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.

Man, I’m never going two weeks between these posts again. Anyway, most of the Dodger minor-league affiliates were mediocre the last two weeks. The Ogden Raptors scored the most runs this week with 83, thanks to Jeremy Rathjen, Corey Seager and Eric Smith. They also gave up the most runs this week at 94.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (7-8)

Runs Scored: 81
Runs Allowed: 69

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jerry Sands – OF/1B
July 30: Jerry Sands – OF/1B

Sands has been one of the hottest hitters in the minor leagues for the past couple weeks. For the week of July 23, he went 12-for-34 (.353) with three home runs, 11 RBI, a double, and five runs scored. He earned the Pacific Coast League Player Of The Week, as Sands hit two grand slams in the second game of the July 29 doubleheader. For the week of July 30, he went 11-for-25 (.440) with three home runs, 10 RBI, and three runs scored. His hot hitting earned him a call-up to Los Angeles.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: John Ely – RHP
July 30:  Josh Wall – RHP

Ely had a couple solid outings for the Isotopes: 13 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K. He has a 3.42 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 9.2 K/9 on the season. Wall made three appearances last week and saved two games for the Isotopes: 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (7-6)

Runs Scored: 65
Runs Allowed: 54

Players Of The Week

July 23: Rafael Ynoa – 2B
July 30: J.T. Wise – 1B

Ynoa won his fourth award of the season, but his numbers were less than impressive: 5-for-20 (.250) with two doubles, two RBI, and seven walks. The Lookouts were one-hit twice and no-hit once in the week of July 23, so that accounts for the poor offensive week. Wise had a much better week: 10-for-23 (.435) with a home run, 10 RBI, three doubles, six runs scored, and seven walks.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Zach Lee – RHP
July 30: Matt Magill – RHP

Lee had a nice outing on July 27 to earn just his second award of the season: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K. He hasn’t fared well in Double-A thus far, but he is just 20 years old. Next season will be the true test of his prospect status. Magill had one of his best outings of the season despite giving up three runs: 7 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. This is Magill’s fourth honor of the year.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (6-6)

Runs Scored: 81
Runs Allowed: 75

Players Of The Week

July 23: Leon Landry – OF
July 30: Bobby Coyle – OF & Joc Pederson – OF

Landry had a fantastic week before being traded to Seattle with Logan Bawcom for Brandon League: 14-for-30 (.467) with two home runs, five (!) triples, a double, six RBI, and nine runs scored. That performance earned him California League Player Of The Week honors. He finishes his Quake career with a .328/.358/.559 triple slash with eight home runs, 51 RBI, 26 doubles, 15 triples, 63 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. The next week, Coyle and Pederson carried the Quakes offense. Coyle went 10-for-25 (.400), with a home run, double, triple, and four RBI. Pederson didn’t get many hits, but he walked a bunch: 5-for-20 (.250) with a home run, double, triple, five RBI, eight runs scored, nine walks, and three stolen bases.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Rubby De La Rosa – RHP
July 30: Andres Santiago – RHP

Well, well, well, Mr. De La Rosa, so nice to see you. De La Rosa made his season debut with the Quakes and showed no ill effects from his Tommy John surgery: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. He also had a fine performance in his second appearance, but it was cut short because of discomfort in his groin (thankfully it wasn’t his elbow). Santiago had a great outing for the Quakes — and it’d be his last at the level because he was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K. Santiago has taken the award four of the last five weeks and has won it five times overall this season.

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Great Lakes Loons (3-10)

Runs Scored: 58
Runs Allowed: 78

Players Of The Week

July 23: Pratt Maynard – C
July 30: O’Koyea Dickson – 1B/DH

Maynard, who started the season in a terrible slump, has picked it up of late. For the week of July 23, he went 6-for-20 (.300) with three doubles, two RBI, and three walks. Dickson has been mired in a slump for most of the second half, but he had a nice week: 8-for-26 (.308) with three home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Duke Von Schamann – RHP
July 30: Greg Wilborn – LHP

The Dodgers might have found themselves a gem in Von Schamann, who earns his third award of the season — all since being promoted to Great Lakes. He had his best outing of the season so far during the week of July 23: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. He doesn’t strike guys out, but he gets them out. He’ll have to miss more bats as he moves up the ladder, but it’s hard to argue with what he’s doing at the moment. Wilborn had a nice week for the Loons in the following period: 11 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 12 K. Wilborn has been all around the minors this season, and he’s not a prospect at this point.

