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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mexican Winter League

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

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mexican Winter League

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

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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.

Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Gorman Erickson, Steven Rodriguez, Red Patterson, Rafael Ynoa, and Eric Eadington have been named to the roster of the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League, according to the Dodgers official site.

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Yasiel Puig, the much hyped outfielder signed out of Cuba, has a .372/.462/.667/1.128 combined line from Rookie and High A ball. Given that he’s already being paid like an MLB starting outfielder, scouts will want to see him tested against the advanced pitching of the AFL, and he’ll likely be closely scrutinized by everybody.

Outfielder Joc Pederson is having a breakout year at High A. He was my top positional prospect in rankings before the season, but I didn’t expect the power to come this soon. It’s the California League, yes, but a .315/.396/.517/.913 line as a 20-year-old is still impressive.

Gorman Erickson, a catcher, is having a rough go of it at AA this year. I liked his patience/power potential at a premium position, but while the patience has maintained, his power has disappeared. He has a .236/.349/.333/.683 line on the year and will look to right himself in the AFL.

Steven Rodriguez, the 2012 second-round pick, is already making a hell of a splash. Between A and AA levels, he has a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings with 31 strikeouts and 6 walks as a 21-year-old lefty reliever. He could help the Dodgers and soon.

Pitcher Red Patterson has been a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen for a 2010 late-round pick, and he’s putting up a 3.03 ERA in 68.1 innings with 68 strikeouts and 30 walks at AA. Yet another bullpen arm with the potential to help sooner than later, especially since he’s already 25.

I’ve been following Rafael Ynoa’s progress ever since his time in the Dominican Summer League, and while I’ve always loved his on-base skills, I never thought he would be able to get it done against advanced pitching. Yet he has produced a .280/.364/.351/.715 line at AA. Still probably not an MLB caliber player, but maybe organizational depth or a utility role.

Eric Eadington went undrafted in 2011 and he’s going to the AFL in 2012, which says a lot about the work he’s done so far. Yes, he’s already in his age 24 season, but he’s already passed so many other prospects, especially with his performance outside of Rookie-ball. Between A, A+, and AA this year, he has posted a 3.44 ERA in 65.1 innings with 75 strikeouts and 19 walks. After struggling a bit at AA, he’ll look to prove he’s somebody to watch for the Dodgers bullpen.

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The primary draws for Dodgers fans will obviously be Puig and Pederson, but I’m very interested to see Rodriguez against AFL competition and whether Erickson can right himself.

It was a down week for some of the Dodgers minor league affiliates. The Chattanooga Lookouts and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes both had 2-4 weeks. The Great Lakes Loons checked in with the best record at 5-1. The Albuquerque Isotopes had an abbreviated week due to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game.

The Loons and Ogden Raptors scored the most runs this week at 41. The ‘Topes allowed just seven, but did so in just three games.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (2-1)

Runs Scored: 16
Runs Allowed: 7

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – 2B & Brian Cavazos-Galvez – OF

It was a short week for the Isotopes, hence the split award. Castellanos went 4-for-9 (.444) with four walks and two runs scored. Cavazos-Galvez went 6-for-9 (.667) with a home run, double, four RBI, and two runs scored. They’re the two most consistent hitters for the ‘Topes right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Fernando Nieve – RHP

I don’t like giving this to a 30-year-old in Triple-A, but it was a short week. Nieve did have a solid outing: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. He hasn’t fared well on the season, though: 6.08 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, and a ridiculous 105 hits allowed in 74 innings.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Runs Scored: 18
Runs Allowed: 25

Player Of The Week

Gorman Erickson – C

After the season Erickson’s had, I doubted he’d ever make this list. But it was a slow week in Chattanooga and his performance takes the cake: 6-for-13 (.462) with three doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored. With the “big” week, he’s posting just a .232/.335/.316 triple slash on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

This is Magill’s third honor and also his third time being named Southern League Pitcher Of The Week. He had a great outing on Wednesday: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K. After a horrid June, it’s nice to see him getting back on track.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-4)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 31

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

Pederson finally makes his first appearance on the list, taking home this week’s award. He went 6-for-21 (.286) with a home run, a double, three RBI, four walks, and three stolen bases. It wasn’t the best week he’s had, but it was good enough this week for Rancho. His .815 OPS is impressive for a 20-year-old in A-ball, even if it’s in the California League.

Pitcher Of The Week

Andres Santiago – RHP

I wonder if it’s about time we start talking about Santiago as a legitimate prospect? Yes, he is repeating the league, but despite his unpolished ERA, he’s pitching better this time around than last. He had a good game on Saturday: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. On the season, he has a 10.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 (down from 3.5 last season), and a 3.23 FIP. This was his third award of the season.

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Great Lakes Loons (5-1)

Runs Scored: 41
Runs Allowed: 30

Player Of The Week

Darnell Sweeney – SS

Sweeney gets the nod instead of James Baldwin because he’s putting up fantastic numbers as a 2012 draftee (a college draftee, but still). The 13th-round pick went 9-for-22 (.409) with a double, triple, three RBI, six runs scored, six walks, and three stolen bases. He’s stepped right in to be the Loons’ leadoff man and sparkplug at the top of the lineup.

Pitcher Of The Week

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

Another 2012 draftee, Von Schamann made two starts this week and was effective in both: 11 2/3 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He’s obviously not a big strikeout pitcher (11 in 24 1/3 minor league innings), but he knows how to get outs, and his 1.82 GO/AO rate is impressive. This is his second honor of the season.

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Ogden Raptors (3-3)

Runs Scored: 41
Runs Allowed: 38

Player Of The Week

Jeremy Rathjen – OF

The 2012 11th-round pick had himself quite a week and seems to be settling in nicely with the Raptors: 13-for-27 (.481) with two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and three stolen bases. The lanky outfielder has drawn comparisons to Corey Hart, and if he keeps hitting like this, he should see Great Lakes before the season is out.

Pitcher Of The Week

Carlos Frias – RHP

Frias, who’s a bit old for the league at 22, had the best week of any Raptors pitcher: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. On the season, Frias owns a 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, and a 2.67 FIP. Nice numbers, but not great for a guy repeating the level.

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Arizona League Dodgers (2-2)

Runs Scored: 21
Runs Allowed: 12

Player Of The Week

Bladimir Franco – 3B

Franco, a 21-year-old third baseman, led the charge in an abbreviated week for the AZL Dodgers by going 7-for-18 (.389) with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI, and three runs scored. This is his third stint in the AZL, and he’s struggled in his other two seasons. His six home runs lead the team and is one better than his home run total from the last two seasons … combined.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez claims his third award of the young AZL season by beating out Victor Araujo. Martinez had a nice outing on Friday: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. The young righty has a 1.90 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, a .250 BAA, and is striking out nearly a batter per inning. He, along with Miguel Sulbaran, are quite the 1-2 punch in Arizona.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (4-1)

Runs Scored: 21
Runs Allowed: 14

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

Santana is taking after Josmar Cordero, as he won his second consecutive POTW award by edging out Geison Nunez. He went 8-for-17 (.471) with a home runs, a double, two triples, five RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases. The small second baseman is at .306/.386/.521 on the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Wander Beras – LHP

I really wanted to give this to Jose Agusto Diaz (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K), but it was hard to overlook Beras’ performance: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K. He’s thrown well in the Dominican Summer League, but he is 23 and isn’t really a prospect to get excited about.

To answer the headline, I’m guessing because he’s a 24-year-old in High-A. But his 1.130 OPS is sure to raise some eyebrows — mine included.

After his 4-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI performance on Friday night, Michael Pericht is attempting to make a name for himself in the Dodgers system. It was his second multi-home run game of the season (May 3rd), and he also hit a home run on Saturday night, giving him nine on the season.

My top two Dodger catching prospects coming into the season — Gorman Erickson (Double-A) and Pratt Maynard (Low-A) — have underperformed thus far, and admittedly, I hadn’t given Pericht much consideration as a prospect coming into the season. Now though, while he isn’t ready to leap those two in my rankings by any means (nor may he ever), his power potential as a catcher is awfully intriguing.

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Pericht has been playing behind Christopher O’Brien with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes this season, but that could change if he keeps hitting.

Helping his cause, Pericht is posting reverse splits this season, and is playing more against righties.

• Vs. RHP: .343/.418/.771 (!), 8 HR
• Vs. LHP: .304/.385/.565, 1 HR (23 AB)

So, that’s encouraging. However, his 31.4 percent strikeout rate is a bit alarming. He’s shown the ability to get on base (if only a little) in the past, and has an 8.6 percent walk rate this season. He’ll need to improve in both those areas as he either gets more playing time in Rancho or moves up to Double-A.

His defense isn’t much to write about, so I won’t. I will say that his caught stealing percentage is 29% for his career — not great, but not Todd Hundley-esque, either. Of course, that could go down as he moves up.

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I’m not ready to declare Pericht the next great Dodger prospect or anything, but the power potential is there, as one would expect out of a 6’5″, 235-pounder.

At the very least, he’s someone to keep an eye on for the rest of the season, and it’d be nice to see him get some extended playing time to see if there’s anything there other than a guy who mashes against younger competition. For that to happen, however, some roster moves would probably have to be made (Austin Gallagher and one other player promoted to make room for O’Koyea Dickson and Pericht in the starting lineup) — moves that might not be made anytime soon.

The Dodgers won’t know for certain the extent of Ivan De Jesus’ oblique injury until an MRI is taken Monday, but manager Don Mattingly conceded any playing time missed greatly hampers an already-longshot bid for an Opening Day roster spot.

“It’s hard to compete when you can’t be out there,” said Mattingly. “With this type of injury, there’s not a lot you can do. If you lose eight to 10 days, how many days does it take just to get your timing back? Not a good time to get hurt. You could see it on his face last night. These guys know it hurts your chance.”

Hopefully it’s just a mild strain, but they don’t sound that optimistic.

