Minor leagues – Page 5 – Dodger Thoughts

Dodgers recall Scott Schebler

On September 2, 2015

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCXXXVI: Kershawk in the Woods
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Chase Utley, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Andre Ethier, RF
Carl Crawford, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Joc Pederson, CF
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Scott Schebler, who survived Triple-A Oklahoma City’s 19-inning game Tuesday, is the latest player to be recalled by the Dodgers.

Schebler had a .322 on-base percentage and .410 slugging percentage this year in the minors. He went 1 for 3 on June 5 in first only big-league game this year, and provides an extra left-handed bat off the bench.

The 24-year-old walked three times in the opening game of what became a 26-inning doubleheader in Oklahoma City. Relief pitcher Daniel Coulombe escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 19th inning, then singled with two out in the bottom of the 19th and scored the winning run on Buck Britton’s walkoff home run.

Then in the second game, Ramon Troncoso was forced to spot start and pitched four innings. Deck McGuire, who began the night in Double-A Tulsa, was told to drive over to Oklahoma City for a mid-evening promotion, and pitched three innings in the second game for the win.

By the way, Justin Ruggiano on Tuesday became the 53rd person to play for the Dodgers this year, tying a franchise record from 1944 and 1998.

Dodger minor league report No. 19: Peeking at September

By Jon Weisman

On August 26, 2015

In Minor leagues

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By Jon Weisman

We got a jump on this week’s minor league report Tuesday by highlighting the performances of Julio Urias, Jharel Cotton and Corey Seager. And with a morning Dodger game at Cincinnati on Thursday — the last Dodger game east of the Rockies in the 2015 regular season — we’re going to get to the farm report itself a day early.

Already, conversation is hot and heavy about whom the Dodgers might call up when rosters expand September 1. The Dodgers have said they won’t call up players willy-nilly without a specific purpose, but that’s not to say this team doesn’t have several specific purposes to address.

Here are the candidates from the 40-man roster:

Cotton, Urias making farm life ever so interesting

By Jon Weisman

On August 25, 2015

In Minor leagues

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By Jon Weisman

With six days until Major League rosters can expand, pitchers Jharel Cotton and Julio Urias continue to make strong cases for a callup.

Dodger manager Don Mattingly told reporters today that even if the 19-year-old Urias comes up this year, he won’t be part of the initial wave September 1. We’re assuming the Dodgers will stick with that approach, even though Urias then pitched six innings of shutout ball tonight for Double-A Tulsa in a 1-0 loss to Arkansas.

Urias allowed four hits, walked none and struck out three, throwing 76 pitches (12.7 per inning). His August ERA is 1.98, with 30 baserunners allowed in 27 1/3 innings against 25 strikeouts.

The 23-year-old Cotton might be another story, because unlike Urias, he needs to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason. Recently promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City with an eye on his potential as a September addition, Cotton — who is profiled in the soon-to-be-released September issue of Dodger Insider magazine — came out of the bullpen and faced nine batters, allowing two singles and a walk while striking out all other six.

As gravy on the cake, Cotton came to bat in the seventh inning and hit a two-run triple. Before making his Triple-A debut tonight, Cotton had a 2.30 ERA with 71 strikeouts 62 2/3 innings for Tulsa.

Corey Seager, another interesting farmhand to say the least, hit his third homer in five games in Oklahoma City’s 8-2 victory against Pacific Coast League Old Friend Albuquerque. Seager is 14 for 45 (.311) in his last 10 games with 26 total bases, one walk and 11 strikeouts, for a .326 on-base percentage and .578 slugging percentage.

Seager, who plays third base and shortstop, homered on the same night that the Dodgers’ big-league third baseman and shortstop, Justin Turner and Jimmy Rollins, homered in a 5-1 victory at Cincinnati.

Dodger minor league report No. 18: Winning time for Julio Urias

By Jon Weisman

On August 20, 2015

In Minor leagues

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By Jon Weisman

Because of the careful way the Dodgers have controlled his innings at a young age, 19-year-old Julio Urias only had five wins in his first 50 career starts. Thankfully, no one judged him on that.

