Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each system and honors the players — regardless of age or prospect status — who had the best seasons in their organization.
This is the list from MiLB – posted November 11 – with a brief review by Dodgers Director of Player Development Will Rhymes.
Catcher — Connor Wong, Rancho Cucamonga (71 games), Tulsa (40 games): After a spotty April, Wong finished fourth in the system with 82 RBIs and tied for fourth with 24 homers while batting .281/.336/.541. Not bad production for a guy who caught 722 1/3 innings.
“He hit 27 home runs this year across both levels and the playoffs, which is rare for a catcher,” Rhymes said, “and he also has the athleticism that’s rare for a catcher. He made big strides behind the plate.”
Rhymes noted that Wong would have started the year with Double-A Tulsa had he not been “a victim of depth at the position” (hello, Will Smith and Keibert Ruiz) while emphasizing that the former University of Houston shortstop has “true versatility” and “could be a strong Major League defender at multiple positions.”
First baseman — Connor Joe, Oklahoma City (105 games), San Francisco (eight games): Claimed by the Reds in December and traded to the Giants in March, Joe landed back with the Dodgers after San Francisco designated him for assignment in early April. He responded by leading full-season Dodgers farmhands (and finishing third in the Pacific Coast League) with a .426 on-base percentage while bashing 15 homers and 26 doubles
“He established himself [in 2018] as an incredibly high-quality at-bat … ” Rhymes said. “He kept on the same exact path, and his walk rate went up to a ridiculous level [16.1 percent]. The ability to do damage while not striking out — in today’s game — is rare, and he increased his versatility by playing all four corners.”
Second baseman — Zach McKinstry, Tulsa (95 games), Oklahoma City (26 games): McKinstry set career highs in batting (.300) and dingers (19) while tying for third in the system in hits (129) and placing in the top 10 in doubles (T-ninth, 24) extra-base hits (eighth, 49) and total bases (seventh, 222). Although he spent the bulk (440 2/3 frames) of his defensive innings at second, the Dodgers consider him “above average” there and “a legitimate defender” elsewhere. The Central Michigan product could primarily play shortstop in 2020.
“He had a really good offseason last year. He stayed at [Camelback Ranch]. He filled out his body and got a lot stronger, and as soon as the calendar turned, a lot of us noticed how much better his bat path was,” Rhymes said. “He was able to access more of the field and show more power, and he retained the ability to make contact.”
Third baseman — Miguel Vargas, Great Lakes (70 games), Rancho Cucamonga (54 games): Vargas, who defected from Cuba in 2015, signed at the end of 2017 and doesn’t turn 20 until Sunday, posted the second-highest average among full-season Dodgers Minor Leaguers (.308, behind Lux’s .347) in his first long pro season. He whacked 38 doubles while stealing 13 bags, and his seven round-trippers may multiply someday.
“He’s absolutely the exact kind of guy where you can see the power developing later. If you were looking for the perfect foundation for a hitter to develop power — gets on base, hits for a high average, low ‘K’ rate, ability to use right field — Rhymes said. “His bat speed increased significantly this year, and … we expect to see a bump in bat speed again. … He’s an incredibly well-rounded hitter even if this was the extent of his power.”
Shortstop — Gavin Lux, Tulsa (64 games), Oklahoma City (49 games), Los Angeles (23 games): Lux led the system with 159 hits, 99 runs scored and 278 total bases and did more than enough to earn Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year honors. The 2016 first-rounder turns 22 on Nov. 23, but he forced a promotion from Double-A by June, then was even more impressive at Triple-A. After spending 473 1/3 of his 625 defensive innings at shortstop in the Minors, he moved to the other side of the bag on the big stage in September — and October.
“I don’t know what to say,” Rhymes said. “Across all the year [Minors and Majors], .330 with a .557 slug. He hit 29 home runs and had 29 doubles. He developed into a legitimate run-producer. He addressed issues [against left-handed pitching]. He’s one of the better hitters you’re going to see. His at-bat quality was always there, and he gained strength. He’s incredibly efficient.”
Outfielders
Zach Reks, Tulsa (32 games), Oklahoma City (89 games): Reks? He sure does. Having batted over .300 each of the previous two seasons, the 2017 10th-rounder led the system with 93 RBIs and — after entering the campaign with seven homers as a pro — finished second with 28 taters.
