Joc Pederson beat out the competition to capture TBLA's #7 prospect, winning by a few votes over runner up Shawn Tolleson. The outfielder becomes the first offensive player to make the list, and must have won people over with his standout season in the Pioneer League.
Since the vote was basically split between Pederson and Tolleson, I considered naming Tolleson the #8 prospect without a vote, but after Phil's post on Saturday thought better of it. In addition, it seems quite possible that all the Pederson supporters have somebody else in mind to vote for, especially since Tolleson is a relief pitcher. That being said, if Tolleson starts to run away with the #8 vote I'll definitely update this post and move on to #9 pretty quickly.
Here are the candidates for the Dodgers #8 prospect:
James Baldwin - OF (20 years old) - Baldwin started the 2011 season on fire, and while he cooled down as the year progressed he still finished with 10 homers, 22 stolen bases, and a .828 OPS. Many people call him the most exciting prospect since Matt Kemp, although Baldwin struggles with strikeouts much more than Kemp did. He should have no trouble handling center field as he moves up through the minors.
Alfredo Silverio - OF (24.5 years old) - Signed way back in 2003, Silverio finally figured out how to make good use of the athleticism that scouts have seen in him for years. This past season the outfielder led the Southern League in total bases, and hit .306 with 16 homers and a .883 OPS. He also showed good speed with a minor league high 18 triples, but was caught in 12 of his 23 SB attempts. While he spent most of the 2011 in center field, it remains to be seen if he'll be able to handle that position at the big league level.
Angelo Songco - 1B (23 years old) - Songco had a monster season for the Quakes in 2011, leading the California League in doubles and total bases while hitting .313 with 29 homers and 114 RBI's. He's always had a ton of raw power, and it finally showed this past year. He made the switch from left field to 1st base during the season, but overall doesn't have much defensive value so he's going to have to continue to hit as he moves up through the system.
Jonathan Garcia - OF (20 years old) - Garcia got off to a hot start in 2011 and showed good power throughout the season with 19 homers, but he ended the year in a major slump and hit just .228 for the season. He was one of the youngest players in the Midwest League, however, and has plenty of time to improve and mature. On defense Garcia has a strong arm and should be able to handle right field as he moves up through the system.
Shawn Tolleson - RHP (23.75 years old) - Tolleson flew through the minor leagues in 2011, advancing from LoA to AA and dominating everywhere he went. His combined stats were ridiculous as he had a 1.17 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, a 1.59 FIP, and a 13.7 K/9 over 69 innings. His cutter is by far his best pitch, which by most accounts is nearly unhittable for lower level minor leaguers. He also mixes in a solid fastball, which apparently hit 97 mph last season on a good night, and a slider.
Angel Sanchez - RHP (22 years old) - Sanchez literally came out of nowhere in 2011 and had a very good season for the Great Lakes Loons. Signed out of the Dominican Republic, he jumped straight to the Midwest League and had a 2.82 ERA, a 3.46 FIP, a 7.6 K/9, and a .198 batting average against. He throws a hard fastball that can reach 97 mph, and he also has a curveball and changeup.
Alex Castellanos - OF (25.25 years old) - Castellanos made a great impression on Dodger prospect fans after joining the team in the Furcal trade as he posted a 1.009 OPS in his 32 games with the Lookouts, connecting on 4 homers, driving in 23 runs, and walking almost as much as he struck out. There has been talk about converting him to either 2nd base or 1st base since the Dodger have a crowded minor league outfield, so it will be interesting to see where he plays next season. He's listed at 5'11" and despite good home run numbers in 2011, he doesn't necessarily project as a true power threat at the big league level.
Griff Erickson - C (23.5 years old) - The switch hitting catcher had a breakout season in 2011, posting a combined .866 OPS between HiA and AA and smacking 13 homers. He also posted an impressive strikeout to walk ratio, and showed strong defensive skills behind the plate. Erickson is still at least a year away from the big leagues, but he's just 23 years old so he's in a good spot.
Scott Van Slyke - OF/1B (25.25 years old) - Van Slyke had the biggest season of his 7 year minor league career in 2011 while playing with the Lookouts. He led the team in every significant offensive category except for runs and stolen bases, and even won the league batting title with a .348 average. His SLG %, OB%, and OPS all ranked 2nd in the league, and his big season earned him a spot on the Dodgers 40 man roster. He doesn't have much defensive value, so he'll have to continue hitting to make it to the show.
Tim Federowicz - C (24.25 years old) - In his short time with the Dodgers FedEx has impressed with an outstanding display in AAA, but it should be noted that his 1.058 OPS and .325 average while with the Isotopes were significantly higher than his minor league averages. That being said Federowicz does have a decent bat, and since he is an excellent defensive catcher any offensive production we get out of him at the big league level would be a bonus.
Please use this post as the discussion thread, and cast your actual vote in this Fanpost.