Official Dodger Prospects Thread

Josh Wall just threw his one of his best starts of the season for Class A Advanced - Inland Empire. The season hasn't gone well for Wall though but he's young and he has the pedigree of being a high Logan White draft pick(second rounder in 2005).

#15 Josh Wall
RHP
B-R
T-R
6-6 190

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baseball America

From James McDonald to 18-year-old Dominican Carlos Frias, the Dodgers system is deep in projectable pitchers, one of Assistant GM Logan White's most coveted commodities. Wall fits the same mold, and he made as much improvement from 2006 to 2007 as any of the system's young arms.

His velocity always has vacillated, which was part of the reason he lasted 74 picks in the 2005 draft. He touched 95 MPH early his senior year in high school, but he had dipped to the high 80s by the time the draft rolled around.

His velocity spiked at 96 MPH last summer and sat at 92-93 when his mechanics were in sync. He flashes a plus breaking ball that has hard bite at 82 MPH and an average circle changeup.

Wall is tall and lean, and his arm works well. He doesn't repeat his delivery and tends to land on his left heel, spinning off the mound to his glove side, leading to below-average command and inconsistent secondary stuff.

When he's right, his fastball has good downhill plane with boring action. He made strides with his mental approach to pitching, but he gets frustrated during funks and needs to mature. He'll likely open 2008 in high Class A.

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG INL CAL 8 4 5.58 21 19 0 0 0 98.1 103 62 61 10 54 78 1.01 .272

Here's a new name. Made BA's hot list today

Quote:

No. 12 AUSTIN GALLAGHER, 3B DODGERS

Team: high Class A Inland Empire (California)
Age: 19
Why He's Here: .444/.515/.815 (12-for-27), 6 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBIs, 5 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: Gallagher ranked seventh in the Rookie-level Pioneer League last year, but he was still considered raw. That's what makes Gallagher's season even more impressive. Since joining Inland Empire in late May, Gallagher is batting .326/.372/.522 in 230 at-bats at just 19 years old.

Gallagher is a power-hitting third baseman, though he isn't flexible and may end up moving to first base. Gallagher, who is 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, also played basketball and football in high school before the Dodgers made him a third-round pick last season. Now that he's focused on baseball full time, Gallagher has raised his prospect status by moving surprisingly quickly.

Lots of stuff in the chat as well

Quote:

Q: jr from valencia,ca asks:
With Russel Martin entrenched as the Dodgers' cather for the next decade or so, who becomes his backup? Santana or Lucas May? who has the higher ceiling?
A:

Ben Badler: May's had some defensive problems and his offensive game has dipped lately. Santana has the edge... obviously it's the Cal League so we're always a little hesitant, but he's always shown control of the strike zone, and his offensive game has taken a leap forward this year.

Quote:

Q: mike from durham asks:
Any thoughts on the season Andrew Lambo is having in the MWL?
A:

Ben Badler: Excellent season, especially encouraging after tearing up the GCL a year ago. One of the best bats among prospects in that league, though he's probably a 30 runner and he's limited to a corner outfield position or first base.

Quote:

Q: Phil from Grand Rapids asks:
Why hasn't Chris Withrow, the dodgers 1st rounder last year, pitched yet this season?
A:

Ben Badler: In spring training, Withrow grabbed a plastic snorkeling mask while he was on the beach. When he threw it, part of the mask cut his hand pretty bad. I'm not making that up, by the way. So that set him back, and then he went through a bit of a dead arm period too.

Quote:

Q: Antonio from Whittier, CA asks:
I wasn't aware of the season Austin Gallagher was having. Any chance he'll be the future at third base for the Dodgers insead of Blake DeWitt or Andy LaRoche?
A:

Ben Badler: Gallagher got a late start to the season, so he sneaked up on people a little bit. I think LaRoche is or at least should be their future at third base, while scouts don't seem to think that Gallagher will stick at third base.

Was Konerko the last serious corner infield prospect in the system considered to have exceptional power potential?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolvie

Was Konerko the last serious corner infield prospect in the system considered to have exceptional power potential?

I think so. Beltre as well.

Joel Guzman had that label as well, although he was a SS and was moved to 3B.

With the trade of Carlos Santana and Lucas May scuffling a bit in Double-A, I've looked at who are the other candidates to become the Dodgers catcher of the future.

Of course we have Russell Martin, but you always want to have insurance at such a demanding position and I think it is likely Martin will change positions at some point in his career to save his knees and keep his bat in the lineup and productive.

Here is an interesting article on the matter. 2 college infielders who might be converted during instructional league. The Dodgers have had good success with conversions to catching, Martin, May, and Santana were all infielders before strapping on "the tools of ignorance".

Two Dodgers Draft picks face off in CWS | Dodgers.com: News

BA Chat

Quote:

bafan nyc: hey I just signed up for baseball america subscription and espn insider!!!! so please answer my question !!!! who has more upside potential? who is more likely to be a productive regular? LaRoche, DeWitt, or Brandon Wood?

SportsNation Jim Callis: LaRoche.

Quote:

Adam (Santa Monica, CA): Will Ethan Martin ever be any good? Pitcher or 3B?

SportsNation Jim Callis: Yes, pitcher

Quote:

Brendan: kershaw, price, or bumgarner?

SportsNation Jim Callis: Kershaw.

Quote:

Steve (Las Vegas): Andrew Lambo... regular? backup? worse?

