Stock Up, Stock Down for Los Angeles Dodgers' Top-10 Prospects for Week 2
We are a week into the season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ prospects are all off to relatively good starts, and with all the injuries in the Los Angeles rotation, it’s a good thing so many of them are pitchers.
Nearly all of the advanced pitchers have begun the year on a high note, and the two elite bats the Dodgers do control have continued to stake their claim among the top prospects in baseball.
Notes: All statistics courtesy of MiLB.com unless otherwise noted. All statistics updated through April 13 unless otherwise noted.
10. Chris Reed, LHP
1 of 10
2014 stats: 11.2 IP, 1.54 ERA, 13 K, 6 BB
Last week’s stats: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 K, 2 BB
Stock: Up
The English lefty did everything the Dodgers could have been hoping for this past week, as he was dominant in his start. His problems historically have been control-related (career 4.2 BB/9), so to see him walk only two in six innings is, of course, encouraging.
Additionally, his massive strikeout number is a positive. There is virtually no scenario where the Dodgers would be upset with such production, and the nine strikeouts is a reminder Chris Reed does have incredible stuff that could probably play in a big league bullpen very soon.
9. Zachary Bird, RHP
2 of 102014 stats: 7.1 IP, 11.05 ERA, 5 K, 4 BB
Last week’s stats: 3.1 IP, 7 R (6 ER), 2 K, 2 BB
Stock: Down
It’s a good thing Zachary Bird is so much younger than most of the other pitchers on this list (he’s still just 19) because he really has struggled mightily in each of his first two starts. He hasn’t demonstrated control (too many walks), command (he’s been too hittable) or strikeout stuff.
Bird is still a long way from being considered close to major league ready, so the Dodgers will obviously be patient.
8. Tom Windle, LHP
3 of 10
2014 stats: 11.0 IP, 0.82 ERA, 10 K, 0 BB
Last week’s stats: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB
Stock: Up
Windle turned in yet another stellar performance as he continues to justify the high pick spent on him in last year’s draft.
However, he is a 22-year-old in High-A, so he is a bit old for his level. That means if he continues to dominate as he has done thus far, a promotion to Double-A could be in order.
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7. Chris Withrow, RHP
4 of 10
2014 stats: 7.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 12 K, 2 BB (via Baseball-Reference, through April 12)
Last week’s stats: 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 K, 1 BB
Stock: Up
The big righty has been an excellent and crucial piece in Don Mattingly’s bullpen thus far in the short season.
Chris Withrow's cheap and high-quality innings provide a counterweight to the high-priced arms surrounding him such as Chris Perez and Brian Wilson.
6. Ross Stripling, RHP
5 of 10
2014 stats: None
Last week’s stats: None
Stock: Down
Ross Stripling is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
5. Chris Anderson, RHP
6 of 10
2014 stats: 8.2 IP, 6.23 ERA, 10 K, 10 BB
Last week’s stats: 8.0 IP, 3 ER, 10 K, 8 BB
Stock: Even
Chris Anderson had a mixed week, even though it was definitely a bounce-back from his rough first outing.
His first outing was an excellent affair in which he went 4.2 innings and struck out six while allowing no earned runs. But he rebounded to go just 3.1 innings and walk five Sunday, so the Dodgers still aren’t seeing what they’d hoped out of the 21-year-old.
4. Zach Lee, RHP
7 of 10
2014 stats: 10.2 IP, 2.53 ERA, 6 K, 2 BB
Last week’s stats: 5.2 IP, 1 R, 3 K, 1 BB
Stock: Even
Zach Lee is a 22-year-old in Triple-A, so the fact he has been getting results at this level is highly encouraging. It’s important for him to remain near the top of his game in case the Dodgers decide they want to call him up soon, which given the general injury risk surrounding pitchers, is certainly a possibility.
His performance thus far has been about what we would expect. He is expected to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter, so his impressive command and low strikeout numbers are not particularly alarming.
3. Joc Pederson, OF
8 of 10
2014 stats: .371/.511/.714, 3 2B, 3 HR, 3 SB
Last week’s stats: 24 AB, 9 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 1 SB
Stock: Up
The left-handed Joc Pederson has set the world afire this year, as his monstrous .371/.511/.714 line indicates.
It’s unfortunate for both him and the Dodgers he is blocked in the majors by so many quality big-league outfielders because he has (and is currently) demonstrated he deserves a chance. As it is, though, he will just bide his time in Triple-A.
2. Julio Urias, LHP
9 of 10
2014 stats: 5.2 IP, 1.59 ERA, 7 K, 6 BB
Last week’s stats: 1.2 IP, 1 R, 2 K, 2 BB
Stock: Even
Julio Urias’s outing this week was short, as he didn’t even make it through two innings. There are no reports of injuries, however, and he is still expected to start Monday, April 14.
Instead, he seems to simply have struggled, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as we remember he’s 17 years old.
1. Corey Seager, SS
10 of 10
2014 stats: .333/.380/.467, 4 2B, 0 HR, 2 SB
Last week’s stats: 30 AB, 12 H, 3 2B, 0 HR, 2 SB
Stock: Even
Corey Seager had a monster week to help cement his status as the top Dodgers prospect. Given the depth of arms on this list and the lack of bats, it’s certainly nice to see the young infielder is thriving the way that he is with High-A Rancho Cucamonga.
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