Dodgers: J’s and Y’s to Look Out For

If you haven’t heard of top Dodger’s prospect Corey Seager, you are living under a rock. Younger brother of Kyle Seager, 21-year old Corey made quite the debut last season in the second half reaching base safely in his first nine at bats. In 27 games, he batted .337/.425/.561, not too shabby for a rookie. He didn’t fair as well in his first postseason appearance, but to be fair to Seager, not every player can have rookie post season performances like Chipper Jones or Dustin Pedroia.

Fast forward to spring training 2016, if Seager had not sprained his knee, he undoubtedly would have impressed in spring training. Hailing from a baseball pedigree, scouting reports call Seager the SS of the future, with little to no downside.

However, there are plenty of Dodger prospects that are more than worthy of some recognition. We will only get to a few here, however, I suggest you remember the names when you are talking shop over the water cooler. Coincidentally, all of their names begin with J or Y. Let’s get to it.

J Squad

Julio Urias

Not much of a surprise this is the first name mentioned under the J category. Represented by superagent Scott Boras, Urias has an impressive 3 pitch arsenal with fastball, changeup and curveball. Signed by the Dodgers at 16, the southpaw displays a very fluid delivery, his fastball ranging between 91-96, undoubtedly his best pitch. He has at times had control issues, which can be expected for a 19-year-old. His athleticism bodes well for his longevity, and he is projected to be a to a top-of-the-rotation guy. He has had a shaky spring training, giving up 5 hits and 4 runs over 3 IP. One can only chalk the poor showing up to growing pains. He is decidedly one to keep an eye on.

Jose DeLeon

The 6’2 righty was a 24th-round draft pick out of Southern in 2013. He did not get off to an impressive start. His ERA was a gaudy  6.96 in his debut. However, things looked up for DeLeon after that outing. In 4 starts with the Great Lakes Loons in 2014, he had 42 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. It doesn’t stop there, he was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes where in seven starts, he went 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA. He has drastically matured, his command is better, mechanics are sharp and he has three pitches in his repertoire. His fastball in the 92-96 range being his best pitch. He has moved at a considerable rate and does not appear to be slowing down. Pending any trades, I see him 2nd or 3rd in the Dodgers rotation next season.

Y Squad

Yadier Alvarez

Every now and then a player comes around that gives you chills. You see something in them that gives you the inkling that this kid could be something special. Yadier Alvarez is one of those players. Seemingly, a little ways off from the majors, this 19-year-old at 6’3, 175 pounds as already hit 98 on the radar guns. He shows advanced traits for someone with virtually no experience. Furthermore, handled right, Alvarez has the natural talent to be a phenom. If he can get command of his pitches, and more importantly, exhibit the mental toughness that is needed to excel at the level his talent can bring him, he will be a star in this league. Right now, he is a mystery, which brings me to the last player on my list, the biggest mystery of all.

Yadir Drake

Had the pleasure to meet this young man recently. His energy is infectious. The Cuban defector dubbed as “Mini Puig” has been an air of mystery. Is he an outfielder or a pitcher? Apparently, he can do both well. Smaller in stature than Puig, the 25-year old is 6’0, 200 pounds. With mentors like Yasiel Puig and Alex Guerrero in his corner, he won’t have trouble learning the ropes. Why is he on this list? I never said this was the top prospects list, there would be dozens of others before Drake, however, Yadir Drake is a player to keep an eye on. He has turned a few eyes, he is extremely athletic and has a gun for an arm. He reaches 97 on his fast ball boding well for right field assuming he does not end up pitching. He told columnist, Hugh Bernreuter that he is aggressive,

“I’m aggressive,” Drake said. “I’m aggressive hitting. I’m aggressive running. I’m aggressive on defense. I can hit homeruns and steal bases, but I’ll probably steal more bases than hit homeruns.”

Guess we will wait and see how aggressive.

The Dodgers are stacked with prospects. This list is only a glimpse. Dodgers are currently ranking 6th on the MLBPipeline.com farm fystem rankings. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers chemistry is with new coach Dave Roberts. The talent is there. However, will everything else align?

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *