All of the Dodgers minor league affiliates were in action this week, even if Chattanooga, Rancho Cucamonga, and Great Lakes played a short week because of its respective All-Star games.

Get used to hearing this: Ogden scored the most runs this week at 66, as the Raptors averaged 11 runs per game. They also gave up the most runs at 46.

The Arizona League began and the Dodger squad, filled with a plethora of 2012 draft picks (Zachary Bird, Justin Chigbogu, Joey Curletta, Jesmuel Valentin), went 4-0 in its first week.

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Notes: Zach Lee was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga from High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Monday. Ryan O’Sullivan was promoted from Low-A Great Lakes to Rancho.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2)

Runs Scored: 38
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Brian Cavazos Galvez – OF

Cavazos-Galvez isn’t getting four at-bats every game, but he’s making the most of his trips to the plate. He went 9-for-19 (.474) this week with a home run, two RBI, a double, and seven runs scored. Cavazos-Galvez is hitting exceptionally well for the Isotopes. If he could handle center field, he’d probably be playing every day. This is his third award of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Josh Wall – RHP

Wall earns his first POTW honor by saving three of the Isotopes’ four victories this week: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 3 SV. Wall hit a bit of a rough stretch about a month ago, but has been solid in his last 10 games (1.80 ERA, 10.8 K/9) and could be the next player recalled if the Dodgers need yet another bullpen option.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (1-3)

Runs Scored: 16
Runs Allowed: 20

Player Of The Week

Rafael Ynoa – 2B

Ynoa wins his second award by going 7-for-11 (.636) with two doubles, four RBI, two runs, two stolen bases, and four walks. It was a great four games for him, but it wasn’t so great for the rest of the team. On the season, Ynoa has the following line: .260/.345/.329 with 13 stolen bases.

Pitcher Of The Week

Allen Webster – RHP

Webster finally seems to be rounding into form. He earned his second consecutive honor by having a really strong outing: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. He’s made four starts since returning to the starting rotation and fared well: 21 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 26 K, 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP. That’s the Allen Webster we’ve been expecting all season.

Here’s to a strong finish.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (1-3)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 43

Player Of The Week

Jonathan Garcia – RF

I certainly thought we’d see Garcia on this list earlier than this, but he’s here now after going 9-for-19 (.474) with two home runs, seven RBI, a double, and four runs scored. His line on the season isn’t horrible (.266/.283/.447) considering he’s 20 years old and is playing against competition roughly a couple years older than him. However, while the pop is there, the walk rate is not. He’s drawn five walks against 63 strikeouts, and that isn’t going to cut it.

Pitcher Of The Week

Brandon Martinez – RHP

It’s hard to find a guy who threw well when the team gave up 43 runs in four games, but Martinez wins the award this week. He relieved the rehabbing Blake Hawksworth on Friday and pitched fairly well: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K. Obviously, the walks are the only blemish. Martinez, who started with Great Lakes this season, has thrown surprisingly well for the Quakes this season. He could end up being one of their top pitchers going forward.

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Great Lakes Loons (1-2)

Runs Scored: 11
Runs Allowed: 15

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

Schebler takes home his third award in the last four weeks (second straight) by going 4-for-10 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. On the season, Schebler is hitting .279/.308/.444 in a pitcher’s league.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ralston Cash – RHP

Cash had the best outing of his season on Saturday for the Loons: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. It’s nice to see him getting work in and averaging five innings per start. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t pitched since 2010.

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Ogden Raptors (6-1)

Runs Scored: 66
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Jesus Valdez – OF/1B

Like the team, Valdez absolutely destroyed Pioneer League pitching this week: 14-for-25 (.560), a double, two triples, seven RBI, 12 runs scored, and three walks. Valdez, 20, is a big kid (6’3″, 180) and is handling Pioneer pitching better than he handled Arizona League pitching last year.

Pitcher Of The Week

Carlos Frias – RHP

It’s going to be difficult finding a Pitcher Of The Week in the Pioneer League, but I’ll make it happen. Frias, who pitched 5 2/3 unsuccessful innings with the Quakes earlier this season, had a decent outing in his first start for the Raptors: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. He was throwing in the mid-90s with his fastball, so that’s encouraging. However, he is 22 years old, so he should dominate this level.

