Editorials

Dodgers’ No. 21 Prospect Kyle Farmer Moving Along in a Stacked Farm System

Kyle Farmer has been giving the fans in Oklahoma something to cheer about this season. The former Georgia Bulldog, who had a slag line of .256/.323/.395 last season, is already batting an impressive .333/.410/.494 here in 2017. Slashing ten doubles and knocking in 25 runs, the Dodgers’ number 21 prospect who has been tearing it up in DrillVille (Double-A Tulsa) is now doing the same in Bricktown (Triple-A OKC).

Farmer was a standout shortstop for the University of Georgia from 2010 to 2013, starting 212 out of 213 games. Kyle batted .308 with 63 doubles, seven triples, 18 home runs, 11 stolen bases and 168 runs batted in while ending his collegiate career with the highest fielding percentage by a Georgia shortstop at .968 in 1045 chances.



Drafted in the 8th round in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kyle Farmer, an Atlanta native, has been putting on a great show for the Dodgers’ farm league teams. He has been a tremendous asset both at the third base position and at catcher. Farmer’s versatility is really something to admire. Playing in his fifth year in the minors, Kyle has a 35 percent throw-out rate behind the plate while posting a .966 fielding percentage at third base.

Farmer quickly advanced through the ranks in his first few seasons in the Dodgers’ farm system, landing in Double-A Tulsa in 2015. Farmer made All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2015 during his progression as a catcher even though he played his entire collegiate career at shortstop. Dodgers Nation spoke to Kyle about his transition and he had this to say:

“The transition was very tough going from shortstop to catcher. The toughest part was being able to squat everyday behind the plate. I remember my first time ever catching, waking up the next day I could barely walk because I was so sore. Blocking has been the toughest physical thing for me with the transition because it is something I am not very used to, but I am getting better at.”

Catcher Kyle Farmer throwing out a runner at second (Photo by: Steven Van Worth / Dodgers Nation)

After being injured early in the 2016 season, Farmer still made solid performances in 78 games and was named a 2016 Texas League All-Star. It was enough to be promoted to the Dodgers’ Triple-A team, the Oklahoma City Dodgers, during their Pacific Coast League Championship series. The Dodgers prospect was nothing short of outstanding in the series batting .452/.469/.581 in seven games, with four doubles and four runs batted in.

“Being called up for the PCL Championship Series was amazing. I love playing for Bill Hasselman and being able to play at that level of competition was awesome. I did very well that series and had a blast doing it. We fell short, but it was a great time.”

The 26-year-old Atlanta native also has a nice resume of awards in his young career, moving up the stacked Dodgers’ prospect list from number 25 in 2016 to number 21 in 2017:

MID-SEASON ALL-STAR

  • 2014: Great Lakes (MID)
  • 2015: Rancho Cucamonga (CAL)
  • 2016: Tulsa (TEX)

MILB.COM ORGANIZATION ALL-STAR

  • 2013: LA Dodgers (NL)
  • 2015: LA Dodgers (NL)

FUTURES GAME SELECTION

  • 2015: Tulsa (TEX)

Dodgers Nation asked Kyle about his season so far and if there were any changes in his off-season routine. He said, “This season is going well. No changes this off-season, just stuck with my routine of selling firewood and working out. I worked out six days a week, delivered and sold firewood around the city of Atlanta. I deliver and sell it from my hunting cabin in South Georgia. I have a truck with a trailer and deliver to people in Atlanta who can’t get firewood very easily. It’s a good off season job.”

Farmer was called up to Bricktown in Oklahoma City (Triple-A affiliate) after an awesome start in Tulsa, batting .339/.411/.468 in 33 games with the Drillers. Now able to learn from veteran catchers, Kyle will continue to improve from the guidance of Bobby Wilson and Jack Murphy along with former major league catcher and current OKC manager Bill Hasselman.

Farmer spoke with NewsOK and said, “Now being up here Bobby tells me what he sees and so does Jack. It’s really helped me out a lot in the last couple days I’ve been here. I’m really looking forward to spending a whole season with them and seeing what else I can learn from them.”

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Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

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