When Is the Right Time To Push Prospects

I am not as sold on the position player development system as much as others. I think you have to show me first. We have seen Will Smith develop within the LAD system, and I am hoping Andy Pages might become another development team graduate. That is two from 10 drafts and IFA signings.

I do not want to slow play Mike Sirota (pictured).  Sirota is more than ½ year older than weighted average age of California League position players.  Is he better than a teammate who is 2 years 3 months younger; Eduardo Quintero?  I would like to see Sirota move up to A+, but that would require one of Zyhir Hope or Josue De Paula to move to AA.  The AA outfielders:

• Bubba Alleyne is 26 years old and in his 2^nd full year in AA.
• Damon Keith is 25 years old and in his 2^nd year in AA.
• Jose Ramos and John Rhodes are both 24 years old in their 3^rd year in AA.
• Ezequiel Pagan is 24 years old and is in his 2^nd year in AA.
• Chris Newell is 24 (next week) and is in his first full year in AA. He did have 99 AB in AA last year.

Keeping in mind what STB brought up the other day, Tampa Bay’s model: 

“They realize the value of a player is really high early in their minor-league careers and they make a very quick decision on whether or not that guy is going to actually move through the system or not,” one AL GM said. “And the second they think he’s not going to, they move him. They stick to their guns. They don’t waver from how they make those decisions. So there’s a lot of continuity in what they do, and I think they’ve got a really good manager (Kevin Cash) who understands how his front office works.”

Which of the above AA outfielders does anyone believe will be moving through the organization to LA. Now I have never run a MiLB system, nor been a farm director, nor been a MiLB coordinator.  But I do have questions as to when players are deemed ready to move up, and when it is time to move starters, who are not true prospects, to organizational depth.  I fully acknowledge that organizational depth is necessary and required, but at the expense of holding back a legit prospect?

Another player who fits in the Mike Sirota set of circumstances is Rancho middle infielder, Elijah Hainline.  Not highly regarded in the draft, even though widely scouted as the Oregon State SS joined with uber prospect 2B Travis Bazzana. Bazzana was drafted 1/1 by Cleveland and is already at AA and playing exceedingly well.  No, Hainline is not in the prospect class of Bazzana, but he was highly scouted because of Bazzana.

Hainline is currently excelling at Rancho, but like Sirota he is also more than ½ year older than the average position player in the California League.  Jordan Thompson, Wilman Diaz, and Jackson Nicklaus are proverbially “blocking” him at Great Lakes.  In a very small sample size, Hainline has produced better at RC than either Thompson or Diaz did last year.  I cannot answer as to why Nicklaus, who was drafted 10 rounds after Hainline in the same 2024 draft, got the Great Lakes middle infielder job over Hainline.  While they are the same baseball age, Nicklaus is three months older.  Maybe Nicklaus is more deserving, I just do not know.

Now I agree that April 20 is a little too early to make decisions on players such as Sirota or Hainline.  Pitchers could very well find holes in their swings, and they will need to adjust.  But if they still have an OPS > 1.000 mid-May, do you continue to hold them back?  Same with Zyhir Hope and Josue De Paula at Great Lakes.

I am just uncertain as to what farm development personnel see when making these decisions.  I heartily agree that I am not qualified to be making those decisions, but that does not take away from my curiosity.  It is not that the LAD development staff has such a great track record of developing position players in the last 10 years.

Someone also asked about Kendall George.  He had a slow start to A+ this year, but looks like he is turning things around.  In his last 33 PA, George is slashing .308/.424/.654/1.078.  He has 3 HR, 6 BB, and 5 K.  It is not as if he is getting lucky with hitting.  His BAbip is just .263.  Someone with his speed should have a much better BAbip.  Thus he has a lot of improvement still in him.

Just this week, I watched George make a long run to right-center to easily run down a fly ball to the wall.  It seemed effortless.  It was more of the RF ball, but George beat him there to make the play.  I do not know if the RF would have made the play, but he did not need to.  George is a good CF.  I have not seen his arm in a key situation.  He made 7 errors last year as a CF, but I have no idea if they were fielding or throwing.  I have seen his speed and range, so I am guessing it is throwing, or making mistakes in rushing in anticipation of making a throw.

