As we move into the top 50 of my minor league countdown we are going to start seeing some of the best Dodger league prospects. Just like last year, for the final 50 players I'm going to add a short justification to the end of each paragraph to provide a little more insight as to why I ranked each player where I did. Just as a reminder, the age I list for each player is as of 2012 opening day. As always, let me know what you think.

50. Russell Mitchell, 1B/3B (93 games in AAA, 25 games in Majors in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2003, 15th round
5’10”, 210 lbs, 27 years old, bats right handed
.283 average, .875 OPS, 16 HR’s, 69 RBI’s, 1 SB (minor league stats only)
Pre 2011 Rank: 34; Pre 2010 Rank: 52; Pre 2009 Rank: 32

Most people wouldn’t really consider Russ Mitchell a prospect at this point, but heading into 2012 he still qualifies as a rookie and has just 93 big league at bats. He is also just 27 years old despite the fact that he was drafted way back in 2003. Mitchell’s journey as a Dodger has a been a long one as he has played on 9 different minor league teams and has spent time at 6 different positions during his minor league career. The organization even considered trying him out as a catcher at one point, but after a lot of hard work he has established himself as a serviceable 3rd baseman. Russ has spent the majority of the past two seasons in Albuquerque, and has been a September big league call up both years. His stats for the Isotopes have been very strong, and in 2011 he hit 16 homers and posted a .875 OPS while striking out in just 15.8% of his plate appearances. The only drawback to his success is that Mitchell has been much better at home than on the road since joining the Isotopes, which obviously gives the impression that he has been aided by Albuquerque’s hitter friendly park. For 2012 there didn’t look to be any room for Russ in Los Angeles, so he was designated for assignment and removed from the 40 man roster. That will make it difficult for him to make it back up to the big leagues, but you never know so he’ll serve as an insurance policy while spending a 3rd season in Albuquerque.

Why #50: While Mitchell was never going to be a big league regular, give his marginal power and ability to 3rd base I always considered him a cheap option that had the ability to fill in as a bench player for a major league team. The fact that the Dodgers chose to take him off their 40 man roster over guys like Troncoso and Oeltjen isn’t a good sign for his future, however, and the two home runs he hit for Los Angeles in 2011 might be the highlight of his big league career.

49. Noel Cuevas, OF (23 games in HiA, 60 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2010, 21st round
6’2”, 187 lbs, 20.5 years old, bats right handed
.267 average, .740 OPS, 8 HR’s, 43 RBI’s, 15 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 52; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

The Dodgers selected Noel Cuevas in the 21st round of the 2010 draft, and after a lengthy holdout he finally inked a deal with the club for $100K. The outfielder from Puerto Rico was just 18 years old when he signed, and according to Baseball America he had “intriguing raw power”. Even though Cuevas only had 3 professional games under his belt heading into 2012, the Dodgers sent Noel to the California League in May. Cuevas was mostly overmatched against the advanced competition, however, and after hitting .220 the month long experiment was over as he was sent back down to the Pioneer League. Noel fared much better in Ogden as he saw his OPS rise from .538 with the Quakes to .814 with the Raptors, and he ranked 3rd on the team with 29 extra base hits. He also made decent contact as he struck out in 19.9% of plate appearances for the season, and even stole 15 bases. Here he is getting a hit during the Raptors’ playoff run. Defensively Cuevas was pegged as a left fielder when he was drafted, but he held his own in center field during James Baldwin's absence. Left field is probably still his best position, but it’s still encouraging to know that he's athletic enough to handing playing in the middle of the field. In 2012 I’m guessing that Cuevas will get another shot with the Quakes, although it’s just as likely that he’ll spend the season in the Midwest League. He’s got an interesting set of tools and is still quite young so he’ll definitely be someone worth following next season.

Why #49: Cuevas’ power potential makes him deserving of a spot in my top 50, although he’s still quite raw and has a long ways to go before reaching Los Angeles. I’m guessing that his defense limitations will be more apparent as he moves up through the system, although I was encouraged by his stolen base numbers and his ability to handle center this past season. Overall Noel’s ceiling appears to be that of big league outfielder with 25 homer potential, but he obviously has a long ways to go before we can even think about him reaching that level.

