Dodgers: AFL Prospects who Impressed and Disappointed

To claim that baseball fans-more specifically, Dodgers fans-are, “a fiercely devoted demographic,” would at best, belittle Dodgers’ fans actual ferocity for their team.  MLB’s off-season can sometimes be comparable to a prison sentence. For most fans, baseball is lost until the brightness of Spring can overtake the gloom and doom of Winter.

After watching the Boston Red Sox celebrate their World Series win on our field, Dodgers fans were left with two poignant questions: Who was that team, and what will they do next year?  The answers to those two questions are very long winded and part of the suspense that comes with the off-season.

Yet, in a small corner of the world (and until last Saturday), baseball was still played, hot dogs were still eaten, and children could still laugh and play. The Arizona Fall League just concluded last Saturday and eight Dodgers’ prospects competed against some of the best talent in Minor and Major League Baseball.

To help brighten the doldrums of Winter, entertainment can be found in the time-honored tradition of giving out awards.  The players who stood out, surprised, and/or failed, to meet expectations throughout the AFL are the target demographic and will be the recipients of our Annual AFL Awards Article (aka: the AAAA or: the Quad-A).

TDue to the short-season nature of the AFL, for some, this article may come as a surprise that, for one: the AFL even existed, or two: that the AFL is already over.  That’s okay. I’ll provide detailed reasoning that explain why certain players won certain awards (along with other tidbits of information for everyone to enjoy), allowing all fans, casual and non, to simply sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Best AFL Dodger Surprise: Jordan Sheffield (RP)-

Before the AFL began, one of the names that I was most excited to see atop the Glendale Desert Dogs roster, was Jordan Sheffield’s. A reliever from collegiate powerhouse and MLB player-factory, aka: Vanderbilt, the last name: “Sheffield” may raise an eyebrow or two.

That’s because his brother is starting pitcher, Justus Sheffield. He was the main piece of the very recent trade between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners, for stud starting pitcher, James Paxton aka: “The Eagle has Landed.”

Regardless of any high-profile trade attention, after Jordan’s performance at the AFL, much more attention shall be paid to Jordan, in lieu of his brother, Justice. Whew!

The award’s title may, at first, read a bit “backhanded,” like we had assumed that a great performance (at the AFL) wasn’t expected from Jordan..

Also, the R.C. Quakes are a “A-Advanced” team and scores of players chosen for the AFL are from Double-A and Triple-A. Both Double-A and Triple-A are, by definition, higher-level talent leagues.

Plus there are a lot of former MLB players involved with the AFL every year. Therefore, due to the level of competition that Sheffield’s accustomed to thus far in his career, which is lower than the majority of players at the AFL, Sheffield’s accomplishments are just that much more impressive.

By the end of the AFL, Sheffield held a record of 1-1, with a 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP (walks+hits per inning), 1 save, 9.1 innings pitched, only 6 hits allowed, 4 walks, and he delivered 7 strikeouts.

Atop all of that, he also managed to record two holds. A “hold” is when a reliever comes into the game with runners already on base but manages to exit the inning without allowing a run to score. In a stark, polarizing contrast, a hold is, for example, the exact opposite of Ryan Madson’s 2018 World Series’ appearances.

Hopefully Sheffield’s time at the AFL has taught and/or given him the tools necessary to advance further in the ranks, and eventually into the Bigs (with the Dodgers) by next season’s end.

Best “Feel Good Story:” Ben Holmes (SP)-

Ben Holmes, a former All-American starting pitcher with the 2013 College World Series Semi-Finalist: Oregon State Beavers, was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2014.

After flailing about in the Marlins’ dreadful system for 3+ years, Holmes, akin to a rainbow trout, was released from the organization that drafted him just 4 months ago in, what could go-down historically as: the top-notch acquisition of a free agent, in the “How To” section of: General Managing 101, found at your local bookstore.

Additionally, yet another mistake could be made, in a never-ending ocean of mistakes, made by the Miami Marlins organization.

