OKC Comets 9 – Reno Aces 8
LHSP Charlie Barnes started and gave up a 2-run HR to top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, who had a good but brief run with Arizona early in the year.
OKC scored the next 9 runs and then had to hold on for the 1 run win.
OKC put up 6 in the 3rd. With one out C Griffin Lockwood-Powell singled and SS Noah Miller doubled (10) scoring GLP. 1B James Tibbs III singled with Miller scoring. CF Zach Ehrhard reached on a fielding error with JTIII to 2nd. RF Jack Suwinski drew a BB to load the bases. 2B Austin Gauthier followed with a grand slam HR (3).
OKC scored 3 more in the 5th. Gauthier and DH Hyeseong Kim drew BB. 3B Taylor Young doubled (3) to score Gauthier. GLP singled to score Kim. After Miller forced GLP at 2B, he scored on JTIII’s double (18).
Barnes faced 1 over the minimum from the 2nd thru the 5th. In the 6th, Barnes got the first batter out, but then as it so often innocently happens, he walked the next batter. After a K, Barnes walked the next batter. One run scored on a single, and another on a fielding error. A single and double followed. RHRP Chayce McDermott got the final out without any further runs. The score is now 9-7.
McDermott loaded the bases in the 7th with no outs with 2 walks and a single. The next batter GIDP and the 8th run scored. RHRP Evan Phillips was summoned to relieve McDermott. He struck out the next batter to end the inning.
RHRP Jerming Rosario and RHRP Paul Gervase pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th with Gervase getting his 2nd save.
In the game, Barnes completed 5.2 IP, 7 runs (3 earned), 3 BB, 3 K.
Hyeseong Kim had a very encouraging game with 3 BB.
I am starting to get Hunter Feduccia vibes with GLP.
- James Tibbs III – 2-4, 2 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (18)
- Taylor Young – 2-4. 1 HBP, 1 RBI, double (3)
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 2-4, 1 HBP, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Noah Miller – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (10)
- Austin Gauthier – 1-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, 4 RBI, HR (3)
- Ryan Fitzgerald – 1-5, 1 BB, double (19)
Tulsa Drillers 3 – Corpus Christi Hooks 2
This was a 0-0 game through 5. Newly promoted 21 year old RHSP Christian Zazueta was making his AA debut. He was brilliant. 5.0 scoreless IP, 1 broken bat single (thrown out attempting to steal), 2 HBP, 0 BB, and 8 K.
The announcers were not very good at describing pitches. It looked to me that he had two fastballs. His 4-seamer had good induced vertical break up, sat at 94-95, and peaked at 97. He also looked like he had a sinker with good late movement down. His changeup had depth and late life, but it was up in the zone way too much. It will get hit at higher levels. His slider had arm side run, but not a lot of break. He had good command all night, even with his 2 HBP on RH batters a on the plate. The 2nd HBP was a breaking ball about 85. It looked to be between a curve and slider. Not tight enough or enough sharp break for a slider.
The Hooks were running wild on Tulsa the first two games. Zazueta has a good quick throw over to 1B. He holds the runner close to the bag, and on an attempted SB, the runner was thrown out easily. Zazueta also picked off a runner at 1B. All around excellent game by Zazueta, but also things to work on. He has a very good foundation to build from.
Rick Honeycutt was in the Tulsa dugout all night. I would love to read his scouting report write up.
Zazueta was pulled after 5, and LHRP Wyatt Crowell took over. He retired the first batter on a good play by Crowell on a bunt. But then 2 singles and 2 BB and the Hooks had a 1-0 lead.
A lead off walk led to a run in the 8th for CC.
Tulsa was held scoreless with 2 singles until 1 out in the 8th. CF Mike Sirota, who had already walked twice and was HBP to push his streak of reaching base safely to 61 games, crushed a solo HR (5).
Crowell retired the Hooks in the 9th, but with some traffic.
On to the bottom of the 9th. On the 1st pitch, LF Kole Myers hit a solo HR to tie the game. C Frank Rodrigues singled and 1B Joe Vetrano followed with a BB. 2B Jose Izarra laid down a perfect sac bunt. RF Josue De Paula was at the plate, and on the 2nd pitch, the pitcher threw a WP for the walkoff win.
In 31 games for Tulsa, Sirota’s OBP is .479 after getting a .478 OBP in 30 games for Great Lakes. He reached base all 4 times and his HR was the lone XBH. No Drillers hitter had a multi-hit game.
Great Lakes Loons 2 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 0
LHSP Jakob Wright had his best start in more than a month. Wright pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, 1 hit, 3 BB, and 3 K. Wright got two quick outs in the 6th, walked the next batter, and was relieved by RHRP Davis Chastain. This was a good start for Wright.