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Ogden Raptors (7-6)

Runs Scored: 83
Runs Allowed: 94

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jeremy Rathjen – OF
July 30: Corey Seager – SS

Rathjen, who fell in the draft because of injury concerns, continues to mash for the Raptors. For the week of July 23, he went 10-for-21 (.476) with three RBI, seven runs scored, and eight walks. Seager hit his first professional home runs last week, as he went 8-for-24 (.333) with three home runs, nine RBI, five runs scored, and seven walks. Jesus Valdez (.346, four home runs) and Eric Smith (.455, 10 walks) were the runners-up.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Ross Stripling – RHP
July 30: Owen Jones – RHP

Stripling is having no problems with the Pioneer League, but the Dodgers are limiting his innings. He had a short but effective outing: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Jones, the Dodgers 19th-round draft pick in 2012, had a solid week coming out of the bullpen for the Raptors: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

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Arizona League Dodgers (3-6)

Runs Scored: 47
Runs Allowed: 54

Players Of The Week

July 23: Cory Embree – OF
July 30: Yasiel Puig – OF

Embree had a modest week for the AZL Dodgers: 5-for-12 (.417) with a double, four RBI, and three walks. Puig, making his professional debut, went 5-for-16 (.313) with two home runs, five RBI, two triples, and four runs scored.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Jonathan Martinez – RHP
July 30: Zachary Bird – RHP

Martinez had a fantastic outing on July 24: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. The 18-year-old is having a lot of success in the Arizona League and is someone to keep an eye on going forward. Bird, the Dodgers ninth-round pick this year, had the best outing of his young career: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-7)

Runs Scored: 48
Runs Allowed: 61

Players Of The Week

July 23: Jeffry Rojas – SS
July 30: Melvin Santana – 2B

Rojas only played three games, but he made them count by going 6-for-10 (.600) with a double and an RBI. Santana, making his fourth appearance on this list, went 6-for-17 (.353) with a home run, a double, four RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Pitchers Of The Week

July 23: Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP
July 30: Wascar Teodo – RHP

Diaz, 21, earned his first award of the season by throwing six quality innings on July 27: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. Teodo did just a little better than Diaz this past week: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. The 18-year-old is throwing well for the DSL Dodgers.

The Dodgers will be well represented in three different minor league All-Star games to be played later this month.

The only All-Stars yet to be announced are the AAA All-Stars because that game, like the MLB All-Star Game and Futures Game, will be played in July.

Here’s a breakdown by minor league level.

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Double-A (Southern League) – 7

RHP Steven Ames
3B Pedro Baez – Starter
RHP Matt Magill
RHP Ethan Martin
RHP Red Patterson
OF Blake Smith – Starter
C/1B J.T. Wise

Snubs: None

For a team with a losing record (32-36), the Chattanooga Lookouts boast more All-Stars than Rancho Cucamonga and Great Lakes combined. Baez and Smith will be starting (hitting seventh and eighth, respectively) for the North Division. Ames and Patterson were injury replacements, but they’ve been the two best relievers for the Lookouts this season (save Shawn Tolleson).

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High-A (California League) – 2

OF Leon Landry
3B C.J. Retherford

Snubs: Zach Lee, Scott McGough, Michael Pericht

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are riding a hot streak and are one game away from clinching the first-half division title and a playoff spot thanks in large part to Retherford and some good pitching. Landry was an injury replacement.

Despite his injury, Lee is having a fantastic season. His ERA (4.30) might not look great, but it’s better than league average and doesn’t tell the entire story. His peripherals alone should have gotten him into the game, and maybe he’ll make an appearance in Kansas City at the Futures Game. Pericht is limited by his lack of playing time, but he has better overall numbers than the backup catcher Raywilly Gomez (no BS, that’s his name). McGough has been good, but there are a lot of solid pitchers on the squad.

—–

Low-A (Midwest League) – 3

1B/DH O’Koyea Dickson
LHP Jarret Martin
OF/1B Joe Winker

Snubs: Ryan O’Sullivan

Despite missing 30 games, Dickson earns a spot on the team (as an injury replacement). He’s absolutely mashing for the Great Lakes Loons and should get a promotion soon after the midway point. Martin started off great but has scuffled a bit since the middle of May. Winker has also struggled of late, but O’Sullivan, on the other hand, has been pitching great and probably deserves a spot on the team.

On Wednesday, five members of the Chattanooga Lookouts were named to the Southern League All-Star team, according to a press release from the league.

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Southern League North Division All-Stars

Position Players: 1B/C J.T. Wise, 3B Pedro Baez, OF Blake Smith

Pitchers: RHP Matt Magill, RHP Ethan Martin

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I’ve written about Magill’s and Martin’s success this season, so their selections come as no surprise. Magill hasn’t pitched as well in his last couple outings, but he’s been solid this season overall. Martin got roughed up a little on Wednesday, but he’s still the ace of the staff.

Wise is leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage (16th in league), hits, doubles (2nd in league), walks, and OPS. Smith leads the team in home runs (10th in league), RBI (10th in league), runs scored (2nd in league), and slugging percentage. Both are tied for the team lead in total bases, good for 13th in the league.

