Puig and friends: Examining the Dodgers' best power-hitting prospects

Power is one of the most coveted tools in baseball. Not everyone can hit 40 home runs a season. Hell, not everyone can even get to 30 these days.

Some players are solely known for it while others develop through their development. Either way, it's usually the last tool to develop fully. I mean, we're still waiting for James Loney to hit 20 home runs in a season.

The Dodgers have some interesting power prospects in the minors. There are some guys who have average to slightly above-average power potential (O'Koyea Dickson, Corey Seager, Blake Smith), but this list is reserved for guys who have at least plus (60 or better) raw power.

Best power prospects

Justin Chigbogu
- Chigbogu, who draws comparisons to Ryan Howard, was the Dodgers' fourth-round draft pick in 2012 out of a small high school in Missouri. He was ranked as Baseball America's 423rd-best player, yet was the  146th player chosen -- and it's because he has plus raw power. I gave him my "Best power prospect" rating in my Top 50. However, it seems someone else on this list should have received that honor.

There's no doubting Chigbogu's power potential, but, like most power hitters, there's a lot of swing and miss that comes along with it. He hit just three home runs in his professional debut (131 plate appearances), but he was just an 18-year-old for the majority of his season. He's a long way from the majors and it will be interesting to see how quickly that power develops.



Joey Curletta
- Curletta was the Dodgers' sixth-round pick in 2012 and is hulking right-handed hitter (6'4, 225 at age 18). Curletta checked in as the Dodgers' No. 30 prospect in Baseball America's Prospect Handbook, which was a bit of a surprise. But, like Chigbogu, it's because of Curletta's raw power potential.

His position is yet to be determined (he'll either be a corner outfielder or first baseman), but the youngster has loads of power potential. He's a guy who could benefit greatly from Mark McGwire's tutelage -- if Big Mac is still around in a few years (which he should be). 



Chris Jacobs
- I saw Jacobs in person a couple times last season, including during batting practice. He put on a pretty good show, including hitting a couple balls out of the Banner Island Ballpark to left-center field. The air isn't rarefied in Stockton, Calif., so that was an impressive feat. He also hit a home run when I saw him during a game (ended up being the game-winner), but it was an extreme cheapy down the right field line.

Still, Jacobs managed a .493 slugging percentage with the Quakes in 2012 after an even more impressive showing in the Midwest League the year before (12 home runs, .521 slugging percentage). The power potential is there, but that's pretty all Jacobs has going for him.



Michael Pericht
- Pericht was another player I saw in person and, like Jacobs, he impressed me with his power potential. Pericht cleared the stadium during a game. I was walking down the left field line toward the Quakes' bullpen when I heard the loud crack of the bat. I looked up to see Pericht's ball sailing overhead and clearing the stadium -- not the left field wall -- by about 50 feet. While it's just 300 feet (?!) down the left field line in Banner Island Ballpark, that ball probably traveled a good 420 feet.

Pericht has even more swing and miss than Jacobs, which is alarming. Still, the power potential is there and it's even more at a premium because it comes from behind the plate. He's been a mid-.400 slugging guy for most of his career, but he also hasn't been able to stay completely healthy.



Yasiel Puig
 - While Puig has played sparingly since signing his $42 million contract last summer, the hype and physical ability are present. Puig was the talk of Dodger camp on Friday, the first full day of team activities. His batting practice session produced this reaction:

Yasiel Puig wins BP. Crushed the ball and turned some heads. #Dodgers
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) February 15, 2013

Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus gave Puig a "7" in terms of raw power -- and that was from an outside source (not a Dodger source). Ned Colletti said this about Puig in October:

"'You could be standing with your back to the cage, and when he hits, you’ll know he’s hitting.'"

The praise, hype and potential are all there. It's time for Puig to show off that raw plus-plus power potential He'll have every opportunity to do so in 2013.

Podcast: 'Dugout Blues' episode 23 - Dodgers, prospect lists, signings

On this episode of "Dugout Blues," Jared Massey (L.A. Dugout) and I somehow talk for more than an hour despite almost no news in Dodger land.

We examine both MLB.com's Top 20 and Keith Law's Top 10 (subscription required) Dodgers' prospects. MLB.com's has some curious rankings, thus we spend more time talking about it..

We also touch on the Mark Lowe and Kevin Gregg signings as much as we can.