In the 5th, Great Lakes broke the 0-0 tie. C Chase Adkison opened the inning with a single. CF Charles Davalan forced Adkison at 2nd but reached 1st. Davalan moved to 2nd on a ground ball out and scored when 2B Logan Wagner singled.
After getting the final out in the 6th, Chastain pitched 2 more scoreless innings.
The score remained 1-0 into the 9th when 1B Eduardo Guerrero homered (2) leading off the inning for a 2-0 lead.
RHRP Dilan Figueredo entered the 9th with a save opportunity. He left the game with his 2nd save.
- Eduardo Guerrero – 3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (2)
- Chase Adkison – 2-4
Ontario Tower Buzzers 6 – Visalia Rawhide (Dbacks) 2
RHSP Brady Smith pitched the game of his professional life. He had not pitched more than 4.0 innings all year. But tonight he pitched 6.0 scoreless innings allowing just 1 hit. He did not walk a batter and registered a career high 11 K.
Ontario took a 1-0 lead after 2 batters. DH Joendry Vargas doubled (16), moved to 3rd on SS Mairo Martinus single. Vargas stole home as the lead runner on a double steal.
The score stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the 8th. After a brilliant start by Smith, Ontario turned it over to the bullpen, and that is always an adventure. RHRP Luis Carias retired the side in order in the 7th. But in the 8th, a leadoff walk, single, sac bunt, and walk loaded the bases. Visalia then hit a RBI single to tie the game before getting out of the inning on a GIDP.
Neither team scored in the 9th.
In the 10th, Ontario exploded for 5 runs. C Conner O’Neal started the inning at 2B. After an out, 2B Javier Herrera reached on an E4 with O’Neal scoring. Vargas singled, and Martinus hit a 3-run HR (7). RF Ching-Hsien Ko followed with a solo HR (11).
Carias continued for the 4th inning in the 10th and allowed an unearned run before getting the final out. Carias got the win and blown save.
- Joendry Vargas – 3-5, 2 runs, double (16)
- Mairo Martinus – 4-5, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (7)
- Easton Shelton – 2-4, double (14)
- Ching-Hsien Ko – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (7)
ACL Angels 10 – ACL Dodgers 9
ACL Dodgers took a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the 9th, but that was not enough. LHRP Michael Ramirez faced 8 batters and did not record an out. 4 hits and 4 BB scored 5 runs for the walkoff win.
- DH Moises Bolivar – 3-5, 1 run double (5)
- SS Sam Mongelli – 2-3, 2 RBI, double 1 – on rehab assignment
- RF Jose Gonzalez – 1-3, 2 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI, double (7)
DSL Rays 13 – DSL LAD Bautista 5
CF Rubel Arias – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI
DH Haram Hernandez – 2-5, 2 RBI, double (5)
SS Ezequiel Melburne – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI, double (5)
LAD Baustista allowed 8 unearned runs, and 13 BB.
DSL LAD Mega 4 – DSL Tampa Bay 2 – Suspended after 3+ innings
Discussion (62)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I have a solution. Only let Sasaki pitch at home. Only let Tucker hit on the road. Trade for a starting pitcher ASAP and a catcher who can actually hit.
Well Sasaki managed to survive only to have the bullpen, rather Hernandez seal the win for the Pads in the 8th with 4 runs. I think he is going to get DFAd. ASAP, Teo about ready. Hit his 3rd homer for OKC tonight a 2-run shot.
Another horrible 0-2 pitch by Sasaki. Just so frustrating! He is his own worst enemy. Will this kid ever figure it out?
Watching Sasucki pitch on the road is painful. His ERA on the road is 6.19. I don’t trust the kid on the road. Someone tell Pages he isn’t Maury Wills. He has stolen 8 but been caught 5 times now. Two double plays have killed LA tonight. Angels fired Perry Manasian and hired Mozelak as interim GM.
Cassidy’s subtle sarcasm is really quite good.
Slow clap from me.
KC ouch!!
Per Ardaya:
Sources to me and @katiejwoo: Dodgers pitching prospect River Ryan is going on the minor league IL with a hamstring issue. Missed time earlier in OKC’s season with hamstring trouble and had his start skipped this week.
Also per Ardaya:
Dave Roberts said Dalton Rushing will “most likely” catch Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching start. TBD on if Ohtani will call his own pitches. Roberts said there have been continued conversations with Rushing after Wednesday night’s dynamic between Rushing and Ohtani.
Finally, the story is confirmed.
9:45 PM ET APPLE TV
Dodgers (52-29)
Padres (42-37)
SP Roki Sasaki R
3-4 4.76 ERA
SP Walker Buehler R
4-3 3.96 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
CF Andy Pages R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Mookie Betts R
3B Max Muncy L
RF Kyle Tucker L
LF Tommy Edman S
C D. Rushing L
2B A. Freeland S
68° Wind 8 mph Out
I feel absolutely awful for the Brewers.
