L.A. Dodgers: 10 Reasons Dee Gordon Will Be Starting at SS By Season's End

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Following in the footsteps of his father, Tom Gordon, 22-year-old Dee Gordon is currently on the fast track to play in the major leagues for one of baseball's highest profile teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gordon is currently ranked first on Baseball America as the Dodger's top prospect.

Widely considered as a tremendous hitter and fielder, Gordon may also be the best all-around athlete in the highly talented farm system.

With the hype surrounding Gordon, there is a great chance that he will be starting at shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers by the end of the season.

No. 10. Defensive Ability

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Ranked as the best defensive infielder in the Dodger's farm system, Gordon has been very solid during his minor league career.

Over the last two seasons, Gordon has averaged 344 assists, 198 putouts, and less than 36 errors which is not bad at all for a minor league player.

If he has any opportunity to hone his defensive skills by working with current shortstop Rafael Furcal, he should do it.

No. 9. There Are Many Emerging Stars In The NL West Already

Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey
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Every team in the NL West has a young player or two that has shown huge potential.

Part of the game of baseball is about building and re-building a franchise with young players until a team has enough talent to win a championship.

The Dodgers are no exception and should look for the opportunity to bring in young talents from their farm system to enhance their roster. Dee Gordon would be a perfect example of this.

No. 8. The Dodgers Are Trying to Change Their Image

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Let's face it, for the past couple years, Manny Ramirez has been the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Although the crazy hair, and powerful swing was adored by Dodger fans for a while, Ramirez has moved on, and the team needs to as well.

The Dodgers franchise is transitioning to one that showcases its young talents who have already made an impact such as Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Clayton Kershaw.

Dee Gordon would be a great addition to that list of key players.

No. 7. Glimmer of Hope

Joe Torre
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Almost every team in major league baseball uses this, "glimmer of hope," technique.

At the end of the year, every team that won't be playing in October makes changes to their lineups, rotations, or even bullpens to try and show everyone watching that there is hope for the future.

Having players such as Gordon in the farm system goes a long way at the end of the season because LA will be able to showcase him to the rest of the baseball as a player to remember and watch for in the future.

No. 6. Fans Want to See Young Talent

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The Los Angeles Dodger fan base is one of the best in baseball. They stick by their team through thick and thin, and are usually very supportive.

If the Dodgers are playing bad, the fans will let them know. They come to the ballpark to see their team play well and contend for a title.

If things start to go bad, Dodger management might starting calling up younger players like Dee Gordon, so the fans have something to cheer for.

No. 5. The Overall Hype

Stephen Strasburg
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As proved by Stephen Strasburg, the overall hype of a player can get him to the major leagues in lightning speed.

Drafted in the fourth round by Los Angeles, Gordon did not have the huge cloud of hype following him, like some other players.

In the last two years, he has shown some amazing abilities in many different forms, and people have started to notice.

Last season, Gordon was selected to play in the All Star Futures Game, which is a great honor for any minor league player, and a great way to showcase ability.

No. 4. Ability to Hit For Average

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Another great attribute Dee Gordon has in his pocket is the ability to hit for average.

He is in no way a power hitter and has only seven home runs in his entire minor league career. He can, however, hit for contact very well.

In the last three years, he has hit over .300, and recorded more than 150 hits in two of those seasons. Plus, the great thing about being so young, is that he will only get better.

No. 3. Dodgers Have Good Farm System Success

Clayton Kershaw
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The Dodgers have proved successful in the MLB draft for quite some time.

Clayton Kershaw, and Matt Kemp, two star players for the Dodgers, both came out of the LA farm system.

Since they have developed players that are having success currently, they are more likely to give opportunities to players like Dee Brown who have show talent in the minors.

No. 2. September Call-Ups

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Many minor league players that have shown talent throughout the year, become a September call-up.

The Dodgers currently have Rafael Furcal as their starting shortstop with Juan Uribe backing him up.

Over the past three years Furcal has only played more than 100 games one time. It isn't out of the question to think that he might not make that number this year.

With that being said, Juan Uribe can only do so much for the Dodgers. He is a great power hitter and a decent defender, but if Los Angeles isn't in the playoff race by the time September rolls around, Dee Gordon has a great chance of being called up to replace him.

No. 1. Blistering Speed

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Putting all other factors aside, the pure speed that Dee Gordon has is tremendous.

In his last two seasons, Gordon has averaged 63 stolen bases with a season high of 73. Any team would love to have a guy who can steal that many bases.

The Dodgers would be foolish not to give Gordon the chance that he deserves at some point during the year. He may have to wait for a while, but by the end of the season, Dee Gordon will be the starting shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers.