Editorials

Baseball America Ranks Their Top-10 Dodger Prospects

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It’s that time of year for lists, predictions and prospect watches around the baseball community.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers were all over ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney’s top-10 lists, they have been preseason favorites over the past two seasons and have failed to win a title. One thing that might help them finally get that trophy is prospects. After a dark period during the Frank McCourt era, the Dodgers finally seem on track with their farm system.

On Thursday, Baseball America released their top-10 Dodger prospects and there are some familiar names on there:

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Topping the list is shortstop Corey Seager, who was the team’s first round pick in 2012. Seager is just 20 years old and is at least a year away from reaching the big leagues as an impact player, but he has the organization excited for another potential homegrown talent. Last year, Seager split time between High-A and Double-A, hitting .349 with 50 doubles and 20 home runs. Some think he may be shifted to third base because of his size, but it appears he will remain at shortstop.

Joc Pederson and Julio Urias are also well-known prospects that should help the team. This will be Pederson’s last year on the list as a prospect, as he will likely be the Dodgers’ starting center fielder in 2015. The 11th-round pick in 2010 became a member of the 30/30 club (home runs and stolen bases) in 2014. Urias is the latest in a long line of left-handed talent to come through the Dodger farm system. The teenager was signed out of Mexico as a 16-year-old and he has dominated each step thus far. He is likely two years away from being in Los Angeles.

The next two on the list were the team’s first and second round picks in the latest MLB draft. Grant Holmes and Alex Verdugo were both drafted out of high school and showed promise in their small taste of professional ball. Holmes is a right-handed pitching prospect and Verdugo is a left-handed outfielder.

Rounding out the list are a collection of young talent that were drafted or signed in the past four years. De Leon is a hard-throwing right-hander that posted a 2.22 ERA in 2014. Anderson was the Dodgers first round pick in 2013 that spent last year in High-A and is also a starter. Schebler and Reed are two of the older players on the list, and both seem to have their paths to the big leagues blocked. Schebler is an outfielder that has a combined 55 home runs over the past two years. Reed is a left-handed starter that could be better suited for the bullpen. Leon is an 18-year-old catcher from Mexico that hit .332 in 2014.

The Dodgers future is bright if these players can become what they are expected to become.

Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

4 Comments

  1. Glad he said it and not me that Urias is 2 years away at least…no need to rush the kid…..intrigued about the catcher Leon…..332 at any level is pretty good

    1. Wow a catcher that can hit, that would be lovely. Haven’t had one of those since Piazza and those blockheads traded him away.

      1. I read they are keeping Urias to a strict pitch count and making sure they do not rush him. Very glad about that. A friend of mine saw him in A ball and said he is dominant. Nice to hear cannot have too many pitchers.

  2. Pederson ahead of Urias ? If Scott Schebler has a good year at Oklahoma, move him up behind Seager and Urias ! But I do hope Pederson can handle the job ! Go Dodgers !

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