For the record, Urias has picked up career victories No. 6 and No. 7 in the past two weeks, most recently with six innings of one-run ball in Double-A Tulsa’s 2-1 victory Wednesday over Frisco.

Urias struck out eight and allowed six baserunners in a slender 81 pitches. In August, Urias has a 2.53 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 22 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings, and he hasn’t allowed a home run. For the season in Double-A, Urias has a 3.03 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 71 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings.

For comparison, at age 19 with Double-A San Antonio, Fernando Valenzuela had a 3.10 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 162 strikeouts in 174 innings. In a much different era, Valenzuela completed 11 of his 25 starts in 1980 before his callup to the Dodgers, for whom he pitched 17 2/3 innings in relief without allowing an earned run, striking out 16.

Now, let’s take our tour of the system …

Dodger minor league report No. 17: Wieland dealing, Hatcher healing

By Jon Weisman

On August 13, 2015

In Minor leagues

By Jon Weisman

We begin this week’s Minor League Report with an update on two pitchers you saw with the Dodgers earlier this year.

Joe Wieland had his best game of the season Tuesday, with seven strikeouts in seven shutout innings in a 9-0 Triple-A Oklahoma City victory at New Orleans. For Wieland, continuing a comeback from 2012 and 2014 surgeries, it came two starts after he allowed only one run in seven innings at Memphis. Since July 26, Wieland has a 2.92 ERA.

Also, relief pitcher Chris Hatcher, on the 60-day disabled list, could be activated by the Dodgers as soon as this weekend.

Hatcher, who has been out since June 14 with a left oblique strain, picked up the save for the Dodgers on Opening Day before struggling to a 6.38 ERA in 18 1/3 innings, despite 19 strikeouts. He pitched a shutout inning Tuesday, but has allowed four runs on seven baserunners in 4 1/3 innings with Oklahoma City.

And now, this week’s tour …

Dodger minor league report No. 16: Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, Jose Peraza and more

By Jon Weisman

On August 6, 2015

In Minor leagues

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By Jon Weisman

Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias, the two Dodger starting pitchers displaced by Mat Latos and Alex Wood, each had early exits from their first starts back with Triple-A Oklahoma City this week.

Bolsinger was hit in the forearm Tuesday by a batted ball and departed after three-plus innings, after allowing three runs on six hits. Don Mattingly relayed to reporters Wednesday that Bolsinger isn’t expected to miss his next scheduled start.

Frias, who was officially optioned to Triple-A on Sunday, started Wednesday for Oklahoma City, pitched one shutout inning and then took his leave. Mattingly told reporters after the Dodgers’ victory in Philadelphia last night that Frias “felt something” and was removed as a precaution, then added today that Frias was undergoing further tests.

Joe Wieland ended up pitching five innings in relief, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out five.

Two other recent Dodger starting pitchers have resumed work for Oklahoma City. Zach Lee allowed one earned run in seven innings (striking out three) August 2, and Brandon Beachy — who was accepted an assignment to Triple-A after clearing waivers — allowed five earned runs in six innings August 3.

Now, on with our tour of the Dodger minor leagues …

‘Shoe’ captain, my captain: Dodgers honor John Shoemaker

By Jon Weisman

On July 17, 2015

In Minor leagues

By Jon Weisman

Rookie League Ogden manager John Shoemaker, nearing the completion of his fourth decade with the Dodgers, has been named “Captain” of player development.

“Shoe is the epitome of what we, as the Dodgers, search for in our staff members,” director of player development Gabe Kapler said. “He deserves this honor based on his continual demonstration of superior teammate behavior over the course of his 39 years with our organization. He brings infectious positivity and professionalism on a daily basis. I can say with certainty that this appointment will be disputed by no soul who regularly comes into contact with Shoe.”

Dodgers claim Preston Guilmet, designate Chris Reed for assignment

By Jon Weisman

On July 10, 2015

In Minor leagues, Transactions

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Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers have claimed right-handed reliever Preston Guilmet from Tampa Bay and optioned him to the minors, but the bigger news for prospect watchers is that to make room for him on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles has designated 2011 first-round draft choice Chris Reed for assignment.