Follow the jump for #'s 48 - 41

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Here is the next part of my Dodger minor league player countdown, and we are now just outside my top 50 prospects. This is definitely a good group and only includes two players who have seen their ranking decrease since last year. Also, if you missed any of previous parts of this series, simply click here as it will take you to the "Prospect" section of True Blue LA. As always let me know your feedback on where I ranked everyone.

60. Justin Boudreaux, SS (32 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg, 12 games in Arz Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2011, 14th round
6’1", 190 lbs, 22.5 years old, bats right handed
.253 average, .793 OPS, 3 HR’s, 25 RBI’s, 17 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Justin Bourdreaux was selected by the Dodgers out of Southeastern Louisiana University in the 14th round of the 2011 draft. He was coming off a junior season where he hit .333 with 8 homers, and in his 3 year college career he had a .307 average, 25 HR’s, and 37 stolen bases for the Lions. In their pre-draft analysis, Baseball America had a surprisingly detailed report on Bourdreaux and predicted he’d be drafted in the 6th – 10th round range. BA also said that Justin has good power and speed, and that on defense he is a solid shortstop (although some scouts think he’s better suited for 2nd or 3rd base). Upon signing with the Dodgers, Bourdreaux was sent to Arizona where he got off to a rough start. Nevertheless he was promoted to the Pioneer League at the beginning of August and he finished the year as the Raptors starting shortstop. Despite his .265 average with the Raptors Justin was a pretty exciting player as he posted a .842 OPS and stole 16 bases without getting caught. His fielding percentage was a little ugly, but his plate disciple and his overall offensive ability lived up to the expectations of his glowing pre-draft scouting report. Looking to the future, if Bourdreaux can stick at shortstop then he has the chance to be a solid Dodger prospect. He’ll probably play with the Loons in 2012, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his first full season as a professional.

59. Jarret Martin, LHP (110.2 IP in LoA in 2011)
Obtained in a trade for Dana Eveland
6’3", 230 lbs, 22.5 years old
5-12, 4.96 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 7.9 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: N/A; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

The Baltimore Orioles selected Jarret Martin in the 19th round of the 2008 draft, but he declined to sign and instead spent a year at Bakersfield Junior College. The Orioles tried again in 2009 by picking Martin one round earlier, and this time they got their man for a $200,000 signing bonus. Jarret didn’t see any game action in 2009, but his professional debut in the Appalachian League in 2010 was very successful as he posted a 4.07 ERA and struck out 68 batters in 59.2 innings. He did have an issue with his control, however, which is a problem that continued to plague him in 2011 when he was promoted to the South Atlantic League. Strangely enough, Martin also struggled against left handed batters in 2011 as his ERA vs lefties was 6.00 compared to 4.67 vs righties. In addition, Martin’s K rate decreased against the more advanced competition. This past winter he was traded to the Dodgers in the Dana Eveland trade, and despite his mediocre season in 2011 he seems to be a solid pickup for the organization. According to scouting reports he throws in the low 90’s and has decent movement on his fastball, and also has a solid curveball and changeup. He also has a good pitching frame at 6’3", and is still just 22 years old. As I already mentioned his lack of control is his biggest flaw, although I’m also not a big fan of his pitching motion. In 2012 Martin will almost certainly return to class A ball, although I’m not sure whether the Dodgers will send him to the Midwest League of the California League. He’s a guy who could move up significantly in my rankings next year with a good season, and that’s really going to depend on his ability to throw strikes.

Follow the jump for #'s 58 - 51

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Here is the next part of my minor league countdown, with just 6 posts remaining in the series. This group of players includes several familiar names, along with a few lesser known guys who have moved up significantly in my rankings from a year ago. As always I welcome feedback on the placement of each player on the list.

