Dodgers' prospect notes from four Rancho Cucamonga Quakes' games

I just finished watching four consecutive Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ games (two in Stockton against the Ports, two in Modesto against the Nuts -- big thanks to both affiliates for the media credentials), and there’s a dearth of talent in Rancho right now.

My takeaways: There isn’t as much talent on this team as there was earlier this season or as in years past.

Ross Stripling and Duke von Schamann getting promoted to Double-A left the rotation depleted. Garrett Gould was also promoted, but he hasn’t pitched well the last two seasons.

Not much movement on the position player front, aside from a resurgent Jon Garcia heading to Chattanooga. There’s just not a lot of talent in Rancho.

Here are a few notes from each game. I’ll post in-depth scouting reports of guys like Lindsey Caughel, Noel Cuevas, Carlos Frias, Scott Schebler, Darnell Sweeney and more in the coming days here and at Chad Moriyama’s site.

Thursday (7/18/13)

Cuevas had a couple soft hits and a couple stolen bases.  His speed is probably his best tool.

Jon Michael Redding got the start. It’s the third year in a row I’ve seen him start in Stockton (and that’s not good). He wasn’t good on this night. His stuff is the same as it’s been. He’s a non-prospect.

Blake Smith took the hill and had impressive velocity for a guy who hasn’t pitched since 2009 in college. He sat at 90-92 MPH with his fastball. Unfortunately, his curveball was a mess. The first he threw went behind the hitter while the other he threw hit a batter. It was a 75 MPH offering. He has a long way to go on the hill, but his mechanics are clean enough to be successful. His command/control needs lots of work.

Friday (7/19/13)

Bobby Coyle popped a home run as the team’s designated hitter. O’Koyea Dickson showed some nice opposite-field power by hitting a no-doubter to right-center field.

Casio Grider, who took over for Cuevas who twisted his ankle in the first inning, has crazy range in center field. A natural infielder, Grider tracked a deep fly ball that he had no business being near, dove and missed a spectacular catch by about six inches. It was an impressive display of speed.

Carlos Frias was awfully impressive. He mixed all his pitches and struck out 11 in seven innings. It was one of the best pitching performances by a Quake this season.

Schebler has a legitimate bat. He hit two home runs. The first was a lined shot over the right-center field wall. The second was a moonshot over the batter’s eye in center field (video below).

Sweeney doesn’t have the chops to stay at shortstop long-term. There’s some loop in his throw from short and he’s messy with his footwork and mechanics. He makes spectacular plays, but botches the routine ones.

Saturday (7/20/13)

Gustavo Gomez started. His velocity was actually pretty good (90-93 MPH), but he gave up a grand slam in the first inning to put him

Schebler has a lot of swing-and-miss, but he also has loud tools. He can play center, but he fits best in a corner. His arm is average in right, so left field could be his future. Speed/power combination isn’t dissimilar to Joc Pederson’s. Has some issues with the mental aspect of the game. Too emotional at times, wears it on his sleeve.

Scott Wingo has sneaky speed and is playing all over the infield. He’s a natural second baseman. He has great on-base ability, but he doesn’t barrel up enough pitches to be considered a legitimate prospect at this point.

Sunday (7/21/13)

Caughel doesn’t have the velocity to be successful in the rotation long-term. Has four pitches, but none grade out as even average. Velo dipped after about three innings.

Coyle is about a 40-45 left fielder at best. His arm is weak and his range is limited. He fits best there or at DH. He has power, but not much else to be excited about.

Grider’s home run was surprising. He’s not a power guy at all, but he ran into one. He had a bunt single in the first inning, too.

Pedro Guerrero has a decent glove, but he can’t hit a lick. He doesn’t hit the ball hard, leading to poor at-bats.

Pratt Maynard has good instincts behind the plate and a decent eye, but the hit tool must improve for him to be more than a career minor-leaguer (and probably a backup in the minors).