I do have a problem with Kendall’s base stealing results.  He was 36 out of 48 last year, and is 5 out of 8 this year.  I do not know if he is not getting good reads on the pitcher.  I do not know if he is getting bad jumps.  But he is an 80 run skill player, and that should translate into better success as a base stealer.  There has to be a MiLB Running Coordinator in the system who can help him.  If the 80 run grade was why you predominantly drafted him, but you do not ultimately care about that aspect of a player’s game, then why draft him?  I acknowledge that George’s bat to ball skills were very prescient in their decision.  Regardless, it is his speed that made him draftable in the first round.  I have long been an advocate of hiring Brett Butler for such players.  Or hire Davey Lopes as a part-time running consultant for players like George.

There is another 80 run grade prospect in Kellon Lindsey.  Kellon is 3 out of 5 in SB.  I fully acknowledge that Kellon has better hit skills and has the defensive chops where he could move to CF if LAD decides he is not a MLB SS.  But he needs help in honing that 80 run skill into more success with SB.

FWIW, some like to point out that some of the LAD teenagers are 3-5 years away.  Why is it that other organizations can push their teenagers and the Dodgers cannot.

• Jackson Chourio – OF – MIL- 21 – Made MLB debut at 20
• Jackson Holliday – 2B – BAL- 21 – Made MLB debut at 20
• Junior Caminero – 3B – TBR – 21 – Made MLB debut at 19
• Jackson Merrill – CF – SD – 22 – Made MLB debut at 21
• Cam Smith – 3B – HOU- 22
• Jasson Dominguez – OF – NYY – 22
• AJ Smith-Shawyer – RHP – ATL – 22 – Made MLB at 20
• James Wood – OF – WSN – 22 – Made MLB debut at 21
• Javier Sanoja – UTIL – MIA – 22 – Made MLB debut at 21
• Max Muncy – 2B – A’s – 22
• Ryan Johnson – RHP – LAA – 22
• Paul Skenes – RHP – PIT – 23 – Made MLB debut at 22
• Jordan Walker – OF – STL – 23 – Made MLB debut at 21
• Jacob Wilson – SS – A’s – 23 – Made MLB debut at 22
• Pete Crow-Armstrong – CUBS – CF – 23 – Made MLB debut at 21
• Masyn Winn – SS – STL – 23 – Made MLB debut at 21
• Dylan Crews – OF – WSN – 23 – Made MLB debut at 22
• Elly De La Cruz – CIN – SS – 23 – Made MLB debut at 21

Perhaps the name Jackson has some influence.  Jackson Ferris is 21 and has pitched well at AA, maybe he gets a call this year.  He is currently on the Development List, with no reason.  In Minor League Baseball, the Development List, also known as  (DL), allows players to temporarily step away from games to work on development or conditioning. This list is distinct from the Injured List and exists for development purposes only, not for injury or disciplinary reasons. Players on the Development List can still participate in team activities like bullpen catchers or batting practice pitchers. Quite often players working on something will go to their team’s training complex.  For LAD that is Camelback Ranch.

The Dodgers do have three top prospects at 19 years old, but all at Low A – Eduardo Quintero (CF), Kellon Lindsey (SS), Joendry Vargas (3B).

They also have a trio 20 year old OF in Great Lakes (A+) – Zyhir Hope, Josue De Paula, and George Kendall

Is it time to push some of these “kids” to see what they can do with older and better competition.

I would really love to spend some time with Will Rhymes, Vice President Player Development to ask some of these questions.

MiLB GAME SUMMARIES

OKC Comets vs Round Rock Express (Texas)

Game was postponed due to inclement weather.  The teams will play a DH on Sunday.

Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 3 – Tulsa Drillers 1 – Game 1 – 7 innings

In the first game of two on Saturday, all of the scoring was done in the 2^nd inning.

Tulsa starting pitcher was 24 year old RHP, Jacob Meador.  Meador has not been sharp at all this year, and it has carried over to this start. In the 2^nd, Meador gave up a lead off HR in the 2^nd.  He then walked 2, hit a batter, and surrendered a 2-run single, before getting the final out.

