimi Garcia struck out 71 batters and walked just 19 for a K% of 31.8 and a BB% of 8.5. Better yet, his 3.10 ERA is actually an understatement of his performance, as his FIP sat at 2.68.

I assume he moves a level in 2012, earning a real test at full season ball.

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Brandon Martinez – RHP – 20

Brandon Martinez Statistics

After two tough years in the Arizona League (ERA=9.86/5.25), Brandon Martinez seemed to take a step forward in 2011, posting a 4.07 ERA in Ogden. However, he did walk 13.4% of the batters he faced while striking out only 17.7%, both of which were about 5% worse than the league average. His FIP of 4.57 was .59 worse than league average as well, so it’s far too early to call this any type of actual progression in performance.

Of course, the upside with him is that he sits in the low-90s with three pitches and has projectability to his fastball. I still don’t like his footwork at footstrike, where he basically works against himself by straightening his front leg instead of driving through the pitch. If he could correct that, I think his balance gets better as well, and he would see better control and additional velocity.

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Gustavo Gomez – RHP – 20

Gustavo Gomez Statistics

After struggling in full season A-ball to begin the year, Gustavo Gomez found immediate success in Ogden, winning June’s Dodger Pride Award.

Unfortunately, he faded shortly after, posting a 4.87 ERA and a 4.58 FIP for 2011. The upside is that he struck out 28.8% of the batters he faced, though he struggled with command, walking 12.8%.

Gomez certainly has the arm to do better, touching 94 and sitting in the low-90s, but like with most hard throwers, his ultimate success and role will depend on the development of his secondary pitches and his command.

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Derek Cone – RHP – 21

Derek Cone Statistics

Pitching in the Arizona League, Pioneer League, and Midwest League in 2011, Derek Cone was rather average at all levels (4.50/5.03/5.68). Spending most of his time in Rookie-ball, he managed to post a 4.34 FIP there due to striking out 27.0% of batters. His 10.9% walk rate will have to come down, but that might come with experience, especially given his frame.

At 6’5″ and lanky, there’s enough projectability to assume that his high-80s fastball will end up in the low-90s eventually.

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Raydel Sanchez – RHP – 21

Raydel Sanchez Statistics

Raydel Sanchez defected from Cuba in 2008 during a tournament in Canada and the Dodgers signed him for $125,000 in 2011.

Sanchez was impressive in his professional debut, leading Ogden in innings pitched (75.3), striking out 22.8% of batters, and walking a miniscule 4.7%. The 4.66 ERA doesn’t look impressive, but the 3.81 FIP is a better reflection of his performance.

He’s not exactly young, so I’m guessing the Dodgers will move him to full season ball on the strength of his 2011.

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Matt Shelton – RHP – 22

Matt Shelton Statistics

The 2011 24th round draft pick out of Sam Houston State made a solid professional debut. In 26.1 IP in relief, Shelton posted a 2.05 ERA and a 3.01 FIP. He struck out 26.5% of batters he faced and walked 7.1%, both well clear of the league average. Perhaps one of the better signs though is his 51.5% ground ball rate.

Shelton did what he was supposed to do as a college pitcher in Rookie-ball and set himself up as a player to watch as he moves to full season ball in 2012.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers

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There’s no Arizona League picture of suitable size, so you’re stuck with what’s actually a better alternative.

Anyway, today I continue my off-season recap of the minor league affiliates, moving on to the hitters of the Arizona League Dodgers after the pitchers were tackled last time around.

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

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Chris O’Brien – C – 21

Chris O’Brien Statistics

The switch hitting catcher rode his breakout .410/.495/.643/1.138 season in 2011 for Wichita State to an 18th round draft selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Assigned to the Arizona League, he didn’t slow down much as a professional, hitting .291/.356/.470/.826 with a 29/16 K/BB ratio.

There were questions about his defense going into the draft, and he did end up playing DH 18 times out of the 41 games he started in the AZL. In the 23 games he did play catcher, he threw out a respectable 34% of runners, but made 3 errors and allowed 6 passed balls, which basically backs the scouting reports.

O’Brien will be promoted because of his skills at the plate, perhaps as far as A-ball, but his work behind the plate will ultimately determine his future.

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Devin Shines – OF – 22

Devin Shines Statistics

A 38th round pick in 2011 out of Oklahoma State, the center fielder hit .319/.401/.463/.864 in his professional debut, including 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts. He wasn’t free of pop either, as he totaled 14 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs in his 243 plate appearances.

Shines will need to continue to impress in full season ball next year if he’s to make an impact on the Dodgers.

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Joe Winker – OF – 21

Joe Winker Statistics

The 2011 28th rounder out of Mercer University took the AZL by storm, putting up a .348/.416/.591/1.007 line over 192 plate appearances. Certainly an impressive professional debut, especially considering that his walk rate was solid (10.5%) and his strikeout rate was reasonable (18.8%). An especially hot June led to him receiving the month’s Dodger Pride Award.

I suppose his .452 BABIP is a cause for concern compared to the league average of .342, but it was at least partially deserved, as he hit 21.2% line drives compared to the league average of 14.0%.

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Alex Santana – 3B – 17

Alex Santana Statistics

A 2nd round draft pick in 2011, the 17-year-old Santana was the 11th youngest player in the AZL. Age is important context when considering his .238/.298/.339/.636 line, which wasn’t even the worst part about his statistics, as he put up a 30.2% strikeout rate in 202 plate appearances.

