Dodgers Minor League Spotlight: Jose De Leon, Cody Bellinger, and Johan Mieses!
One of the main attributes that has kept the Dodgers alive during this injury-filled season has got to be their ridiculous amount of depth off the bench, as well as out of the minor league system. According to Bleacher Report on June 15th of this year, the Dodgers’ farm system was ranked second in all of baseball. This analyzation was before the trade deadline so it includes the likes of Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas, and Jharel Cotton, however, the farm is so deep that it remains one of the best even without those 3.
Now it would be impossible to highlight every single player that is putting up numbers in the Dodgers’ minor league system because there are so many! Thus, we’re just going to show you one from the OKC Dodgers, Tulsa Drillers, and RC Quakes so that you have an idea of what the future holds.
Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers: Jose De Leon
Jose De Leon’s name has been brought up so many times throughout the season as a possible savior for the Dodgers’ starting rotation. The young 24-year-old has been putting up amazing numbers this season for the OKC Dodgers, including a record of 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA. The Number 2 prospect also has 78 strikeouts and only 20 walks in in 64.2 innings pitched!
On August 12th, De Leon started for the OKC Dodgers and put on quite the performance going 7 innings, striking out 7, and giving up 2 runs. There is no doubt that he is capable of performing at the major league level, the only question now is when the front office will make the decision to call him up!
De Leon's final stats: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, and 7 K
— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) August 13, 2016
Double-A Tulsa Drillers: Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger is who many believe to be the future at first base for the Dodgers. The number one prospect is a mere 21 years old but is producing numbers like he was a veteran! This season with the Tulsa Drillers, Bellinger is hitting .261 with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs. His bat is one of the most attractive things about Bellinger, specifically his stupid power!
On August 13th, Cody Bellinger hit a home run that could match any of the skyscrapers over in Downtown Los Angeles! Okay, maybe not, but the height and distance that this ball traveled is absolutely stunning. Bellinger is still quite young and the fact that some guy named Adrian Gonzalez is starting for the Dodgers sure doesn’t help his case; however, when the day comes that he does get the call, expect home runs like this!
@Dodgers prospect @Cody_Bellinger does it all as he shows off his bat and glove #Dodgers #Homerun #WebGem pic.twitter.com/0y0wjRy7qz
— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) August 14, 2016
Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Johan Mieses
Johan Mieses is a little bit higher up on the prospect list at number 23, but don’t let this fool you! The 21-year-old is only in Single-A at the moment but his powerful swing will move him up the ranks in no time! This season with the Quakes, Mieses has a league leading 26 home runs, a .253 average, and 68 RBIs! The Dodgers are currently filled to the brim with outfielders so the chances of Mieses getting called up any time soon are slim; however, there is no doubt he will be making a splash at the Chavez Ravine in just a few years!
Johan Mieses:
– League leading 26 home runs
– Has homered in the last 4 games
– Homered in 13 of his last 19???
— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) August 14, 2016
The Dodgers future is bright. So bright, that the front office refused to give it all away for the likes of Chris Archer or Chris Sale. Many fans criticized them for gambling on prospects, but their is no doubt that the talent is there. Hopefully we will see these prospects in Los Angeles in the near future so that their potential can translate into championships!
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Really excited to see DeLeon debut soon. Bellinger will likely begin his tenure at 1B when Gonzo’s contract is up. And though Mieses is displaying great power, he has piss poor plate discipline (7.4 BB% to a 29.5 K%) at High-A ball. I’m much more excited about Alex Verdugo as our RF’er here in a couple years. Much better plate discipline, an absolute cannon of an arm, and only 20 years old at AA.
yarritsblake I agree on Verdugo. He has learned plate discipline and is an A+ defender in the outfield. He will be up without a doubt in a couple of years….
Bellinger looks very promising also. Segedin has been a real find that young man can hit……These days with pitching so dominant you really need guys that can give you a great at bat.
I have been very impressed with Peterson the last quarter. he hit a HR the other night to LEFT Field!! And he is getting close to a solid 250 average. If he can do that with his power and defense he is a very good center fielder. I think the competition from seeing Seager and some of the other guys in the line up grind out at bats and taking the pitch to the opposite field has helped his mental approach.
The future certainly looks bright. But man we need someone to step up in the pitching rotation….McCarthy is a MENTAL basket case….