First the Mets steal their GM, then the Cubs steal their manager.
Now the small market Brewers are left to wander aimlessly through every season while the Mets and Cubs battle to see who will represent the NL in the World Series.
A heaping helping of sarcasm served well done
Rumors circulating on NY Sports radio stations that claims that Albert Pujols, really wants to be the New York Mets‘ next full-time manager next year. The first move that needs to be made right now is to fire Stearns for the PURE GARBAGE team he’s put together.
Stearns should get credit for what he built in Milwaukee, but should be fired for what he did in NY. Buster Posey’s seat is close to catching fire for what he has done for SF. But the rumors are that the SF Owner is not going to do anything to Posey on the threshold of his potential first ballot HOF vote coming up this year. He may not be a good POBO, but he is still an icon in SF.
How ’bout firing the players for the pure garbage way they’re playing.
Why would Albert want to be part of that mess?
I apologize if I am repeating something that has already been discussed here but I a reading a 2025 book by Scott Miller called “Skipper – Why Baseball Managers Matter”.
There is a chapter called “Tangled Up In Dodger Blue” that is very flattering to Doc.
It offers a snap-shot of the daily demands of a modern day manager and all of the interactions and tasks demanded of Doc. And how well he handles it all.
It offers an inside look behind the Skippers door and is worth the read.
Thx Phil
Friday’s Dodger Affiliates” Schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sean Patick) at Lansing (Zane Taylor)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) vs. Corpus Christi (Cole Hertzler)
6:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) at Reno (Brandon Pfaadt)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Visalia (Chung-Hsiang Huang)
How’s it Huang-ing?
Good one.
Just in case anyone really cares, it won’t be Hertzler for Corpus Christi tonight. He pitched 4.0 innings last night. James Hicks was supposed to start last night, but Ronel Blanco had a rehab start instead. Hicks was also supposed to be the bulk pitcher last night but it was Hertzler. The Corpus Christi SP for tomight is a mystery.
If Emmet Sheehan pitches poorly in his next start (Sunday), I could see him being sent back to OKC to “clean up” his delivery.
On River Ryan: At this point, the silence by the Dodgers is almost as noteworthy as the missed start. If this were simply “extra rest,” I’d expect someone like Sonja Chen, Fabian Ardaya, Jack Harris, or Dave Roberts to have said so by now.
Instead, we’re getting nothing. That leads me to think there is probably a minor physical issue the club is evaluating. It could be: a recurrence of the hamstring strain, shoulder or back tightness, general fatigue after his workload increase, or another issue they don’t yet consider significant enough to announce.
The encouraging part is that there have still been no reports of elbow soreness or a UCL problem, which is the biggest concern for any pitcher returning from Tommy John surgery. Instead, we get Crickets.
I got a call back from the Loons GM, and it is a go for the games in Ft. Wayne. He was fine with me interviewing the bus driver. He gave me some very interesting information on how the Dodgers treat their Minor Leaguers which I think you will find amazing! I am working on a blog about it.
I met a nice young man from Fort Wayne in line at Fenway last night. He was in Boston celebrating his HS graduation. I forget the school.
FTR, three large lemonades, a hot dog, pretzel & a crackerjack were ~$50. Not bad.
Hotel had cocktails & apps included so we didn’t need much.
Ryan is not starting tonight. That is now 9 days between starts.. If Ryan starts tomorrow or Sunday, that will give credence to Sheehan potentially being optioned. Charlie Barnes and Cole Irvin would be the emergency starters if Ryan cannot go, but neither are prospects to replace Sheehan.
All this and the only Dodger hitting above expectations is Muncy. Scary thing is Dodgers could have an even better second half with Diaz, Snell and Glasnow coming back. The only competition Dodgers have is health.
And Tucker waking up
And Smith & Teo & a fully functional Edman. At some Keekay and potentionally most importantly, Phillips.
Sure hope so….
Not much chance of that yet. He looked like he was sleeping in his at bats tonight. Chasing bad pitches again.
From Houston Mitchell:
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. We are exactly halfway through the Dodgers season and they are 52-29. The newsletter mathematician is out sick, but I think that works out as being on pace for a 104-58 record this year.
Remember a few weeks ago when the Dodgers were slumping a bit? They had lost four in a row and had dropped into second place behind the San Diego Padres? Well, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball now and are in first place by nine games over the Padres.
They are headed to Petco Park to start a three-game series tonight, with a chance to bury the Padres this weekend, or, let the Padres get within shouting distance again.
