Kenley Jansen

Kenley Jansen entered 2012 as the set-up man with elite stuff, freed up to face the opponents’ best hitters should they be due up before the ninth inning. It was the perfect scenario, considering the closer role is a vastly overrated entity. Though Jansen was slotted correctly, he quickly found himself as the closer following some early struggles in that role by Javy Guerra.

Jansen closed 2012 with his third-straight dominant season, posting a 2.40 FIP and 1.81 SIERA while whiffing a magnificent 13.71/9 IP. He appeared in a career-high 65 games and 65 innings, and though he allowed a few more long-balls (six homers after three in 2011 and none in 2010), he more importantly cut down impressively on his free passes for a third consecutive campaign (5.00/4.36/3.05 per nine innings). Also of note is his continued ability to induce infield popups, which has always been excellent (16% in 2010 & 10.9% in 2011), as he reached a new career best in 2012 (19.4 IFFB%).

To put it another way, as infield popups are essentially as effective as strikeouts, Jansen “whiffed” roughly 60% of the hitters he faced in 2012. That is insane, obviously.

Though all has been well from a between-the-lines perspective, Jansen has seen his short career put in jeopardy multiple times due to a heart ailment that has afflicted him for parts of the 2011 regular season, Spring Training of 2012, and most recently the 2012 regular season. While Jansen has thankfully been able to return from all three bouts, the irregular heartbeat has been recurring, which is troublesome for his health and career prospects.

Jansen and the Dodgers have taken action though, as Kenley recently underwent heart surgery to correct the problem. All seems well thus far, as no complications from the surgery have been revealed, and all reports indicate he’ll be ready to go for 2013. He’ll recuperate for at least three months prior to resuming baseball activities, and with his electric stuff, fantastic ability to get hitters to swing-and-miss, and three straight seasons of improving WAR (1.1/1.3/1.9), the sky is the limit for the former backstop as he continues to refine his new craft.

Brandon League

Acquired for Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom, Brandon League arrived having been stripped of his closer duties in Seattle. His 2012 with the Mariners was a season typical of your average middle reliever, as League was fanning only 5.44 per nine while walking far too many (3.83/9 IP), and had a 3.45 FIP and 4.43 SIERA. I was against the trade when it happened and League did nothing to assuage my mind in his first few outings, as he was charged with six earned runs through his first seven games with Los Angeles.

League rebounded to end 2012 strongly though, allowing one earned run from August 21 on. His strikeout rate ticked up in LA to 8.89/9 IP, the highest it had been since 2009, though he walked even more at 4.61/9
IP. His new-found success was attributed to mechanical flaws that were corrected by Rick Honeycutt and his staff.

Whether that’s true and whether his success carries over into the future or not, the 29-year-old heads into free agency banking that teams will be looking at his recent performance over his career track record that consists of 6.71 K/9 IP, 3.10 BB/9 IP, a 3.81 FIP, and a WAR that’s eclipsed 1.0 twice.

Ronald Belisario

After a time spent pretending to be Tony Montana, Ronald Belisario returned to the States and MLB in 2012. Following a 25-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy, Belisario made his season debut in early May and would go on to appear in a bullpen-high 68 games and 71 innings.

Belisario posted a 3.09 FIP and 2.80 SIERA, and after starting the year out-pitching his peripherals and shiny ERA, had a very good season after his year off. He fanned just shy of a batter per inning while walking 3.68 per nine and inducing a mess of ground balls (64.5 GB%), which resulted in just three homers allowed in ’12.

Belisario, after all of his troubles, is line for a nice raise from the $480,000 he made on a one-year deal in 2012. He qualified for Super Two status and is arbitration eligible, and he will be an integral part of the pen in 2013.

Javy Guerra

Javy Guerra entered 2012 as the Dodgers closer, though not the most talented reliever on the team, which is perfectly fine and is actually my preferred method of bullpen management. Following a rocky start and a liner to the head, Guerra was removed in favor of Jansen in early May.

After allowing eight earned runs in his first 14 games, which included three blown saves and a pair of losses, Guerra settled down before succumbing to a knee injury that ended his season in early September.

Though Guerra’s season is largely viewed as a failure by many, his 2012 was, in actuality, little different from his 2011 season. His strikeout rate increased (7.33/7.40), his HR/9 IP rate improved (0.39/0.20), and his FIP (3.30/3.34) and WAR remained stable (0.9/0.8).

