Minor League Odds and Ends with Dodger Chatter

Just a bit about the week that was knowing that there are only two more weeks of the weeks that were in the 2021 season.

Oh my!

MiLB Players of the Month for August

It is no small feat to be selected as the MiLB Player of the Month in their division as there are many good prospects throughout the leagues. Miguel Vargas may well be selected as the Dodgers MiLB Hitter of the Year. Ryan Ward might be one of the biggest surprises within the Dodgers system although his junior year at Bryant might have suggested he could hit with some power as he had 15 home runs in 58 games with the Bulldogs.

Double-A Central – Miguel Vargas

Tulsa Drillers (Dodgers) third baseman Miguel Vargas led the league in average (.410), runs (24), hits (41), and on-base percentage (.470), and was second in total bases (62) and OPS (1.090) and third in slugging percentage (.620). Vargas recorded 15 multi-hit games, including three stretches of four straight multi-hit games. Vargas, 21, was signed by the Dodgers as an International Free Agent out of La Habana, Cuba, on September 7, 2017.

High-A Central – Ryan Ward

Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) outfielder Ryan Ward batted .323 led the league in runs (27), home runs (10), total bases (67), and RBI (25), and was second in slugging percentage (.698) and third in OPS (1.107) He had nine multi-hit games and homered in four straight games August 12-17. Ward, 23, was selected by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Bryant University.

Draft Update – 2021

The Dodgers still have four members of the 2021 draft class who have not yet surfaced – RHP Peter Heubeck (1), LHP Justin Wrobleski (11), RHP Madison Jeffrey (15), RHP Gabe Emmett (19).

Billy Gasparino helps explain why some of the 2021 draftees will not pitch during the regular 2021 season.

“Seventeen pitchers is about what we’d take in a 40-round draft,” Gasparino said. “Some we’ll shut down until instructional league because they’ve already thrown a lot of innings this year. There will be a place for them all next spring.”

During the past week, fifth-round selection RHP Ben Casparius made his debut with the Arizona Complex Dodgers pitching a scoreless inning with one hit and three strikeouts.

RHP Ryan Sublette (7) debuted with the Quakes on September 1 and has now pitched two scoreless innings at the Low-A level.

Left-hander Adam Scoggins, an undrafted free agent, debuted with the ACL Dodgers and has pitched two scoreless innings with two hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.

The two most active pitchers from the 2021 draft class have been LHP Lael Lockhart (9) and RHP Michael Hobbs (10), both now with the High-A Loons.

Lockhart has pitched eight innings with the Loons posting a 1.13 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP while striking out 15 and walking two.

Hobbs had pitched 4.1 innings with the Loons over four appearances striking out eight with two walks while posting a 2.08 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP.

Both of these young pitchers were signed by the Dodgers for $2,500 while 11th round selection Justin Wrobleski signed for $197,500.

With Lockart and Hobbs, the Dodgers were able to sign them to these deals because both pitchers were college seniors and effectively had no leverage to negotiate.

It must be disappointing for the players and it takes place around the league, so until the system is changed, teams will continue to take advantage of college seniors.

Carlos Duran – Standing Tall

Carlos Duran made his High-A debut with the Great Lakes Loons on Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings, and managed runners well with his four walks.

On March 8, 2018, the Dodgers signed free agent RHP Duran to a minor league contract. His bio indicates that at age 16 he stood 6’7” tall and weighed 230 pounds. Oddly enough he is still listed with the same height and weight dimensions.

The native of Nagua, Dominican Republic is now listed at No. 17 on the Dodgers Top 30 list.

He spent his first two years of professional baseball playing in the Dominican Summer League but moved to the Arizona League midway through the 2018 season.

During the 2018 season, he attracted some attention as a 17-year-old posting a 1.50 ERA over 42 innings pitched along with a 0.76 WHIP and 30 strikeouts while walking only 3.

Things changed in 2019 as Duran experienced some control issues walking 20 in 40 innings while striking out 39. He also gave up more than a hit an inning elevating his WHIP to 1.64.

During the current season, he has pitched 78 innings over 19 starts and has struck out 112 while walking 28. His ERA is  5.19 which too is elevated by just four outings that have not been all that successful.

