Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Baseball America released its midseason Top 100 prospects update, and the Dodgers placed six players on said list. Amazingly, none of them were named Julio Urias.
That’s because Urias fell outside their guidelines for the list, despite still being prospect/rookie-eligible.
“To be eligible, players had to be in the minor leagues on June 21 (the midway point of the minor league season) and not exceed Major League Baseball rookie at-bat (130) or innings (50 innings) requirements. To be eligible, relievers cannot have more than 30 big league appearances. As this is aimed in part as a preview of the non-waiver trade deadline, 2016 draftees and July 2 international signees are not eligible for the Midseason Top 100.”
Fair enough. Let’s get to the list.
24. 1B Cody Bellinger
25. RHP Jose De Leon
44. CF Alex Verdugo
60. RHP Grant Holmes
82. RHP Frankie Montas
98. 2B Willie Calhoun (Pictured)
Impressive. The first four may or may not appear in the same order in my midseason Top 30 prospects update (due out Monday).
Bellinger, despite getting off to a slow start, is hitting well as a 20-year-old in Double-A. He has an increased walk rate, decreased strikeout rate, is hitting for power and hitting lefties. That’s awfully encouraging, but even I’m surprised to see Bellinger ranked this high. He’s probably closer to a Top 50 prospect than a Top 25 prospect.
De Leon has battled injuries this season, but still places in the Top 25. That’s mostly because he’s striking everyone out in Triple-A (36.7 K%). He might get a look at the Dodger rotation in the second half. That is, obviously, dependent on injuries and/or acquisitions.
Verdugo is hitting the cover off the ball and looking more and more like an everyday outfielder. He might not stick in center field, but he has plenty of arm for right field.
Holmes is at the lowest level of the minors of any Dodger prospect ranked in this Top 100. His strikeout rate (23.2 percent) is down a bit, but so is his walk rate (9.2 percent), which might be more important in the long run.
Montas has been marred by injuries this season, but when he has been healthy, the stuff and results have been there. If he can fully recover from the rib issues he’s had, he might see LA in September.
Calhoun is the biggest surprise for me. I thought Yadier Alvarez would get the nod over Willie, but Calhoun is doing big things as a 21-year-old in Double-A (in his first full professional season): 16 HR, 8.4 BB%, 13.7 K%, .215 ISO, 125 wRC+ — and he’s doing this with a well below-average .254 BABIP.
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Barring anything unforeseen, all these guys could appear on multiple Top 100 lists come 2017. But it’s nice to see the Dodgers still have a ton of talent in the minors, even after graduating the likes of Kenta Maeda, Corey Seager and Trayce Thompson.