Guerra’s “struggles” were two-fold. First, the self-inflicted portion: Guerra walked too many guys in 2012, as his BB/9 IP jumped from a high 3.47 to a terrible 4.60 per nine. That must be corrected for Javy to see more success. Second, his BABIP increased to .321 from .261. In other words, after getting lucky in 2011, 2012 saw that luck shift entirely the other way. There is almost certainly a happy medium, and in that place, Guerra is a solid contributor to the pen as a middle reliever.

Scott Elbert

After an excellent 2011 that ended with a new established role in the pen, Scott Elbert finished 2012 on the DL with an elbow injury that felled him from late August on. I wouldn’t be shocked if the elbow bothered him all year, as his numbers fell across the board.

Elbert struck out less per nine (9.18/7.99), gave up more homers (0.27/0.83), and saw a significant drop in FIP (2.73/3.80) and SIERA (3.23/3.76). The lefty also uncharacteristically struggled against his fellow southpaws in comparison with his 2011 success (.271/.342/.342/.684 after a .191/.267/.227/. 494 slash line the year before).

With Randy Choate a possibility to return if he and the club share a mutual interest, and young Paco Rodriguez emerging as another option, Elbert’s health and success in Spring Training will go a long way in determining his future with the club after years and years of injuries finally appeared to be behind him.

Shawn Tolleson

Shawn Tolleson, the club’s top relief prospect heading into 2012, got the call in early June before getting the Blake DeWitt treatment and shuffling between The Show and the minors. Though he moved around, he ended up appearing in 40 games and just under 40 innings.

Known for his swing-and-miss ability and domination of the minors, Tolleson whiffed 9.32/9 IP while posting a 4.08 FIP and 3.78 SIERA. He did struggle with his control at times, walking 4.78 per nine, and he allowed almost a homer per nine.

Five outings — in which he allowed between two and four runs in each — skewed the 24-year-old righty’s numbers a bit, though not as much as his massive struggles against the 68 lefties he faced, who hit a combined .316/.426/.471/.897 against the Texan. On the other side of the coin, Shawn was death to righties, holding them to a .152/.244/.207/.453 line.

Those lefty struggles not withstanding, the future is exceptionally bright for Clayton Kershaw‘s former teammate. Tolleson will have a prominent role in the pen going forward — whether that role begins at the outset of 2013 or not –  and a young pen featuring Jansen/Tolleson/Rodriguez/Guerra should have fans excited.

Randy Choate

Acquired in the Hanley Ramirez deal, Choate arrived with the reputation of a lefty specialist (.201/.278/.252/.530 career) and continued to dominate his brethren in 2012, limiting them to a .158/.243/.190/.433 slash line.

Though he held lefties down in 2012, Choate was mediocre overall after arriving, posting a 4.89 FIP, 4.16 SIERA, and a negative WAR (-0.1). Most troubling was his propensity for issuing free passes, to the tune of 6.08 per nine in his 36 appearances.

Paco Rodriguez

Just 21 and fresh out of college in the spring of 2012, Paco Rodriguez found himself in 11 games down the stretch and whiffed a very impressive 8.1 per nine over those 6.2 innings. He posted a 3.09 FIP and 4.17 SIERA — as well as a .143/.200/.133/.333 slash line against lefties — in his very small sample size of a career, and holds the distinction of being the first 2012 draftee to debut in The Show.

Rodriguez enters 2013 with just north of 25 professional innings under his belt, and could very likely open 2013 on the major-league roster. Paco’s immediate future hinges on Elbert’s health, the signing of some other free agent lefty specialist, and his 2013 Spring Training performance.

While he has stuff to improve upon (like his control), if he can solidify a spot in the pen he would provide the Dodgers with another lefty and a cheap bullpen option with a ton of upside.

Jamey Wright

Jamey Wright, who made the team out of Spring Training after signing a minor-league deal, surprised most with a solid campaign, surpassing expectations in his 66 appearances and 67.2 innings pitched.

Wright fanned 7.18 per nine while posting a 3.39 FIP and 3.15 SIERA. His splits were quite wacky all the way around, as he allowed southpaws to get on-base more, but righties knocked him around in terms of extra-base hits (.252/.365/.230/.595 versus LH & .283/.337/.329/.666 versus RH).

As alluded to above, Wright did struggle with his control, as he allowed around 4.0 BB/9. He did a great job, however, of keeping the ball in the park — 0.27 HR/9 — which saved him from those walks becoming more damaging. Hitters actually benefited from a bit of luck against him with a .324 BABIP, but Wright’s strong propensity for inducing ground balls (67.3%) and infield popups (12.0% IFFB) allowed him to escape his control problems relatively unscathed.

Having lived off minor-league deals, which he turned into major-league roster spots, for most of the past decade, Wright will head into 2012 — his age-38 season — with a strong likelihood of obtaining a major-league contract. Earning just under $1.5 million last year, Wright will probably receive a small raise, and the Dodgers could do a lot worse.