On November 6th, Ben Holmes, won the AFL Pitcher of the Week award. This award (a real one) served as the proverbial “cherry on top” a whirlwind season, to say the very least. For a closer look at Holmes’ story, check out my article here.

Until his last AFL start on November 10th, Holmes’ easily had one of the best seasons among all AFL starting pitchers.  His last start ended with 5 earned runs attributed to Holmes. This consequently made his ERA skyrocket. However, those 5 earned runs happened to match Holmes’ combined total of earned runs given up through his first five starts.

In short, 5 starts, 5 earned runs and then his last start, 5 more earned runs, equaling 10 earned runs total, over the duration of 6 starts.  Had Holmes appearances been held at five instead of six, he would’ve landed at, 19.2 innings pitched, 16 hits, 5 earned runs, 0 HR’s, 7 BB, 23 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP.

Once an All-American starter for a championship-caliber team in college, to being out of baseball, to now being one of the best stories out of the Dodgers’ organization in a long time.  Upon successfully finishing his first stint in the AFL, Holmes should be among the very top of the Dodgers’ starting pitching prospects to start next year. Suffice to say, Ben Holmes had one helluva year.

Lastly, throughout the entirety of the 2018 AFL season, Holmes’ ranked 1st in strikeouts, 1st in innings pitched, 2nd in ERA among starting pitchers, and 2nd in WHIP, for the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Keep in mind that the Desert Dogs are comprised of five teams total, which means that Holmes’ out-pitched some of the biggest and brightest arms throughout the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees, farm systems and that’s the just Desert Dogs.

Across the entirety of the AFL as a league, Holmes finished the year tied for the sixth most strikeouts. He would’ve ranked in the top-5 of the league’s best if not for his final start on November 10th. Still, Holmes’ put together an incredible showing at this season’s AFL.

Biggest Letdown: Cody Thomas (OF)-

Unfortunately, this “award” isn’t much of an award. However a silver-lining does exist. The expectations for Cody Thomas at this year’s AFL were very high, especially after his best pro-season, with AA-Tulsa.

A lefty-hitting outfielder with enticing power, plus speed, that any GM would love to see, Thomas was drafted by the Dodgers in 2016.  Hailing from Oklahoma University, Thomas has the prototypical 5-tool body, long and lean, 6’4” and 211 lbs.

Predicted to possibly be a perennial 20/20+ hitter with the skills to hit from .250 AVG-.270 AVG. An excellent defender with great instincts and an arm that backs-up his right field landing spot.  With such lofty expectations, hopefully one can understand why Thomas’s season at the AFL was, indeed, a letdown.

Through 18 games, Thomas hit for a measly .161 AVG, with an even worse .477 OPS, which landed him at forth worst in the AFL for season OPS.  Therefore, Cody Thomas had a .194 SLG% and an OBP of .284. His 62 AB’s ended with only 7 walks but he managed to strikeout 23 times.

Try to keep in mind the short-season architecture of the AFL. For a big leaguer, 62 AB’s is but a blip in a storm cloud of time. Thomas is young, talented, projectable and his collegiate pedigree is top-notch.

Such qualities, as attributed to Thomas, are the cornerstones of any MLB-ready talent. My prediction is that he bounces back with a swift vengeance after seeing what could possibly await him at the higher levels of baseball.

Longer weight-room sessions, extra time in the cage, on the field (etc.), should all be in Cody Thomas’s plans for the next few months.

The AFL has differing opinions regarding the extra two months of work that players simply do not get when they’re not invited. The pros and cons are numerous, but the experience gained from playing in the AFL is priceless.

Extended numbers of at bats, games, and/or pitching appearances are all requirements of playing in the AFL. Some players are ready for the mental and physical challenges, other’s aren’t.

Elite talent stands in every lineup and/or starting rotation. I predict that Cody Thomas learns from the AFL experience and better prepares himself for the season(s) ahead.

Not only physical conditioning, sometimes more importantly, is mental conditioning as well. These are all virtues that come with hard work, time, repetition, and experience.