We talk a little about Felix Hernandez's mega deal and how it impacts Clayton Kershaw -- something I wrote about over a Yahoo! Sports for its Contributor Network.

Per usual, we close with listener questions. Which new acquisition are we most excited to see? What is our ideal lineup right now? Does Andre Ethier need a platoon partner? How man stolen bases will Matt Kemp have in 2013?

Libsyn link
Direct link
iTunes link

Look for new episodes of "Dugout Blues" every Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and review us on iTunes. We want to make this the best podcast we can so we're always looking for suggestions and ways to improve.

If you have questions you'd like us to answer or certain topics/players you want to hear more about, feel free to email us (ladugout@gmail.com or feelinkindablue@gmail.com) or send us messages on Twitter (@LADugout or @FeelinKindaBlue). You can also "Like" the podcast on Facebook. We always welcome audience participation.

Image credit: Joe Martin

Dodgers' full-season minor league team preview: Albuquerque Isotopes

This is the final post in a four-part series projecting the Dodgers' full-season minor league teams. To close out the series, the Albuquerque Isotopes.

• Part 1: Great Lakes Loons
• Part 2: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
• Part 3: Chattanooga Lookouts

The Isotopes finished as the Pacific Coast League American Southern division with an 80-64 record. The 'Topes faced off against the Oklahoma Storm Chasers (Royals' affiliate).

One of the better teams in the minors, the Storm Chasers and Isotopes traded the first three games of the series. In Game 4, the 'Topes were down 10-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. At the time, it looked like their season was done. However, a nine-run seventh, including a game-deciding three-run home run from Tony Gwynn, propelled the Isotopes to a deciding Game 5, which Oklahoma won handily.

Van Slyke

The 2012 Isotopes were led on offense by young players Alex Castellanos, Jerry Sands and Scott Van Slyke. Josh Fields, a veteran, had a late-season hot streak that led to a .322/.392/.488 line in 133 games. There is usually no shortage of offensive firepower for the 'Topes.

Castellanos, despite playing just 94 games, posted a great .328/.420/.590 triple slash with 17 home runs. The Dodgers don't seem to keen on letting him be the team's right-handed hitting platoon outfielder, so expect him back at Triple-A. Sands was traded to Boston in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. He was traded to Pittsburgh this winter and may or may not get real playing time with the Bucs. Van Slyke seems like the prototypical Four-A player and should be the team's left fielder.

The pitching staff was led by John Ely, who had one of the best seasons for a PCL pitcher, going 14-7 with a 3.20 ERA and a league-leading 165 strikeouts (in 168 2/3 innings). He also had a sparkling WHIP (1.10) and a great walks per nine innings rate (1.9). For his efforts, he was traded to Houston. Stephen Fife was decent, but unspectacular, for Albuquerque. He provided 135 1/3 innings of adequate innings. Other than those two, the Isotopes' rotation left a lot to be desired.

Projected roster

Catchers (2)
Tim Federowicz
Matt Wallach

Infielders (5)
Nick Evans
Elian Herrera
Osvaldo Martinez
Dallas McPherson
Rafael Ynoa

Smith

Outfielders (5)
Nick Buss
Alex Castellanos
Jeremy Moore
Blake Smith
Scott Van Slyke

Starting pitchers (5)
Michael Antonini
Stephen Fife
Matt Magill
Matt Palmer
Jon Michael Redding

Relievers (8)
Geison Aguasviva
Steve Ames
Cole St. Clair
Kevin Gregg
Mark Lowe
Shawn Tolleson
Josh Wall
Chris Withrow

A name missing from my projection is Gwynn. I suspect he'll be traded or released prior to the season. If he isn't, Buss should be that fall guy. Also missing is Dee Gordon. I'm betting (hoping?) he breaks camp with the Dodgers, or he's moved toward the end of Spring Training.

The starting pitching, as usual, will be a little weak. Magill should head the rotation and is a legitimate prospect. The bullpen should have some intriguing characters, including Ames, Tolleson Wall and Withrow (if he can throw strikes). This also means I'm projecting Paco Rodriguez to break camp with the big league club.

