2013 top Dodgers prospects: #12 discussion

Six different players received nominations in the TBLA #11 prospect vote, but in the end it was Alex Castellanos who came out on top as he has almost double the votes of anyone else. The 26 year old has yet to find his stroke in his limited time in the big leagues and his position still seems to be in flux, and with a big league roster that appears to be mostly set he'll have a tough time breaking spring training with the club even though he doesn't have much left to prove in the minor leagues.

I added a couple new names below in Zach Bird and James Baldwin, so there are plenty of options to vote for this round. I probably won't need to add any other players until we get to the final round, but let me know if anyone feels differently. As always use this thread to discuss, and vote in this post.

Here are the candidates for the TBLA #12 prospect:

Tim Federowicz - C (25.25 years old) - The assumed understudy to AJ Ellis in 2013, FedEx has briefly appeared in LA in each of the past two seasons. The defensive minded catcher acquired in the Trayvon Robinson trade, Tim has actually hit quite well in Albuquerque including a .832 OPS in 2012 with 11 homers. However he did struggle in a brief stint in the Dominican Winter League that saw him hit just .167.

Scott Van Slyke - OF/1B (26.25 years old) - Van Slyke only accumulated 54 major league at bats in 2012 so he still qualifies for this list, and during that time he hit .167 with the Dodgers but did show some power with a couple of bombs. Down in AA and AAA over the past two seasons Scott has been extremely successful combining for an OPS of over 1.000 to go along with 38 homers. In the Venezuelan Winter League Van Slyke is batting just .230 but has smacked 7 homers in 26 games.

Jesmuel Valentin - SS (18.5 years old) - The Dodgers 2012 supplemental 1st round pick hit just .211 and had a .907 fielding % at shortstop in his professional debut with the Arizona Dodgers, but he is just 18 years old so it's too early to read too much into his stats at this point. He has great bloodlines, and his pre-draft scouting reports say that he plays solid defense, has a strong arm, is a slightly above average runner, and is a line drive hitter that can hit the ball from gap to gap. He's also a switch hitter, although he's still adjusting to hitting as a lefty.

Steven Ames - RHP (24.5 years old) - Ames, who was just recently added to the 40 man roster, has with a career 236 to 35 strikeout to walk ratio and a career 1.93 ERA. He's done nothing but impress since joining the organization and while he doesn't necessarily have a plus pitch, he has the ability to pitch to contact and get guys on a consistent basis. Last year in AA Steve had a 1.56 ERA, a 1.95 FIP, and a 10.2 K/9.

Aaron Miller - LHP (25 years old) - The Dodgers first pick in the 2009 draft, Miller is a left handed starter who has seen his velocity fluctuate over the past few years, but has always had a solid slider and a decent changeup. In 2011 injuries plagued Aaron's season, but he came back healthy in 2012 and while his numbers weren't eye popping in AA (4.45 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 8.15 K/9), he was a relatively consistent starter for the Lookouts. Because he wasn't added to the 40 man roster last week he'll be exposed in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

Alfredo Silivero - OF (25.5 years old) - Silverio is a real wildcard after missing all of 2012 due to a devastating car crash he was involved in last January. One of the injuries he suffered caused him to have Tommy John surgery, so while he should return next year he almost certainly won't be ready for spring training. Considered by some to be the Dodgers top position prospect just one year ago, it's too early to tell if he'll be the same prospect he once was, although even at his best he didn't have the highest of ceilings and to some was considered to be a 4th outfielder type at the big league level.

Julio Urias - LHP (16 years old) - Not a lot is known about one of the Dodgers most significant international signees in recent memory (including his actual birth date and actual bonus amount), but Baseball America did have a scouting report on the Mexico native so I'll summarize that here. He's not all that tall at 6 feet, but is already reaching into the low 90's with his fastball and has good command of the pitch. His changeup is his best pitch, however, and some scouts think it will be plus-plus in the future.

Zach Bird - RHP (18.25 years old) - Bird, the Dodgers 2012 9th round pick, was actually the highest rated player on the Arizona Dodgers this past season by Baseball America as he checked in as the 19th best prospect in the league. Some scouts saw he was a bargain in the 9th round and should have gone much higher. He has a 6'4" frame and saw his velocity jump over the past 12 months as he can now reach up to 94 mph. He also a good curveball and is working on his changeup. According to Arizona Dodger manager Matt Martin, "I've never seen anyone at this age that had such good swing-and-miss stuff."

James Baldwin - OF (21 years old) - For the most part Baldwin had a miserable year in 2012 in his first taste of full season ball. With the Loons James hit just .209 and lead the Midwest League with 177 K's (striking out in 35.7% of his plate appearances). That being said Baldwin is still young and still has a lot of potential, and has the type of raw talent you want to see in a young ball player. He has great speed and led the league with 53 stolen bases, and while he only hit 7 homers he does good size and solid power. He is also a good defensive center fielder. If he could fix the hole in his swing he could really be a breakout player.

Again, please use this post as the discussion thread, and cast your actual vote in this prospect voting post