In the bottom of the 2^nd, Tulsa got one of the runs back on a José Ramos HR (4).  This was Ramos’ 3^rd HR in his last two games.

After the 2^nd inning, Meador settled down and retired the side while facing the minimum number of batters for the 3^rd and 4^th inning.  Christian Suarez pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, and Tanner Kiest pitched a scoreless 7^th.

The Drillers were not able to generate any offense after Ramos’ HR in the 2^nd.

No Driller had  a multi-hit game, and other than Ramos’ HR, Damon Keith had the only XBH, his 3^rd double.

Box Score

Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 7 – Tulsa Drillers 0 – Game 2 – 5 innings

Jerming Rosario was perfect through 3.0 innings.  In the top of the 4^th, Rosario allowed a single, groundout, balk, and another single to get a run.  In the 5^th, Rosario walked the first three batters he faced, and then he was touched for a grand slam, and a 5-0 lead.

The Wind Surge pitcher, John Klein, was perfect for 3.2 IP before John Rhodes tripled.  But he was stranded.

In the 5^th, José Ramos singled, and was WP twice to reach 3^rd.  Frank Rodriguez walked with 2 out, but both runners were stranded.

In the top of the 6^th, Kelvin Bautista entered for Tulsa.  He allowed a walk, a 2-run HR, and a double before the game was called due to the weather.

A John Rhodes triple and a José Ramos single was all the offense Tulsa could generate.

Box Score

Great Lakes Loons 5 – Dayton Dragons (Reds) 4

The Loons creeped back up to .500 with the win.  After his disastrous last outing, Payton Martin spun his best game of the year.  He threw 5.1 innings with 79 pitches (51 strikes).  He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, did not allow a BB, and struck out 4.  Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 hits were solo HR.

After Martin gave up one of the HRs, a 2-out shot in the first inning, the Loons came back with two of their own in the bottom of the first.  Logan Wagner led off for GL as the Loons newest slugger, Kendall George, dropped down to #5.  Wagner led off with a BB, and Josue De Paula singled putting runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  Jordan Thompson singled home Wagner, leaving runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  De Paula and Thompson pulled off a double steal, and De Paula scored on the catcher’s throwing error.

Wilman Diaz hit his 1^st HR of the season in the 5^th increasing the lead to 3-1.

Martin surrendered his 2^nd HR of the game leading off in the 6^th, making the score 3-2.

In the bottom half of the 6^th, Jordan Thompson draws a one out walk.  He moves to 2^nd on a pickoff throwing error and scores on a Kendall George triple (1).  George scores on a Carlos Rojas sacrifice fly.

Cam Day entered for the Loons in the 7^th and pitched a scoreless 7^th and 8^th innings.  In the 9^th, he surrendered a pair of runs on 2 doubles, a single, a sacrifice fly, and BB.  With the tying run on 3^rd and the potential go ahead run on 1^st Day got the final out on a F7.

• Josue De Paula – 2-4, 1 run, double (4)
• Wilman Diaz – 2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (1)
• Kendall George – 1-4. 1 run, 1RBI, triple (1)

Box Score

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4 – San Jose Giants (SF) 0

SS Kellon Lindsey led off the bottom of the first with a single.  After two wild pitches he was a 3^rd.  Eduardo Quintero walked and stole 2^nd.  Samuel Munoz followed with a 2 run single.  After 3 batters, RC had a 2-0 lead.

In the 2^nd, the Quakes scored their 3^rd run on a double (5) by Elijah Hainline, and a RBI single by Eduardo Guerrero.

Rancho picked up a 4^th run in the 6^th.  Gio Cueto singled and came around to score on a Kellon Lindsey double (2).

Meanwhile, Rancho got some brilliant pitching from Christian Zazueta and two relievers, Logan Tabeling and Alex Makarewich.  Zazueta completed 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and registering 5 K.

Zazueta was excellent, but Tabeling and Makarewich were perfect.  Tabeling pitched 3.0 perfect innings, and Makarewich pitched a perfect 9^th.  The three combined on a 4-0 shutout.

• Kellon Lindsey – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (2)
• Samuel Munoz – 1-3, 1 BB, 2 RBI
• Elijah Hainline – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, double (5)

Box Score