70. Delvis Morales, SS (38 games in Arz Rookie Lg in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 10/22/09
6’1”, 146 lbs, 21.5 years old, switch hitter
.277 average, .689 OPS, 0 HR’s, 12 RBI’s, 8 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 176; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Delvis Morales got a little bit of a late start on his baseball career as he didn’t sign with the Dodgers until he was 19 years old. He made his professional debut in the DSL in 2010, but hit just .220 and made 17 errors in the field. He did steal 18 bases for the Dominican Dodgers, however, and walked more than he struck out. Apparently that was good enough to earn a promotion to the Arizona Rookie League as that is where Delvis spent the 2011 season as the Arizona Dodgers’ main shortstop. Even though Morales didn’t have a great season for the Dodgers, he was impressive enough to get mentioned by Baseball America in their chat about the Arizona Rookie League where they said Morales was the team’s second best prospect behind Alex Santana (in their opinion). Baseball America also compared Delvis to Dee Gordon, saying that he is extremely athletic just without the plus-plus speed. In the field Morales posted another ugly fielding of .927, but Baseball America said his defense has greatly improved since 2010 and I'm guessing that his errors were mostly the result of him making bad throws on acrobatic plays. Overall Morales seems to be an intriguing player in the Dodgers system, especially since he is a switching hitting shortstop. Questions remain about whether he’ll be able to hit as he moves up through the system, but it sounds like he’s an exciting player who could make his way to a full season league in 2012.

69. Daniel Tamares, RHP (21.1 IP in Arz Rookie Lg in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 9/26/06
6’3”, 170 lbs, 22.25 years old
0-1, 2.11 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 1.65 FIP, 13.92 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 93; Pre 2010 Rank: 119; Pre 2009 Rank: 74

After 4 years in the Dominican Summer League, including a fantastic 2010 season during which he posted a 1.41 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP, and a 2.64 FIP over 57.1 innings, Daniel Tamares finally got a chance to play in a US based league. The Dominican native spent 2011 in the Arizona Dodgers bullpen, and although he was using sparingly at the start of the season he really came into his own in the month of August when he appeared in 9 games and threw 14 innings. In those 14 frames Daniel allowed just 3 earned runs, struck out 26 batters, and had a .143 batting average against. He also didn’t allow a homer all year long and walked just 8 batters. I'll be honest in that I don't know how hard he throws or what type of pitches he has, but Tamares is a big man at 6'3" and just recently turned 22 so he is still young enough to make a name for himself in the Dodger minor league system. For 2012 I wouldn’t be surprised if Tamares started the year in extended spring training and then joined the Loons after the weather warms up in Michigan. He’s another young international signee to watch closely next season.

Follow the jump for #'s 68 - 61

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Here is the next part of my Dodger minor league countdown. We are getting to the point of my ranking where basically all of the players could be considered fringe prospects at the very least, so most of the names should be pretty familiar. This group in particular includes a few younger players whose ranking is based on projection, as well as some older minor league veterans who are basically a breakout season away from making it up to the big leagues. As always feel free to debate my ranking and let me know who you think should have ranked higher or lower.

80. Matt Kirkland, 1B/3B (39 games in Pioneer Rookie Lg in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2010, 12th round
6’2”, 210 lbs, 21 years old, bats right handed
.292 average, .755 OPS, 4 HR’s, 30 RBI’s, 0 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 59; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Matt Kirkland was selected by the Dodgers out of high school in the 12th round of the 2010 draft, and although he had committed to play college ball at Tennessee he signed with the Dodgers pretty quickly. After signing he said, “It's a thrill. My family is excited. The community is excited. I got a lot of support. I think it's good for the community. I plan to represent my family and community as best as possible.” In high school Kirkland hit 17 homers as a junior and 11 bombs as a senior (with a .505 average). According to pre-draft scouting reports, Kirkland was described as having plus raw power and was also said to be an above average defender with a plus arm and good range. You can judge for yourself in this showcase video. After a short 16 game professional debut in the Arizona Rookie League, Kirkland spent 2011 with the Ogden Raptors. Matt put together a relatively solid campaign in his sophomore season, and even though he only hit 4 homers Kirkland managed to bat .292 and had a torrid month of July during which his OPS was .958. The one problem with his season, however, was that Kirkland has apparently switched positions from 3rd base to 1st base because that is where he spent the entire year. That move causes Matt to lose a ton of value as a prospect because while his bat would have been intriguing at 3rd base, as a 1st baseman his hitting potential appears to be average at best. I don’t think there will be room for Kirkland in a full season league in 2012, so I believe that he’ll probably return to the Pioneer League for another season. Hopefully he’ll get another shot at the hot corner so he can regain some of his value, but if he remains at 1st base for the rest of his career then I doubt he’ll have what it takes to make it to the show.

