OKC Dodgers 2022 Season In Review

The OKC Dodgers were leading the PCL East for most of the season.  But when it came time to ice the division with facing El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego), they lost 4 of 6 in the last full week of the season to be eliminated before game 6.  They ended up going 84-66 finishing 1.0 game behind El Paso.

They were a veteran offensive team to begin with, and then added some of the LAD top prospects during the season.  Jason Martin, Kevin Pillar, Jake Lamb, and Eddy Alvarez were four of the veterans LAD wanted to stash down in OKC for emergency.  They also had two veteran MLB catchers in Tony Wolters and Tomás Telis.

Position players added during the season:

• Hunter Feduccia – Catcher
• Jake Amaya – SS
• Michael Busch – 2B/OF
• Devin Mann – Utility
• James Outman – OF

Miguel Vargas and Ryan Noda moved up from AA last year, while Drew Avans repeated his stay with OKC.  All three were very productive for OKC. Andy Burns and Omar Estévez also returned to OKC in 2022.  Also Zach McKinstry spent a lot of time with OKC before moving to the Cubs in the Chris Martin trade.

LAD salted the OKC pitching corps with veteran arms.  Starters Jon Duplantier, Robbie Erlin, Beau Burrows, and Mike Wright, and relievers Carson Fulmer, Sam Gaviglio, and Daniel Zamora.  Ryan Pepiot and Andre Jackson returned to the OKC rotation.  There were multiple relievers who returned.

Pitchers added during year were starters, Michael Grove, Bobby Miller, and Gavin Stone.  Relievers promoted include Aaron Ochsenbein, Nick Robertson, Justin Hagenman, and Mark Washington.

AAA players who finished the season with OKC and in the LAD top 30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline).

• Bobby Miller (RHSP) – #2
• Michael Busch (2B/OF) – #4
• Ryan Pepiot (RHSP) – #6
• Gavin Stone (RHSP) – #7
• James Outman (OF) – #13
• Jake Amaya (SS) – #15

Two players promoted to LAD as the 27^th and 28^th players and also on the top 30 prospects.

• Miguel Vargas (3B/LF) – #3
• Michael Grove (RHSP) – #24

Individual PCL Leaders (Top 15) – Need 405 PA

BA:

• Miguel Vargas – #2 (.304)
• Jason Martin – #8 (.285)
• Drew Avans – #11 (.282)

 OBP:

• Miguel Vargas – #2 (.404)
• Ryan Noda – #3 (.395)
• Drew Avans – #6 (.379)
• Jason Martin – #9 (.374)

 SLG:

• Jason Martin – #4 (.564)
• Miguel Vargas – #6 (.511)
• Michael Busch – #12 (.480)
• Ryan Noda – #14 (.474)

 OPS:

• Jason Martin – #2 (.938)
• Miguel Vargas – #3 (.915)
• Ryan Noda – #7 (.869)
• Michael Busch – #14 (.823)

 Runs:

• Jason Martin – #1 (100)
• Miguel Vargas – #1 (100)
• Drew Avans – #6 (94)
• Michael Busch – #7 (87)
• Ryan Noda – #9 (86)

 Hits:

• Jason Martin – #5 (134)
• Miguel Vargas – #7 (133)
• Drew Avans – #10 (122)
• Ryan Noda – #12 (120)
• Michael Busch – #15 (118)

 Doubles:

• Michael Busch – #3 (32)
• Miguel Vargas – #3 (32)

 Triples:

• Drew Avans – #1 (12)
• Jason Martin – #5 (5)
• Miguel Vargas – #8 (4)

 HRs:

• Jason Martin – #1 (32)
• Ryan Noda – #5 (25)
• Michael Busch – #9 (21)
• Miguel Vargas – #15 (17)

 RBIs:

• Jason Martin – #1 (107)
• Ryan Noda – #4 (90)
• Miguel Vargas – #8 (82)
• Michael Busch – #12 (79)

 BB:

• Ryan Noda – #1 (92)
• Miguel Vargas – #5 (71)
• Drew Avans – #9 (61)

 K:

• Ryan Noda – #1 (162)
• Jason Martin – #4 (135)
• Michael Busch – #5 (131)
• Drew Avans – #8 (129)

 SB:

• Drew Avans – #3 (40)
• Ryan Noda – #9 (20)
• Miguel Vargas – #12 (16)

 Michael Busch :

• OKC – .266/.343/.480/.823 – 21 HRs, 79 RBIs, 32 doubles
• AA/AAA – .274/.365/.516/.881 – 32 HRs, 108 RBIs, 38 doubles

 Other hitters of note that did not qualify for league leaders but had very productive seasons nonetheless.