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Arizona League Dodgers (4-0)

Runs Scored: 36
Runs Allowed: 16

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – OF/1B

Hoenecke, the Dodgers 24th round pick just a few weeks ago, had himself quite the debut week: 9-for-18 (.500), one home run, six RBI, two doubles, one triple, and four runs scored. Hoenecke is almost 22 years old and could easily be promoted to Ogden if he proves he can handle Arizona League pitching. Drafted as a first baseman, he played one game at first and three in the outfield this week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez, who turns 18 on Wednesday, threw the best game for the AZL Dodgers this week: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League last year and handled himself pretty well. He might be a pitcher to keep an eye on in Arizona.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 55
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – 1B/C

Cordero wins this award for the second consecutive week by going 13-for-28 (.464) with two home runs, nine RBI, three doubles, and 10 runs cored. Cordero has a ridiculous .469/.506/.716 line and needs to be moved up as he has absolutely nothing left to prove in the Dominican Summer League. Gerson Nunez gave Cordero a run for his money this week (.519/.552/.630), but fell just short.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jhouse Bermudez – LHP

I promise I’m not being lazy. Bermudez, like Cordero, wins this honor for the second straight week by posting the following line: 11 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 10 K. He’s won all four games he’s started for the DSL Dodgers and owns a 0.86 ERA. He’s walked 11 batters in 21 innings, and that’s the only blemish on his record thus far.

The Dodgers have now signed 26 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 been released as well.

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Details On The Previous 18 Signed Draft Picks Here
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Third rounder Onelkis Garcia, who demanded seven million dollars at one point, settled for below slot money at $382,200 ($420,300), which is a shocker to me. Fourth rounder Justin Chigbogu signed for slightly below slot as well at $250,000 ($305,700). Eighth rounder Scott Griggs settled for slot money at $135,100. Last time around, we didn’t know what seventh rounder Theo Alexander signed for, but now we know he took slot money at $144,600.

For those counting, that’s two picks in the bonus pool who are unsigned, first rounder Corey Seager and second rounder Paco Rodriguez. Due to four players signing below slot and only one player signing above (rest signed for slot), the Dodgers have a surplus of $301,500 in bonus pool money right now. That allows them to go $2,251,500 on Seager ($1,950,000 slot) or $912,300 on Rodriguez ($610,000 slot) and still stay within the bonus pool restrictions. Additionally, they can go over the bonus pool limits and tack on an additional $254,937 total on those guys and not lose a draft pick.

Others who signed include 15th rounder Dalton Von Schamann, 18th rounder Eric Smith, 21st rounder Jacob Scavuzzo, 25th rounder Daniel Coulombe, and 40th rounder Patrick Stover.

2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers Preview
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 1 – The 18th Overall Pick Is Corey Seager
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 1 – The 51st Overall Pick Is Jesmuel Valentin
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 2 – Rounds 2 Through 5
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 2 – Rounds 6 Through 10
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 2 – Rounds 11 Through 15
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 3 – Rounds 16 Through 25
2012 MLB Draft: Los Angeles Dodgers – Day 3 – Rounds 26 Through 40

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Corey Seager is one of the prospects I wanted the Dodgers to draft, so needless to say, I was pleased when they did just that. He could end up as the top prospect in the system with his combination of developing power, one of the best swings in the pool, and defense that could be plus at third base. Signability is a minor concern, as he’s said to be asking for money over slot, but he seems excited about starting his professional career.

Jesmuel Valentin pairs athleticism, bloodlines, and versatility. A switch-hitter, he’s much better from the left than the right, but he’s only been at it for a year and it takes time to get the skill down. He should get a chance to stick at short, which would make sense given his draft position. I’m not as enthusiastic about him as Logan White seems to be though, because he sort of reminds me of Preston Mattingly in the sense that he’s an athlete but the eventual bat ceiling and defensive position are up in the air. He should sign, as both him and his dad sound ready for him to play professional baseball tomorrow.

