The 2011 signing deadline was yesterday, so it's time to evaluate the Dodgers draft as a whole. Overall the Dodgers did a good job of signing the majority of their draftees - they signed 9 of their top 10 picks, 17 of their top 20, and 30 of 50 overall - but they still had a very underwhelming draft in terms of talent. There isn't that one guy to get really excited about, although our top pick Chris Reed could turn into a useful big league player one day. We gave out very few over slot bonuses, and will probably rank in the bottom 3 of bonus money given out overall. That being said, I wanted to review our draft a little differently this year by doing a quick/rough ranking of the players we signed, and also talk about a few of the unsigned players. Some of the info I'm providing on the players will be a repeat of what I wrote about them in my original draft post, but I figured it'd be useful to have everything in one place.
Signed Players
1) Chris Reed (1st round, LHP Stanford) - Reed wasn't the 16th best overall talent in this draft, but he seems to have the most potential of all the Dodger draftees. The organization will use him as a starter, and he figures to move quickly through the system. He's supposed to begin his career at Rancho Cucamonga very soon. The lefty can touch 96 mph and has 3 quality pitches (fastball, power slider, and above-average changeup).
2) Ryan O'Sullivan (4th round, Oklahoma City University) - Ryan is the brother of current Royal Sean O'Sullivan, and has not pitched in college of the last two seasons due to an elbow issue and then academic reasons. However he throws in the low 90's (up to 94), and has a hard curveball. Baseball America actually says that he has "the same command but better stuff than his older brother". I was worried that he wouldn't sign, and I'm glad he did because I while his ceiling might not be all that high, I'd say he has a decent chance to one day make it to the big leagues.
3) Alex Santana (2nd round, 3B, Mariner HS) - The son of Rafael Santana, Alex is a 6'4" 3rd baseman who has strong wrists, is a good line drive hitter, and has good speed. He is extremely young and very raw, which shows in his strikeout numbers in the Arizona League. He's hitting .245 with 1 homer for the Arizona Dodgers, but it's hard to even look at those numbers given his age. I like his ceiling and could be a solid major leaguer one day, but he could just as easily turn into just another organizational player.
4) Scott McGough (5th round, RHP, University of Oregon) - McGough, son of a former Indian farmhand, has done nothing but impress since signing with the Dodgers. He is an outstanding athlete and is a bullpen arm with two potential plus pitches. He had a mid 90's fastball that can hit 97 mph, and a wipeout slider that sits in the low 80's. The Dodgers seems to be working him pretty hard despite his college workload, so that's a bit concerning.
5) Pratt Maynard (3rd round, C, NC State) - Maynard has struggled since turning pro, but I think he turns it around next year. Remember Blake Smith's first professional season? Maynard has good plate discipline. He hit .323 this year, but he lost a lot of his power this season with the switch to the new bats in college and projects as more of a gap hitter in the pros. Even still I think he could eventually be a big league starter, although it's highly unlikely he'll ever be a star.
6) O'Koyea Dickson (12th round, 1B, Sonoma St. University) - Dickson is a somewhat compact power-hitting 1st baseman who transferred to Sonoma State for his junior season. Dickson's 11 homers in 2011 were more than double that of any teammate, and he also hit .341 for the Seawolves. Since signing, Dickson has done nothing but hit and so far has been the best player of the 2011 class. Hopefully that success will continue as he moves up through the system.
7) Rick Anton (8th round, LHP, Utah) - This lefty is a senior at Utah, and according to Baseball America "He pitches with a fringy fastball but has touched 92 mph as late as the fourth inning, with a four-pitch mix. In addition to the fastball, he throws a changeup, a curveball and a cutter that he added this year." Since turning pro, Anton has been great and has a 1.64 ERA through 33 innings split between the Pioneer League and Midwest League.
8) Justin Boudreaux (14th round, SS, Southeastern Louisiana University) - Bourdeaux has a good combination of power and speed, although neither tool has really been on display since turning pro. Baseball America had a rather glowing report on him, however, and if he can stick at shortstop then he has the chance to be a decent Dodger prospect.
9) Scott Barlow (6th round, RHP, Golden Valley HS) - I'm usually a big fan of high school arms, but I'm not over excited about Barlow. One report has his fastball in the high 80's, with a change and a slow breaking ball as his secondary pitches. He seems to be a bit wild, but he also struck out quite a few high school hitters as demonstrated by a 17 K game during his junior season. He'll probably make a couple of appearances in the Arizona League in the upcoming weeks.
