Jerry Sands got a decent amount of coverage while hitting 35 homers in the minor leagues this year, so his being named Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year comes as little surprise. But the Dodgers Minor League Pitcher of the Year flew a little further under the radar: Rubby De La Rosa.
A 21-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic, De La Rosa started the season at Single-A Great Lakes and had a 3.19 ERA with 55 strikeouts against 66 hits and walks in 59 1/3 innings (relieving in the first half of the season before being shifted into the rotation for five starts). Following a promotion to Double-A Chattanooga, De La Rosa started eight games, averaging 6.5 innings per start, and had 39 strikeouts in 51 innings against 59 hits and walks. In August, he made six starts that each lasted exactly seven innings, in which he allowed a grand total of seven earned runs.
Meanwhile, more established prospects like Chris Withrow and Ethan Martin had their struggles, while another contender, Elisaul Pimentel, was traded. Allen Webster, a 20-year-old who spent the year with Great Lakes, finished with a 2.88 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings, but in the end, De La Rosa rubbed the Dodgers the right way.
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