Odds & Ends

Matt Guerrier spent most of 2012 on the shelf with right elbow inflammation, but managed to return late in the season and appeared in 16 games totaling 14 innings. It did not go well. He pitched to a 6.31 FIP and 4.86 SIERA while walking seven, hitting a batter, and allowing a total of 16 baserunners, six earned runs, and 56 total bases against.

He has a year remaining — at $3.75 million — on the ridiculous three-year deal that Ned Colletti signed him to in late-2010. Whether he has a place in the bullpen though, considering the superior arms around him, is another story entirely.

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Josh Lindblom, prior to being dealt to Philadelphia in the Shane Victorino trade, struggled despite some solid peripherals following a breakout 2011. Though he struck out 8.12/9 IP while walking 3.40/9 IP, Lindblom put up a 5.07 FIP, though his SIERA was a fine 3.66.

What really killed him was the long-ball, as following a 2011 in which he didn’t allow a single homer in almost 30 innings, Josh was touched up for nine dingers before being traded.

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I honestly forgot Mike MacDougal was a Dodger in 2012, but he began the year on a ludicrous guaranteed one-year major-league deal. He quickly flamed out, lasting seven games and 5.2 innings too long. In that short time, he allowed 15 baserunners, five earned runs, and 32 total bases.

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Greg Zakwin is the founder of the site Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle. Follow him on Twitter @ArgyledPlaschke.

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.

In a surprising move late yesterday, the Dodgers traded prospects Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom to the Mariners for Brandon League.

League, 29, is owed approximately $1.8MM for the rest of the season before becoming a free agent this winter. He’s pitched to a 3.63 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 44 2/3 innings this year, plus his usual sky-high ground ball rate is down to just 46.9%. The Dodgers have lost Matt Guerrier and Todd Coffey to injury this season, so League will add some late-inning depth.

Landry, 22, is hitting .328/.358/.559 with eight homers and 15 triples in 376 plate appearances for Los Angeles’ High Class-A affiliate this season while spending most of his time in center field. Bawcom, a 23-year-old right-hander, owns a 2.03 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 48 2/3 relief innings split between Single-A and Double-A this year. Neither player ranked among the team’s top 30 prospects in Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook before the season.

Leon Landry wasn’t in my Prospect Rankings for 2012, but he was headed for a top 20 spot in 2013 prior to this deal happening. The leap comes as a result of his .328/.358/.559/.917 line at high-A and his defensive ability. His upside is probably as a fringy regular due to his poor plate discipline and lack of offensive tools, and I think he fits more as a reserve outfielder type in the majors.

Logan Bawcom wasn’t in my Prospect Rankings for 2012 either, but he too was headed there in 2013. He posted a 0.64 ERA with a 1.06 FIP in 14 innings at high-A, then followed that by posting a 2.60 ERA and 2.88 FIP in 34.2 innings at AA. He has command issues from time to time but has strikeout stuff that should play at advanced levels. Bawcom has a fastball that can sit in the mid-90s and a good sharp slider. He has the upside of a 7th inning guy and a floor that likely still has him as a bullpen contributor, both of which made him one of the arms I was talking about when I referred to relief arms as a system strength.

Brandon League comes to the Dodgers with a 3.63 ERA/3.43 FIP/4.40 xFIP/4.43 SIERA in 2012. After a career year in 2011, he has basically regressed to his career norms (3.69/3.88/3.64/3.34). He’s not without red flags though, as his 14.0 K% is his lowest since 2007 and his BB% is his highest since 2008. Essentially, he’s an above average bullpen guy who was once used as a closer.

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On its face, one has to wonder what the point of this trade was. After all, how much of an upgrade is he over Scott Elbert, Javy Guerra, Josh Lindblom, and company? Hell, Jamey Wright is having an equally quality year at the moment and it already pains me when he enters the game.

What I have to assume is that he was acquired because the Dodgers are on the verge of trading a reliever like Lindblom or Guerra in a deal for a pitcher/first baseman/outfielder. If not, while nothing will quite top the Octavio Dotel deal, this will likely go down as another complete waste of assets. Hell, even if a trade involving a reliever does occur, it’s still a mediocre deal to me. Quality starters rarely make much of a marginal value impact after the deadline, much less average relievers.

For me to even get to that point of acknowledging it as mediocre though, a reliever would have to be traded out of the bullpen for help elsewhere. Here’s hoping it’s for something worthwhile.

Guess you can’t stop Ned Colletti, you can only hope to contain him.

