Dodgers: First Month Minor Leagues Report

Great Lakes Loons – A

The Great Lakes Loons have not had the start they wanted to the year as far as the numbers go, but they certainly hold a lot of potential on their roster.

Gavin Lux was a Dodgers first rounder in 2016 and is regarded as one of the top prospects for Los Angeles but has struggled to start this year. Many think he can develop into a five-tool player down the road but to this date, he has only mustered a .129 average and doesn’t have an extra-base hit. Hitting is the biggest tool in question for him in the future but this season and his development are both in the early stages.

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Outfielder Carlos Rincon has ‘mashed out of the gate, knocking six homers and seeing his OPS elevate to 1.067 but he has also struck out 31 times in 70 at bats. Lakewood, Calif. native Brendon Davis has started the year on a positive note with a .303 average, 12 RBI and a pair of bombs but his strikeout total is also nearly 30.

Two top pitching prospects, Dustin May and Jordan Sheffield, have also started the year at Great Lakes and have had a bit more success than Lux. May was drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft and at only 19 years old has a bright future. He has started five times this year with a 3.26 ERA while punching out 17 and only walking 4. Sheffield has been average out of the gate, with a 4.20 ERA over his first four starts. Combined the two have only walked ten batters which show they are throwing strikes consistently, a good sign at any level.

Devin Smeltzer and Parker Curry have both had hot starts to the year, Smeltzer as a starter and Curry in the pen. Smeltzer boasts an ERA of 1.96 and has fanned 29 while only walking two over 23 innings. Curry has an ERA of 1.89 and WHIP of .767.

The Dodgers also have a Rookie affiliate, the Ogdon Raptors, but they won’t begin games until June 19th.

Next: Bullpen First Month Grade Report

The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. The entire front office has done a tremendous job maintaining and developing their prospects. We’ll continue to give you weekly and monthly reports on the entire farm system.

 All stats via Baseball Reference as of May 2, 2017.