So, with 81 games to go, here’s a look at the top two teams in the NL West:
Record
Dodgers, 52-29
Padres, 42-37
Batting average
Dodgers, .262 (1st among the 30 teams)
Padres, .220 (30th)
On-base%
Dodgers, .345 (1st)
Padres, .294 (30th)
Slugging%
Dodgers, .438 (1st)
Padres, .364 (30th)
Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.22 (2nd)
Padres, 3.91 (30th)
Doubles
Dodgers, 137 (7th)
Padres, 113 (T24th)
Home runs
Dodgers, 109 (3rd)
Padres, 81 (T22nd)
Batting avg. with runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .265 (7th)
Padres, .247 (15th)
Batting avg., two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .242 (9th)
Padres, .238 (12th)
Well, there goes the theory that the Dodgers are a poor clutch-hitting team.
ERA
Dodgers, 3.40 (3rd)
Padres, 3.85 (9th)
Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.25 (2nd)
Padres, 4.50 (23rd)
Bullpen ERA
Padres, 3.12 (2nd)
Dodgers, 3.68 (10th)
The Dodgers are in the top 10 in everything, while the Padres are in the bottom 10 in a lot of things. It’s amazing they are in second place with an offense that bad,
Now let’s look at the lineups.
Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .249/.338/.382, 102 OPS+
Padres, Freddy Fermin, .145/.245/.258, 41 OPS+
Smith is having an off year by his standards, while Fermin is having an off year by living person standards. His backup, Rodolfo Durán, is hitting .136/.239/.339
First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .282/.372/.486, 139 OPS+
Padres, Ty France, .252/.297/.485, 115 OPS+
Freeman just keeps chugging along. He is in the top 100 in major league history in hits, runs, doubles, homers, RBIs and walks. He is the active leader in times reached base with 3,741. He’s 36, and next year he will really start rocketing up the career lists as a lot of players are tightly bunched just ahead of him. France is 31, and next year he has a really good shot at being 32.
Second base
Dodgers, Alex Freeland, .241/.324/.340, 87 OPS+
Padres, Fernando Tatís Jr., .283/.347/.367, 101 OPS+
Freeland is the worst hitter among the starters, and he isn’t that bad. Tatis hit 25 homers last season and has three this season, as the Padres have lost all their power this season for some reason. Normally, Jake Cronenworth starts at second for the Padres, but he has been on the IL since May 5 because of concussion symptoms and was hitting only .144 in 34 games before that.
Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .266/.365/.508, 142 OPS+
Padres, Manny Machado, .184/.267/.378, 79 OPS+
You know what you never hear anymore? This: “The Dodgers need to move on from Muncy at third.” Muncy has been their most consistent hitter and has worked hard to improve defensively. Meanwhile, everyone would like to know what happened to Machado, who has been terrible this season and at one point seemed to blame analytics for his slump. He had a walk-off hit Tuesday and seems to be emerging from his doldrums, hitting .259/.339/.556 since June 9.
Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .230/.290/.415
Padres, Xander Bogaerts, .230/.321/.337
Speaking of season-long slumps, hi Mookie! He is also showing signs of life, hitting .317/.358/.524 since June 9 and lifting his numbers to where they are better than Bogaerts’.
Left field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .276/.348/.436, 119 OPS+
Padres, Samad Taylor, .379/.438/.448, 150 OPS+
Hernández should be back off the IL soon, and Alex Call has filled in quite well in his place. The Padres have played better since calling Taylor up from the minors a couple of weeks ago. His lofty numbers will probably drop (he has had only 66 plate appearances), but his speed has been a spark for San Diego. He replaced normal left fielder Ramón Laureano, who is probably out for the season after hip surgery.
Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .266/.318/.474, 119 OPS+
Padres, Jackson Merrill, .212/.274/.352, 74 OPS+
Pages has been the linchpin of the offense pretty much all season and it’s nice to see a player shake off a brutal postseason on offense by rebounding this year. Merrill is one of many Padres who are mysteriously slumping this season. He hit .264/.317/.457 last season.
Right field
Dodgers, Kyle Tucker, .234/.333/.374, 98 OPS+
Padres, Jase Bowen, .133/.138/.167, 1 OPS+
Tucker would have been great if he was working under the same contract Michael Conforto had last season. Dodgers fans would be pleased with that production for that pay ($17 million). Instead, he’s getting $60 million for league-average production. Bowen has had only 32 plate appearances, and Tatís will move back here once Cronenworth is able to return to second base.
Designated hitter
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani, .295/.414./.549, 168 OPS+
Padres, Miguel Andujar, .246/.283/.405, 90 OPS+
Ohtani is the best player in the game, while the Padres seem confused as the what a DH is supposed to do. Hint: the word “hitter” is right there in the job title.