10) Jesus Valdez (17th round, 3B/RHP, Oxnard CC) - Valdez is an interesting player because he was mostly a pitcher in college, but has been used as a 3rd baseman with the Dodgers thus far. He's actually put up decent offensive numbers so far in the Arizona League, although he hasn't played since July 25th. He's only 19 years old, and is one of the wildcards in this draft.
More after the jump...
11) Tyler Ogle (9th round, C, University of Oklahoma) - Ogle took over the catching duties from JT Wise at Oklahoma, and is a similar offensive minded catcher. Ogle is a good right handed power hitter and makes consistent contact. He hit .343 this season with 9 homers and 15 doubles in 201 at bats. On defense, his arm strength is described as fringy. He signed late, and will give the Dodgers some additional catching depth at the minor league level.
12) Scott Wingo (11th round, SS, University South Carolina) - The two-time College World Series hero bring experience and a winning attitude to the Dodgers. He seems like the kind of player that will fight until he one day makes it to the big leagues, although it will probably be as a bench player at best. He's a hard working player, but he wasn't drafted out of high school or after his junior season last year.
13) Craig Stem (15th round, RHP, Traveca Nazarene University) - Stem is a 6'5" righty who had a solid season for the TNU Trojans after spending two years at Western Kentucky. He was used as a starting pitcher in 2011 and threw 5 complete games in 2011, including 1 shutout. His ERA was 3.93 through 73.1 innings, and he struck out 75 while opposing batters hit .222 against him. I'm not sure about his stuff, but from reading a few articles I get the feeling that he throws in the low 90's.
14) Malcolm Holland (33rd round, 2B, Hamilton HS) - The Dodgers signed Holland away from a football scholarship at Boise St. where he was going to play defensive back. I don't know much about Holland as a baseball player, but Logan White said that he has tools similar to Dee Gordon. He's struggled so far in the Arizona League, but is quick and still very young.
15) Matt Shelton (24th round, RHP, Sam Houston St University) - Shelton is a 6'5" senior who posted a 2.87 ERA in 2011 through 94 innings. He had 89 K's, and opposing batters hit .237 against him. He was a first-team All-Southland selection this season. He's been great so far in the Pioneer League with a 2.45 ERA and 19 K's in 18.1 innings.
16) Scott Woodward (7th round, 3B, Coastal Carolina) - I don't see a whole lot of potential here, and he seemed like an overdraft in the 7th round. He tends to swing and miss quite a bit, and is currently hitting just .219 for the Raptors.
17) Mike Thomas (35th round, LHP, Rider) - Thomas is a 6'2" lefty who had a 2.34 ERA for Rider in 2011. He recorded 92 strikeouts in 96 innings, and batters hit .240 against him. He put up good numbers in the Arizona Rookie League and was recently promoted to Ogden.
18) Freddie Cabrera (26th round, RHP, Central Methodist University) - Cabrera played at NAIA school Central Methodist and went 6 and 4 with a 3.06 ERA through 82.1 innings. He is from Puerto Rico, and can touch 95 MPH. He received a surprised to promotion to the California League earlier this season, but is now back in the Rookie Leagues.
19) Garrett Bush (19th round, RHP, Seminole State JC) - Bush is a 6'5" righty who spent his first few years of college at Auburn. He is relatively new to pitching and has a projectable frame, but Baseball America calls his stuff fringy at best. He has yet to make a professional appearance.
20) Joe Winker (28th round, OF, Mercer University) - According to the Mercer University website "Winker was a four-year starter for Mercer and has proven himself as one of the best hitters in the A-Sun Conference. A Freshman All-American in 2008, the Orlando, Fla. native concluded his career with a breakout senior season that led to an Atlantic Sun All-Conference second team selection. Winker hit .359 this season and ranked third in the A-Sun with a .630 slugging percentage, tied for seventh with 13 home runs and ninth in the league with a .448 on-base percentage." One other note is that he's been tearing it up in Arizona, although he's a bit old for the league.
21) Chris O'Brien (18th round, C, Wichita State - The son of 15 year MLB veteran Charlie O'Brien was a below average player during his first 2 seasons at Wichita State, but then really turned things around as a junior. In 2011 O'Brien hit .410 with 10 homers, 25 doubles, and 70 RBI's and was named as a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes award. What was most impressive, however, was his 40 to 18 walk to strikeout ratio. His defense isn't great, but hopefully it's good enough for him to stay behind the plate as a professional. He's held his own so far in the Arizona League.