79. Travis Denker, 2B/3B (66 games in AA, 55 games in HiA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2003, 21st round, released, then resigned in May 2010
5’9”, 205 lbs, 26.5 years old, bats right handed
.274 average, .879 OPS, 25 HR’s, 81 RBI’s, 9 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 83; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Travis Denker was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2003, and moved slowly through the system before getting sent to the Giants in the famous Mike Sweeney trade of 2007. At the time of the trade, Denker was with the 66ers in Inland Empire and was having a pretty good season. Fast forward 3 years, and Denker was back with the 66ers after resigning with the Dodgers in May of 2010 as a minor league free agent. In between his time with the Dodgers, Denker spent time with the Padres, Red Sox, and Mariners, and even made it up to the big leagues with the Giants in 2008 where he played in 24 games and can tell his kids that he hit a major league home run. Denker finished the 2010 season in AAA with the Isotopes, but returned to the California League at the start of the 2011 season as the Quakes main 3rd baseman. After smacking 15 homers in just 197 at bats, Travis was promoted to AA where he finished the season. Denker did very well with the Lookouts, hitting .288 with 10 more homers to give him 25 total bombs for the year. He also walked almost as much as he struck out and had an OPS of .862 with the Lookouts. That being said, Denker had an ugly fielding % at 3rd base and was one of the older players in the league. In 2012 Denker will probably serve as an insurance policy for the Dodgers while playing the infield for the Isotopes. He has outstanding power for an infielder, but unless there are some injuries with the Dodgers I’m not sure he’ll ever make it back to the show. Finally, here’s a batting practice video of Denker during the Dodgers 2011 spring training.

Follow the jump for #'s 78 - 71

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Here is the next part of my Dodger minor league countdown. There are definitely some interesting players in this group, including a couple of guys from the DSL who could be headed to the US soon. It's usually around this point in my list that people start to have opinions about whether I should have ranked players higher or lower, so feel free to let me know what you think.

90. Jackson Mateo, RHP (72.1 IP in DSL in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 11/13/09
6’0”, 193 lbs, 19.5 years old
5-1, 1.62 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 3.32 FIP, 6.47 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 75; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

After an outstanding professional debut in the DSL as a 17 year old in 2010 (1.23 ERA and .169 batting average against in 22 innings), Jackson Mateo got even better in 2011 for the Dominican Dodgers. After spending 2010 in the bullpen, Mateo transitioned into the rotation this past season and made a team high 15 starts while posting eye popping numbers. His 1.62 ERA ranked 2nd out of all Dodger minor leaguers in 2011, and his 0.93 WHIP was the best in the entire system. He also was among the DSL League Leaders in those two categories, and again was virtually unhittable with a .190 batting average against. The only thing Jackson didn't do well in 2011 was strike out batters, but that didn't seem to matter as he found other means to get the outs he needed throughout the year. I was unable to find any scouting reports on Jackson despite his two impressive seasons in the DSL so I have no idea how hard he throws or what type of pitches he has, but he must have something special about him to possess a career ERA of 1.53. Now 19 years old, Mateo will almost certainly move to the Arizona Rookie League in 2012 since he has nothing left to prove in the DSL. His performance in Arizona should give us a better idea of what type of future Mateo has with the Dodgers.

