Here is Part 3 of my "State of the Minor League System", and this time we'll scope out 2nd base. As a reminder, I am providing the preseason rank that I gave to each player within the position (Pre Pos.), their pre-season overall rank (Pre Overall), and their current ranking within the position. You'll notice that some players have an N/A next to their preseason rank. That is because the player is new to the Dodgers or new to the position since my preseason ranking. Like my pre-season rankings, I will only include guys who are under 28 years of age.
I am including the players that were drafted in the 2011 draft and have already signed with the Dodgers, and will be providing how each player was acquired, their age, height, weight, and current level. Players who have been released or are no longer in the organization are also included at the bottom of the chart.
As I mentioned before, I have ranked each player at is the position that I believe is best long term position for the player. It may not be the players current primary position, but it is where I believe each player will ultimately end up should they make the major leagues.
| Pre Overall | Pre Pos. | Current | Name | How Acquired | Age | Ht | Wt | Bats | Level |
| 25 | 1 | 1 | Ivan De Jesus | 2005, 2nd | 24.22 | 5' 11" | 190 | R | AAA |
| 58 | 2 | 2 | Jaime Pedroza | 2007, 9th | 24.85 | 5' 8" | 167 | S | AA |
| N/A | N/A | 3 | Malcolm Holland | 2011, 33rd | 19.09 | 5' 11" | 165 | R | Arz Rook |
| N/A | N/A | 4 | Scott Wingo | 2011, 11th | 22.32 | 5' 11" | 175 | L | Arz Rook |
| 74 | 3 | 5 | Rafael Ynoa | Signed 2006 | 23.95 | 6' 0" | 180 | R | HiA |
| 91 | 5 | 6 | Enlly Morales | Signed 10/12/07 | 21.85 | 5' 11" | 168 | R | Pio Rook |
| 114 | 7 | 7 | Casio Grider | 2009, 14th | 23.92 | 6' 1" | 165 | R | LoA |
| 99 | 6 | 8 | Pedro Guerrero | Signed 7/10/06 | 22.63 | 6' 3" | 181 | R | HiA |
| 123 | N/A - CF | 9 | Elian Herrera | Signed 5/14/03 | 26.46 | 5' 11" | 190 | S | AA |
| 173 | N/A - 2B | 10 | Joseph Becker | Signed 1/11/07 | 25.69 | 5' 11" | 175 | R | AAA |
| 142 | N/A - SS | 11 | Vladimir Martinez | Signed 2010 | 19.06 | 6' 2" | 173 | S | DSL |
| N/A | N/A | 12 | Stefan Jarrin | 2011, 40th | 20.90 | 5' 10" | 170 | R | Arz Rook |
| 193 | 9 | 13 | David Iden | 2009, 35th | 24.38 | 5' 9" | 160 | R | LoA |
| N/A | N/A | 14 | Melvin Santana | Signed 5/7/10 | 19.79 | 5' 10" | 160 | R | DSL |
2nd base is another weak position for the Dodgers in terms of prospects, and in fact may be considered the organization's weakest minor league position of all. There doesn't seem to be any potential big league regulars in the system right now, although some might argue that Ivan De Jesus could turn into one. My argument to them would be that while De Jesus is hitting close to .300 over his past two seasons in AAA, he has 2 homers this year in the hitter friendly PCL and has been limited defensively since his leg injury, so would you really want to see him in the Dodgers lineup every day? Sure he may eventually be able to pass for a bench player in the MLB, but as a no power 2nd baseman I just don't see him getting a shot in LA. That being said, he is still the best of bunch that the Dodgers have right now, so I have De Jesus as my top 2nd base prospect.
Behind him I have Jaime Pedroza who continues to be consistently mediocre. He's never really done much to stand out, but hasn't ever really had a down season either. His OPS over the past 4 years has been between .779 and .796, so again if nothing else he's consistent and gritty. The next few spots are a bit of a toss up, and I'm sure I'll get some criticism for putting the youngster Malcolm Holland ahead of College World Series hero Scott Wingo. But in my opinion Holland has a lot more potential than Wingo or any other players below him on the list, and could potentially even turn into a top prospect one day based on the way Logan White described him after the draft this year. While he's struggled so far in his professional debut, I'm hoping he gives me reason to rank him even higher than a guy like Pedroza by the end of the season. Getting back to Wingo, he's a nice player and a proven winner, but I'm not sure that his talent will translate into continued success at the big league level. Plus he's already 22 and doesn't have much speed or power, so I'm just not sure he has the tools to succeed.
The next tier of group of players will be the last I mention because once we get to #8 on the 2nd base depth chart, the talent and potential really seems to drop off. Rafael Ynoa is proving that his big 2010 season was a bit of a fluke as he has struggled thus far in the hitter friendly California League. I'm glad I didn't completely buy into his success, but I'm still hoping he'll turn it around. Enlly Morales hadn't done much of anything since posting solid numbers in the DSL in 2009, but he's off to a decent start in 2011 and has now been promoted to Ogden. He seems like a guy who could consistently hit for a high average, but I think he's lacking in most of his other tools. Casio Grider is a speedy player who has earned the Loons 2nd baseman job but can also play over the field. Unfortunately he strikes out a bit too much and doesn't have much power at all, so at almost 24 years old I'm not sure I see him going anywhere. Finally, I've always kind of liked Pedro Guerrero because he had a solid frame and could play most infield positions, but he's continued to disappoint me offensively and has really never done anything at the plate in his 6 professional seasons.