Los Angeles Dodgers' 2014 All-Prospect Team

With the minor league season over and several youngsters currently up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers, a few of the standouts from the minor league season are familiar to Dodger fans. However, not all of them are, and here is an opportunity to recognize a more diverse list of players.

As an organization, the Dodgers are pitching-heavy. Fourteen of the team’s top 20 prospects are pitchers, so it’s a bit tougher to pick position players to fill every spot. When the positions that are lighter in depth come up, that will be noted.

This is not simply a list of the players at each position who had the best year. A 29-year-old is not a prospect, so someone tearing up Double-A or Triple-A but who will not make a long-term contribution for the Dodgers is not eligible. Instead, these players are the combination of youth and talent that is most likely to impact the big league team.

Note: All statistics courtesy of MiLB.com unless otherwise noted.

C: Julian Leon

Leon is very exciting; he’s an 18-year-old at a position the Dodgers simply don’t have much talent at.

While not as young as fellow Mexican product Julio Urias was when he played for Ogden, Leon is still young for the level. His .985 OPS ranked second in all the Pioneer League despite him being over two years younger than the average player at that level.

He’s obviously still far away—two levels of A-ball, Double-A and Triple-A, are ahead of him—but he profiles as an offensive catcher, which is a commodity the Dodgers don’t have.

1B: Justin Chigbogu

The battle at first base was between Chigbogu and O’Koyea Dickson, but the ultimate decider was Chigbogu’s age. Dickson is 24 and spent the year mashing at Double-A, but he is not particularly young for his level.

Chigbogu, on the other hand, is just 20, and although he struggled with Great Lakes, his .520 slugging percentage in the Pioneer League is quite impressive. The concern of his .522 OPS in a brief stint in the Midwest League can be dismissed because it occurred in only 90 plate appearances, and he is as young relative to that level as Leon is to his.

2B: Darnell Sweeney

Sweeney took a huge step forward this year, posting a career-high OPS in Double-A despite being just 23. Despite playing basically the same number of games in 2014 as he did in 2013—and despite moving up a level from High-A to Double-A—Sweeney walked significantly more and struck out significantly less.

He had a bad year on the basepaths, going just 15-of-31 in steals, but his 48 from the previous year indicate that he has plenty of speed. Whether he can be an effective base stealer at the big league level will depend on if he can improve his efficiency, but he certainly demonstrated that he can hit at least a little.

3B: Michael Ahmed

Third base is a huge weak spot in the Dodger system—assuming, of course, that Corey Seager remains at short—so Ahmed is the best of an underwhelming crop.

The Holy Cross product was a 20th-round pick in 2013, and he spent his age-22 season at Ogden in the Pioneer League—where he is actually old for the level. Any optimism comes from his .393 OBP in 53 games, although you would expect a college hitter to have an approach too sophisticated for such a low level.

SS: Corey Seager

All the words that need to be said about Seager have been said in various places, so I will instead list his statistics for the year: He posted a 1.044 OPS in High-A then a .915 OPS in Double-A after being promoted at the All-Star break. He slugged a combined .602 across both levels, and he did all of this while playing shortstop.

He is still just 20 years old, so there remains some projection in his body, which is why there are concerns about whether he can remain at shortstop. If he does, though, he is a future star. Even if he has to move to third, his offensive potential is incredibly high.

LF: Scott Schebler

Schebler emerged from relative obscurity to become a legitimate prospect over the last couple years. His consecutive seasons with an OPS over .920 include one year in the Cal League—which could be an environment-drive fluke—and another in the Southern League, which is generally neutral.

His .556 SLG against Double-A pitching this year is quite impressive, and his .365 OBP is indicative of a quality approach.

CF: Joc Pederson

Pederson is foremost among Dodger prospects who might be known to casual fans. He is currently in the big leagues, and he posted record-breaking numbers in the PCL. His future impact is clear: He has the potential to be an above-average starter for a team that may not have a better option in center field.

Whether he remains with the team depends on the front office’s feelings on Yasiel Puig in center field. If the office believes Puig can handle center for at least a few more years, Pederson could be the centerpiece of a major trade. If not, though, Puig could be moved back to right field, and Pederson would slot in in center.

RF: Joey Curletta

A sixth-round pick in 2012, Curletta is just 20 years old and spent the year in full-season ball, where he was more than a year younger than the average Midwest League player. His career .728 OPS is not hugely impressive, but his .279 batting average and .344 OBP at least demonstrate potential.

Curletta’s profile is dragged down by his .384 career SLG. For a corner outfielder, that’s simply not good enough. The hope is that he’s still young enough that there is untapped power in his body. As he physically develops, he may very well get more power. That will certainly be what the Dodgers are counting on.

SP: Julio Urias

Urias is well-known for his age and for good reason. The lefty just turned 18 years old in August, and he spent the year in High-A. A 2015 debut while he is 18 or 19 is not out of the question.

In addition to simply being advanced, Urias has excellent stuff. He struck out 109 batters in just 87.2 innings, and while that rate will likely drop once he is asked to go deeper into games, it is indicative of his raw talent. His innings count was low, but that is a result of the Dodgers being careful not to tax him too heavily. His potential is unmatched in the Dodger system.

RP: Yimi Garcia

One of only two players on this list who is currently in the big leagues—the other is Pederson—Garcia is likely to make an immediate impact in the bullpen. In two innings thus far in the major leagues, the Dominican righty is yet to allow a run.

Given that he has only made one appearance, it is unlikely Don Mattingly would select him for a potential postseason roster. However, he has a career 3.10 ERA, and he has struck out 380 batters in just 310.2 innings. All of this bodes well for his future.