89. Andres Santiago, RHP (121.2 IP in HiA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2007, 16th round
6’2”, 200 lbs, 22.25 years old
8-5, 5.03 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 3.79 FIP, 8.36 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 107; Pre 2010 Rank: 147; Pre 2009 Rank: 133

Andres Santiago was drafted out of Puerto Rico in 2007 at the tender age of 17, and spent his first four professional seasons in the Dodgers lowest US based rookie league (2 season in the GCL, and two seasons in the Arizona League). After posting a 2.18 ERA with the Arizona Dodgers in 2010, Santiago was promoted all the way up to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and he surprised a lot of people by logging 121.2 innings, which was 3rd most on the team. He was in the Quakes’ rotation for the majority of the year, and while his ERA and WHIP were a little high, he had a solid K/9 of 8.36 and his FIP was 3.79 despite playing in the hitter friendly California League. He also won the Dodgers Pride Award in June when he posted a 2.97 ERA and won 3 games. I wasn’t able to see him pitch in 2011 and I didn’t find any good scouting reports on him so I don’t know how hard he throws or what type of pitches he has, but he has a solid pitching frame and is still just 22 years old despite having 5 years of professional experience. Santiago seems to have turned into a sleeper prospect heading into 2012, and since he probably isn’t quite ready for AA he will most likely spend another year with the Quakes where he’ll try and improve upon his stats.

Follow the jump for #'s 88 - 81

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As we enter the second half of my Dodger Minor League countdown, I figured I'd give a little refresher about this list that I'm putting together. In short, am ranking and providing a summary of virtually every player in the Dodgers minor league system who meets the following qualifications: (1) is within the Dodgers organization as of December 14, 2011; (2) is under 28 years old as of Opening Day 2012; and (3) is still considered a prospect by Baseball America standards, which means that pitchers must have less than 50 innings pitched (or 30 appearances) in the majors, and hitters must have less than 130 at bats in the majors. Like Baseball America, I do not take into account service time, and therefore it is possible that I have included prospects who will not technically be rookies in 2012.

In addition, while I do spend a lot of time ranking the players in the order that I think is the most accurate, this list can also be viewed as a "get to know your Dodger minor league system". My goal is for Dodger fans to know at least a little something about all players in the Dodgers system because it makes looking at the minor league box scores more fun. There won’t just be a bunch of names, but instead players that fans have at least heard of.

Now that we've moved into the top 100 Dodger minor leaguers you'll notice that that the names on the list will become more and more familiar. This particular group features several guys from the 2011 draft, a few interesting international players, and a pair of music videos.

100. Blake Dean, 1B (96 games in LoA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2010, 8th round
6’1", 175 lbs, 24 years old, bats left handed
.237 average, .657 OPS, 7 HR’s, 44 RBI’s, 1 SB
Pre 2011 Rank: 77; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Blake Dean was definitely a safe and cost effective pick for the Dodgers as the LSU Senior signed for just $35K. The 10th round pick of the Twins in 2009, Dean chose to return to college for his senior season even though he had already led his team to the national title. In 2010, Dean hit .341 for LSU with a .430 OBP, slugged 12 homers, and led the team with 70 RBI’s. He signed quickly with the Dodgers and was sent to the Pioneer League where he had a solid professional debut, although he didn’t show much power. "Deano" was promoted to Great Lakes in 2011 and was the Loons main 1st baseman, but he had a terrible year at the plate. A .237 average and .657 OPS just don't play at the power position of 1st base. The only positive of Dean's season was that kept up his strong walk to strikeout ratio, which has been one of his trademarks since turning pro. Overall it doesn’t appear that Dean has the offensive ability to make it to the big leagues as a 1st baseman, but he’s still just 155 games into his professional career so he has time to turn it around. In fact, I could see Blake getting promoted to the Quakes in 2012 and having a big season in the hitter friendly league, so he shouldn’t be written off just yet. Finally, the best part about Blake Dean is this music video.

