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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

—–

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.

The Dodgers have now signed 18 of the 41 players they selected in the 2012 MLB Draft. In addition to their names, information on the amount it took to sign them has come out.

Supplemental first rounder Jesmuel Valentin signed for slot at $984,700, while fifth rounder Ross Stripling was inked for well below slot ($228,900) at $130,000. Sixth rounder Joey Curletta settled for slot money at $171,600, but ninth rounder Zachary Bird got slightly more than slot ($126,100) at $140,000. Tenth rounder Zach Babitt saved the team a ton of money by signing for $2,500 (assuming that wasn’t a typo) because his slot number was $125,000.

Seventh round selection Theo Alexander signed as well, but details on the amount haven’t been released yet. If he signed for his slot number of $144,600, the Dodgers are $207,500 in the black as far as their bonus pool is concerned, which should allow them to put money towards going over slot on Corey Seager or (especially) Onelkis Garcia.

Others who signed include 11th rounder Jeremy Rathjen, 13th rounder Darnell Sweeney, 14th rounder Matt Reckling, 19th rounder Owen Jones, 23rd rounder Lindsey Caughel, 24th rounder Paul Hoenecke, 28th rounder Jake Hermsen, 29th rounder John Cannon, 34th rounder Jordan Hershiser, 35th rounder Austin Cowen, 37th rounder John Sgromolo, and 38th rounder Corey Embree.

The Dodgers agreed to terms with 11 of their selections from the 2012 MLB Draft.

The Dodgers announced the signings of 11 recent draftees, including supplemental pick shortstop Jesmuel Valentin, the 51st overall selection and the son of former Dodger Jose Valentin.

The recommended slot bonus for the 51st pick was $984,700. Valentin, from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, was committed to Louisiana State if he hadn’t signed.

Also signed and headed to Arizona for mini-camp: pitcher Thomas Stripling (fifth round); outfielder Theo Alexander (seventh round), who took batting practice with the big league club in Seattle on Saturday; outfielder Jeremy Rathjen (11th); shortstop Darnell Sweeney (13th); pitcher Matthew Reckling (14th); pitcher Jacob Hermsen (28th); catcher John Cannon (29th); pitcher Jordan Hershiser (34th); catcher Austin Cowen (35th); and outfielder Corey Embree (38th).

Nothing surprising there.

Should be interesting to see how much Corey Seager and Onelkis Garcia want and how long they’ll hold out for.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Jeremy Rathjen in the 11th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. A Senior playing the outfield from Rice University.

Ranked #229 by Baseball America.

Rathjen might have gone in the first five rounds last year had he not torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in mid-March. After redshirting and turning down the Yankees as a 41st-round pick, he has returned to show an all-around tools package similar to what he had before the injury. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound Rathjen does a nice job of making contact for someone with such long arms and a lengthy swing. That’s a tribute to his bat speed and hand-eye coordination, which give him average power. Rathjen’s speed hasn’t come quite all the way back, as its more solid than plus. He has moved from center to right field this season, more to accommodate teammate Michael Fuda’s well above-average speed and subpar arm. Rathjen has a chance to play center field in pro ball, and his average arm will work in right field. Scouts praise his makeup and believe he’ll be signable around the fifth round because he graduated in May.

A report from last year via Baseball Prospect Report.

I’ve had several looks at Rice outfielder Jeremy Rathjen playing for the Foresters, dating back to last season.

Now, Rathjen has an arm in right field, but I also missed it because the infield I saw in Thousand Oaks was about half-speed. I graded the arm a 45. I had guys tell me he threw better. I said that I can only grade what a guy gives me. I saw him at the All-Star game airmail a throw from right field into the third base stands. OK, now I get it. 60 conservatively. I just wish I had seen it when he thought nobody was watching.

In fairness, I can say he took something off the throw I saw for better accuracy. When you throw for scouts, they just want pure strength and don’t really care about the accuracy as much as they should. In the future, he’ll have to merge the arm strength with the accuracy, which he should be athletic enough to capture with some reps.

