Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Dodger director of player development Gabe Kapler spoke to Josh Jackson of MiLB.com about the Dodger minor-leaguers who had the best seasons in 2015. Here are two passages from the interview that stood out:
On Corey Seager’s defense and future at shortstop:
“Sometimes we see a guy consistently make plays that look so easy and so routine that we don’t necessarily see acrobatic plays. What does that mean? He makes plays others make look acrobatic, he makes those plays look effortless. One thing that’s fascinating about Corey: the throws he makes on cutoffs and relays to cut down runners going from first to third look almost identical to the throws he makes with nobody on, when he’s just relaying ball back. That calm. He’s got that thing that allows him to keep his body under control in high-pressure situations.”
On what makes Julio Urias so special:
“He’s about as charismatic and dynamic an individual as we have in the organization. He’s super communicative and incredibly intelligent, very liked, very prepared, very driven. With that. coupled with his athleticism and lower drive and his fastball characteristics, plus the simple grind of being a baseball dude, he has the makings of a really special contributor to our organization. He’s a guy who’s going to be good for a long time.”
oldbrooklynfan
I guess it’s time to start paying attention to Julio Urias. I mean those of us who haven’t.
badger3
He hasn’t pitched enough at upper levels for me to believe he’s ready to help at the Major League level. Where is pitching next year? OKC? OK see…..what he can do there for a full year.