99. Justin Miller, RHP (23.2 IP in AA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2007, 6th round
6’2", 190 lbs, 24.5 years old
2-0, 7.23 ERA, 2.07 WHIP, 5.31 FIP, 5.32 K/9
Pre 2011 Rank: 45; Pre 2010 Rank: 54; Pre 2009 Rank: 48

Justin Miller’s 2011 season is a bit of a mystery to me. After a stellar 2010 season with the Lookouts where he posted a 2.76 ERA over 42.1 innings, the ground ball specialist got off to a very rocky start with Chattanooga in 2011 and then in early June he was then placed on the restricted list for the rest of the season. I can’t find why Miller was put on the restricted list or why he missed the rest of the season, but one can only hope that Justin returns to the organization in 2012 and is ready to pick up where he left off in 2010. To provide a little more background on Miller, Justin was considered to be one of the best community college pitchers available in the 2007 draft, yet he fell to the 6th round where the Dodgers gladly scooped him up. What probably scared most teams away was the fact that Miller actually spent more time in right field than on the mound during his final college season, as he developed a tender elbow. Nevertheless, he was hitting 94 on the radar gun before his injury, and at 6’3", the Dodgers felt like he had a very projectable frame. In his first three professional seasons, Miller was used strictly as a starter and had pretty disappointing results. His career win-loss record heading into 2010 was 11 – 26, and he was much too hittable. So the Dodgers decided to move Justin to the bullpen in 2010, and they have got to be pleased with his results. Starting the year in LoA, Miller recorded a 1.30 ERA through 34.2 innings and had an outstanding .208 batting average against. Given his success the Dodgers moved Miller up to AA where he wasn’t quite as dominant, but as mentioned above he continued to get the job done. After the 2010 season Justin was invited to participate in the AFL, and prior to the start of the Fall season DeJon Watson said about Miller: "We'll try to push the envelope with him. He has a sinking fastball. He's a ground-ball pitcher, and we want to get him prepared for next level. He'll probably start the season at Double-A. We want him facing better hitters here to understand the adjustments he'll need to make. He can be deceptive, and we want him to get to where hitters are chasing his pitches." Again I’m not sure what put Miller’s career on hold, but if he does return in 2012 he’ll probably get another chance in AA where he’ll continue to work out of the bullpen.

Follow the jump for #'s 98 - 91

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With this post we are now officially halfway through my Dodger minor league player countdown. While this group of 10 guys didn't make the top half of my list, they are all still intriguing players in their own right. Also, in case you missed any of my previous posts, you can find them at the following links:

200 - 191; 190 - 181; 180 - 171; 170 - 161; 160 - 151; 150 - 141; 140 - 131; 130 - 121; 120 - 111

110. Rafael Ynoa, 2B/SS (126 games in HiA in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 7/8/05
6’0", 180 lbs, 24.5 years old, switch hitter
.275 average, .697 OPS, 5 HR’s, 54 RBI’s, 13 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 74; Pre 2010 Rank: 172; Pre 2009 Rank: 89

As expected, Rafael Ynoa came back down to earth in 2011. After a breakout season in 2010 which saw Ynoa sock 9 home runs and steal an impressive 40 stolen bases, Rafael regressed despite a promotion to the hitter friendly California League. An everyday player for the Quakes, Ynoa had a very pedestrian season in 2011 he posted an OPS of just .697. He was also caught in 11 of his 24 stolen base attempts and only hit 5 homers. His lone bright spot was his strong walk to strikeout ratio as the switch hitter struck out in just 13.1% of his plate appearances. In terms of his defense, Rafael played 31 games at shortstop and spent the rest of the season at 2nd base. He had a decent fielding percentage, and back in 2010 the Great Lakes Loons beat writer Hugh Bernreuter said "Ynoa is an outstanding fielder, especially at second base. He had a long string of errorless games during the season and made some spectacular plays. He is very solid, very consistent. The best fielding second baseman the Loons have had". Despite his great defense, I’m sticking with my stance from last year which was that I’m not sold on Ynoa as a legitimate prospect. I don’t think he’s ready for AA, so he’ll probably return to HiA for another season in 2012. Unless he really breaks out again next year, the 24 year old can probably kiss his chances of making the big leagues goodbye.

