The vote for the #14 TBLA prospect was the closest to date, with 6 different players getting a good amount of support, but Scott Van Slyke edged out the competition to capture the crown. Because the competition has become so close, I figure it's time to simply have everyone rank their remaining 6 top prospects to fill out the TBLA list of 20. I will tally up the votes using a standard 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 point system for the each person's 1st - 6th votes. As always, I have created a fanpost for the voting. I'll leave the voting open for at least a few days since this is the final vote, and I want everyone to have a chance to participate.
I've added several names to the list of candidates below, but feel free to vote for anyone who hasn't already been ranked. I think I'm incorporated all possibilities, but if you have a favorite sleeper prospect that I haven't mentioned, now would be the time to vote for them.
Here are the candidates for the Dodgers #15 - 20 Prospects:
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.
Alex Santana - 3B (18.25 years old) - The 2011 2nd round pick struggled a bit in his professional debut as he hit just .238 average and struck out in 31.2% of his plate appearances, but he's extremely young and raw so those numbers don't mean a whole lot. Santana has good bloodlines, and at 6'4" he's got a great baseball frame. According to Arizona Dodger manager Jody Reed, he has the potential to be a 5-tool player in the future as he has all the skills, just needs to put it all together.
Ethan Martin - RHP (22.5 years old) - Martin was moved to the bullpen midway through the 2011 season, and showed solid improvement as he had a 4.02 ERA in AA with a 9.6 K/9 through 40.1 innings. The former 1st round pick has electric stuff, including a fastball that can reach 98 mph and a big curveball, but he struggles with control. He's still very young so it's possible that he moves back to the rotation at some point, but for now he is going to try to make it to the show as a hard throwing reliever.
Aaron Miller - LHP (24 years old) - Miller was hampered by injuries throughout 2011 and in essence had a lost season as he threw just 34 innings. Even when he was healthy, the 2009 1st round pick was uncharacteristically wild and had an ERA of almost 4 for the Quakes. That being said, at his best Miller features a sneaky fastball and an above average slider. He also shows potential for a slider and I expect that he'll be fully healthy in 2012.
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.
Blake Smith - OF (23.75 years old) - A sports hernia injury forced Smith to miss about 6 weeks of the 2011 season, but when healthy Blake was a force to be reckoned with. The 2009 2nd round pick crushed 20 homers in just 313 at bats (including a short rehab), and with the Quakes he had a OPS of almost .900. Smith is a great right fielder with a cannon for an arm, and he recorded 13 outfield assists this past season.
Kyle Russell - OF (25.25 years old) - As we all know by now, Russell is a power hitter that has a knack for striking out. In 2011 Kyle spent most of his season in AA, and with the Lookouts he hit 19 homers while striking out in 32.2% of his plate appearances. The lefty hits right handers very well, so the thought is that at the very least he'll has value at the big leagues as a pinch hitter.
Jake Lemmerman - SS (22.5 years old) - The 2010 MVP of the Pioneer League had a much more average season in 2011, but he did manage to make his way all the way to AA in just his second professional season. Late Night combined for 10 homers and a .785 OPS this past season, and continuing to spend all his time at shortstop. A future move to 2nd or 3rd base might be required thanks to Dee Gordon, but no matter what position he plays he's going to have to continue hitting if he wants to make it to the show.
Brian Cavazos-Galvez - OF/1B (24.5 years old) - BCG continued his rise through the Dodgers minor league system as he spent 2011 in AA, but after two years of eye popping numbers he found the Southern League to be a bit more challenging. Cavazos-Galvez hit .277 with 14 homers and a .781 OPS, but his stolen base numbers came way down and he continued to walk at an extremely low rate. His defensive skills are average at best as he splits his time between 1st base and left field.
Steve Ames -RHP (23.75 years old) - Since getting drafted in 2009, the former 17th round pick has a career ERA of 2.14, a career WHIP of 0.98, and a career K/9 of 13.5 in 109.1 innings. This past season Ames dominated the California League before getting promoted to AA where he continued to have a lot of success. Based on the AFL gameday reports, Ames was throwing in the low 90's with a mid 80's slider
O'Koyea Dickson - 1B (21.75 years old) - The 2011 12th round pick made his professional debut in the Pioneer League, and from an offensive standpoint Dickson was outstanding in every way as he hit 13 HR's in just 189 at bats and had a 1.005 OPS. He'll need to continue to hit as he moves up through the system since he is limited to 1st base.
Leon Landry - OF (22.25 years old) - After an explosive professional debut in 2010, Landry struggled through his sophomore season and was one of the Loon's most disappointing players. Even though he ended the year by hitting .321 in August and led the league in triples, his overall season stats were below average as he posted a .309 OB% and a .667 OPS. He is a solid outfield defender and can easily handle center field even though his arm strength is average at best.
Ralston Cash - RHP (20.25 years old) - The 2010 2nd round pick missed the entire 2011 season due to a hip injury, but has gone through rehab and should be ready by the start of spring training. When healthy, the young right-hander throws a fastball from 88-92 mph with good sink, and he has touched 94 mph. Some scouts describe his secondary stuff as fringy, while others believe his changeup and slider can one day become plus pitches.
Juan Rodriguez - RHP (23 years old) - Juan Rodriguez joined the organization as part of the Trayvon Robinson trade, and he showed very good stuff in his 17 innings with the Loons. He still needs to improve his control, but he makes for a very intriguing prospect and posted a 1.59 ERA with a 10.6 K/9 and a 0.94 WHIP after the trade. He's raw, but throws very hard and at 6'5" he has a big physical frame.
Scott Schebler - OF (21 years old) - Schebler quietly had a very good season for Ogden, tying for the team lead with 13 homers while posting a .853 OPS. He was outstanding with runners on base, and ended the season on a hot streak. The one surprise about his season was the fact that he only stole one base, especially because Baseball America described him as having plus speed in their pre-draft report.
Cole St. Clair - LHP (25.25 years old) - The 25 year old lefty reliever was outstanding for the Lookouts in 2011 through July, and even with a rough final month of the season he finished the year with a 3.04 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 2.58 FIP. Cole has never been known as a hard thrower (he was throwing in the mid 80's in the AFL with a high of 88 mph), but he hits his spots and walked just 13 batters in 50.1 innings.
Josh Wall - RHP (24.75 years old) - As I've mentioned many times before, Wall has found new life in the bullpen and can again be considered a legitimate Dodger prospect. He led the Lookouts with 68.2 inning in relief and posted a 3.93 ERA, which wasn't all that impressive but was the best of his career since 2005. He's currently throwing very well in the AFL and rumor has it that he's hit 100 mph.
Austin Gallagher - 1B (23 years old) - Austin Gallagher was the main 1st baseman for the Quakes in 2011 and finally broke out with his best season as a professional. His stats still weren't all that great for a big man playing a power position, but he did smack 13 homers to go along with his .292 average and showed great plate disciple as he walked almost as much as he struck out.
Again, please use this post as the discussion thread, and cast your actual vote in this Fanpost.