The Dodgers will be shutting down the farm in a few days, with some of these ball-players with bright futures appearing on the Dodgers roster when the team is allowed to expand this weekend.
There are definitely some good things are going on down on the farm this year, especially after news broke that John Ely was named PCL Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first Isotopes pitcher to claim the award since it’s creation in 2001.
Ely has a chance to win the the league’s Triple Crown for the first time since 1995, and was also one of four Isotopes to be named to the All-PCL team this season, joining Jerry Sands (recently traded to the Boston Red Sox), Josh Wall, and Tim Federowicz.
Federowicz, 25, ranks second in the league in caught-stealing percentage, throwing out 37% of would-be base stealers.
Besides being one of the top defenders in the league, Federowicz, was also named as the starting catcher in the PCL Triple-A All-Star Game, who has gone on to hit an impressive .294/.370/.465 with 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a team-high 34 doubles.
Wall, 25, has been the Isotopes’ primary closer this season, and currently has 27 saves in 51 innings of work. The ERA of 4.70 is a bit alarming, but nobody else seems to worried about it. Wall has only two blown saves this season and has held opposing batters to a .240 average.
In other news, Dodgers top prospect Yasiel Puig has just been named to participate in the upcoming Arizona Fall League. The 21-year-old was just recently promoted to the Class-A Quakes, where he has hit a blistering .386 (17-for-44) with one homer and 4 RBIs in 12 games.
Other Dodger youngsters joining Puig in the AFL this year are: pitchers Eric Eadington, Red Patterson and Steven Rodriguez; catcher Gorman Erickson; infielder Rafael Ynoa; and outfielder Joc Pederson.
Pederson, 20, is one of the Dodgers top five prospects in most circles these days, so watching his performance could be a good indicator on what may be in store for him in 2013.
In 2012, Pederson tore it up for the Class-A Quakes, hitting .318/.400/.523 with 18 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases, and will likely open the 2013 season with the Double-A Lookouts, and is in my opinion, the best position player the Dodgers currently have down on the farm, and his future certainly looks bright.
Steven Rodriguez, 21, drafted by the Dodgers at number 82 overall in the 2012 MLB Draft, is a deceptive left-hander with great stuff.
In 19 combined minor league games this season, Rodriguez boasts a 0.96 ERA with 5 saves, 30 strikeouts, holding opposing batters to a .154 batting average.
A strong AFL performance could lead to a spring invite to Camelback Ranch next March.
There is a lot to be excited about down on the farm these days. Stan Kasten has done well to fulfill his promise to rebuild the farm in just a few short months.
A very strong 2012 draft has gone a long way to rebuilding an unbalanced farm system. We’ve also seen the international signings of Yasiel Puig, Julio Urias, Selme Angulo, Lenix Osuna, Victor Gonzalez, William Soto, and Julian Leon.
Even after dealing several top prospects to the Marlins and Red Sox this summer, the Dodgers farm system actually looks better right now than when the 2012 season opened.