Reed, who was the 16th player taken overall in the ’11 draft, was converted to relief this year after pitching as a starter from 2011-14. His combined totals in Double-A and Triple-A this year were a 5.97 ERA with 1.59 WHIP against 5.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

The 25-year-old left-hander from Cleveland High School in Reseda and Stanford reached his peak in the organization with Double-A Chattanooga in 2014 (3.22 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 7.6 K/9).

Guilmet, 27, has 21 innings of Major League experience with a 6.43 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 7.7 K/9. In Triple-A this year, he has a 1.84 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 8.6 K/9. The Dodgers are his third organization this year, after the Rays claimed him from the Blue Jays on May 13.

A ninth-round pick in the 2009 draft, Guilmet has earned league All-Star recognition at every level during his minor league career.

Teenagers are no wasteland for Dodger international scouts

By Jon Weisman

On July 2, 2015

In International, Minor leagues, Scouting, Transactions

Yadier Alvarez

By Jon Weisman

Spending big dollars on teenagers from the international market — as in today’s nine international signings — involves no small amount of risk, but the Dodgers are clearly bullish on their new prospects, as Dodger senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes indicated in a conference call with reporters this afternoon.

Byrnes began by talking about 19-year-old Yadier Alvarez, the top-rated pitching prospect in the international market and a rare talent.

“He’s one of the more talented teenage right-handed pitchers who a lot of us who have been doing this a long time have seen,” said Byrnes, who added that Alvarez throws 97 mph, “occasionally touching 99-100, with very little effort and some pretty good feel for secondary pitches.”

Dodgers sign nine international prospects, led by Yadier Alvarez, Starling Heredia

By Jon Weisman

On July 2, 2015

In International, Minor leagues, Scouting, Transactions

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By Jon Weisman

Today, the opening day of the new signing period for international players not subject to the MLB draft, the Dodgers announced the following signings, led by the most highly regarded pitcher in the market …

Read More

Dodger minor league report No. 12: Scott Schebler’s turn and Zach Lee’s return

By Jon Weisman

On July 2, 2015

In Minor leagues

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By Cary Osborne

In the June edition of Dodger Insider magazine, we profiled outfield prospect Scott Schebler. The theme of the story was how Schebler was a notoriously slow starter who takes off once the summer months hit.

When the story was written, Schebler’s numbers were subpar. The No. 8 prospect in the system, added in the offseason to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, was hitting .208/.299/.377 for Triple-A Oklahoma City entering June with six doubles, one triple, six home runs and 14 RBI.

Then June arrived, and true to form, Schebler turned it on. The 24-year-old was one of the best hitters in the Dodger chain last month. He batted .321/.389/.595 with four doubles, five triples, three home runs and 17 RBI.

A year after leading the Double-A Southern League in triples and home runs, Schebler ranks tied for second in the Pacific Coast League in triples. He is mere percentage points from Corey Seager’s OPS in OKC (.780 to Seager’s .783).

We talked to Dodger director of player development Gabe Kapler about Schebler this week, who said, in reality, Schebler’s early swoon was less that met the eye.

“Scheb all along was performing well. He just wasn’t having a lot of luck,” Kapler said. “He was striking the ball with real authority. He was doing a good job from a number of perspectives. He just wasn’t showing the results in the traditional counting numbers. Now you’re starting to see that. A lot of that is completely out of your control. Scheb’s actually been doing a good job all the way through.”

Here’s more from the past week in minor-league action …

Dodger minor league report No. 4: Seager adjusting to Triple-A

By Jon Weisman

On May 7, 2015

In Minor leagues

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Dodgers at Brewers, 10:40 a.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Alex Guerrero, LF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Carlos Frias, P

By Jon Weisman

Though the Pacific Coast League has put a slight break on the rapid rise of Corey Seager, it wouldn’t be fair to say he’s lost all momentum.

Seager, who turned 21 last week, is 5 for 20 with a double, a walk and four strikeouts since his promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City from Double-A Tulsa. Seager had hits in two of his first three at-bats, then went 0 for 9 (with his one walk). But in his last two games, Seager is 3 for 8 with a double and two RBI, heading into tonight’s game against New Orleans.

