Flamethrowers: Examining the best fastballs in the Dodgers' farm system

Sticking with the power theme, I'm going to look at the best fastballs in the in the Dodgers' farm system. I'll separate the starters and relievers.

The Dodgers have a lot of power arms in the system -- something every team should want. It remains to be seen if these guys, especially the starters, make it to the majors in some capacity. One thing's for sure: arm talent cannot be taught. Every pitcher on this list has arm talent that needs to be harnessed and controlled.

Starters

Scott Barlow
- When Barlow was drafted, he wasn't much of a flamethrower. He checked in at 89-91 MPH on his fastball with a projectable frame. In the Instructional League that year, he was sitting in the low-90s consistently and even touched the mid-90s. As a starter, that qualifies as a plus fastball. The only thing when placing Barlow on this list is he's thrown just 1 2/3 innings since turning pro.

Onelki Garcia
- Garcia has one of the more interesting fastballs in the system. He's heater has natural arm-side run and he can also sink it. But when he has to, he can pump his four-seamer up to 95 MPH. It sits in the 90-93 range and he can control it pretty well.



Jarret Martin
- Martin's fastball is a lot like Garcia's, but he doesn't control or sink it as well. Like most left-handers, there is some arm-side run with his fastball. Martin's biggest determent is his inability to control his fastball. The velocity is there, but the command and control aren't. For now, he's a starter. If he can't make it as a starter, his fastball could get a 1-2 MPH bump, making it that much better.



Chris Reed
- Reed isn't one of my favorites, but his fastball is a legitimate pitch. Like Garcia and Martin before him, he can run it up to 95 MPH from the left side but works better in the low-90s. His biggest obstacle is going to be keeping his velocity up as a starter. As a reliever, he'd have little issue hitting the low-to-mid-90s consistently. As a starter, if he can work at 90-93 MPH, he should be golden.



Relievers

Pedro Baez
- A recent addition to the pitching staff, Baez was once clocked at 94 MPH across the diamond (from third to first). That's an impressive feat unto itself. Dodger minor-league pitching instructors are going to have their work cut out for them. They'll need to harness Baez's undeniable arm talent if they expect him to be a valuable reliever at any point.

Jose Dominguez
- Dominguez has the best fastball in the system that sits in the high-90s and regularly touches triple digits. He has a little trouble controlling the pitch, but the velocity cannot be denied. There was some buzz he could be popped in the Rule 5 Draft in December, mostly due to his great fastball.

Eric Eadington
- Eadington routinely works in the low-90s from the left side and even touched 95 MPH a couple times when I saw him in person in June. There isn't much else he does with it, but a consistent low-to-mid-90s fastball from a southpaw qualifies as a plus pitch.

Scott Griggs
- Griggs profiles as a power reliever out of the bullpen and boasts a consistent mid-90s fastball. He even runs it up to 98 MPH when needed. Control is a big issue for Griggs going forward as he walked 21 batters in his first 22 2/3 innings.


Juan Rodriguez
- Rodriguez is similar to Dominguez with his fastball, as it sits in the mid-to-high-90s and touches 100 MPH on occasion. But unlike Dominguez, Rodriguez has even more trouble controlling the pitch. He walked 41 batters in 38 1/3 last season. He can strike batters out, but that won't matter if he walks hitters at an historic rate.


Josh Wall
- Wall is the most accomplished of the relievers on this list, as he made his Major League debut last season while spending the rest of his time with the Isotopes. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he can reach back for a little more if he needs it.


Chris Withrow
- Withrow routinely hit the low-to-mid-90s as a starting pitcher. Now, he profiles as a late-inning, power reliever out of the bullpen who can dial up his heater to the upper-90s. Like some of the other flamethrowers on this list, Withrow has trouble commanding the pitch, leading to an uncertain future. But his velocity isn't going anywhere.

Dodgers add prospects Matt Magill and Steve Ames to 40-man roster

In an unsurprising move, the Dodgers today added right-handed pitchers Matt Magill and Steve Ames to their 40-man roster, thus protecting them from December's Rule 5 Draft.

Both were members of the Chattanooga Lookouts this season and both performed well.

I named Magill my Dodgers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in September after he was the Lookouts' best starting pitcher.

Magill, who just turned 23, pitched in the Southern League against advanced competition and enjoyed success. His rate stats were impressive and some were among the best in the organization. He went 11-8 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 7.8 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 3.8 BB/9, 10.3 K/9, 2.75 K/BB and a 2.91 FIP.

Magill led the organization in strikeouts with 168. His rate stats show that he's a much better prospect than many thought and definitely warrant's a spot on the Dodgers' nearly full 40-man roster (38 spots occupied).

Ames, 24, enjoyed perhaps his best season at his most advanced level. While his stuff doesn't blow hitters away, he was still able to amass a 10.2 K/9 (72 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings). He knows how to pitch.