Physically, Rathjen is lean and lanky, and his body type is similar to Brewers outfielder Corey Hart. His offensive platform is that of a right-handed hitter who is predominantly a left-center field gap hitter when at his best. He gets some extension and will drive the ball, but he’s not what I would term a lift hitter. In the coming years, as he adds strength and physically matures, more of those gapers could become home runs, or he could be a very reliable doubles hitter with an above-average arm, serviceable range, solid average speed with probably a little more room to squeak a bit more out from time to time. At this stage, he is a very solid player with room for pro projection and will be a definite draft in 2011.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected James Campbell in the 12th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. A Junior right-handed pitcher out of the State University Of New York – Stony Brook.

I got no details to give.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Darnell Sweeney in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. A Junior shortstop out of the University Of Central Florida.

Ranked #337 by Baseball America.

Sweeney had a chance to go in the first three rounds with a good spring. An athletic 6-foot, 170-pounder, he just didn’t hit enough for most scouts to consider him in that range. He’s a plus runner with solid defensive tools, including a plus arm, but lacks consistency with his footwork, leading to careless errors. He should be able to play shortstop at least in a utility profile. He’s a switch-hitter who hasn’t developed enough strength to drive the ball with any regularity.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Matt Reckling in the 14th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. A Senior right-handed pitcher out of Rice University.

From MLB.com:

Reckling returned to Rice for his senior season after being taken in the 22nd round by the Indians in 2011. Still relatively new to pitching, he took another step forward in 2012, in terms of performance. He mostly uses a fastball in the low 90s and a curve that has the chance to be an out pitch. He has a changeup, but it’s not as good. That, along with just OK command has many thinking he’s best suited to a relief role in the future.

Ranked #179 by Baseball America.

Rice produced the first college senior drafted last year in lefthander Tony Cingrani, who went in the third round to the Reds. Reckling should be one of the first seniors to go this year, after turning down the Indians as a 22nd-round pick last summer. Scouts knew he’d be a tough sign because he’s a good student and he comes from a wealthy family–Rice’s stadium is named after his grandparents. Reckling didn’t start pitching until his final year of high school and wasn’t effective in college until the Owls eliminated the recoil in his delivery last year. He has won more games this year (eighth through mid-May) than he totaled in his first three seasons (seven) while averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder sits at 88-92 mph with his fastball as a starter, and he has jumped as high as 97 mph as a reliever. His spike curveball shows flashes of being a plus pitch, and most scouts think he profiles best as a two-pitch reliever. Reckling’s control and command have improved but don’t project to be better than average, and his changeup is a mediocre third offering. Scouts don’t believe his low-elbow delivery is conducive to starting in the long term.

Crawfish Boxes analyzed him as well.

Floor

The good news with Reckling is his floor as a reliever is pretty good. He’s got both a great breaking ball and a good change to support a move to the bullpen if needed. Plus, pitching out of the ‘pen may let his fastball velocity rise a tick. Still, his age means he’s going to have to move quickly if he wants his floor to be higher.
Ceiling

Look for him to be a decent back of the rotation starter in the majors. His strikeout rate is legitimate, but his lack of control could lead to high pitch counts and low inning totals. He might have a good career as a lockdown closer if things break right, too, but I’d think his biggest upside is as a starter.
Projected Draft Round

Neither Keith Law nor Baseball America has Reckling in their respective Top 100 lists. He is listed at No. 179 for BA, which means they expect him to be drafted around Round 6. That’s about where I have Reckling pegged, going somewhere in the Top 10 rounds and maybe sneaking into the Top 5. With a developing change and good velocity, he’s a big school version of a guy like Nick Tropeano.
Will he sign?

The fourth-year senior is guaranteed to sign if he intends to play professionally.

—–

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Dalton Von Schamann in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. A Junior right-handed pitcher out of Texas Tech University.

Ranked #459 by Baseball America.

The son of former NFL kicker Uwe von Schamann, Duke bounced back from Tommy John surgery in 2010 to post a 2.08 ERA this spring, the third-lowest at Texas Tech since the NCAA went to metal bats in 1974. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder lives mainly off his sinker, which has late run, usually sits at 87-90 mph and has reached 93 in the past. A redshirt sophomore, he throws strikes, gets groundouts and competes. His slider and changeup are nothing special, but he uses them effectively to set up his sinker.