You all know what this series is by now, so I'm not going to repeat everything. I am happy to say, however, that Right Field is finally one position that appears to be promising, with several solid prospects. However, the list is relatively short. As always, feel free to debate my rankings. Enjoy.
Preseason | Current | Name | How Acquired | Age | Height | Weight | Bats | Current Level | Pos |
1 | 1 | Jonathan Garcia | 2009, 8th | 18.68 | 5' 11" | 175 | R | Pioneer Rookie | RF |
4 | 2 | Jerry Sands | 2008, 25th | 22.80 | 6' 4" | 210 | R | AA | RF |
2 | 3 | Kyle Russell | 2008, 3rd | 24.05 | 6' 5" | 195 | L | AA | RF |
3 | 4 | Blake Smith | 2009, 2nd | 22.60 | 6' 2" | 220 | L | Lo-A | RF |
5 | 5 | Scott Van Slyke | 2005, 14th | 23.98 | 6' 5" | 195 | R | Hi-A | RF |
7 | 6 | Ronny Lugo | Signed 2009 | 20.41 | 6' 2" | 170 | R | DSL | RF |
9 | 7 | Jose Ramirez | Signed 2009 | 21.81 | 6' 2" | 200 | R | DSL | RF |
6 | N/A | Thomas Giles | 2006, 8th | 26.89 | 6' 0" | 190 | L | Released | RF |
8 | N/A | Adam Godwin | 2005, 11th | 27.59 | 5' 11" | 170 | R | Released | RF |
Dodgers have some good depth in right field right now. In fact, it is probably their best offense position. If either Kyle Russell or Jerry Sands is able to prove they can hit in more advanced levels, they may be able to be big league starters one day. Please note that I consider Sands a right fielder, and that I realize that he has done well so far in AA; however I want to see him continue to thrive. Blake Smith is also another good option in right field as he has had a great 2010 campaign. After a tough 2009, however, he needs to prove he can hit consistently by having a good 2nd half and a strong 2011. The real wild card, however, is Jonathan Garcia, who I believe may be the best right field prospect of them all. This may be a little controversial to rank Garcia #1 considering how well Sands has done this year, but this is just my opinion. Garcia is obviously a long ways away from helping the big league club, but he seems to have the potential to be a future All Star one day. I know he's been out the last few games after getting hit by a pitch, but hopefully he return to the Ogden lineup soon.
After the top 4 right field prospects, I feel there is a pretty big drop in talent. While many like Scott Van Slyke, I'm not a big fan and I don't think he'll ever make it to the big league level. Look at his stats this year and any other year he wasn't in the California League. They just aren't that good. Also, the Dominican players are much too old to ever make an impact, and Thomas Giles was recently released.