The Lookouts, Quakes, and Loons all concluded their first halves this week. The Quakes, after winning 10 of 11 to get back into the playoff hunt, lost the last two games of the half and will play a one-game playoff against High Desert on Monday. The Lookouts and Loons both finished out of playoff contention.

The Dominican Summer League began last week, so my apologies for missing that league in my weekly recap. Also, Ogden started play this week and will be included in the next recap.

There are some familiar names this week, as you’ll see. Apparently, John Ely might be the only pitcher worth a damn in Albuquerque, and he’s throwing well.

Albuquerque scored the most runs this week at 41, followed closely by the Loons at 40. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers gave up the fewest runs at 22.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 41
Runs Allowed: 33

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – 2B

Castellanos returned to the Isotopes and promptly picked up where he left off, going 9-for-25 (.360) this week with two home runs, five RBI, three doubles, five runs scored, and a stolen base. Despite struggling with the Dodgers, he’s doing the exact opposite of struggling in Albuquerque: .375/.455/.768 with seven home runs, 13 doubles, and five triples. This is his third award of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely  – RHP

This is Ely’s second consecutive award, third in the last four weeks and fourth on the season. He had the following line this week: 10 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. He is having a great season by Pacific Coast League standards. His 9.6 K/9 and 5.18 K/BB are both career highs, and he deserves a chance in the majors again, especially since he’s handling a notorious hitter’s league with relative ease.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the majors sometime this season.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Runs Scored: 25
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Blake Smith – OF

Smith takes home his second honor of the season by going 11-for-22 (.500) with five doubles, seven RBI, and two walks. He finished the first half with a solid .298/.382/.480 line with seven home runs, 39 RBI, 16 doubles, 38 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and 29 walks. He went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in the AA All-Star Game.

Pitcher Of The Week

Allen Webster – RHP

Ah, that’s more like it. Believe it or not, this is Webster’s first award of the season, and he earned it by having one of his best starts of the season: 6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Webster has struggled mightily this season, but a stint in the bullpen might have him straightened out. If he can regain his pre-Chattanooga form from 2011, he’ll be in good shape.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 26

Player Of The Week

Leon Landry – CF

Landry started to heat up about the time I stopped watching the Quakes in Stockton (June 7) and it carried over to this past week. This is his third award and he earned it by going 9-for-27 (.333) with a home run, two doubles, a triple, four runs scored, and zero strikeouts. Landry finished the first half with a .321/.357/.538 line, four home runs, 14 doubles, seven triples, and 14 stolen bases. He went 1-for-2 in the A+ All-Star Game.

Pitcher Of The Week

Brandon Martinez – RHP

Martinez, who started with Great Lakes, had the best start of any Quakes’ pitcher this week: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He struggled with the Loons but has pitched significantly better with the Quakes. He needs to work on allowing fewer hits, but the 21-year-old is holding his own thus far.

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Great Lakes Loons (4-3)

Runs Scored: 40
Runs Allowed: 46

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

Schebler seems to be picking it up a bit, even if he refuses to draw a walk (3.1 percent walk rate). He went 10-for-24 (.417) with a home runs, seven RBI, four doubles, five runs scored, and a couple stolen bases. The positive: he drew a walk this week without striking out. That has to be a first. He finishes the first half with a .274/.306/.448 with five home runs, 20 doubles, six triples, and 10 stolen bases. This is Schebler’s second award (won it two weeks ago for the first time).

Pitcher Of The Week

Arismendy Ozoria – RHP

This is Ozoria’s first award and he earned it by throwing the best game of the week for the Loons: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. The 21-year-old finished the first half with a 4.07 ERA, good for second among Loons starting pitchers. It’ll be interesting to see the second half he puts together, and I’m actually expecting him to pitch well.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-4)

Runs Scored: 32
Runs Allowed: 22

Player Of The Week

Josmar Cordero – 1B/C

Cordero is absolutely destroying this league, and he should be since it’s his third stint in the Dominican. He went 13-for-24 (.542) with a home run, seven RBI, and five runs scored. He’s played mostly catcher in his professional career, but he’s caught just four of 14 games thus far.

Not sure why he’s been moved out from catching, as he’s thrown out all three baserunners attempting to swipe a bag this season. Furthermore, he’s thrown out nearly 45 percent of would-be base-stealers coming into 2011. Perhaps it’s something about his receiving or other aspects of playing the position.

