Final Report Card Grades for the Los Angeles Dodgers' Prospects at the AFL

When I discussed the players the Los Angeles Dodgers had sent to the Arizona Fall League, I mentioned that many of the top players were position players. The pattern held; over the course of the month, the hitters far outperformed the pitchers. This is not surprising given the talent disparity, but it's noteworthy.

Note: All statistics courtesy of MLB.com.

Corey Seager, SS: A-

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Corey Seager, the top prospect in the Dodger system, finished with a .281/.354/.472 line, but he was actually more impressive than that. His .825 OPS is obviously really good, but the distribution of his extra base hits slightly depressed that number. Seager had 13 extra base hits, but 10 of those were doubles. He's still just 20 years old, so as he fills out and gains strength, some of those doubles might turn into home runs.

Darnell Sweeney, 2B: B-

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Darnell Sweeney finished second on the Glendale team in batting average, but his .316 mark was the highest for anyone who even approached his number of at-bats. However, that number is not quite indicative of his actual performance. His 19-8 strikeout-to-walk rate is roughly the same as his career ratio, and it's far higher than one would prefer for someone who has little power.

Additionally, he didn't demonstrate an aptitude for stealing bases. In Double-A this past season, he was caught more often than he was successful, and that pattern continued in Arizona.

Scott Schebler, OF: B

A late bloomer, Scott Schebler was quite impressive in Arizona. He posted an .875 OPS and hit five home runs. However, his numbers had a similar presentation issue to Seager's—although from the opposite direction. Of his eight extra base hits, over half of them went over the fence. That ratio is obviously unsustainable.

Additionally, though, he struck out four times as often as he walked. That is obviously concerning, but it's not enough to totally outweigh his raw performance.

Matt Magill, RHP: D

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Matt Magill is the most famous pitcher the Dodgers sent, and he also posted the best ERA. Unfortunately, though, that was 3.96. He struck out 21 batters and walked 14, which is not great. The Dodgers were clearly hoping that the extra few games would get Magill back to where he was a couple of years ago, but that does not appear to have happened.

Matt Shelton, RHP: D-

Matt Shelton was an unknown before the AFL, and he will likely remain that way. He threw just 8.1 innings, and his 5.40 ERA and 6-5 strikeout-to-walk rate (with an additional two hit batters) leave a lot to be desired.

Blake Smith, RHP: D-

A converted outfielder, Blake Smith threw a few more innings than Shelton, but he was equally unimpressive. His numbers—9.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts to 11 walks—do not bode well for the future. Given his lack of track record, though, there's little else to say.

Mike Thomas, RHP: C

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New Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman will have been encouraged by Thomas' performance.

Mike Thomas threw 13 innings, and even though his 4.85 ERA isn't quite what you would want to see, his peripherals are much better. He struck out more than twice as many batters as he walked (13 versus six), and he didn't allow any home runs. He still isn't likely to turn into much of a prospect, but it's at least encouraging.