The scouting reports are what give reason for optimism, as Baseball America already has him as solid defensively, and most seem to believe he’ll develop good power as he matures. Every single report stresses the fact that he’s still raw, so patience will be the name of the game here.

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J.J. Ethel – C – 22

J.J. Ethel Statistics

Taken in the 49th round of the 2011 draft out of Louisville, Ethel spent most of his professional debut backing up O’Brien. When he did get his chances though, he made the most of them, posting a .303/.378/.515/.893 line in a mere 37 plate appearances.

He’s not likely to even be a relevant prospect, much less make an impact in the majors, but he has a balanced and quiet approach at the plate to go with a level swing. If he could involve his lower half better and not be so arm dominant, I think it would improve his chances as he moves levels.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters

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There’s no Arizona League picture of suitable size, so you’re stuck with what’s actually a better alternative.

Anyway, today I continue my off-season recap of the minor league affiliates, moving on to the pitchers of the Arizona League Dodgers.

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

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Jose Dominguez – RHP – 20

Jose Dominguez Statistics

After three years in the Dominican Summer League, he finally got his shot in America and thrived, posting a 3.50 ERA, 3.57 FIP, and 3.36 SIERA in 10 starts and 43.2 IP. In particular, his hot June earned him the month’s Dodger Pride Award. At Rookie-ball in Ogden, he struggled in 3 starts, but it’s tough to read too much into that.

More importantly, his stuff seems to have improved as well, going from touching 89-90 to sitting a tad above that range. Additionally, his curve is progressing nicely, but he’ll still need a dependable third pitch as a starter and he’s not necessarily young for his level of competition.

Unfortunately, I can’t go without mentioning that he tested positive for Stanozolol and was suspended for 50 games back in 2009.

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Eric Eadington – LHP – 23

Eric Eadington Statistics

Eadington’s 2011 performance was excellent, as he posted a 1.59 ERA, 1.35 FIP, and 2.39 SIERA in 9 games of relief work over 11.1 IP. In 9 games and 10.1 IP in Ogden, he posted an even better 0.00 ERA, 1.55 FIP, and 1.92 SIERA.

The catch, of course, is that he was already 23, which is normally grounds for ignoring a performance like this, as somebody at his age should be dominating this level of competition. However, coming out of college from Harvard explains his age, and the words “lefty” and “reliever” combined with velocity from 90-93 will draw interest.

Eadington is solidly build and throws from a 3/4 arm slot. He has a repeatable delivery and solid mechanics, though I think he could hide the ball better if he completed his follow through. As a potential LOOGY, he stays closed longer than normal, so it’s deceptive from that side of the plate. To go along with his velocity, he has a curve that neutralizes lefties and he generally throws strikes.

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Matthew Laney – LHP – 22

Matthew Laney Statistics

For 24.1 IP in 12 games, Laney put up a 0.74 ERA, 2.46 FIP, and 3.43 SIERA, an impressive performance, but with the caveat that he’s 22 and old for the competition level.

As a lefty reliever though, there’s hope for him to move quickly, especially since his velocity has grown from 83-85 to 88-91 in college at Coastal Carolina. He has a curve and a change, but he’ll only need the former pitch in his projected role. For a big guy, his delivery is surprisingly coordinated and his control should hold up as he moves levels. I still think he’ll need to sit in the low-90s to have a legitimate shot.

He’s a rather large individual and he’ll need to work at maintaining his weight.

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Juan Noriega – RHP – 20

Juan Noriega Statistics

He weighs in at 145 and stands 5’7″, so even though I’ve never seen him pitch, I can’t say I’m all that optimistic about his prospects.

However, I’d be remissed if I didn’t mention his 2011 performance, which consisted of allowing 0 runs in 13 Arizona League innings and 4 innings in Ogden. Additionally, he struck out 27 and walked 2, so he was simply dominant.

What does it mean? Who knows, but it’s worth noting.

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Kazuya Takano – RHP – 18

Kazuya Takano Statistics

His 6.82 ERA was ugly, and his peripheral measurements were better but not by that much, as shown by his 5.06 FIP and 4.01 SIERA. However, he missed a good number of bats (17.5%) and showed control beyond his years (5.2%), but simply gave up far too many bombs to be effective. Throw in the fact that this is a teenager in unfamiliar surrounding with nobody from his background around, and it’s understandable that he might struggle initially.

Like most Japanese pitchers, he has about eleventy billion different pitches, but the significant ones are his 85-88 fastball and slow curve. I’m assuming he’ll be developed as a starter, in which case his third pitch will likely be the changeup with the split grip, unless the Dodgers puzzling aversion to the pitch opts to develop the slider/cutter that the system philosophy seems to prefer.

Unsurprisingly, he has solid mechanics with ideal timing, and his control is likely to be a strong point for him throughout his career. At 6’1″, there’s room for velocity upticks, which will be something to look out for going forward.

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Daniel Tamares – RHP – 21

Daniel Tamares Statistics

After 4 years in the Dominican Summer League, Tamares finally got his crack stateside and made the most of it, posting a 2.11 ERA, 1.65 FIP, and 1.91 SIERA.

Haven’t seen him, heard about him, or read about him, but just based on his peripherals, he seems ready to test the waters at Ogden as a reliever.