James McDonald, the Dodgers’ 18th-round draft pick, isn’t much of a prospect. He doesn’t have a good hit tool, has zero power and his first step at second base is slow. He played left field on Friday night. He’ll be lucky to be a utility man in Triple-A, let alone the majors.

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That's about it. Like I said, I'll have some in-depth reports in the coming days and weeks. I'm going to try to get down to Rancho toward the end of the minor-league season to see the boys in their home environment.

Photo credit: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

Scouting report: Joc Pederson, the Dodgers' best hitting prospect

When I went to Rancho Cucamonga in April, I was hoping to see Joc Pederson in action. Instead, he was out after straining his groin. But I did get to see him in Stockton a couple weeks ago, and I was impressed.

He is easily the Dodgers' best position prospect and will be ranked a little higher in my midseason prospect rankings (out by the end of June). I ranked him No. 6 coming into the season.

Ray Guilfoyle of Minor League Ball was impressed with Pederson this winter.

"Yes, he is several years away from making an impact at the big league level, but it is nice to finally hear something good about a Dodgers hitting prospect."

And he's right. Despite the Dodgers need for impact hitting prospects, Pederson, 20, is still at least a couple years away from being big league-ready. Here's my scouting report on the young outfielder.

How he got here
The Dodgers drafted him in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of Palo Alton High School. He was committed to play college ball at USC, but was swayed by a $600,000 bonus the Dodgers gave him to sign.

Pederson's father Stu played at USC and appeared in eight games with the Dodgers in 1985.

Because he signed just prior to the deadline in 2010, he only appeared in three games his first season with the Ogden Raptors. He began 2011 with the Great Lakes Loons out of necessity. The Loons were short on outfielders and Pederson, who was in Extended Spring Training, didn't make his season debut until May 29 (nearly two months into the season).

He didn't fare particularly well with the Loons, going just 8-for-50 (.160) with four runs, an RBI and two stolen bases. He did have a nice 7:9 BB:K ratio.

He ended up back in Ogden when its season began and absolutely tore up the league, posting a .353/.429/.568 line with 11 home runs, 64 RBI, 20 doubles, 54 runs scored, 24 stolen bases and a 36:54 BB:K ratio. Those numbers earned him team MVP ahead of O'Koyea Dickson (who also hit really well).

By all accounts, he's the Dodgers' best position prospect. In a system devoid of hitting prospects, Pederson stands out more than he would in, say, the Cubs' system. But that doesn't mean he has any less value.

Vitals
At  6-foot-1, 185 pounds, he is a big kid. Wait, 185 pounds? That doesn't seem too big. Well, he's bigger than that, especially after seeing him in person. He's probably closer to 200 than he is 185, but that doesn't change his game or impact the way he plays. He's athletic and has some projection left in his frame.

At 20 years old, he might not be done filling out yet.

Tools
Here's how I would grade his tools. His hit tool includes plate discipline.

Tools	Now	Future
Hitting	45	60
Power	35	50
Speed	50	55
Fielding	55	60
Arm	55	60

Hitting
Pederson has a chance to be a at least an average MLB player. An average MLB player could mean a guy who posts a .280/.350/.400 line with 15-20 home run pop and 15-20 stolen base potential. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of production.

I talked to a scout when seeing Pederson and even though he wasn't watching the Quakes, he did say he likes his build, his bat control and his swing.

After watching him the first night, his batting stance reminded me of someone, but I couldn't figure out who. It was bugging the hell out of me, but the next day, I finally figured it out. His up-and-down stance is reminiscent of Adam LaRoche.

LaRoche's stance is open while Pederson's is not. The open stance is a staple of power hitters, which LaRoche is and Pederson is not. However, Pederson should hit for more average and get on base more than LaRoche does.

His strikeout rate is 17.2 percent this season, which is 3 percent less than the league-average. His walk rate is 9.1 percent, which is 1 percent better than league-average. So, he has good command of the strike zone and what he's looking for when making a plate appearance.

