Dodgers: Top Prospects Prep For the AFL by Winning Titles

Keibert Ruiz 

The kid just turned 20 years old in late July, he’s ranked (by mlb.com) as the Dodgers’ #2 prospect, and he spent all of 2018 in Double–A Tulsa as a “hit-first” catcher who rakes from both sides of the dish.

Impressive as that may be, at just 19 years old, he more than held his own this season and (better still) he played “hero” in Game 1 of Tulsa’s Championship Series vs. the San Diego Padres’ affiliate, San Antonio Missions. 

The scored was tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the 10th. Ruiz came to bat with two runners on, Gavin Lux and Drew Jackson.

After falling 0-2, Ruiz, hitting righty, stroked a single between third base and shortstop.  Lux scored from 2nd to win Game 1 in the bottom of the tenth inning.

The newly-minted 20-year-old had just hit a walk-off single in Game 1 of the Texas League Championship. Nice to meet ya kid!

In the article, I also highlighted two “under the radar” prospects; Jerad Walker and Cody Thomas.

I chose the two because I saw something in both of them that it seemed other publications may have overlooked. Neither are currently ranked, even as Dodgers’ “Top 30 Prospects.” 

However, upon reviewing their numbers, taking into consideration their AFL invite, and simply watching them play, I knew it wouldn’t take long for the rest of baseball media to recognize their already prevalent talent and their future potential, which showed this week.

Jerad Walker 

Walker played second base in the California League Championship against the Arizona Diamondback affiliate, Visalia Rawhide. A week ago, he was playing first base and had some experience at third as well.

His size, initially, lends itself to a corner-spot of the infield and even more-so, the right corner. To put it bluntly, he’s big. 

His positional versatility highlights his athleticism and malleability. A left-handed hitter, a right-handed thrower, and a mountain of a man who can play first, second, and third base.

Per milb.com, he’s listed at 6’2” 195 LBS, however (a week ago) he appeared much larger than 195 LBS and closer to the 225 range and solid. 

Regardless of his height and weight, Jerad Walker crushes the ball. The comp that immediately presents itself is a bit shorter Travis Shaw but only by an inch or two.

I’d surmise that he’s stronger than Shaw as well. Through two levels, Walker hit 25 HRs with a .910 OPS and 75 RBI on the regular season. 

Walker played hero for the Quakes just as Ruiz did for the Drillers. Game 1 of the California League Championship had been tied until the top of the 9th.

With one out, Walker smashed an opposite-field homer over the left field wall and put the Quakes up 5-4. They quickly shut down the Rawhide in the bottom half of the ninth and secured themselves a game one win. 

Cody Thomas 

If you read my article about the AFL, you should already understand how high I am on the right-fielder. A product of Oklahoma University, Thomas is tall (6’4”), projectable, and has an immense amount of raw-power and especially for an outfielder who’s capable of playing centerfield.

The Dodgers took him in the 13th rd. of the 2016 draft and he looks like a mix between Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson. Equally athletic and powerful as the two, Thomas is also a lefty-hitter with an arm suited for right field.

He hit .285 with a .852 OPS, 19 HR’s, 7 triples,, and 82 runs, during the regular season. 

Although Thomas’s game two heroics didn’t come in the 9th or extras, his presence was made in grand style regardless. Rancho had been down 0-1 until the top of the fifth.

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Thanks to a walk drawn by Nick Yarnall, and two fielding errors courtesy of the Rawhide, Thomas came to the plate with the bases juiced. 

Upon watching the last three hitters in the order get on base, the opportunity presented to the Quakes and Thomas was quite apparent.

Before Visalia could get out of the self-made jam that they found themselves in, Cody Thomas turned on and belted a grand slam into the left field stands, scoring all four runs with one sweet swing of the bat. 

Thomas’s ability to capitalize on the Rawhide’s mistakes put the Quakes up 4-1 and single-handedly swung all of the game’s momentum into the Quakes’ dugout.

The next two innings Rancho scored another five runs. Visalia would attempt a comeback in the ninth but would eventually fall short. Rancho won game two by the score of 9-3.

They quickly won the series and the Cal League Championship in the next game and in a similar fashion, ending the sweep with a Game 3 score of 9-1. Visalia didn’t know what hit them.

Looking Back

I’m not the type to say; “I told you so,” and therefore I won’t. Ruiz, Walker, and Thomas all played vital roles for their teams throughout both league championships and they did so in definitive, professional, and prompt manners.

Congrats to them and the Dodgers organization on acquiring three legitimate talents who come up big in the clutch. Go Dodgers!