Starting pitchers (in order of IP)
Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 7-5, 2.65 ERA
Justin Wrobleski, 9-2, 2.71 ERA
Shohei Ohtani, 8-2, 1.58 ERA
Roki Sasaki, 3-4, 4.76 ERA
Emmet Sheehan, 3-5, 5.32 ERA
Eric Lauer, 2-0, 2.54 ERA
Padres
Michael King, 5-6, 3.33 ERA
Randy Vásquez, 6-5, 4.17 ERA
Walker Buehler, 4-3, 3.96 ERA
Griffin Canning, 1-5, 7.38 ERA
Lucas Giolito, 2-3, 5.16 ERA
The Dodgers have one weak spot right now in Sheehan. The Padres just put Giolito on the IL and have been using openers quite a bit lately. It’s nice to see Buehler become a productive pitcher again.
Closer
Dodgers, Tanner Scott, 1-3, 2.18 ERA, 11 saves
Padres, Mason Miller, 2-1, 0.79 ERA, 21 saves
Scott has been good this year, but Miller is the best closer in baseball and has given up only 14 hits and 13 walks in 34 innings, while striking out 66.
Relievers (six most-used, in order of IP)
Dodgers
Edgardo Henriquez, 2-0, 2.93 ERA
Will Klein, 2-2, 2.59 ERA, 1 save
Jack Dreyer, 3-1, 3.82 ERA
Alex Vesia, 1-1, 2.39 ERA, 3 saves
Kyle Hurt, 2-1, 3.42 ERA, 1 save
Blake Treinen, 4-1, 3.52 ERA, 1 save
Padres
Adrián Morejón, 6-1, 3.51 ERA, 1 save
Wandy Peralta, 1-0, 1.82 ERA
Jason Adam, 2-1, 2.45 ERA
Ron Marinaccio, 1-0, 3.72 ERA
Yuki Matsui, 0-1, 1.67 ERA
Kyle Hart, 0-1, 4.13 ERA
It seems unlikely that the Padres will fade quietly into the night, especially if Machado and Tatís start hitting.
Milestone for Mookie
Betts hit the 300th home run of his career Wednesday against the Twins, becoming only the 169th player to reach that mark. He is tied with Chuck Klein and one behind the great Rogers Hornsby. He is 14 behind for Dodger Reggie Smith and 16 behind former Dodger Ron Cey.
Padres have NO pitching and will fall further in the standings. Mason Miller is the ONLY reason they’re ONLY 9 games out. NOT a very good GM in Prelier and with a new inexperienced manager. A team loaded with headcases and Punks. They don’t hit the long ball.They will NOT make the playoffs this year, Bet it!
Padres suck. I hope they finish out of the money.
Tonight the Dodgers sucked and it cost them a game in the standings. As it site now, I expect Yoshi to win his game, but not Sheehan against King on Sunday. Then next week they play the Pads four more times.
Mets Fire Manager Carlos Mendoza
“The Mets’ disastrous season has apparently reached a tipping point. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the team has fired manager Carlos Mendoza. Former Padres skipper Andy Green, who’d been with the club in a player development role, will step in as interim manager for the remainder of the season. The team announced the switch a few minutes after Heyman’s initial report”.
The owner in Steve Cohen has the deepest pockets in baseball and a team that failed to make the playoffs in 2025 and one of the worst records this year. Money doesn’t always matter.
Spent his money obviously on the wrong guys. Team chemistry is not good. Mendoza not the kind of manager that could bring that group together.
Is this really a Carlos Mendoza problem? Or is it a David Stearns/Steve Cohen debacle. Sometimes owners just do not want to be just owners, and Stearns wanted to prove he can play with the big money boys. When they lost Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, and the Polar Bear, they lost the heart and soul of that team. Soto and Bichette are obstacles. Bichette’s contract may not be as bad as Tucker’s but it is darn close. Bichette is $126MM for 3 years. ($42MM AAV), Sure Bichette can opt out after this year, but who is going to pay him $55MM next year. The same with 2028. No, he is a NYM for the next two years. Tucker has better OPS and OPS + and neither are good defensively.Two very questionable signings.
Probably not Mendoza’s fault, but we all know the manager gets blamed first.
FCI talk. It’s from 2025. 2026 is no doubt even higher:
https://bookies.com/mlb/picks/the-cost-of-attending-mlb-game-2025
Dodgers can charge fans what other teams can’t. This organization has so many advantages. And why? $
Kim with 3 BB, but an OPS below .700 in AAA. Guess maybe I was wrong about him.
Who’s Taylor Young and how is his OPS’n over 1.000 at AAA. Yes, small sample, but…
Among those pitchers only River Ryan is listed as a top prospect in MLB, though Zazueta and Ferris show up on the Dodgers Top 10 list. Will this change going forward?
Where is the hole in Sirota’s swing? You know there is one and ML pitchers will find it.