Steven Rodriguez was an interesting pick in the second round as a reliever because I don’t think he was the best player available. However, he should sign, and that’s important given the Dodgers other picks and the modified draft rules. A player that should move fast, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him next year.

Onelkis Garcia‘s demand for seven million dollars is just amusing, but he’ll require over slot money to sign nevertheless. The upside is there as a starter, but he hasn’t been seen in a game for a while now. Just based on potential alone, I like this choice if he agrees to terms.

Justin Chigbogu was an interesting choice in the fourth round. Since he was taken so high, he should sign and be giving up football. If he can shed pounds and gain athleticism, which is realistic since he would no longer have to carry the bulk necessary to play defensive line, his entire profile as a prospect could change.

Ross Stripling is a senior in college, so I think this was about signability as much as talent. He appears to be a middling starter with average velocity, but a potential bullpen move could help his profile. Josh Lindblom-esque?

Joey Curletta is an upside bat with massive power. He’s likely limited to first base, but wow, the power is impressive. He’ll need to alter his swing a bit to make contact consistently, much less hit for average, but the potential is there.

Theo Alexander sounds like Joc Pederson but with bat questions, which makes me wonder about his professional prospects. The Dodgers obviously believe he will hit given his draft position, and that’s a good thing since his upside appears to be limited elsewhere.

Scott Griggs is another college reliever and he should move fast. I assume he signs since I can’t imagine his stock having helium even if he returns to college.

Zachary Bird is an athletic, right-handed, lanky high school pitcher with velocity upside if he fills out, all of which makes him a standard Dodgers choice. This hasn’t proven to be a bad thing over the years and I hope to monitor his development.

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The first ten selections that the Dodgers made in the 2012 MLB Draft shows a solid sample of the changes to the team’s draft approach this year. The Dodgers seemed to stray from their usual staple of hard throwing high school arms and instead focused on power bats with monster upside and college pitchers.

I didn’t like that they seemed to completely get away from taking prep pitchers with upside, instead seemingly opting for lower ceiling, lower floor collegiate arms, but I loved the emphasis on revitalizing the system’s position player drought. Whether they were targeted specifically or because they were the best players available, the picks did end up filling system needs that had been neglected for years.

Going forward, I hope they don’t completely go away from high school pitchers in future drafts, but on the strength of just this one class, I found a lot more to like than dislike.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Steven Rodriguez with the 82nd overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. A Junior left-handed relief pitcher out of Florida University.

MLB.com had this to say about him:

With an unorthodox delivery and plenty of deception, Rodriguez at the very least has a future as a lefty specialist at the next level. But the way he’s pitched for one of the best college teams in the nation in 2012 has some teams thinking he might be able to handle a more expansive bullpen role. He was tough to hit, all around, with a batting average against under .200 and a K/9 ratio over 12 as the Gators entered NCAA regional play. Rodriguez uses a fastball, slider and cutter combination efficiently to get hitters out. He’s not a closer, but he could be a lefty setup man who won’t take very long to help out a big league bullpen.

Baseball America ranked him as the #114 prospect:

Frequently referred to by his nickname Paco, Rodriguez has evolved from a left-on-left specialist as a freshman for the Gators into a flexible weapon out of the team’s bullpen. He has a funky delivery, most notable when he comes set in the stretch: He nearly stops once, then comes set a second times. Scouts who block out the calls of “Balk!” from opposing fans see Rodriguez execute his pitches well, starting with a hard, upper-80s cut fastball that gets in on righthanded hitters. He has enough fastball to keep hitters honest, throwing 91-92 mph and pounding the strike zone. He adds a sweepy but effective slider that at times has depth. Always efficient, Rodriguez has been much better in 2012, putting hitters away more consistently. His 12.23 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fourth in the nation, and he had a 6-1 K-BB ratio in a career-high 53 innings. Deception is built in to Rodriguez’s approach, with an arm action that helps him hide the ball in the back before it comes out of a three-quarters slot. He’s a safe pick who at least should be a lefty specialist but has shown the durability and dominance to be more than that.