109. Arce Rodriguez, OF (53 games in DSL in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 1/25/10
6’0", 191 lbs, 19.25 years old, bats right handed
.288 average, .760 OPS, 4 HR’s, 25 RBI’s, 3 SB's
Pre 2011 Rank: 130; Pre 2010 Rank: N/A; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Arce Rodriguez made his professional debut with the Dominican Dodgers in 2010, and played that entire season as a 17 year old. While he had a very poor year at the dish, I liked his youth and figured he’d improve with experience. The turned out to be the case in 2011 as Rodriguez returned to the DSL and put up better stats in every offensive category. He led the team in home runs with 4, and his .288 average ranked second. He also increased his walk rate from 1.6% of plate appearances in 2010 to 6.2%, and only struck out 19.6% of the time. His one drawback is that he appears to be limited defensively as he was used mostly in left field and 1st base, but hopefully he'll hit enough as he moves up the ladder to justify his positions. Given his success in 2011 and the fact that he's already spent 2 seasons in the DSL, Rodriguez will probably be promoted to the Arizona Rookie League next year at the tender age of 19. If he continues to improve, then we might have a rare Dominican born Dodger hitting prospect on our hands.

Follow the jump for #'s 108 - 101

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Here is the next part of my prospect countdown with another group of borderline players who were not good enough to make the top half of my list. Don't get me wrong there are still some intriguing names in this bunch, but there are also a few guys who have disappointed of late and have dropped quite a bit from previous years. Enjoy.

120. Casio Grider, SS/2B (120 games in LoA in 2011)
Drafted by Dodgers 2009, 14th round
6’1”, 165 lbs, 24.5 years old, bats right handed
.230 average, .670 OPS, 2 HR’s, 25 RBI’s, 31 SB’s
Pre 2011 Rank: 114; Pre 2010 Rank: 118; Pre 2009 Rank: N/A

Drafted out of Newberry College in the 14th round, Logan White called Grider a tools guy who is a bit raw and very athletic. He was named as the faster runner in the Dodgers 2009 draft by Baseball America, and runs a 6.5 second 60. Grider spent his first two seasons as pro in the rookie leagues, and while he didn’t do a whole lot at the plate he did show off his speed with a combined 44 stolen bases. That got Casio promoted to the Loons in 2011 where got a chance to regularly at 2nd base. He also played some outfield and shortstop, but his fielding % at shortstop was atrocious so that’s not really an option for him going forward. That being said I've heard he's an exciting player to watch as he will make the occasional spectacular play on defense, but he simply tends to make too many errors. In terms of his offense performance with Great Lakes, Grider had his worst year yet with a .230 average and a paltry .670 OPS, but he continued to show good speed with a team high 31 stolen bases. It’s going to take more than stolen bases to prove that Casio has what it takes to become a true prospect, however, so the 24 year old is going to have to show some offensive spark soon or risk getting released. He will probably get a chance to play for the Quakes in 2012 where he’ll try in improve in the hitter friendly California League.

119. Leonel Beras, LHP (No stats in 2011)
Signed by Dodgers 10/22/07
5’11”, 145 lbs, 20.75 years old
Did not play in 2011
Pre 2011 Rank: 71; Pre 2010 Rank: 96; Pre 2009 Rank: 34

Leonel Beras disappeared in 2011 and I’m not sure why. According to his player page on the milb.com website he has been on the ineligible list for all 2011, but that could mean a variety of things. It’s a shame too because Beras was coming off of an outstanding season in 2010 as he posted a 2.26 ERA over 71.2 innings in the DSL with a minuscule .178 batting average against, so he was all but assured a promotion to a US based league in 2011. In terms of his background, Beras made his professional debut as a 17 year old in the DSL in 2008 and was very impressive. While he only threw 20.2 innings that year, he had a 2.18 ERA as a 17 year old. However in 2009 he was unable to find the plate as he walked 20 batters and was limited to just 14 innings. That led to a 7.07 ERA and a terrible WHIP. Moving ahead to 2010, Beras rebounded nicely in his 3rd season with the DSL Dodgers. He ranked 2nd in the league with 8 wins and also placed among the Dodger minor league leaders in several pitching categories. That brings us up to date given that he didn’t pitch in 2011. I’ve always been alarmed at Beras small stature, but he put up such great stats in 2010 that I couldn’t help but give him a solid ranking last year. I’m still holding out hope that he’ll return to the Dodgers in 2012, and since he’s still just 20 years old he is still ahead of the game if he plays in the Arizona Rookie League next season.

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