Four Dodgers Make Baseball Prospectus Top-101 Prospects Of 2015
With Spring Training roughly a week away for pitchers and catchers, several publications have released their predictions for the 2015 season, which also includes ranking their prospects.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, this has come with three players — Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias — becoming household names when it pertains to lists of top Minor League prospects. The trio made Baseball Prospectus’ list of top-10 prospects in the Dodgers’ farm system and the publication’s list of top-101 prospects throughout the Minors.
While Pederson reached the Majors as a September callup last season and will have the opportunity to win the starting center field job, he’s not the first Dodger player to appear on the list. The honor instead goes to Seager, who is ranked the No. 7 overall prospect, up from No. 44 last year.
The next Dodger to appear on the list is the 18-year-old phenom Urias at No. 10 (No. 35 in 2014). Urias is followed by Pederson, ranked No. 18 after checking in at No. 50 in 2014. The final Dodger prospect is right-hander Grant Holmes, who’s ranked No. 79 heading into his second season after getting selected with the Dodgers’ 22nd pick in the 2014 draft.
Prior to reaching the Majors, Pederson completed a historic 30-30 season, which was a first in 80 years in Pacific Coast League history. He was named PCL MVP and is heralded as one of the franchise’s cornerstones for the future.
Seager began the 2014 season in High-A Rancho Cucamonga and played his way to a promotion to the Double-A level following the All-Star break. Moving up a level in competition didn’t have any adverse affect on the 20-year-old shortstop, as he hit .345/.381/.534 with the Lookouts.
Pitching under a watchful eye, Urias completed another remarkable season in his first experience at the High-A level. He had 109 strikeouts in 87.2 innings (25 games, 20 starts) without ever pitching past the sixth inning in any of his appearances. Although the Dodgers will likely continue to closely monitor him, Urias is expected to begin the 2015 season in Double-A.
Holmes began his first season out of college in the Arizona League, where he went 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA in seven games (six starts), but had 33 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. He earned a late-season promotion to Ogden and had mixed results. Nonetheless, Holmes has promising talent and he’s been included on multiple top prospects lists, including MLB.com’s top-100.
[divide]Dodgers 2015 FanFest