On to this week’s roundup …

We’re not in Albuquerque anymore

By Jon Weisman

On April 18, 2015

In Minor leagues

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By Jon Weisman

On Friday, Mike Bolsinger extended to 11 his streak of scoreless innings to start 2015. He has allowed three hits and three walks while striking out 17.

Zach Lee has given up but one run and eight baserunners in 12 innings, with 13 strikeouts. Scott Baker’s ERA is 1.80.

As a team, the Dodgers’ new Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City has a 2.79 ERA with 104 strikeouts against 90 baserunners in 83 innings.

It’s still the Pacific Coast League, but it’s definitely not the high-flyin’ altitude of Albuquerque, where the Isotopes in 2014 had a team ERA that was more than double (5.83).

The OKC Dodgers played their first eight games of the season at a home ballpark that is far more friendly to pitchers than Albuquerque fans could ever imagine.

That’s not to minimize what the OKC Dodgers are doing at the outset of the season — that their 2.71 ERA leads the Pacific Coast League isn’t entirely the ballpark’s doing. Bolsinger’s five scoreless innings Friday came in the team’s road debut, a 3-2 victory over Iowa in which Oklahoma City allowed seven baserunners and struck out 14. But as time passes this season, we need to remember a different set of standards now applies to evaluating Dodger Triple-A pitchers statistically.

Similarly, the forgiveness typically directed toward Isotope pitchers might now be reapportioned toward the batters of Oklahoma City, who have the fourth-worst OPS in the PCL. Individual results vary wildly, from Buck Britton’s 11-for-28 start with six walks (1.036 OPS) down to Scott Schebler’s .379 OPS.

In case you missed it: Puighead Revisited

By Jon Weisman

On March 9, 2015

In Dodger Stadium, In case you missed it, Minor leagues

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers at Giants, 1:05 p.m.
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Carl Crawford, DH
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Andre Ethier, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Joc Pederson, CF
(Brett Anderson, P)

By Jon Weisman

It’s the Dodgers and the Giants today. The last time these two teams met, the Dodgers were celebrating their National League West title at San Francisco’s expense. I don’t remember what happened after that.

Your pregame links:

Baseball Prospectus went crazy with its self-proclaimed Kershaw Day today, offering more than a dozen stories on the Dodger ace. It’s a fantastic package.
Yasiel Puig was shadowed by a rather large doppelganger Sunday, but also got to meet him, not only face-to-face, but face-inside-face, as David Brown notes at CBSSports.com.
Puig is in the best mental shape of his life, writes Tyler Kepner at the New York Times.
Meeting with reporters today, Don Mattingly offered some nice and unsurprising compliments for Sunday walkoff hero Corey Seager. From Dylan Hernandez in the Times:

Mattingly lavished praise on 20-year-old Corey Seager, comparing the infield prospect to Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and former batting champion John Olerud.

“Without a putting a giant X on his back, he’s more like a Ripken to me, as far as being the big shortstop that doesn’t really profile there but has great hands, great awareness, really good clock as far as calmness and knowing the timing,” Mattingly said. “At the plate, he’s more like a little bit of an Olerud if you really watch him. He’s quiet. He’s a big guy with a small swing.”
The focus on switch-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal has been on his power from the left side of the plate, but don’t sell his right side short, writes Dustin Nosler of Dodgers Digest.
Alex Guerrero is the subject of this J.P. Hoornstra feature at the Daily News, a story that includes this insight from Adrian Gonzalez.

“One of the things I know from playing winter ball, being around Latin American countries, is that the time that counts is the game time,” Gonzalez said. “If you don’t want to show up for BP, you don’t have to. … The extra work is up to you. So when you get here and they’re saying ‘you have to be here for BP’ you’re like, ‘why? I don’t need it,’ because you never needed it your whole life.

“Here if you don’t get in the weight room, they label you as a guy who doesn’t work. People are so worried about all the things that you do” ‑ Gonzalez draws out the word “allllll” for effect ‑ “and not just what you do on the field.”
Discussion continues about Guerrero’s stated desire to stay in the Major Leagues, as his contract dictates. I’m not sure why the conversation about Guerrero should be any different than any of the many other players who also can’t go to the minor leagues against their will. In any case, Guerrero clearly wants to make it on merit, and he’s aiming to do so on the field.
Dodger Triple-A hitting coach Johnny Washington described Joc Pederson’s swing in detail to Hoornstra.
Prospect guru John Sickels brought out his Dodger top 20 today at Minor League Ball.
Sunday’s Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic is recapped by Chad Thornburg of MLB.com.