SportsNation Jim Callis: Regular.

Dodgers' top Draft pick out for season | Dodgers.com: News

Martin hasn't done anything as a professional this year and probably would have gotten maybe 15 innings max. Not really a big deal.

Withrow not pitching is a bigger concern. Basically a wasted year for him.

With trades depleting our farm system, I figured a statistical update on what our 08 draftees would be in order. Stats don't tell the whole story of course, but they are worth looking at. Stats are as of August 1st.

Ethan Martin - RHP

-out for the year with knee surgery

Dodgers' top Draft pick out for season | Dodgers.com: News

Josh Lindblom - RHP

Class A - Great Lakes

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG GLL MID 0 0 2.70 4 4 0 0 0 10.0 8 3 3 1 2 12 0.80 .211

Kyle Russell - OF

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .310 36 129 30 40 8 2 7 31 73 22 44 2 0 .413 .566 .978

Devaris Strange-Gordon - SS

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .298 31 124 19 37 7 2 1 15 51 6 15 6 2 .333 .411 .745

Jon Michael Redding - RHP

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG OGD PIO 0 3 5.06 9 6 0 0 0 21.1 24 15 12 3 7 27 2.50 .286

Anthony Delmonico - 2B

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .341 10 41 12 14 6 0 3 14 29 4 8 0 0 .449 .707 1.156

Cole St. Clair - LHP

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG OGD PIO 0 0 2.25 3 0 0 0 1 4.0 5 3 1 0 3 6 2.00 .278

Nick Buss - OF

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .302 13 53 17 16 3 2 4 12 35 8 5 0 0 .413 .660 1.073

Steven Caseres - 1B

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .278 27 115 13 32 9 1 2 19 49 6 31 0 0 .317 .426 .743

Austin Yount - 3B

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .276 17 58 7 16 5 0 0 10 21 4 13 0 1 .353 .362 .715

Lenell McGee - OF

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .220 16 50 7 11 4 0 0 11 15 8 15 0 0 .361 .300 .661

Clay Calfee - OF

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .231 31 121 19 28 9 3 6 22 61 14 52 0 0 .316 .504 .820

Albie Goulder - 1B

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .275 18 51 9 14 2 0 1 4 19 9 15 1 0 .391 .373 .763

Carl Webster - RHP

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG DGR GCL 1 1 2.19 7 0 0 0 1 12.1 8 5 3 1 11 7 1.89 .205

Matthew Smith - RHP

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG OGD PIO 1 0 1.29 3 0 0 0 0 7.0 2 1 1 1 2 5 0.88 .087

Brian Ruggiano - 2B

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .229 28 105 16 24 4 3 1 14 37 14 24 5 1 .331 .352 .683

Roberto Feliciano - LHP

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG DGR GCL 1 0 0.82 7 0 0 0 1 11.0 8 2 1 0 6 15 0.45 .205

Jerry Sands - OF

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .230 26 87 18 20 4 0 7 24 45 15 27 4 0 .346 .517 .863

Jordan Roberts - LHP

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG OGD PIO 1 1 5.93 10 0 0 0 0 13.2 19 14 9 1 4 17 3.60 .297

Jonathan Runnels - LHP

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO GO/AO AVG OGD PIO 1 0 3.00 9 0 0 0 0 18.0 16 7 6 2 4 25 1.42 .229

Garrett Green - 2B

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .280 18 50 11 14 1 2 1 7 22 9 10 2 2 .387 .440 .827

Shan Sullivan - 3B

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .033 12 30 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 10 1 0 .237 .033 .270

Melvin Ray - OF

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .133 5 15 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 8 0 1 .133 .133 .267

Jake New - OF

Rookie Class A - Gulf Coast

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS DGR GCL .219 22 73 9 16 3 0 0 6 19 10 10 4 0 .337 .260 .597

Ryan Arp - C

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .111 6 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 .273 .111 .384

With the minor league season ending in a month I figured I'd bang out the rest of the prospect profiles in our top 30 that haven't been done.

Our #10 prospect is one of our many promising third basemen. Unfortuantley for us, Pedro Baez was downright awful for our Great Lakes team in the Midwest league and was demoted to Ogden in the Rookie League.

#10 Pedro Baez
3B
B-R
T-R
6-2 199

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baseball America

The Dodgers signed Baez for $200,000 just before his 19th birthday and allowed him to make his pro debut in the United States. In August, he slugged a three-run home run off a rehabbing Pedro Martinez.

Baez has four tools that could grade as future pluses, with his power and defense projecting as well above-average for some scouts. He has a fluid swing with good bat speed and the early signs of barrel awareness. He can launch towering blasts when he squares up pitches. He's a confident, adroit defender with good actions and body control. He has good range to both sides.

Los Angeles has clocked his throws across the diamond up to 94 MPH. Baez' plate discipline and pitch recognition are in need of improvement. He tends to muscle up during his swing and get pull-oriented rather than letting his hands do the work. He's a below average runner. Baez will likely spend 2008 in low Class A at age 20.

Stats as of August 1st, 2008

Class A - Great Lakes

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS GLL MID .178 59 185 23 33 10 1 1 16 48 17 45 3 1 .244 .259 .503

Rookie Class A - Ogden

Code:

Team League AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS OGD PIO .281 36 153 25 43 14 0 6 31 75 9 41 1 1 .317 .490 .807