Ames is in the long line of Dodger relief prospects and he should be the next prospect in line for a promotion. I'd be surprised if he doesn't make his major league debut in 2013.

While right-handed relievers seemingly grow on trees, Ames has a chance to be a solid middle reliever in the majors.

Magill and Ames were just two of many players who were eligible to be added, but they were the only two who were worthy of being added.

Some players had no chance of being added (Michael Antonini, Jose Dominguez, Juan Rodriguez) while some, I'm sure, were under consideration (Aaron Miller, Blake Smith, Rafael Ynoa).

Of the players left unprotected by the Dodgers, I'd be shocked if anyone of them were chosen by a team during the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

Guys like Cole St. Clair and Ynoa probably have the best chance, but St. Clair had a poor season at Triple-A and Ynoa has never played at a level higher than Double-A.

For now, Magill and Ames are safe and could both make their debuts in 2013.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes the epicenter for young aces; 2012 roster announced

The Dodgers' High-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes announced their 25-man roster on Monday. Unlike the Loons' roster, there were little surprises here.

And also unlike the Loons' roster, the team is absolutely stacked with potential aces.

I took a look at the Quakes' potential roster back in January. I hit on a lot, but I also missed on a few.

It's a good thing the pitching is going to be strong because the California League is a notorious hitters' haven.

Top prospect Zach Lee (1, right) should head the rotation, followed by three other top pitching prospects: Garrett Gould (4), Angel Sanchez (5) and Chris Reed (19).

It's anyone's guess who the No. 5 starter is going to be, but I'm thinking it'll be Greg Wilborn.

The bullpen also looks solid. Scott McGough, 2011 5th-round pick, will join Logan Bawcom (26) and Juan Rodriguez (34) to form a nice 7-8-9 back end of the bullpen.

A lot of players from last year's Great Lakes team will make the trek to the Cal League. Since it's a great hitters' environment, a lot of guys should do quite well.

Leon Landry (18) will man center field and hit near the top of the order. He's the best position prospect the Quakes have. Jonathan Garcia (22, left) and Chris Jacobs will provide the thunder in the middle of the lineup. Tyler Henson, acquired in the Dana Eveland trade, will also (curiously) begin with the Quakes. I thought he'd be ticketed for Triple-A.

Two offensive players are returning to Rancho this season. One-time favorite Tony Delmonico and Austin Gallagher are back to presumably man the corners. Both are entering their third stints in the Cal League.

The biggest surprise is seeing Christopher O'Brien (41) make the squad. Son of former big leaguer Charlie, Christopher had 193 plate appearances between the Arizona League and the Pioneer League. He held his own, posting a .292/.358/.494 line with 18 walks in 168 at-bats.

Potential lineup
Landry CF
Gallagher 1B
Garcia RF
Jacobs DH
Delmonico 3B
Henson/Nick Akins LF
O'Brien C
Charlie Mirabal 2B
Pedro Guerrero SS

The top pitching prospects are the story to follow with this team. Allen Webster had great success in the California League before his promotion to Chattanooga. The team has a great 1-4 in the rotation. The bullpen looks solid. It's going to come down to whether the guys who struggled in Midland last season can muster enough offense to backup the great potential pitching.

The Quakes should make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year behind strong pitching and (hopefully) some timely offense.

(#) - denotes Top 50 prospect ranking

Photo credits: mwlguide on Flickr

Dodgers inexplicably trade away Trayvon Robinson

Just when you thought Ned Colletti couldn't screw things up anymore, he proves us wrong.

The Dodgers hooked up with the Red Sox and Mariners on a three-team deadline deal involving Trayvon Robinson.

Early reports have it shaking out like this:

To Boston: LHP Erik Bedard, RHP Josh Fields
To Seattle: OF Chih-Hsien Chiang, Robinson
To Los Angeles: C Tim Federowicz, RHP Juan Rodriguez, RHP Stephen Fife

It's hard to put into words how upset this makes me. Robinson is having one of the best seasons of any Dodger minor-leaguer (a career-year for himself) and is *this* close to the Majors, yet Colletti felt the need to trade him for a mediocre catcher (.275/.337/.397, seven home runs), a 22-year-old Single-A pitcher with a 5.19 ERA (13.4 K/9) and a 24-year-old starter with a decent line in Double-A.

The Dodgers didn't even get the right Double-A catcher! If they felt the need to move Robinson to improve the catching situation, then why the hell not go after Ryan Lavarnway?

Federowicz was ranked No. 21 in the Boston system coming into the season, while Rodriguez and Fife were unranked. Robinson was ranked No. 10 in the Dodgers' system.

In my last post, I wrote how I hoped the Furcal deal was the last in Colletti's tenure as Dodger GM. This is precisely why.