“I’m no longer surprised by anything Rexy does,” Rhymes said. “He was always a really, really good hitter, almost a magic wand type. … We anticipated him starting to grow into his strength, and he has good at-bats and swings at the right pitches.”
Kyle Garlick, Oklahoma City (81 games), Los Angeles (30 games): A proven basher in the system since turning pro in 2015, Garlick made the bigs for the first time this season. Before he got there, he hit 23 homers and 25 doubles while batting .314 in the PCL.
“He’s a great story for us in player development and in scouting: he was a 28th-round pick and he repeated Double-A for parts of three years,” Rhymes said. “This year, he made some adjustments and cut down on the miss, and we saw the performance spike.
“On paper, I think he was our best performer on the Minor League side. That’s pretty good, to lead this group of hitters in wOBA [.423, second to Lux’s .437] and OPS [1.057, better than all comers — including short-season players]. He’s … shown a lot of grit over time and he keeps getting better.”
Andy Pages, Ogden (63 games): Pages amassed 153 total bases in 279 plate appearances and posted a 165 wRC+ — highest among Dodgers outfielders who played at least 60 games. Despite being in Rookie ball — and 18 years old — he tied for 12th in the system with 19 homers and led the Pioneer League with 22 doubles. He also tied for tops on the circuit with 57 runs scored and second with 55 RBIs. The Pioneer League favors sluggers, but …
“The underlying exit data supports that the performance was pretty real,” Rhymes said. “There’s a chance he’s a special hitter. He’s still 18, and next year there’s going to be a huge challenge for him. We’re really interested to see how he responds to a higher level of competition. … He played some center field and he has an absolute cannon. The hit tool is there, too, and he’s really bright. He really knows the game. He’s a student of other people’s swings. There are a lot of ingredients that are encouraging, in addition to the huge power.”
Utility player: Edwin Rios, Oklahoma City (104 games), Los Angeles (28 games): Rios, who’s long been among the system’s most dangerous bats, led LA Minor Leaguers with 31 homers (and hit four more in the bigs). In the past, he’s faced questions about his defense; this year, he played four positions but took ownership of the hot corner.
“He’s made such progress at third base,” Rhymes said. “That’s where he’s made the biggest strides. He was always a very confident defender at third base in practice and it was just a matter of him gaining confidence in games. This year, we saw it. He’s worked really hard … on his agility, and that’s one more thing that gave him confidence.”
Honorable mention: Devin Mann played second base and third while giving the Quakes 19 dingers and a .358 OBP in 98 games.
Right-handed starter: Josiah Gray, Great Lakes (five starts), Rancho Cucamonga (12 starts), Tulsa (nine games, eight starts): The Le Moyne College product, who came to LA in the offseason blockbuster that sent Yasiel Puig to the Reds, led the system in strikeouts (147) and ERA (2.28) while finishing third in innings (130). Surprise, he’s the club’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
“It was close to the dream season. I don’t know how much better he could have done. In a first full season, to go three levels and finish at Double-A is just remarkable,” Rhymes said.
“He was completely unfazed. We had to keep [promoting] him in an attempt to present him with a challenge, and I’m not sure he found it. .. He gave up only four home runs the entire season [counting the Texas League playoffs]. … And he’s a fly ball pitcher — his ground ball rate is in the 30s [37.8 percent, per Fangraphs].”
Left-handed starter: Leo Crawford, Rancho Cucamonga (19 games, 16 starts), Tulsa (Six games, five starts): Crawford led qualified Dodgers southpaws in ERA (2.81, fourth in system) and strikeouts (134, also fourth) while pitching his way out of the Cal League, where he fanned 106 over 91 1/3 innings. At Double-A, the 22-year-old gave up nine runs — eight earned — over 30 1/3 frames.
“Consistency, his mix, his intelligence on the mound, an ability to affect hitters’ timing. … Plus, he fearlessly throws the ball over the plate,” Rhymes said. “He missed a lot of bats this year, which was an interesting development. His changeup has been really good — that’s been the separator — and he’s worked on his slider. The big thing is that he’s a competitor: he’s not scared.”
Honorable mention: John Rooney had a 2.84 ERA over 20 starts between Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga.
