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Dodgers: Minor League Award Update

By Sully Engels |
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 07: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman introduces Pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on January 7, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 07: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman introduces Pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on January 7, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 07: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman introduces Pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on January 7, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 07: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman introduces Pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on January 7, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) /

The Dodgers have continued their torrid pace towards October, and it seems like the roster just continues to get deeper and stronger. Over the last week, the team has only bolstered its playoff roster.

The addition of Curtis Granderson has added another tough choice to the Dodgers’ postseason roster and Rich Hill’s dominant yet heartbreaking performance last night has added to the debate on the starting rotation going forward.

To add to all that, the minor league season is coming to a close and folks are expecting to see some of the Dodgers’ homegrown talent that has been brewing in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and even Rancho Cucamonga.

As much fun as it is to watch the future get a chance at The Show this time of year, the Dodgers have bigger fish to fry and will use this month as more of a tryout for the playoff roster. Players like Joc Pederson and Rob Segedin are big league guys who just happen to play on a team with no room for them; Kyle Farmer could probably be included in that group as well.

So, despite September maybe not being the month of fun it will be for other teams, Dodgers’ fans still have plenty of good news to cheer about when it comes to the future. This week, the organization handed out a few awards and leagues began to honor their players.

Let’s take a look at three top prospects that took home some hardware and where they stand with the Dodgers going forward.

(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

Walker Buehler

The 2015 draft pick from Vanderbilt has been named the organization’s 2017 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Buehler has rocketed through the Dodgers’ minor league system, starting in High-A and now working his way to the brink of a September call up from Oklahoma City.

Buehler is the No. 1 ranked prospect in the Dodgers’ system and the No. 13 on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 100 prospect list. His ascension to the top has been catalyzed by a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball which he commands well, as he does all four of his pitches.

Over 83 innings in the minors, he had a 3.36 ERA over 24 appearances, 19 starts, and struck out 117 while hitters notched just a .209 average against him. In Triple-A, he’s pitched in eight games and has an ERA of 5.09, but that is a little high because of one bad start, Buehler’s Day Off if you will.

Over the last two weeks, he has moved away from his role as a starter and has begun to make relief appearances for OKC in what is surely preparation for a September tryout in the bullpen for the big league club.

In his last four outings in relief, he has posted a 2.84 ERA over six plus innings with nine strikeouts and a save. It’s going to be tough to beat out anyone for a spot this year, but this is the 2017 Dodgers we’re talking about, crazier things have already happened.

GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 05: General view of action between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers during the spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 5, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 05: General view of action between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers during the spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 5, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Keibert Ruiz

Alex Verdugo or Willie Calhoun would have been the easy choice and probably the obvious one for the organization’s Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year. But in a season of surprises, here’s another: 19-year-old catcher Keibert Ruiz has won the award, and he deserves it.

Earlier this week, I interviewed one of the Dodgers’ associate scouts, Stefan Jarín, and I asked him if there was a prospect most people weren’t talking about that they should be. Without hesitation, he said Ruiz and told me that he has the potential to be a truly gifted catcher at the big league level. Only days later, that choice was solidified by the rest of the organization.

Ruiz hit to the tune of a .328 average across two levels (A and High-A) while adding an OPS of .845 with 50 RBI. What makes this year so impressive, and was another thing Jarín noted, was that he is extremely young to be performing this well and is playing with a maturity far beyond his years.

It’s rare to find a catcher who is a blend of intelligence and athleticism but to have one that can swing it the way Ruiz can, well, that’s special.

Ruiz will have a serious chance of swinging his way towards Triple-A next season, but he is in an organization that is very deep behind the plate.

His teammate, Will Smith, is ranked right beside him on most prospect lists, so it will be interesting to see how they develop. As we have seen with Austin Barnes, the Dodgers are looking for versatility behind the dish, and Ruiz looks to be the type of player to continue that trend.

LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 11: A shadow of a San Diego Padres player practicing his swing is seen on the back of the batting cage prior to the MLB game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 11: A shadow of a San Diego Padres player practicing his swing is seen on the back of the batting cage prior to the MLB game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

DJ Peters

More from Dodgers Prospects

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes outfielder and Southern California native DJ Peters has been named the Cal League MVP after putting together an outstanding year at High-A. The 21-year-old prospect is hitting .282 on the year with 24 bombs, 76 RBI and an OPS of .900 (Cal League announces their MVP before the season ends).

Peters has the frame to be an elite level outfielder, and his bat has proven reliable at both levels he’s played at so far. This is almost bittersweet though, because if Peters had been moved up to Double-A Tulsa, he wouldn’t have won this award, but his career goals are surely greater than minor league MVPs.

Regardless, his future is now more well endowed after this, and he will surely get his chance with the Drillers next year. Peters, a teammate of Ruiz, was taken in the 4th round last year and has proven his worth since then.

Other famous winners of the award include the Dodgers’ own Corey Seager in 2014, Paul Goldschmidt in 2010 and, last but not least, Dodger great Brad Penny in 1998.

Next: Granderson's Value to Team

Peters has been higher up on my prospect list than on many others, partially because I’ve seen him play more than any other prospect, but also because I honestly think he will be a legit big leaguer one day. Regardless, if he continues to have years as he has been, it will be impossible to keep him off those lists.

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