 James Outman:

• OKC – .292/.390/.627/1.017 – 15 HRs, 61 RBIs, 14 doubles, and 6 triples
• AA/AAA – .294/.392/.586/.978 – 31 HRs, 106 RBIs, 31 doubles, 7 triples

Jake Amaya :

• OKC – .259/.368/.381/.749
• AA/AAA – .261/.369/.426/.795

 Devin Mann :

• OKC – .258/.372/.455/.827
• AA/AAA – .264/.380/.464/.844

 Hunter Feduccia :

• OKC – .240/.321/.473/.794
• AA/AAA – .238/.331/.466/.797 – 15 HRs, 36 XBH

 No OKC pitcher threw 120 innings in the PCL in 2022.  Here is the list of pitchers that threw more than 40 IP and their respective ERA.

 Beau Burrows – 100.1 IP – 7.18 ERA

• Jon Duplantier – 93.2 IP – 4.80 ERA
• Ryan Pepiot – 91.1 IP – 2.56 ERA
• Robbie Erlin – 77.0 IP – 7.01 ERA
• Andre Jackson – 75.2 IP – 5.00 ERA
• Sam Gaviglio – 66.2 IP – 6.35 ERA
• Daniel Zamora – 63.0 IP – 3.86 ERA
• Michael Grove – 59.2 IP – 4.07 ERA
• Carson Fulmer – 56.2 IP – 2.86 ERA
• Marshall Kasowski – 56.0 IP – 3.70 ERA
• Justin Hagenman – 53.1 IP – 6.08 ERA

I was really hoping to see if Carson Fulmer, Robbie Erlin, and Jon Duplantier could provide an impetus for LAD to promote them to LAD, especially Fulmer.  Erlin is the only one to get to LAD, and he did not  fare well enough to get a second call.

 Team rankings (10 team League) – Offense

 BA – #5 – (.273)

• OBP – #1 – (.370)
• SLG – #3 – (.464)
• OPS – #3 – (.834)
• Runs – #2 – (949)
• Hits – #5 – (1385)
• DBL – #5 – (278)
• TPL – #3 – (45)
• HR – #6 – (201)
• BB – #1 – (731)
• K – #4 – (1379)
• SB – #7 – (109)

 Team Rankings (10 team League) – Pitching

• ERA – #3 – (4.87)
• WHIP – #5 – (1.49)
• Hits – Least Allowed – (1245)
• Runs – 3^rd lowest allowed – (793)
• HRs – 2^nd lowest allowed – (165)
• BB – Most issued in League – (700)
• K – 3^rd most in League – (1439)
• BAA – 2^nd best in League – (.248)

Drew Avans and Ryan Noda deserve an opportunity to play on an MLB team.  They did everything they needed to do get that opportunity.  However, that opportunity will not come with the Dodgers.  Both players have already been passed over for Rule 5 draft, but maybe somebody takes a chance this year.  Devin Mann and Hunter Feduccia are also in that same situation.  They are trade package material, or could end up back in OKC.

Miguel Vargas should stick with LAD in 2023.  To put a stamp on his bat to ball credentials, Vargas had a 76/71 K/BB ratio.

Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove will be auditioning for a spot in the rotation in 2023, where the one who may not get in the rotation could end up in the bullpen.  Gavin Stone will probably start off in AAA and be in the same position that Pepiot and Grove were in for 2022. I fully expect Andre Jackson to either make the roster as the long man in the bullpen, or moved in a trade package.

If Jake Amaya was playing for another team, he would certainly get a long look at ST to make the 26 man.  But the Dodgers are not likely to turn the SS position over to Amaya.  Teams looking for a SS will be giving AF/BG a call over the winter. 

Michael Busch is another who would get strong consideration to make the 26 man out of ST if he were with another organization.  It is not likely he will break camp with LAD.

It is also just as conceivable that both Amaya and Busch will be returning to OKC as depth for the ML team.