Interesting to take a reliever in round two. Maybe the Dodgers see a starter? Otherwise, a bit of a low ceiling type of pick so early on.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Onelkis Garcia with the 113th overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s a 22-year-old left-handed starter who is actually a Cuban defector.

MLB.com gave this background on him:

The Cuban defector thought he’d be a free agent upon coming to the United States, but instead he was declared eligible for the 2011 Draft. That was reversed just prior to the Draft’s start, but Garcia was officially made eligible again in this year’s class. The big, strong left-hander pitched well in Puerto Rico over the winter and has been working out in Los Angeles to prepare for the Draft. He has the chance to have a very good power combination in his fastball and hard curve. Many see him as a reliever because of a lack of a real changeup and some command issues. His pure stuff could get him drafted fairly early, though there was some talk about signability as the Draft approached.

Baseball America ranked him #83:

Garcia left Cuba in January 2011 and expected to be declared a free agent like most other defectors. Instead, Major League Baseball put him into last year’s draft, then withdrew him two days later and reviewed his case. In January 2012, Garcia once again was declared draft-eligible. In the meantime, he tried to stay in shape, often working out at Pierce JC in Los Angeles, near where Gus Dominguez, the former agent who represents him, lives. Garcia pitched in the Puerto Rican League last winter as well with some success, and in Puerto Rico and in the spring adult league he plays in, he has shown two plus pitches. Garcia’s fastball sits at 90-93 mph, and his curveball, while somewhat inconsistent, is a true power pitch at its best. Garcia hasn’t shown much of a changeup. Garcia has a physical 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame that needs no projection. At 22, he could move through a minor league system quickly as long as he comes out of the gate throwing strikes.

Sounds like a bit of a wild card, but a polished pitcher in the mode of a college selection.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Justin Chigbogu with the 146th overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s a 17-year-old first baseman out of Raytown South High School in Missouri.

Baseball America had him ranked #423 in the draft:

Before this spring, Chigbogu was known mostly as an all-state defensive end. But scouts who went to see Raytown South outfielder Bralin Jackson came away marveling about Chigbogu’s massive power potential. He probably would need two years in Rookie ball at this point, but he’s a 6-foot-2, 230-pound athlete who crushes balls from the left side of the plate. While he’s raw, he doesn’t strike out excessively. He runs well for his size and perhaps could play left field, though he has a below-average arm. A Heartland (Ill.) CC recruit, he could be signable after the 10th round.

A reach? Probably, but the talent seems to be there. While the Dodgers love their bloodlines, multi-sport athletes are also a frequent target.

To me, the real question is whether he has signability concerns or not due to football and how that affects the budget.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Ross Stripling with the 176th overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. He’s a right-handed starter out of Texas A&M University.

MLB.com has this report on him:

In 2011, Stripling led college baseball with 14 wins, and he has been even better this year. He’s struck out almost a batter an inning and threw a no-hitter in early May. Relatively new to pitching, he has a good fastball and curveball, but his changeup needs work. He has good command and rarely walks batters and could move through the Minors quickly as a reliever.

Baseball America ranked him #167 in the draft:

Stripling was mostly a football and basketball player in high school in Texas before breaking his left leg as a senior. Bored during his rehab, he began fooling around on the mound with a cast on his leg, then went 14-0 in his first season as a pitcher, earning an academic scholarship and walking on at Texas A&M. He tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 14 wins and helped the Aggies reach the College World Series in 2011, then returned for his senior season after failing to sign with the Rockies as a ninth-rounder. On the day (May 12) he was scheduled to graduate with a degree in finance, he threw a no-hitter against San Diego State. The scouting report remains the same on Stripling. He’s an athletic 6-foot-3, 190-pounder who works at 88-91 mph with his fastball and gets outs with his 12-to-6 curveball. He uses an over-the-top delivery, which he repeats well, and has a decent changeup. He has the stuff and command to make it as a starter, and he’s intriguing as a reliever because he hit 94 mph and featured a sharper curve when he came out of the bullpen in past seasons.

Dodgers are completely throwing their own trend of high school pitchers out of the window it seems, as they have done nothing but target upside bats and college arms.

Hopefully he doesn’t end up as another reliever taken by the team within the first five rounds.