22) Garrett Bolt (23rd round, RHP, Western Illinois University) - Bolt was outstanding in 2010 at Muskegon CC (1.19 ERA, 35 K's in 29.1 innings), but things didn't go so well after transferring in 2011. With Western Illinois Bold threw 17 innings and had an 11.65 ERA with just 10 K's. He's seen limited action in the Arizona League since turning pro.
23) Kevin Taylor (36th round, 2B, Western Nevada CC) - Taylor, who stands at 5'11", apparently didn't play at Western Nevada in 2011 due to some sort of an injury. In 2010 he hit .328 with 3 HR's and 4 SB's. He signed at the deadline for an undisclosed amount.
24) Devin Shines (38th round, OF, Oklahoma State) - Devon is the son of form Expos 1B Razor Shines. He didn't really shine at the plate for the OK State Cowboys, however, as he hit just .270 in 2011. He also had 4 homers and 6 SB's. He's been doing well so far in the Arizona League, but doesn’t seem to have much projection.
25) Rob Chamra (34th round, RHP, North Carolina State) - Charma is 6'4" and 225. I'm not sure about his stuff, but I do know that he went 8-3 with a 4.35 ERA and 39 K's for the Wolfpack in 2011 through 68.1 innings. So far in the Arizona League he has a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 innings.
26) Kevin Thompson (48th round, SS, Eastern New Mexico) - Thompson is originally from La Canada, but he played his college ball in New Mexico and was mediocre at best. He had 2 career homers, 4 career SB's, and a career batting fielding percentage of just .901. He's already played at 3 levels since turning pro and should be a good organizational player.
27) Gregg Downing (47th round, LHP, Franklin Pierce University) - A smallish lefty, Downing had a 2.30 though 74.1 innings in 2011. He struck out 93 and walked 30. He currently has a 5.40 ERA in the Arizona Rookie League.
28) Stefan Jarrin (40th round, 2B, East LA College) - As we all know by now this is the son of Dodger Spanish announcer Jaime Jarrin. Much has already been written about him, but he doesn't seem to be much of a prospect at all. At least he's already gotten some playing time in the Arizona Rookie League.
29) J.J. Ethel (49th round, C, Louisville) - Ethel has a cool name, but he didn't do much at all during his 2 years at Louisville. J.J. hit .251 in 2011 with 0 HR's and 16 RBI's. I'm surprised he even signed but I guess he just wanted a chance to player.
30) Jeff Schaus (16th round, OF, Clemson) - He's already retired
Notable Unsigned Players (in the order I would have ranked them)
1) David Palladino (13th round, RHP, Emerson HS) - I would have liked to have signed this tall righty, but it seemed that we had no chance from the beginning. He went 10 and 1 with 3 no-hitters and a 1.08 ERA. Also, I know this sounds like a typo but Palladino actually allowed just 19 hits in 72 innings this season while striking out 131. The reason I know it's not a typo is because earlier in the year that same blog talked about how he had only given up 8 hits through 44 innings, and had an 18 strikeout game. He gets his fastball up to 93 mph, but I'm not sure about his secondary stuff.
2) Jamal Moore (10th round, LHP, Westchester HS) - The highest drafted player not to sign, Moore is an athletic player who I thought would sign. However he decided to attend college per his Facebook page because he wants to get an education first.
3) Vince Spiker (20th round, RHP, Johnson County CC) - Spiker is 6'3", and sounds like a decent mid round pick. Baseball America says he is well-rounded pitcher, although he's had various injuries over the past two years. From what I've read he throws in the mid to low 90's and has a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. Even with 4 pitches, however, he projects more of a reliever because he currently lacks consistent control.
4) Kyle Conwell (22nd round, OF, Bellevue CC) - Conwell hit .397 for Bellevue CC in 2011 with 4 homers and 38 RBI's, and led his team with a .491 OB%. He'd committed to Abilene Christian so I thought he'd be a relatively easy sign, but I guess I was wrong.
5) Travis Burnside (25th round, OF, Spartanburg Methodist College) - This is the second time the Dodgers let Burnside slip away as they also drafted him in 2009. He has decent speed and power, and hit .335 in 2011.
6) All other high school players - The Dodgers drafted a bunch of high school players in the later rounds, but I already knew that very few, if any, would sign. As it turns out Malcolm Holland was the only high school player to ink a deal besides 2nd rounder Alex Santana and 6th rounder Scott Barlow