In better news, Matt Guerrier sounds like he might be ready to go by the start of the season.

Mattingly had better news on reliever Matt Guerrier, who has been out a week with lower back pain. He said the right-hander has continued to improve and plans to throw off a mound Monday. If that goes well, he could face hitters in a simulated game Wednesday and might be game-ready by next weekend.

I’m starting to wonder if it might be better just to put him on the disabled list to start the season and take it slow.

The bullpen is very deep this year, so he would just be a middle reliever with this group anyway. Plus, the team would get extra time to evaluate a camp arm in actual games.

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Eight more players were cut from the Dodgers today, seven of whom were reassigned and one who was released.

The Dodgers made their second round of player cuts on Sunday, moving four pitchers and four position players out of the Major League clubhouse.

Left-handed pitcher Alberto Castillo was released. Reassigned to Minor League camp were these non-roster invitees: pitchers Ryan Tucker, Matt Chico and Will Savage; catchers Gorman Erickson and Matt Wallach; and infielders Lance Zawadzki and Jeff Baisley.

I actually wanted to see more of Gorman Erickson, but as with the last time, no real surprises.

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.

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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
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Pitchers

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

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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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Angelo Songco – OF -22

Angelo Songco Statistics

Songco was probably the Quakes best offensive player, putting up a monster .311/.366/.579/.945 line with 29 bombs. Most impressively, his strikeout rate was only 20.6%, which was about in line with league average despite his huge power. Of concern is his walk rate though, which at 7.1% was below league average (8.9%) despite hitting the snot out of everything.

Another primary concern statistically is his platoon split, as he hits .334/.395/.621/1.016 against righties and .255/.292/.478/.770 against lefties. He’s on the correct side of that platoon, but since his value lies in his bat, it’s something worth worrying about. On the upside, his power generally remains regardless of handedness.

Speculation is that he might have problems with contact against advanced pitching, but I see little evidence that it’ll be the main issue. He does have an uppercut type of swing that produces a lot of fly balls, but he shows the coordination to consistently put bat to ball. If there’s any worry from me, it’s that he might not even be good enough defensively to stick at a corner, as he split time between left field/first base/designated hitter in 2011. If that ends up being the case, while his bat is good, it might not be that good.

Regardless, Songco is certainly an outfielder to watch in 2012 while going against advanced competition in AA.

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Blake Smith – OF -23

Blake Smith Statistics

Smith hit .294/.359/.539/.898 with 16 homers for the Quakes, once again proving that he can hit, even if the level of competition is a year or two younger than he is. At 25.2% and 9.7%, his strikeout and walk rates were solid but not spectacular. On the upside, he’s a true right fielder, with enough athleticism to stick, and a right arm that actually made me prefer him as a pitcher, because he can unleash the dragon almost as well as Rex Grossman.

I would have liked to have seem him get a taste of AA last year, but a hernia probably threw a wrench into that path. Regardless, he’ll be in AA in 2012, and there will rightfully be pressure on him to perform immediately if he wants to prove himself to be a MLB regular since he’s already 24.

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Jake Lemmerman – SS – 22

Jake Lemmerman Statistics

Put up a solid .293/.379/.420/.799 line with the Quakes, featuring average contact ability and above average plate discipline. The performance earned him a promotion to AA, where he struggled, putting forth a .234/.318/.390/.708 effort while striking out a tad more and walking a tad less.

Lemmerman has a level stroke that results in a lot of ground balls, but he does have gap power. With the defensive tools to stick at short, despite shaky results there so far, if he can prove his bat is worthy against advanced pitching, he has a MLB future. Whether that’s as a regular or a utility guy is yet to be determined though.

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Gorman Erickson – C – 23

Gorman Erickson Statistics

Hitting .305/.408/.491/.899 as a catcher with outstanding strikeout (15.4%) and walk (15.0%) rates will get you promoted, and that’s exactly what happened to Erickson in 2011. He didn’t exactly slow down once in AA either, posting a .275/.329/.479/.808 line that was almost 70 points above the league average OPS despite a .281 BABIP. His peripherals did suffer in AA, as his walk rate dipped to 7.0%, though he struck out even less against advanced pitching (14.0%).

A switch hitting catcher who was known more as a catch-and-throw guy before 2011, I can only imagine that the Dodgers are chomping at the bit for him to succeed given the dearth of catching depth in the system. With a productive 2012, he could be on track to make his major league debut.

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Austin Gallagher – 22- 1B

Austin Gallagher Statistics

Completely written off by many (me included) after two poor, injury plagued seasons that saw him shift to first base, Gallagher put it together a bit in 2011, posting a .292/.386/.451/.837 line. Perhaps most impressive were his peripherals though, putting up a 15.3% strikeout rate (League Average=20.0%) and 13.5% walk rate (League Average=8.9%).

Because he started early, he’s not that old for the level either, but like Songco, he struggles against lefties (.630 OPS) and is limited defensively, so the bat doesn’t have to be just good, it has to be exceptional.