Pederson doesn't have any triggers and his stance is pretty quiet -- something I actually prefer when watching hitters. I've never been a fan of the toe-tap (probably because I tried it when I played and failed miserably).

Pederson lunged at a few pitches (what hitter doesn't?), but in his first at-bat of the Stockton Ports' series, Pederson roped a triple to the right-center field gap. It was a legitimate triple with no outfielder misplays. He also had a single and a walk in the game.

Here's a slideshow of his swing (sorry for the crappy quality).



Pederson walked after this plate appearance. He has good balance in his swing, despite the lunge. His approach is quite advanced for a 20-year-old playing against competition at an average of two or three years older than him.

Baserunning/Speed
In perhaps the most exciting play of the night, Pederson was sent to second base with Scott Wingo on third base. Pederson made it to second easily while Wingo made a great slide to complete the double-steal.

Pederson is no Dee Gordon on the basepaths, but he has average speed with a chance to have a tick more than average speed in the future.

But he is a smart baserunner. As I said with his hitting approach, his skills all seem advanced for his age, save his power.

Defense
Pederson is nimble and athletic enough to handle center field, but Leon Landry's presence with him in Rancho has relegated him to left field.

In the first game of the series, a Ports' player hit a ball to the left-center field gap. Pederson and Landry were in pursuit of it and nearly collided on the warning track. Pederson slide to avoid contact while Landry came up with the ball.

His range is good enough for center, so it's really good for left field.

In the second game I saw, Pederson had a chance to throw a a runner out at home. He fielded a single and fired a rocket to the plate. It was a really good throw, but it was just a touch off-line (up the first base line) and prevented catcher Michael Pericht from recording the out. It was about a 65 in terms of strength.

I was sitting on the third base side and was thoroughly impressed with the strength and accuracy of the throw. If he doesn't stick in center field, he definitely has a future in left field.

Conclusion
Pederson, right now, is the Dodgers' best hitting prospect. He doesn't have as much upside as the recently drafted Corey Seager, but that's not a knock against Pederson. His ceiling is an above-average MLB player in either center or left field. If he can produce at the plate while playing center field, his value increase. His lack of 30-home run power makes him not as valuable in left field.

I think a good comparison for him, and I hate comparing him to a Giant, is Melky Cabrera. Cabrera seems to be coming into his own at age 27. Pederson's build, skill set and ability are right in line with Cabrera's. Let's just hope Pederson makes an impact sooner in the majors than Cabrera did.

Plus, the kid has a hell of a handshake. You can always tell something about a man by his handshake. It was strong and firm.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

A few photos from the Quakes' 3-2 win against the Ports

I'll do some a more in-depth posts later, but I wan to throw out a few of the photos I got of tonight's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game. They defeated the Stockton Ports 3-2.

Scott Wingo (0-for-2, BB, SB, run scored... scored on a doube-steal)



Jon Michael Redding (8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 2 HR allowed)

 

Joc Pederson (2-for-3, 3B, SB, run scored)





Chris Jacobs (1-for-4, game-winning HR)



Eric Eadington (1 IP, 1 H, save)

Zach Lee in the bullpen before the game



It was a fun night. Garrett Gould is on the hill for the Quakes on Wednesday -- not Lee, as I previously expected. Lee will go Thursday.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

My trip to see Dodgers' prospects at the Epicenter was a blast

Eight days ago, I was in Southern California for a journalism conference. While the conference fell flat on its face, my trip to Rancho Cucamonga to see the Quakes did not.

Despite the team not playing well, it was a great experience. It was the first time I'd ever received a media credential to cover anything but a college sporting event.

I arrived with Jared Massey of LA Dugout at a little after 4 p.m. after we met up for about an hour before at a brewery right down the street from the stadium. It was a hot day in Ranch, so we wanted to take advantage of the air conditioning (and beer) as long as we could.

