Dodgers Prospect Notes: Stone continues to rack up whiffs, Ramos’ oppo blast, Pillar stays hot

April 17, 2022 Scoreboard

Triple A Oklahoma City 10, El Paso 1

High A Great Lakes 6, Peoria 7

Low A Rancho Cucamonga 3, Inland Empire 1

——

Gavin Stone continues to rack up the Ks with Great Lakes, navigating his way around a handful of singles to deliver an effective outing:

Stone, a University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bear whom the Dodgers selected with the penultimate pick of the 5th round in the 2020 draft, has seen his velo tick up since joining the club, touching 98 by the end of the 2021 season. That hasn’t kept him from attacking with his secondaries, even when behind in the count:

Between 2021 and early 2022, Stone has struck out a stellar 45 batters in 25 2/3 innings, while walking only six, and posting a 2:1 ground out/air out ratio. All together, it makes for a starter’s aptitude, repertoire, and effectiveness, and possibly a gem of a find whom the entire league passed on repeatedly, something they might regret.

——

After bursting onto the scene in 2021, Jose Ramos is picking up where he left off with Rancho Cucamonga:

Ramos, whom the Dodgers signed out of Panama back in 2018, is slashing .290/.371/.645 for the Quakes, and has spent the bulk of his time in right field, with just one game in center thus far. With how he has bulked up a bit in the past couple of offseasons, and with his cannon of an arm, right field is his likely long-term landing spot.

——

Kevin Pillar is on fire with Oklahoma City:

Pillar is slashing .361/.478/.750 in Triple A after his time in the very brief Spring Training was a dud (.393 OPS in 21 PAs). Although, as we are seeing with the big club, perhaps Spring Training performance isn’t the best predictor of in-season success. Just maybe.

About Josh Thomas