Los Angeles Dodgers: Breaking Down the Top 5 Prospects in the Dodgers' System

On the field, the story of the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers was not that bad.

The team finished 82-79 after a strong second half. Clayton Kershaw won the National League Cy Young award, and Matt Kemp was the best player in the league. 

The ownership mess with Frank McCourt and the incident involving Bryan Stow early in the year put a black eye over everything. The franchise is about to enter an important transition phase when McCourt sells the team, though no date has been set for that to happen. 

Whoever takes over the once-proud franchise will find a farm system stocked with intriguing power arms and not much of anything else. There are a few hitters who could be solid big leaguers, but general manager Ned Colletti has traded away most of the best offensive players in recent years. 

Here are the five prospects who will lead the soon-to-be, new-look Dodgers in the future. 

1. Zach Lee, RHP, 20

Lee was considered unsignable in the 2010 draft thanks to a strong two-sport commitment to LSU. When the Dodgers took him with the 28th pick, the critics and skeptics came out. The assumption was that they were punting the pick to get another one in 2011. But they shocked everyone by signing him to a massive $5.25 million contract at the deadline.

Strengths: Lee is a tremendous athlete and has incredible presence on the mound. He always stays focused, no matter what the situation is. He still has projection left in his fastball, which has been clocked in the mid-90s at times. He commands the pitch well and changes his grip to get some cutting action. 

Weaknesses: Despite his stuff, his debut in the Midwest League was OK. He had a 3.47 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. His changeup and curveball were not consistent for him last year. He has to get a better feel for them. He gets in trouble by trying to be too fine with his pitches instead of trusting his ability. 

Report: It is important to remember that he pitched most of last season at just 19 years old, so he's still mostly projection at this point. He has the upside of a No. 2 starter thanks to his mound presence, athleticism and easy adjustments he can make as he moves up the ladder. 

ETA: 2014

2. Allen Webster, RHP, 21

One of the most difficult things about evaluating certain players in the minors is where they're playing. Webster started the 2011 season in the hitter-friendly California League and thrived, so you can automatically tell that his stuff has the potential to be dominant. 

Strengths: Webster has one of the best fastballs in the minors thanks to mid-90s velocity and sink he puts on it. Hitters are going to pound the pitch into the dirt all day against him. He also has a sharp changeup that has great fade. His velocity comes from a smooth, clean delivery that he finishes well. 

Weaknesses: He still has no breaking ball to speak of. He tries to throw a curveball and slider, but neither one has shown any consistency. He hasn't figured out how to fool hitters because he tends to tip his off-speed pitches or overthrows them entirely. 

Report: Even if his breaking pitches never come along, he can be an innings-eater because his fastball and changeup are so good. He can become a No. 2 starter if he figures either the curveball or changeup out. 

ETA: 2013

3. Garrett Gould, RHP, 20

Gould made himself one of the most intriguing pitchers in the Dodgers' system. His performance in 2011 improved dramatically thanks to some adjustments on the mound and a better understanding of how to pitch. 

Strengths: His biggest improvement came in the form of added velocity on his fastball. He threw it in the low-90s regularly last season. He made a small adjustment to his mechanics that helped cut down his walk rate. His fastball has a lot of sink to it, and his curveball already his best pitch. 

Weaknesses: Despite the improvements, it is important to remember that he has only had one year of great performance under his belt. He still has problems throwing strikes consistently, but the adjustments to his delivery did cause his stock to jump. 

Report: Gould has to build off his 2011 success. It won't be enough for him to just keep doing what he is doing, there has to be more improvements. He has the upside of a No. 2 starter if he is able to command the ball in the strike zone. 

ETA: 2014

4. Nate Eovaldi, RHP, 21

While there are three other pitchers ahead of him on this list, Eovaldi could have the best arm in the system. He has a strong arsenal of pitches and did some great things across two levels of the minors in 2011. 

Strengths: Eovaldi has a power arm with fastball that easily sits in the mid to high-90s. He has an easy delivery with clean arm action. His slider and curveball have both looked like dominant pitches at various points in his minor league career. 

Weaknesses: While the slider and curveball have tremendous potential, he does not throw them for strikes consistently. His command has never been good, but it did improve slightly in 2011. Unless he can keep his walk rate down, he is likely headed to the bullpen. 

Report: The Dodgers brought Eovaldi up at the end of last season. He made 10 appearances with six starts, covering 35 innings. The 20 walks he had were not a positive sign, but he is going to be given every opportunity to start. He could be a top-of-the-rotation starter, though there is a strong enough possibility he winds up in the bullpen.

ETA: 2012

5. Alfredo Silverio, OF, 24

Silverio is an older prospect, but he had the best season of his minor league career in 2011 by hitting .306/.340/.542 with 16 home runs in Double-A. He has always had the tools to perform, and he finally made use of them last year. 

Strengths: He has good bat speed and moves his hands through the zone well enough to hit for above-average power. He shows good speed and has a strong throwing arm. His future is most likely at one of the corner outfield spots since he is not fast enough to cover the ground in spacious Chavez Ravine. 

Weaknesses: While he has the tools to be a good hitter, he has never walked much, nor does he show good plate discipline—he had just 30 in 533 plate appearances last year. He doesn't know how to run the bases well, relying more on his natural speed than instincts. He was thrown out 12 times in 23 stolen base attempts.

Report: Silverio has the tools to be an average corner outfielder in the big leagues, but his impatience at the plate could be his undoing. He could get the call this season, depending on his performance in Triple-A and team needs.

ETA: Late 2012

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