“I’ve been doing this 25 years and been in a lot of different tournaments, the College World Series, a couple different unique things,” said TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle. “This is right there with Omaha. No disrespect to the other things we’ve been a part of, but when you walk in the parking lot, you look up and say, ‘That’s where Kirk Gibson hit the ball.’ … It was just an awesome life experience.”

In case you missed it: Opening Day is one month away

By Jon Weisman

On March 6, 2015

In In case you missed it, Minor leagues

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

For more photos from Thursday, visit LA Photog Blog.

By Jon Weisman

Opening Day is one month away. Opening Day is one month away. And this kid looks ready.

Here are the latest links:

Clayton Kershaw looked outstanding Thursday, but he said he had to make an adjustment to fix his slider before his second inning, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
As Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles points out, Spring Training for Kershaw is as much about building endurance as anything else.
Saxon also had a good Q&A with Ellis, touching quickly on several different subjects.
Kershaw and Ellis described their adjustment to the new 145-second time limit between innings, in this Dylan Hernandez story for the Times. More from both in this dodgers.com video here.
It’s actually fun to watch big-leaguers adjust to MLB’s caveat-filled directive to keep one foot in the batter’s box, as Mike Oz points out at Big League Stew.
Farhan Zaidi talked platooning in this story by Bill Plunkett of the Register. An excerpt:

(Joc) Pederson has a mercurial relationship with left-handed pitching. He hit lefties well in the Class-A California League (a .330 average), struggled against them in Double-A two years ago (.200) then handled them well in Triple-A last year (.299 with a 1.020 OPS).

“It’s interesting. I think with lefties you see that more,” Zaidi said of the fluctuations. “One, you’re dealing with left-on-left sample sizes that are pretty small. So there’s just some noise there anyway. And then I just think with lefties it kind of comes and goes a little bit.

“As a general rule, righties will have more consistent splits from year to year. Lefties will have a good year against left-handed pitching and then they’ll have a down year. Really getting a gauge for how guys are performing in that role as early as possible definitely helps. I’ll say this – the sort of exciting thing about him (Pederson) is that he has everyday potential because he has had seasons of success against lefties. There are guys who always struggle in that role.”
It might take all of Spring Training for Don Mattingly to decide how he sets up his bullpen in the absence of Kenley Jansen, Mattingly told Gurnick.
Here’s an exhaustive evaluation of top Dodger prospects by Kiley McDaniel at Fangraphs.
MLB official historian John Thorn has been running a series of posts at Our Game on baseball’s greatest photographs. Here is Part 5, and here is a cool Neil Leifer shot of Willie Davis in Part 2.
NYU, the school that produced Ralph Branca (and my wife), has brought back varsity baseball after a 41-year absence, writes Tom Pedulla for the New York Times. A group photo from the early 1940s that includes Branca runs with the story.

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: Minor leagues (Page 5 of 8)

Dodgers recall Scott Schebler

Dodger minor league report No. 19: Peeking at September

Cotton, Urias making farm life ever so interesting

Dodger minor league report No. 18: Winning time for Julio Urias

Dodger minor league report No. 17: Wieland dealing, Hatcher healing

Dodger minor league report No. 16: Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, Jose Peraza and more

‘Shoe’ captain, my captain: Dodgers honor John Shoemaker

Dodgers claim Preston Guilmet, designate Chris Reed for assignment

Teenagers are no wasteland for Dodger international scouts

Dodgers sign nine international prospects, led by Yadier Alvarez, Starling Heredia

Dodger minor league report No. 12: Scott Schebler’s turn and Zach Lee’s return

Dodger minor league report No. 4: Seager adjusting to Triple-A

We’re not in Albuquerque anymore

In case you missed it: Puighead Revisited

In case you missed it: Opening Day is one month away

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