Best Offensive Performance: Jared Walker (3B/1B)-

Earlier this year when I previewed the AFL, Jared Walker’s bat  intrigued me with his tape-measure home runs, lofting in the air after explosions comparable to cherry-bombs rang across all angles of the stadium in Rancho Cucamonga.

This kid’s raw power is off the charts. I was excited to see how he’d do against stiffer competition, after mashing his way through 2018, with 25 long-balls on the season.  He certainly didn’t disappoint this Fall.

Walker’s role with the Desert Dogs was very similar to what people around the AFL call, “a taxi-cab” player.  In other words, he had a part-time role with the team. For various reasons that are instantiated by differing organizations, groups, or sometimes by the manager of the AFL team.

Imagine being an everyday player, making the trip to Arizona, only to find that you’re not full-time. This aspect alone can be very hard on certain players.  Therefore, keep in mind that Walker’s “counting stats” (RBI’s, HR’s, Runs Scored, etc.) came from up-to 30 AB’s less than most everyday AFL starters.

Apparently, however, Jared Walker didn’t get the memo regarding that his role was supposed to be: “part-time.”  Through just 53 AB’s, Walker bashed 3 home runs (2nd most on the Desert Dogs), 10 RBI’s (2nd most on the Desert Dogs), with 22 total bases, 11 BB, 24 K’s, and finishing with an average of .226, a SLG% of .415, and an OPS of .769. Not bad for a “taxi-cab” player.

Honorable Mentions- Keibert Ruiz (C) & Andre Scrubb (RP)-

Scrubb and Ruiz are two very different players in two very different situations and very different points/paths of their careers.

On one hand there’s Ruiz, the prospect who signed midway through his teens and is now (recently turned 20 years old) expected to be the Dodgers’ catcher of the future.

Scrubb is 23 years old, a mammoth on the mound, with a fireball four-seam that has topped 100+ MPH. However, his pitches lack a considerable amount of control and command.

Hence his 7.1 IP, 12 hits (the most given up by a reliever on the  AFL season, in the least amount of innings pitched), 7 runs scored, 5 of them were earned, 5 walks, and only 1 strikeout (the least amount of strikeouts throughout the AFL by any pitcher, and at a significant clip). His final WHIP landed at 2.32 and his ERA was substandard, 6.14.

Ruiz’s AFL statline was eerily similar to his career projections thus far, as a professional. It’s extremely difficult to ask a lot from a recently turned 20 year old, who completed yet another full year of professional baseball against players who are 5-10 years older than him. Such is the story for Ruiz’s career thus far. He’s always been the whiz-kid without much power, behind the dish.

Ruiz had a fantastic 2018 regular (and post) season. However, now he’s expected to hit well and play even better everywhere (including the AFL) he goes, regardless of the opponent’s talent-level.

His bat-to-ball skills have always been elite, yet he hasn’t hit for power in any stretch/amount of time. The AFL has a particular ability of hyper-analyzing a player’s “flaws” because the talent pool surrounding them is always that much better.

That, and the “season’s” only 15-20 games long. This results in far more drastic stat lines due to the smaller sample-sizes.  Another “taxi-cab” player, Ruiz only played in 13 games this Fall.  In only 49 AB’s he hit for a .286 AVG, .357 OBP, .306 SLG, had 8 runs scored, with 14 hits, 1 double, 6 RBI’s, 15 total bases, 6 BB, and only two strikeouts.

As previously mentioned, the AFL can, given the appropriate circumstances, double as an unfiltered and cruel microcosm, regardless of how bluntly obvious the information may be.  In Ruiz’s situation, this could not be more true. He’s always hits for average, but with no power, he gets on base constantly, never strikes out, and has an incredible eye.

My assessment of Ruiz, thus far, is that he’ll inevitably get his “man strength,” sooner than later, and when he does, look out NL West!  His lack of power is the only glaring weakness left to strive toward fixing. After that, there won’t be much to correct.