Relief pitcher: Logan Salow, Rancho Cucamonga (27 games), Tulsa (16 games, two starts): Salow held opponents to a .153 batting average while fanning 93 over 62 1/3 innings, posting a 2.31 ERA and going 5-for-5 in save opportunities. From May 1-June 30, he allowed one run in 17 appearances. His totals are what they are, despite hiccups following a promotion to Double-A. Over 19 1/3 innings in the Texas League, he walked 21 (after issuing 22 free passes in 43 innings in the Cal League). Still, he averaged more than a punch out per frame with the Drillers.
“Logan has a special fastball and he improved his ability to land the curveball for strikes,” Rhymes said, shrugging off the rough stretch. “It was just a matter of him getting back to strike one. His pitches play so well in the zone, he doesn’t need to do anything else.”
Honorable mention: There’s as strong a case to be made for Brett de Geus, who posted a 1.75 ERA between Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga.
There may be few gems in there as well. Of course, Lux and Ruiz are at the top, but Gray has a chance at being really good and Like Rhymes said: Andy Pages could be something special. Then there is de Geus!
I cannot agree with the selection of Logan Salow over Brett de Geus, but then again de Geus has been my guy since Spring. Logan had a 2-month run where he was unhittable, But that was de Geus all season.
Salow – 62.1IP, 93 K, 48 BB, 1.94 K/BB ratio, 2.31 ERA and 1.219 WHIP. 5 saves
de Geus – 61.2 IP, 72 K, 13 BB, 5.54 K/BB ratio, 1.75 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, 8 saves
de Geus followed up a tremendous regular season with another 9.1 IP in the AFL.
0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 HBP, 11 K, 5.50 K/BB ratio, 0.00 ERA and 0.429 WHIP, and 2 more saves.
Logan is 3 years older than Brett. Brett needs to be pushed and start the season in AA and if successful, move to AAA quickly. Salow had the K rate, but way too many walks. de Geus did not have the prolific K rate, but he was greater than 1.0 per inning, and his walk rate was far superior to Salow’s. Compare the WHIP rates.
Leo Crawford was one of those 2016 Great Lakes Loons, but sort of fell off the radar for two years. He was not bad, but did not stand out. In 2019, the Leo Crawford I saw in 2016 came back. Crawford was only 22 this season and I am sure still wants to be considered a starting pitcher. But with his ever improving change, he looks to be where he might be a lock down reliever. He also has that 1.0+ K/IP, and his K/BB ratio is an outstanding 4.96. He does not allow a lot of walks. He reminds me a lot of Caleb Ferguson with his K to BB ratio. He will continue to start in MiLB, but I think his future is in the LAD bullpen.
AC – gotta agree with you. As much as I like Logan and have not given up on him, Brett right now is that “guy”. If Logan can keep the plate from moving around he will also be one to watch. Brett’s ball in the strike zone is difficult to hit hard so a strike out per inning is probably more than he needs and can be more strategic.
I’m really excited about Andy Pages and I’m still very high on Miguel Vargas. The Dodgers farm is a prospect factory especially considering how low we draft.
Edwin Rios has been a hitting machine for years but had a couple of labels attached to him that hurt his prospect status. Slow bat and bad glove. I still think he’s better than Beaty and has a chance to be a regular with that bat.
de Gaus was lights out in the AFL. How many levels can he jump next season? Will we see him in the Spring? Will he start the season at High A?
Conner Wong – 24 Homers / 24 Doubles in 423 ABs, are you kidding me?
I do not think that it is out of the question that De Geus gets a ST invite. LAD knows they need relievers, and right now de Geus is the cream at the top. I would bet he gets to AAA and from there?????? With the reduced number of September callups beginning in 2020, it will be hard to find a spot for de Geus unless he forces the issue. Hopefully he can.
A couple of fun things around baseball…
Negron – was released and subsequently retired with little fanfare. I was wondering why he was on the roster for so long last year.
Farhan – The good: Picked up Yastrzemski, The bad: Whiffed at the deadline by holding onto Smith and Mad Bum, The Ugly: Hired Phillie castoff Kapler to manage the Giants.
Donaldson – The Dodgers are in on him as well, as well as everyone else.
Piazza – Going to manage an Italian baseball team.
Astros – You suck! Should they have to pay restitution to the Dodgers in the form of sending Yordan Alvarez back? Send their rings back? Give back their trophy? Scratch off their name in the annuls of MLB champions, or put an asterisk next to their name?