His scouting report indicates he has averaged 95 mph with his fastball this year, topping out at 98 with run and sink. His slider is even better, sitting in the low 80s with a sweep that eats up right-handers, and it grades as well above average at its best. He also has an upper-80s changeup that lacks consistent velocity separation from his heater.

The skinny is that he needs to improve his changeup and refine his command to succeed as a starter, with his fastball/slider combo giving him a chance to become a high-leverage reliever.

He is fun to watch out for on the mountaintop in the middle of the diamond. He is now the fourth 20-year-old on the Loons along with Andy Pages, Jorbit Vivas, and Eddys Leonard.

Fun Fact: Three top Dodger prospects signed as international free agents were all signed at bargain-basement prices, although Lael Lockhart and Michael Hobbs might not agree. Miguel Vargas, Andy Pages, and Carlos Duran all signed for $300,000.

On the Road Again

Dodgers #1 prospect Bobby Miller pitched for the first time since July 23rd  after a stint on the injured list throwing 2.2 scoreless innings with the Loons last Thursday. That helps explain why, until now, he has not been promoted to the AA Tulsa Drillers.

Justin Yurchak played in four games in the most recent series with the Springfield Cardinals after being activated from the Injured List and went 9-for-16 with 7 RBI. His average with the Drillers is now .431 in 18 games. He spent 14 days on the IL.

Eddys Leonard has now played seven games in center field for the Loons after having played in the infield for his entire minor league career.

Locked-in and Loaded – Michael Busch

It’s not easy to follow up a four-hit night, let alone top it, but Michael Busch did exactly that on Saturday. The third-ranked Dodgers prospect mashed a pair of home runs, doubled, reached base four times, and drove in six for Double-A Tulsa. The 2019 first-round Draft selection hit a two-run blast in the second, a three-run jack in the fifth, and lifted a sacrifice fly to left in the third. Busch brought his tater tally to 19 on the season with the Drillers and has 61 RBIs over 99 games. Busch had two more hits and two RBI on Sunday.

On Monday Busch was selected as the Double-A Central Player of the Week for August 30-September 5.

Invisible Man

Does anybody remember Christian Santana?

He is still around and has had a bit of a slow season, for him, with the OKC Dodgers.

Santana was signed at age 17 by the Dodgers out of the  Dominican Republic in the spring of 2014.

He played his first two seasons in the Dominican Summer League before coming stateside for the 2017 season in which he hit eight home runs in 42 games.

He began the 2017 campaign with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League and after 10 games in which he was hitting .537 with five home runs, he was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons where he slashed an impressive .322/.339/.460 with another five homers over 44 contests.

During the 2018 season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, he posted a triple slash of .274/.302/.447 with an impressive 23 doubles, 24 home runs, and 109 RBI. He earned Cal League Player of the Week honors in early August and was named a MiLB organizational All-Star at the season’s end.

Santana moved up to the AA Tulsa Drillers for the 2019 season slashing .301/.321/.436 over 102 games.

Now 24, with the OKC Dodgers this year he maintained his consistency at the plate. Limited to 71 games, Santana’s slash line is .297/.321/.414. He has five home runs and has driven in 33.

He has played mostly third base during his minor league career with some at first base. On defense, some already believe he has the capability to be an above-average defender at the hot corner. He has excellent quickness and range, and his arm strength is probably his best defensive asset. In addition, his ability to handle multiple infield spots could potentially boost his acceleration through the system.

His next step may well depend on plate disciple. In 2021 he has struck out 56 times and walked nine.

Another Invisible Man

This young man was just named the Low-A West Player of the Week for August 30 – September 5. In his last six games, his triple slash is .364/.400/.606 with an OPS of 1.006. He has four doubles, three home runs, and 11 runs batted in.

On the season he is in or close to the top 10 in the league in most offensive categories. His 31 doubles lead the league while he is second in the league with 79 runs scored. His other stats include .297 BA (10th), 66 RBI (8th), .379 OBP (11th), .503 SLG (7th), .882 OPS (7th).

The 6’0”/178-lb. right-handed hitter has played primarily at second base with some time in the outfield.

If you guessed Sam McWilliams you are correct.

No, not the Sam McWilliams that was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies and now pitches with San Antonio Missions. The Sam McWilliams who was selected by the Dodgers in the 19th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Meridian Community College in Meridian, Mississippi.