Baez is the only surprise to me. He’s having an okay season (.245/.357/.380), but those numbers don’t scream “All-Star” to me. Third base in the Southern League must be as barren as it is in the Dodgers system.

Either way, it’s nice to see the guys get well-deserved recognition.

The All-Star Game will be held on June 19th at the Tennessee Smokies park in Kodak, Tennessee.

It was a mediocre week for three of the four Dodgers minor-league affiliates, but the Albuquerque Isotopes had smooth sailing. Elsewhere, O’Koyea Dickson has been on fire since making his season debut more than a week ago.

Albuquerque tied with Rancho Cucamonga in giving up the fewest runs, but the ‘Topes did it in seven games while the Quakes did it in six. However, the Quakes scored the most runs (44) while the Isotopes were second at 39.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (6-1)

Runs Scored: 39
Runs Allowed: 27

Player Of The Week

Luis Cruz – SS

Cruz, who isn’t a prospect, had a solid week for the ‘Topes, going 8-for-24 (.333) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and three runs scored. Cruz, who’s been the every day shortstop for the ‘Topes, has a .318/.341/.504 line on the season.

Cruz was one of the final players in camp this spring for the Dodgers and isn’t likely to see time in Los Angeles. However, injuries do happen, so I wouldn’t count out a Dodger debut just yet.

Pitcher Of The Week

Will Savage – RHP

Savage has been one of the best stories for the Isotopes on the mound. He’s 7-0 this season with a 3.40 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings. This week, he went 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA in 12 2/3 innings: 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, and 4 K. As you can see, the lack of strikeouts is bound to catch up to him — especially in Albuquerque. But, he’s been one of the Isotopes’ best starting pitchers thus far.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 33

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – SS

This one was close between Nunez and J.T. Wise, but I gave the nod to Nunez because he had more significant hits. He went 7-for-24 (.292) with two home runs, seven RBI, a double, and three runs scored. The 25-year-old has a team-leading 23 RBI on the season, but he’s hitting just .255/.312/.408 on the season. He’s not much of a prospect at this point.

Pitcher Of The Week

Javier Solano – RHP

I could have gone with Ethan Martin here (7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K), but I wanted to spread the love around a bit. So, I’m going with a guy who doesn’t get nearly enough credit in the Dodgers system in Solano. His line for the week is as follows: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 8 K. While he gives up too many hits for my liking, he still has a solid line on the season: 23 2/3 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and an impressive 24:4 K:BB ratio. The 22-year-old is not exactly atop the right-handed reliever depth chart, but efforts like he put in this week certainly help his case.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Leon Landry – CF

Now this is the Leon Landry I expected to see last season. Fresh off his disabled list stint on May 6th, Landry had himself quite a week: 12-for-27 (.444) with three triples, a double, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Landry was playing well before he suffered a concussion on April 15th, and he has picked up right where he left off, as he leads the Quakes with a 1.013 OPS. He’s obviously enjoying the friendly confines of the California League, but he does possess some really good skills (speed, defense, on-base ability).

Pitcher Of The Week

Garrett Gould – RHP

This one was a struggle, as no one for the Quakes had a particularly good week, a fact backed by the 40 runs the staff allowed in six games. Gould only threw once, but he was the best of the bunch: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 4 BB, 2 K. It was a solid outing runs-wise, but he had two more walks than strikeouts, and for a guy averaging 13.7 K/9 coming into the game, getting just two was a tad disappointing. He has a 4.91 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 3.23 FIP in 33 innings this season.

—–

Great Lakes Loons (3-4)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 27

Player Of The Week

O’Koyea Dickson – 1B/DH

Dickson joined the Loons on May 4th and has hit the ground running. This week, he posted some solid numbers: 8-for-22 (.364) with a home run, four doubles, two RBI, three runs scored, and three walks. On the season though, Dickson is at an even better .400/.486/.767, thanks in large part to seven of his 12 hits going for extra bases.

He could see some time in Rancho Cucamonga if he keeps up his torrid pace.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ryan O’Sullivan – RHP

Last year’s fourth-round pick, O’Sullivan made one start this week and fared quite well: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB, 1 K. The lack of strikeouts isn’t great, but if the 21-year-old is getting the job done, who am I to complain?

It was O’Sullivan’s second start of the season. Overall, he has a 2.52 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.24 FIP, and a 6.5 H/9. So far, so good.

When Brian Cavazos-Galvez put up a .971 OPS with Ogden in 2009, there was some hope for the 12th-round selection. As a 22-year-old, he was a lot older than his competition, but as far as debut seasons go, it was satisfactory.

He then moved up to Great Lakes the next season and posted an .863 OPS, which got some folks to take notice. In fact, I ranked him as the Dodgers 17th-best prospect heading into 2011.