He should be state-side soon enough.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jhouse Bermudez – LHP

I’m not going to pretend I know anything about this guy, but he had a couple of good outings this week: 10 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 8 BB, 9 K. Obviously, the walks are a concern. However, the 19-year-old is throwing well for the DSL Dodgers so far. Expect a lot of short outings from pitchers down there, as it’s a rookie league and the managers aren’t going to throw teenagers too many innings.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

Much to my surprise, Joc Pederson made his season debut with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Monday night. It was surprising because by all accounts, the 2010 11th-round pick was slated to begin the season in Midland, Mich., with the Great Lakes Loons.

A groin injury in spring training caused him to miss the first two weeks of the minor league season. I asked him about it via Twitter on April 2nd, but he wasn’t sure where he’d end up.

@feelinkindablue still in AZ rehabbing my groin…so gotta get it better before I can break camp and they haven’t told me where I am going

So when I saw Pederson was skipping Low-A in favor of High-A, it was surprising.

Pederson played briefly in the Midwest League last season, going 8-for-50 with seven walks and nine strikeouts. He went to Ogden when the Rookie-ball season opened and promptly mashed there (.353/.429/.568) to take home team MVP honors.

Pederson, who doesn’t have one standout tool but is average across the board, went 0-for-4 in his California League debut. He hit third in the lineup and played center field. Leon Landry and Casio Grider have split time in center field this season, so if Pederson is with Rancho for an extended period of time, I could see Landry playing a lot of left field despite being a better defensive center fielder than Pederson.

Suddenly, the Quakes’ roster looks a little crowded. With Grider, Landry, and Pederson, the Dodgers also have outfield prospect Jonathan Garcia playing right field (and struggling) every day. Christopher O’Brien, a catcher by trade, is playing some first base while Austin Gallagher is splitting time between first base and designated hitter. Chris Jacobs, recently back from injury, is taking up DH duties as well.

In the end, there might not be enough at-bats to go around for these guys every day. Of the players mentioned, Grider is the least impressive prospect of the bunch. Grider was an infielder last year with the Loons, so I suppose there’s a chance the Quakes could move him back there, but Tyler Henson and Charlie Mirabal seem to be entrenched up the middle.

Manager Juan Bustabad (yes, it’s his real name) has a tough job ahead of him. It’ll be interesting to see how he juggles the playing time in Rancho.

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I’m actually attending Friday night’s game in Rancho with Jared Massey of LA Dugout. If I get a chance to talk to the skipper or any players, I’ll be sure to pass along the information. I know I’ll be snapping plenty of photos and probably taking some video. Zach Lee is tentatively scheduled to start.

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.

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

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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 Great Lakes Loons.

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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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Jonathan Garcia – OF – 19

Jonathan Garcia Statistics

Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe his year, as the final line looks terrible (.228/.290/.420/.710), but he started off on fire (.274/.326/.619/.945 In April), which gave hope for a breakout season.

I’m not completely down on him though, as he was 19 in the Midwest League and still popped 19 homers. Additionally, he had a .274 BABIP compared to a league average BABIP of .306. Of course, normalizing that wouldn’t excuse his performance, and the main problems are that his K% (25.9) and BB% (6.6) continue to be well below average.

He’ll either repeat low-A in 2012 or the Dodgers might even “promote” him to high-A in order to get him into a better hitting environment.

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Chris Jacobs – 1B -22

Chris Jacobs Statistics

Due to his light tower power and potential, I was a Jacobs apologist until 2010, when he seemingly regressed against better competition and struggled to get playing time. Well, he struggled to stay healthy in 2011, but when he did play, he took a gigantic leap forward.

Jacobs posted a .288/.393/.521/.914 line with a reasonable strikeout rate and a well above average walk rate, thus baiting me into being a believer again.

I’m curious to see how his swing plays against advanced arms, and I think he would be best served being moved to high-A in 2012. If he proves that his 2011 outburst wasn’t a fluke, I think he can be moved quickly to AA to be tested.

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Leon Landry – OF – 21

Leon Landry Statistics

If it wasn’t for the complete lack of bats at this level, I might have ignored him completely, because a .250/.307/.360/.667 line simply isn’t very good.

More than the numbers though, I haven’t seen him display a single tool that makes me want to believe, and he reminds me of Xavier Paul or Jamie Hoffmann in that he does a lot of things okay, but his ceiling appears to be as a reserve.

He’ll need to repeat A-ball in 2012 and show improvement.

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Michael Pericht – C – 23

Michael Pericht Statistics

As a 23-year-old in A-ball, he put up a .273/.351/.445/.795 line, which is acceptable for a catcher, but not acceptable for his age. Beyond that, my main concern is that he strikes out a ton (26.4 K%), but has a below average walk rate (7.2 BB%).

Yes, the system is catcher starved. Yes, he has power. However, he’ll need to get better in a hurry to remain even a blip on the radar, in my opinion.