I’ll happily settle for making them send Alvarez back. Great idea and one I’m sure the commissioner’s office is thinking about as I write this. 🙂
Question. Was it not suggested that Yu Darvish was giving away his pitches in the 2017 WS? Maybe he was not giving them away but the Astros were taking them illegally.
That is what AF hinted at without accusing when he said that the team’s best person to pick off pitch tips was Chase Utley and he could not see where Darvish was tipping his pitches. That may explain Game 3, but how do you explain Game 7 which was at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw was unhittable in Game 1 and Game 7, both at Dodger Stadium, but got lit up like a Christmas tree in Game 5 (Houston). The one pitcher who pitched well in both Houston and LA was Alex Wood. If the Astros were getting the signals in Game 4, it did not impact Alex who gave up only a HR (only hit) in 5.2 IP. He also pitched 2.0 hitless/shutout innings in Game 7. Many of us (especially we Alex Wood fans), believe that Wood should have started Game 7 and not Darvish. I said so before Game 7, but I was called an “over-zealous” Alex Wood fan.
I see what you mean about Yu and Clayton. I also liked Wood and was sorry they traded him. Always thought they should have kept him.
I am amazed at the players we have in our farm system. Wong is a nice story. We certainly have our share of good catchers in our system.Smith and Wong can play other positions. I was interested in the 3rd. base position. Turner is getting older and we need a replacement soon. Vargas is a young kid, and we also have Hoese. Switching JT to first and Muncy to third is a great idea. That may get two more years for Turner. Enough time for Vargas and Hoese to develop.
Thanks DC. Nice article.
Heard somewhere that the Indians want Smith AND Lux for Lindor. How many people think this makes sense?
Would you do it?
No way baby!
I would certainly consider it if we were able to extend Lindor.
Agree with Rudybyrd only if Lindor signs a extension would I trade lux and smith.
Thank you DC for the very in-depth report on the minor leaguers. Looks like we have a good group of youngsters for the future. Anxious to see how Vargas does and others. Question…when a player gets promoted to one level up, do they gat a raise in pay?
DBM – my understanding is at the next level they get higher pay which is still unthinkable as they are paid for only the six months they play.
Things may have changed, but they actually get paid for 5 months – They get paid for what is referred to as the “Championship” Season or as we refer to it as the Regular Season. MiLB goes from April through August. They get a per diem for ST but no pay. The increase in pay for each level is minuscule, but there is one.
Thank you both for the information. Whatever the raise in pay is, the base needs to be higher to support our young men.
This is from Jeff Lantz – MiLB in answer to my question about a player being promoted and then send down again. I used an example of going from A+ to AA and then down to A+ again.
“Once the player is sent back to the A+ level, his salary would go back to what he was making at that level prior to the promotion to Double-A. Hope that helps!”
That is correct. The salary for those that did not sign FA MiLB contracts coincide with the years in service in whatever level of MiLB the player is currently playing. Jeff Lantz’s explanation is correct.
As much as I like Frankie Lindor I would not can Seager at short by moving him to 3rd or trade him. A health Seager more than covers SS.
There has been tons or ideas and speculation about what the Dodgers should do this off season. Many contributors have a way better handle on our MiLB playes than I do. I did happily get to Az in time to catch 4 games of fall ball. Through all the ideas and speculation a couple of things cross my mind. Don’t make trades and deals for the sake of change. Lateral movement isn’t what we need. Additions need to be upgrades on the field or payroll considerations. So all the conversation about trades is interesting but 3 areas need to be addressed before new thirdbasemen or outfielders or catchers or whatever. We need a CLOSER. I don’t know what else needs to be seen but KJ doesn’t cut it (literally and figuratively). I don’t need another season watching him try to find his pitch while blowing saves and convoluting bullpen moves because he can’t be trusted. He’s done. If no candidates emerge internally, I would see if Edwin Diaz is doable. He’s young and coming off a bad year, after a record breaking good one. I think he may be a bargain this winter but I don’t know what the Mets would want.
Next is another Starting Pitch. A top shelf established Dude. Pay the necessary price. Many candidates have been mention but it is a major need. I’d keep Ryu with a bargain price but Hill adds nothing for me. Great guy. Great competitor but what’s his role? I see no role where he is an advantage over a Dude FA or our emerging youngsters. And we need a right handed power bat. These are the immediate needs. Everything else exchanging chess pieces.