I’ve been reading up on the construction, and restrictions, on bats used from teenage travel ball to the Major Leagues. Interesting read. I think some changes to bat restrictions can help put balls in play without affecting safety of players. More on that later maybe.
Everybody ok with Rushing now?
Speaking of that, interesting video on “who on this team is the guy you most don’t want to sit next to on the plane.”
Right now Rushing is an immature intense kid who will be just fine. He has a lot pressure on him with Will being on the IL.
Alex Vesia – he can’t sit still!
I would love for us to give Vesia a two-or-three year deal out of loyalty and consistent performance.
Call it two years at market value with a vesting option based on total 2027/2028 appearances.
Right now Taylor Young is playing well, but he is not a prospect knocking on the door. He is at AAA because OKC needed another infielder who can play multiple positions. Ryan Fitzgerald is playing a lot of outfield so he can improve his marketability. He has played 2nd, 3rd, and SS this year, and has played LF. His assets are his speed and defense. He has stole 56, 46, 44 bases over the last 3 years.
His numbers should drop to their career norms, but if they do noht, LAD will have another in a long list of serviceable utility players.
With respect to Kim, it is strange as I may be more bullish on him than you right now. I always believed that Alex Freeland should have had the 2B job, but was surprised when he won it out of ST. I ALWAYS believed that Kim will be the new Miggy Ro/ Kiké Hernández super utility player. The Dodgers love to have two. When Kiké comes back they will have 3. Next year Kim will join Tommy Edman in that role. Tommy and Hyeseong will be the new CT3/ Kiké. Kim needs to do more of what he did last night…draw BB. Learn to bunt. Learn to slap the ball into LF. Then let his legs take over. Not every player has to have a high SLG to get a serviceable OPS. IMO, he is as much of an offensive player as Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson. Simpson is playing more LF (a lot more) than CF. Kim can play a quality 2B, SS, 3B, CF, LF (more elite at 2B) and is much more valuable than Simpson defensively.
Good read on the players I asked about. Thank you.
I really believed Kim would slug. He’s one of the strongest, if not THE strongest in the organization. I saw him as a hit the ball run to second kind of hitter. An OPS of league average would make him an extremely valuable utility guy. He ain’t there yet. But, I too still have hope for the guy.
Before I launch into my brilliant commentary, let me first join the Jeff Admiration Society for his reports…. One year ago it seemed like Miggy was going to call it a career after ’25 and move to coaching…. but then he became the WS hero, and guys like Shohei were urging him to stay.
At age 37, he’s still playing great. Would Miggy want to stay for one more season?
I, too, remain bullish on Kim as a UT player. All along the Dodgers have groomed him for that role. When both Mookie and Edman were out, the Dodgers had Kim at SS and Freeland at 2B. That could mean that they perceive Kim as the superior SS option–or perhaps that they just wanted Freeland to get more reps at 2B in preparation for Mookie’s return. At any rate, I think both Freeland and Kim have proven themselves to be big league talents.
I also remain intrigued by the reports that the Astros may put Jeremy Pena on the market. If so, AF should be interested and may want Mookie will to move to 2B, perhaps as early as next season. The Dodgers system may have some A+ OF prospects, but the best SS prospect, Emil Morales, seems destined for 3B. I think the Dodgers would prefer to put Freeland in a package for Pena and keep Kim because of his greater versatility and speed.
If everybody stays healthy–a big if–Kike’s return could push Freeland back to OKC.
Other older guys playing great include Max and Freddie, both headed for the all-star game.
While I’ve always been a big Max fan and defender, it’s remarkable to me that he is thoroughly outplaying 3B peers like Bregman, Machado, Bichette and others–all of move are earning more that double what Max gets. I expected regression from both Max and Freddie–and am happily disappointed.
Meanwhile, we wait for Tucker to get well and get hot
Older Dodgers Rule!….
Hey Jeff, how do you rank the Dodger pitching prospects? Fantastic Tulsa debut for Zazueta.
The rise of Zazueta and Root make it easier to imagine a deal for Skubal, if only to keep him away from the Brewers….
I do think more pitcher prospects are coming. RHSP River Ryan would be #1, but he is the only MLB ready SP that is not injured (RHSP Gavin Stone). #2 would be RHSP Christian Zazueta is a legit top 100 prospect. I think both he and Chase Harlan are potential end of year additions, depending on the number of 2026 draft picks end up on the list. SS Roch Cholowsky could possibly drop into the top 20 right off.
Zazueta needs further development with his breaking balls and change. Right now they are landing too much in the strike zone. Those will be crushed with better hitters. But he knows the strike zone, now he has to command it.
I am still a firm believer in LHSP Jackson Ferris. He too was a top AA pitcher at 21. He is still learning how to pitch in homer domes in the PCL. He does not have a dominant pitch, which makes his command a must. His K rate is down and his BB rate is up. He is a 22 year old AAA pitcher. You do not quit on those guys.