Unfortunately, Cavazos-Galvez jumped to Chattanooga last year and was exposed, posting a .781 OPS and not walking at all.

So when he started this season 4-for-27 (.148), no one was especially surprised. Then he busted out, smashing two home runs while going 4-for-5 on April 14th, and his OPS proceeded to more than double (from .405 to .833). Matching the pattern of consistent inconsistency, he was then mired in a 1-for-27 slump before busting out again with a 3-for-6, two home run performance. If the pattern keeps up, he’ll probably hit another two home runs in a couple of weeks.

Still, despite flashes of hope, his inability to draw walks is alarming.

• 2009: 3.0% (301 AB)
• 2010: 2.4% (490 AB)
• 2011: 2.9% (411 AB)
• 2012: 7.7% (65 AB)

In all honesty, he probably shouldn’t be getting as much playing time as he is with the Lookouts, but Kyle Russell is on the disabled list and the squad doesn’t have a legitimate full-time first baseman, though J.T. Wise is slowly taking hold of that role.

So the bottom line is that Cavazos-Galvez, who is now 24 (25 in May), isn’t much of a prospect. Despite flashes of brilliance that have some hoping he can be a contributor, he doesn’t have any defensive value, doesn’t steal bases anymore (43 in 2010, 18 total since), and hasn’t ever shown the ability to take a walk. It’s not a combination that usually leads to a productive baseball player.

We’re now two weeks into the minor league season and there are some Dodgers down on the farm who have gotten off on the right foot.

I’ll be focusing on offense here because there isn’t a lot to analyze in regards to pitchers since most of them have either only made a couple starts or have pitched less than five innings in relief.

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Triple-A

This one was tough. It could either be Alex Castellanos or Scott Van Slyke. Both are off to equally fast starts, so I’m just going to chose both.

Castellanos (.333/.444/.556) is playing mostly second base for the Isotopes, and despite the rarefied air in the Pacific Coast League, one thing that has jumped out regarding Castellanos’ quick start: he’s walking.

Coming into the season, Castellanos had a career 7.2 percent walk rate and a 25.9 percent strikeout rate — and that includes his improved walk rate after being acquired by the Dodgers in July. This season, he’s walking at a 17.8 percent clip. He’s probably not going to be able to keep it that high, but it’s an encouraging step in the right direction.

Van Slyke hit home runs in three of his first four games this season and is primed for a big season in Triple-A — that is, until he gets the call to the majors.

Van Slyke (.381/.469/.690) is leading the team in all three triple-slash categories (batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage). But the most impressive stat might be the fact he’s only struck out two times this season (in 42 at-bats).

Van Slyke struck out 100 times in 457 at-bats (21.9 percent) with the Lookouts last season. That’s not a terrible rate, but it could stand to be better. Now, he’s not going to strike out just 4.8 percent of the time this season, but like Castellanos’ improved walk rate, Van Slyke’s decreased strikeout rate is encouraging. Oh, and so are the home runs.

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Double-A

While Kyle Russell‘s 1.025 OPS is impressive, he’s repeating Double-A as a 25-year-old. So, I’m going with J.T. Wise, who is the same age (25 days older) and is in Double-A for the first time.

Wise (.344/.432/.563), playing predominantly first base for the Lookouts, just continues to mash everywhere he goes. His career minor league OPS is .900, and despite always being a little too old for his competition, the first baseman-catcher can put the bat on the ball. His walk rate has increased three consecutive seasons, but so has his strikeout rate, so that’s something to keep an eye on.

The Dodgers are wafer-thin with quality bats in the minors, and if Wise proves he can handle Double-A pitching, a midseason promotion to Triple-A isn’t out of the question. Then again, let’s see where he is in a month or so.

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High-A

Leon Landry was one of the guys who I said had the most to gain this season, despite a down year in Great Lakes. So far, he’s taking full advantage of California League pitching.

Landry (.318/.362/.545) leads the Quakes in most offensive categories — total bases (23), home runs (two), runs (eight), doubles (four), and stolen bases (six). His numbers could be a product of the environment, but he’s the best offensive prospect on the Quakes’ roster anyway.

He’s split time between left and center field, but he’s one of the best defensive outfielders in the Dodgers system and should see a majority of the time in center, despite his poor throwing arm.

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Low-A

Jesus Alberto Arredondo — get used to that name, especially if the guy is going to continue to get on base 47 percent of the time.

Arredondo (.400/.471/.567) was signed out of Mexico, is in his first professional season, and he’s already making a great pitchers league look easy. He’s listed as a shortstop, but he’s been playing second base and just turned 21 in February. Maybe he’s the offensive version of Angel Sanchez, who burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old in the Midwest League last year.