Interesting Edwin Ríos was mentioned. I had forgotten about him. To the folks that know the minor league kids better than me, is Ríos a legit candidate for the third base job once JT needs to move? I know he’s not the right handed bat we need but he is a solid left handed bat at third, something of value in most organizations.
Talk to me about a starter, closer and RHB before Frankie Lindor, another outfielder etc, back up catcher or a new pitching coach.
I agree with this. If you trade Smith and Lux for Lindor, you incrementally improve at SS…maybe, maybe not. Then you create a gaping hole at catcher and possibly second base since Muncy is not really a second baseman.
If I’m calling the shots, I go hard after Cole/Stras/Wheeler for SP, Rendon/Donaldson at 3B and use Muncy, Pederson and Kike as trade pieces to get relievers. I’ll keep Rios around to share playing time at 1B and 3B to keep Donaldson and Turner fresh. This would have the makings of a great offense and defense…
Lux 2B
Verdugo RF
Turner 1B
Bellinger CF
Rendon/Donaldson 3B
Seager SS
Pollock LF
Smith C
You can start the season with Pollock batting leadoff and Seager in the 2 hole.
Bueller
Cole/Stras/Wheeler/Ryu
Kershaw
Urias
May
59, I hereby give you permission to trade Joc and/or Kike to get one or two relievers, but Muncy for a reliever? Who would you expect to get in return for him? Relievers are very inconsistent. Muncy has been very consistent. Not sure I like that idea.
I would also pick de Geus over Salow. I’m looking forward to what Pages can do at Great lakes next year. Quite often the Ogden factor skews the offensive numbers.
I do not, under any circumstances, trade Lux and Smith for Lindor. It does not necessarily improve the team and it creates another hole or two that we have to fill.
Some info from Ken Rosenthol and The Athletic on the qualifying offer…
Why the qualifying offer shouldn’t be a drag
“But the most productive second-rounder drafted between 2011-15, according to Baseball-Reference’s version of Wins Above Replacement, was pitcher Alex Wood.
No disrespect to Wood, a decent if oft-injured left-hander, but he’s not the type of player who should prevent a team from sacrificing a draft pick for a top free agent.”
While I have no problem with losing a 2nd round pick, somewhere north of Draft Pick 70 (for LAD), I think Rosenthal’s argument is short sighted. The entire draft is a crapshoot. What about all of the post 2nd rounders that were taken that should have been at least 2nd round? Jacob de Grom was drafted in 2010, but he was a 9th round pick. To finish the study, one would have to include who was selected subsequent to the team’s lost 2nd pick and their 3rd round pick. Perhaps, one of those was on their draft board to be selected in Round 2, and they lost the chance.
Another consideration is how did the FA turn out where a 2nd round pick was lost. Did that FA crater and the contract become a boat anchor? It is too simple to just look at the 2nd round picks, but it is a good general point.
That being said, the argument that draft picks are unreliable is true. If AF could have had an elite FA and knew that his 2nd round draft pick in 2015 would have cratered, he would have gladly given up his 2nd round pick, Mitchell Hansen. Heck, he would gladly have given up his 1st round pick in 2017, Jeren Kendall if his budget could have afforded an elite FA contract.
Apparently we are one of about six teams who are showing some real interest in Donaldson. This makes sense on a lot of levels. Friedman plans his moves as though he were participating in a chess match. One move leads to another. Boras will hold most of his guys off until Jan-Feb. Donaldson signed early last winter so he may very well do that again this year. If we can win the Donaldson Derby that will enable AF to make other moves based on having gotten the right handed power bat taken care of. Is Rendon a better player today than Donaldson? Of course. But I’d be happy to have Donaldson locked up quickly on a shorter less expensive contract than Rendon will demand. He would still add a lot to our lineup.
Rendon vs Donaldson. You can make an argument that it’s very close. Look at their WARs this last season, or career for that matter. Donaldson’s glove is better. But, I love that Rendon hits 300 and Ks less than 100 times a year. I’m with you, I’d rather have Rendon, but I would be really happy with Donaldson.
Donaldson is 4 years older than Rendon. Is 4 years out of the question? Age 34-37 seasons. What about 8 years for Rendon? Age 30-37.
deGrom wins the Cy Young. Ryu and Scherzer finish tied for 2nd