We caught the last little bit of batting practice. Guys like Austin Gallagher (45), Tyler Henson (29), Carlos Mirabal and Tony Delmonico were finishing up their set.

Afternoon batting practice

Scott McGough

Scott McGough, all 170 pounds of him (soaking wet) was hanging around, too.

The 2011 fifth-round pick out of Oregon was in shorts and watching batting practice. By the look of him, I never would have guessed it was him. I know he's listed at 6-feet tall, 170 pounds, but I'd be shocked if he was either. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be needed on this night.

While we were on the field, Takashi Saito, who was with the Visalia Rawhide on a rehab assignment, walked by. After I had informed Jared that Saito had thrown the night before, I missed Saito the first time he walked by, as you can tell by this photo.

Takashi Saito walks by

However, I caught him on the second time back. He recognized someone affiliated with the Dodgers. He was wearing jeans and a blue shirt and was obviously not a player. Jared's best guess is it was Bill Mueller. He is serving in the Dodgers' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Ned Colletti.

After batting practice was over, we retreated to a WiFi-less press box. I didn't really care there was no WiFi access as I was just there to enjoy the experience.

Angel Sanchez, who struggled

Once the game started, we went down to the stands to get a first-hand look at the Quakes' starter, Angel Sanchez. I have some video of Sanchez's appearance, which I'll publish in another post. I want to have a chance to edit it first.

Sanchez hit 98 MPH at one time and 96 a couple other times (readings I think were not accurate), but he worked consistently in the 89-93 MPH range. He threw his slider a bit, but didn't throw his changeup much. That, coupled with leaving his fastball over the plate, led to a short, rocky outing for the 22-year-old.

Scott Wingo

Scott Wingo looked good on offense, tripling twice. And they were legitimate triples, especially the one to lead off the game for the Quakes. He drove the ball to the left-center field gap and it kept tailing away from the Rawhide defender. He flew around the bases and made it to third base with ease. He ended up 3-for-5 on the evening and played a solid second base.

There wasn't much in the way of offense, as the Quakes ended up with just four runs. Christopher O'Brien had a double and Austin Gallagher went 1-for-2 with two walks. Nick Akins chipped in two hits, but that was about it.

Jonathan Garcia

Jonathan Garcia hit well in his first two at-bats. Despite having good, raw power, he's struggled mightily in the California League. He had two solid singles in his first two at-bats before striking out in ugly fashion in his last two. He was retired on fastballs at eye-level -- pitches that only Mike Piazza could hit.

Even though the Quakes lost 8-4, I was happy to have the opportunity to attend the game with media access and I hope to get back down there sometime this summer to see another game at the Epicenter.

Photo credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

A visual representation of my trip to Rancho Cucamonga to see the Quakes

Sorry for the lack of posts here, folks. It's been a hectic five days. But my trip to Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night was a rousing success.

I had a quick post on Chad Moriyama recapping the Dodgers' minor-league performances for the week of April 16. Here's an excerpt:

"Player of the Week

Alex Castellanos – 2B/OF

Castellanos continued his torrid start, going 11-for-25 (.440) with four home runs, eight RBI, nine runs scored, a double, two triples, four walks, and three stolen bases. If he keeps this up, he’s going to force the Dodgers to give him a shot in the majors. His line through 17 games is as follows: .371/.483/.757, four home runs, seven doubles, four triples, seven stolen bases, 18 runs scored and 12 walks."

I'll have a more in-depth post later, but I did get some get photos, videos and experience while attending the Quakes' game. Here's a few photos to tide you over:

Angel Sanchez

Scott Wingo

Christopher O'Brien

Jonathan Garcia

Old friend Takashi Saito

I'll have some video on the site soon enough of Angel Sanchez's start. His velocity was good and his mechanics looked solid, but he got knocked around a little.

Photos credits: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue