A Minor Review of 2015: Los Angeles Dodgers

Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

A Minor Review of 2015: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Graduate: Joc Pederson, OF: The 23-year-old outfielder broke into the veteran outfield in 2015 and had an outstanding first half of the year. He came back down to earth in the second half but still had a respectable overall season. The youngster hit 26 home runs and played good outfield defence. His batting average was just .210 and he struck out almost 30 percent of the time so there are improvements to make — including improvement against same-handed pitching (and in his home stadium). Pederson stolen just four bases in 2015 but has 20-30 potential so there is more fantasy value in there.

The Riser: Jose DeLeon, RHP: As if the Dodgers needed more depth. The right-hander is a former 24th round pick (from the same draft as Chris Anderson below). With an improved repertoire in ’15, he struck out 163 batters in just 114.2 innings. He might return to Double-A to begin 2016 (more due to depth issues than development concerns) but I’d expect him to make his MLB debut during the coming year.

The Tumbler: Chris Anderson, RHP: Anderson didn’t have a terrible year but he didn’t exactly light the world on fire, either, and in a system as deep as the Dodgers’, that can be a dangerous thing. He has the frame of an innings-eating starter and the potential to have frontline stuff but his results just haven’t been there. At this point, I foresee the former 18th overall selection (2013) becoming a shutdown reliever.

The ’15 Draft Pick: Walker Buehler, RHP: The Dodgers took Buehler with the 24th overall pick in 2015 after he slid in the draft due to concerns over his elbow. Those worries were well-founded, though, and he underwent Tommy John surgery after turning pro. Once healthy, he should develop into a solid mid-rotation starter — although a full recovery from TJ surgery isn’t a guarantee.

The Lottery Ticket: Alex Verdugo, OF: This young outfielder isn’t quite as raw as most of the “lottery tickets” that I talk about in this space but I wanted to fit him in. Verdugo is probably my favorite prospect that no one is talking about… Just 19, he could reach Double-A (if not Triple-A) by the end of 2016. He has a chance to be a 20-15 (HR-SB) guy at the big league level while also hitting for a solid average. Not bad for a kid that at one point in his prep career had a brighter future on the mound…