My lineup
Buss/Moore CF
Herrera 2B
Castellanos LF/DH
McPherson 3B
Van Slyke DH/LF
Smith RF
Evans 1B
Federowicz C
Ynoa SS

This lineup could score a ton of runs. Castellanos, McPherson and Van Slyke are PCL veterans and should be a formidable 3-4-5. The last time McPherson was in the PCL, he hit 22 home runs with the Sacramento River Cats. The last time he was with Albuquerque (as a member of the Marlins' organization), he blasted 42 home runs.

Smith and Ynoa should make their Triple-A debuts and could benefit from the extreme hitter-friendly environments.

Much like any year, the offense will determine the Isotopes' success. But I'm interested to see how Magill handles the rarefied air and if those fireballers out of the 'pen can keep the PCL hitters at bay.

Photo credits

Van Slyke: EephusBlue, Twitter

Smith: Dustin Nosler, Feelin' Kinda Blue

2013 MLB Fan Cave finalist: Thomas Roberts, a Dodger fan

Editor's Note: This post was written by Thomas Roberts, a finalist for the MLB Fan Cave sweepstakes, and a Dodger fan.

What if I told you that you could watch every single baseball game in front of a wall of TVs while living in an ultra modern New York space and meet MLB players, celebrities and musicians. Sound good? It is good and that’s what the MLB Fan Cave is all about.

Entering its third year, the MLB Fan Cave is the Baseball lover’s dream. For the entire season, you’re immersed in the game and get to share your thoughts, content and interactions with the rest of the world via social media. Not everyone gets to participate in this incredible experience though. Major League Baseball holds auditions where fans submit a short video explaining why they’re the perfect fit for the job. More than 20,000 submissions later, I have been chosen as a top 52 finalist and need your help to represent the  Dodgers in the 2013 MLB Fan Cave.

My love for the Dodgers started before I realized it did. As a child playing Little League, I lived baseball. I had baseball-themed parties and wore baseball-themed clothing. Well my entire family was, and still is, true blue Dodger fans, and thus I was and am, too.

My first memories are of Mike Piazza and Eric Karros, of Hideo Nomo and Raul Mondesi, of Tommy Lasorda coaching and then retiring. I’ve been to Dodger Stadium more times than I can count and travel to Arizona every spring to be closer to the players who mystify me on the field. I’ve loved the Blue for as long as I can remember. The Dodgers are one of the most legendary franchises in the game with some of the most storied players. They’re the ultimate team to root for and there has never been a more exciting time to bleed Blue than right now.

My favorite all-time Dodger is a tie between Sandy Koufax and Kirk Gibson, with an honorable mention  going to Vin Scully. Koufax was a once in a generation pitcher who mystified hitters and would have gone down as perhaps the best pitcher in history if not for his health ending his career. I couldn’t be more excited to have him back with the Dodger organization.

Gibson was gritty player who hustled and took the game seriously. I loved his attitude and the way he played baseball. I have his jersey and I wear it at every Dodger home game I attend. It’s a little sad to see him with Arizona now, but I’m glad he’s doing so well.

My favorite current Dodger is A.J. Ellis. He’s a tough player who gives his all and is finally getting the  recognition he deserves. He may not hit 30 home runs or bat better than .300, but he’s the backbone of the pitching staff and a gamer. He hustles and works harder than anybody. I love what Ellis represents and the fact that he’s been a Dodger his entire career. He’s hilarious on Twitter, too.

My favorite Dodger memory is a collection of events that form a single memory: walk-offs. I love walk-offs. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in the stands for walk-offs by Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Dioner Navarro and Adrian Gonzalez. They are the absolute high at a ball game. Winning the game with a swing of a bat. It’s even better if it’s a home run. People go nuts for walk-offs and those memories I have of them are the most fantastic Dodger recollections I have.

If I could meet any Dodger in history, it would without a doubt be Vin Scully. The things that man have seen and announced are legendary. That may not be a valid answer though as he’s never played for the Dodgers (even though he’s synonymous with the organization). If I had to choose an actual player, I would say Jackie Robinson. Just to hear him speak and tell me of the things that he had to overcome and rise above would be the experience of a lifetime. I’m so proud that Robinson was a Dodger and would have loved to have had a conversation with him.

The Dodgers are my heart and soul and I would love be their and the city of Los Angeles' representative in the 2013 MLB Fan Cave. To help me out, please go here and vote for me.



Also, follow me on Twitter (@Bertsball), become my friend on Facebook and Instagram (@Bertsball) and my personal baseball blog.

Thank you so much and Go Dodgers!

- Thomas Roberts