LHSP Zach Root is another potential top 100 prospect, but he may need more IP to show he truly belongs with the elite. I think he has a competitive spirit that will help differentiate him from others. Maybe a little LH version of Hershiser? Plenty had his talent, but so few had his competitiveness…bulldog mentality.
LHSP Adam Serwinowski just turned 22 (June 7) and after a horrid start to the season, has been excellent. In his last 6 starts, he has completed 33.0 IP and has accumulated a 1.91 ERA and 1.121 WHIP. Still too many walks. Serwinowski lacks a competitive 3rd pitch, so he has a lot of reliever risk. His fastball and swing and miss slider give him a floor of a productive high leverage late inning reliever.
Before last year’s draft, I pointed to Cam Leiter as someone the Dodgers should nab, and then they did. Because I liked him pre-draft, I am going to give him more leash than others. He has only finished 4.0 IP once, so he needs a lot more time and refinement.
One of the Dodgers current development projects that could prove to be valuable is RHSP Marlon Nieves. He turned 21 on June 10. He has two plus pitches, but lacks consistency and a 3rd pitch. He is a work in progress, but the future looks good. He was not a highly sought IFA ($10,000 from the Dominican). He is in Rookie League, so it shows when you have a 21 year old in AA , that is special.
I was waiting for last night from RHSP Brady Smith. He looks to have fully recovered from his injuries (TJ surgery) over his first two years in the organization. The Dodgers are taking their sweet time with him. He does not have to be protected until after 2027.
The Dodgers use their draft a lot for pitching, so let’s see who they draft and where they might fit in.
I am disappointed in AA RHSP Patrick Copen and LHSP Luke Fox.
Deserving of more looks – RHSP Payton Martin and LHSP Sterling Patick. Both will probably end up as multi-inning relievers.
Badger, I’m excited to read what you have to say about bats. It is a subject that I have had a number of conversations about with old coaching buddies.
I don’t know where you are headed with this but I think the transition to metal bats from wood changed the way kids and later adults hit and how hitting was taught.
Back in the day when everything was white ash and 2 predominant makers, Louisville and Adirondack, bat shapes varied widely. The Nellie Fox and Jackie Robinson models had big fat handles. Players who preferred these, were typically guys who liked to choke-up and make contact. Punch and Judy guys, if you will.
The opposite were Al Kaline models with the super skinny handles. Those users were typically down on the end of the bat looking for power. No choking up and contact, sporting a big barrel And any jam broke these bats.
Later in pro ball we all ordered the same bats but they had model numbers. Like the Kaline bat was an A-3, i think. M-110 were the Mantle style which I used. A little thicker handle.
What was never seen when Metal Bats came in was a thick handled metal bat. Now every kid had a big fat loaded up barrel and a skinny handle. And the technology allowed huge differentials you couldn’t do with wood.
I used a 35 – 35, and choked-up an inch, which is way too big now days. The old thinking was you couldn’t use a bat the had more then +1 differential, as the theory was the wood was bad to allow for a big differential. Now kids use a 33 or 34 inch and 30 ounces with all that weight in the barrel. And the wooden bats drop an ounce of so with the concaved ends.
Metal bats totally changed hitting.
And the new hardwoods, maple and hickory are now available as an option.
It’s a cool topic and I can’t wait to see where you are going with the Bat topic.
I’m not prepared yet to go deep into it now (may not do it all, but love the topic) with the premise being there are composite bats, from fiberglass, to aluminum, to carbon fiber, (which from my reading offers massive sweet spots) to hybrids, which is a composite alloy. There’s a lot that can be done with baseball bats.
The “rule” reads bats must be one round solid piece of wood. But rules change. And it’s my opinion as long as the BBCOR (coefficient of restitution) remains similar, and the drop (numerical difference between length in inches and weight in ounces) is regulated, hybrid bats would improve the game. No broken bats flying into play, and with larger sweet spots more balls with live action in play. Personally I would also increase maximum barrel diameters from 2.61” to at least 2.65” (2 5/8”, the maximum size allowed high school and college). I might even prefer a little larger, allowing for fewer foul balls which obviously means more balls in play. Pitchers might not like the idea but I think fans sure would. More action. Baseball could use more action.
I tried all the bats you mentioned, Nellie Fox (everything was a single) Al Kaline (loved it when I connected, same as Eddie Mathews, but too many broken bats). I settled on Mickey Mantle my junior year in high school and I did well with it.
In MABL, which I didn’t play until I turned 50, I used a very expensive Easton model, don’t recall which one, also a DeMarini. What a difference those bats made. The ball just leaped off the bat. The first year I played they allowed a -5 drop, but changed the next year to a -3. Too many guys getting hurt, which is the reason MLB will never allow certain metal bats.
Fun topic. I too have these conversations with my old ball coach friend in Oklahoma. He’s the only one I can talk to about this stuff. He knows bats. He turned his own for years, some out of hardwoods off his own property there.
Badger, I vaguely remember an attempt at laminated bats as an alternative to metal bats. I don’t recall what happened with that.
As kids some of us might remember those textured, ribbed, fiberglass sleeves that fit on the handles of Little League bats to help prevent expensive broken bats. My bats were $3.95 each by the way.
Before they made modifications to the metal bats with the BBCOR restrictions some time back, a coaching buddy and I used to fantasize about a home run derby with those “electric” metal bats. How far could could an MLB slugger hit a baseball with one of those?
I also remember MLB offering to supply all the wooden bats the NCAA wanted for college programs for free. MLB scouts were having a hard time estimating how a prospect would transition from metal to wood.
The NCAA considered the proposal and decided not to go there. The reason was the cost of potential lawsuits from the metal bat companies like Worth. The NCAA figured it wasn’t worth the risk so they stayed with the “new” metal bats.
Again, that changed baseball.
I’m a bit concerned about Rushing.
Perhaps it’s a maturity issue. Perhaps an anger issue. Perhaps he’s just a bit of a dick.
Some of us may recall him gratuitously referring to a certain Cub as a “fat fuck” to either Hoerner or Happ. I forget which, but the Cub later said he regretted not responding and sticking up for his teammate.
The ill-advised take-out slide at 2B a while back was an exceedingly dumb play. Low baseball IQ?
So yeah, I’m a but concerned.
On the plus side, Rushing’s comments about his issues with Shohei showed some humility, which could help him grow.
I found myself wondering if one of the reasons Rortvedt made such a positive impression on Snell and other Dodgers pitchers is that fact that he wasn’t Rushing.
One of the reasons I was an advocate for trading Rushing was not because of any perceived lack of talent, but because at the time, his value may have peaked in trade value. The Dodgers had Rortvedt at the time, and he was an ideal backup catcher to Smith. I would not have minded him starting for Smith as he did late last year. Rushing has more power than most starting catchers, and should be starting for someone, not being a backup.
One of the reasons it is difficult to trade for catchers at the deadline is because it is difficult for catchers to come in and work with the pitchers mid-season. Rortvedt was a different dude. He went out of his way to get to know the pitchers and learn from them. The pitchers all commented about his professionalism as a catcher. He had the respect of the pitchers.
Last winter, could the Dodgers have worked something out for a trade of Rushing for a MLB ready SS? Or a top SS prospect at AA. Or another pitching prospect? Just speculation as he is now the LAD backup catcher, and with the exception of immature antics has played well in that role. Right now Rushing could use some alone time with mental coach Brent Walker. Come to think about it, maybe it could be a group session with Bobby Miller.
Ol Friend Buehler tonight. Apple TV.
So ill watch it in the AM. Even with Apple TV if you have MLB.TV you can watch it after the game ends.
I wont check the score and will watch early Saturday AM.
Its SD”s world series….
Major respect to him for what he did in 2024.
Being there to watch him strike out Verdugo and win the series was the highlight of my 2024 (and 2024 was a good year!)
I hope we don’t burn Jeff out. He puts a lot into this every day. I truly appreciate what he does… and he does it much better than anyone… anywhere! BRAVO!
Don’t look now, but Sirota has 12 HR to DePaula’s 13 HR this year… in about 50 fewer ABs. I think both will be ready for AAA by July.
Zazueta may break the Top 100 by year’s end if he keeps this up. I like his mojo.
Agreed. He’s for real. My top ten is everchanging but impossible to squeeze everyone into.
JDP
Sirota
Quintero
Hope
Tibbs
Harlan
Zazueta
Morales
Root
Davalan/Ehrhard/Leiter/Smith?
Ryan
Mookie has his BA up to .230. His OPS is now .705.
Another week and he too would have been a Dodger all star
He is still in the running because he finished 2nd in the voting. He, Max, Freddie and Smith all advance to the 2ns round. Ohtani is automatically in since he led all players with the most votes.
Jeff you are simply the best at this. Great stuff about the kids in the system. USA gets beat by Turkey in a game that means nothing. But the coach found out a lot about his second stringers. Pads on a 3-game winning streak. LA can put them behind by double digits this weekend. Tonight’s game is on Apple +. Pitching matchups: Tonight, Sasaki vs Buehler, Sat Yoshi vs Vasquez, Sun Sheehan vs King.
Fenway Park was fun last night. Some guy broke into spontaneous USA chant after first goal. Haha
Headline story is I was NOT impressed by Yankees. We’d beat that ass if we met again in WS.
Yea, he found out his second stringers aren’t very good!