DODGERS 2018 MINOR LEAGUE/PROSPECTS THREAD

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by ColoradoKidWitGame, Apr 2, 2018.

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  1. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Friedman said that the club was a big fan of Gray going into the draft this year. The dude was excellent in rookie ball this year, will be interesting to see what the club can do with him.
     
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  2. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    MLB.com came out with their list of 1 prospect from each organization that are primed to have breakout seasons.
    Michael Grove, RHP, Dodgers No. 12
    Grove, the Dodgers' second-round pick in 2018, missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. When healthy, the right-hander has a pair of plus pitches -- a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s and a high-spin-rate slider with tremendous depth. Grove's control improved during his time at West Virginia, but there is still room for improvement as he continues to develop. Grove has yet to make his professional debut and will be coming off Tommy John, so it's unlikely the Dodgers are super aggressive with him, but the 2019 season could be a big one for Grove.

    The Dodgers though, got two guys

    Jeter Downs, SS/2B,Reds No. 7
    The Reds selected Downs with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2017 Draft out of the Florida high school ranks, and he responded with a solid first full season in '18 that included 13 home runs and 37 steals. There's more pop to come as he refines his approach, with the possibility of 20-20 seasons.

    Really excited about this kid. Everyone that I have read really think he is potentially going to be something special. With our development team, I could see him having a big year.... if he's not flipped.
     
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  3. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    MLB.com announced their First and Second All-MILB teams with the Dodgers Gavin Lux being named 1st team SS. The more reports I see on him, the more excited I get. He was also on the Honorable Mention for Toolshed by MiLB.com. No other Dodgers made either list. If Lux really is turning into a star, that could make for one hell of a foundation up the middle for the organization.
     
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  4. THINKBLUE

    THINKBLUE DSP Gigolo

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    2018 appearance ala Seager taking Rollins' job?
     
  5. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    If he continues to hit like he has the past 1.5 seasons, then I could certainly see it if the Dodgers are in need of desperate help at 2B. From what I hear, he probably won't make it at SS, but his bat is certainly potent enough to be impactful at second(plus the Dodgers seem to be set at SS for a good while). The main thing that could hold him back is that he does still struggle somewhat on the defensive side of the game, but there is a lot of promise that he will figure it out enough to be at least average at 2B.
     
  6. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Gavin Lux showed up on another Top of 2018 list as he was 18th in MiLB for most effective contact rate. It means he does a good job of drive the ball when he puts it in the air.
    https://www.mlb.com/news/10-prospects-who-drove-the-ball-best-in-2018/c-302274922?tid=151437456

    While going over that, I saw that I missed one from early last month. This list used similar data from above to find guys that may be poised for big breakthroughs in 2019 or simply had down years from bad BABIP luck. This Top 10 list consists now of TWO Dodgers prospects primed to breakout

    Keibert Ruiz, C, Dodgers' No. 2
    As MLB Pipeline's No. 39 overall prospect, Ruiz is perhaps the most notable name on this list. He proved to be a highly advanced hitter as a 19-year-old in Double-A last season, slashing .268/.328/.401 with 12 homers over 101 games. Hitting from a pronounced crouch, Ruiz is adept at using his lower half and quick bat to drive the baseball, and nearly half (49 percent, to be exact) of his contact was either a line drive or fly ball in 2018. Of course, that means Ruiz also had a high ground-ball rate (44.7 percent). However, given his present strengths as a hitter at such a young age, along with fact that he makes a lot of contact, there's reason to believe Ruiz will be an even more impactful hitter, hitting for both average and power, as he learns to elevate the ball more consistently.

    Jeter Downs, SS/2B, Reds' No. 7
    The 2017 Competitive Balance A pick (No. 32 overall) showed a serious knack for lifting the ball in his first full season en route to 13 home runs and 23 doubles. His 33.2 percent fly ball rate was the 10th-highest among Top 30 prospects who had at least 350 BIP in 2018, and he also posted a solid line-drive rate of 17.5 percent. The fact that he has some swing and miss to his game (19.7% K%) and hits a lot of popups (16.6 percent) highlights Downs' room for growth, so improvement in those departments could very well prompt an uptick in power from the 20-year-old middle infielder.
     
  7. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    BA have started their prospect rankings for the NL West with the D'Backs leading things off. I'd guess that we should have ours up within about a week.
     
  8. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Scoping out the Reds Top Prospect list on BA. It was done before the trade
    8. Jeter Downs | SS
    Born: Jul 27, 1998
    Bats: R Throws: R
    Ht.: 5'11" Wt.: 180
    Signed By: Hector Otero

    TRACK RECORD: Downs comes from a baseball family. His father, Jerry Sr., pitched in Colombia. His older brother Jerry is a first baseman in the Red Sox organization. And Jeter was named after Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Downs’ adjustment to pro ball continued at low Class A Dayton in 2018 and has been a relatively easy one.

    SCOUTING REPORT: Downs wasn’t phased by the Midwest League, showing off a future above-average hit tool and racking up extra-base hits. He uses a simple setup and sound mechanics to generate loud contact, showing the ability to hit to all fields with average power. Downs has the tools to stay in the infield, though evaluators believe his modest range and above-average arm will fit better at third base or second base. Of course, the Reds are loaded in promising infield prospects, so they have plenty of incentive to work with Downs to help him improve at shortstop. He’s an above-average runner who is a constant threat to steal because of good reads and jumps.

    THE FUTURE: Downs has done plenty to impress the Reds so far and is ready for a jump to high Class A. He profiles as a future infield regular.

    And the chat...

    Q: What do you think of Josiah Gray, and is his upside that of a future rotation piece?

    Justin Coleman: I like Gray a lot. Fastball is up to 97 or so with a future 55 slider. Control is solid, so I can see the ceiling as somewhere near a mid rotation type.

    Q: Why isn’t Josiah Gray in the top 10 list? He really impressed me on that Greeneville team

    Justin Coleman: He just missed it. I agree, impressive arm. If anything, this is further proof that the system is very solid.

    Q: Jeter Downs is ranked #7 but his stats compare pretty similarly to Taylor Trammell through his first 1.5 years of pro ball. He has shown a patient approach, at least average power, and a knack to steal bases playing up his average speed. Why was he ranked #7 instead of #5 right behind India?

    Justin Coleman: I think the bat will be there, just depends upon positional value and track record from a list standpoint. He fits a bit better at second base for me. Trammell has a longer track record, plus Stephenson-Long-Santillan are very good prospects as well.

    Q: Thank you for chatting with us today. Jeter Downs seems to do it all except hitting for a high average so far. With his advanced approach and patience, do you think he'll eventually hit closer to .300 than .260? If his average ticks up closer to .300, along with his patience and base stealing ability, do scouts seem me as a potential major breakout prospect?

    Justin Coleman: Thanks for the question. I view him in the .265-.285 range as a hitter, but it's tough to say since he just completed Low-A. While he does have very good on-base skills, the bigger question remains his future value defensively and how that affects the overall profile.
     
  9. ColoradoKidWitGame

    ColoradoKidWitGame DSP Legend Administrator

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    Getting the 2019 MiLB post ready. BA is up with their top 10 now.
     
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