MVP
Trayvon Robinson|OF|21
529 PA/.306 AVG/.375 OBP/.500 SLG/.875 OPS/15 HR/52 XBH/.194 ISO/.384 wOBA/43 SB/18 CS/125 K/50 BB
It was pretty close between him and Scott Van Slyke, but I liked the fact that he had the second highest OPS on the team and played center field.
I'll review his prospect status a little later.
Cy Young
Tim Sexton|RHP|22
157.0 IP/3.96 ERA/4.04 FIP/1.35 WHIP/100 K/34 BB
A 3.96 ERA was the best performer on this staff? Yeah, pretty much. The ones who posted better numbers were relievers without many innings, so this is the best Inland Empire had. Honestly though, I think that speaks more to the environment they play in than the talent of the arms there.
Unlike many of his teammates, Sexton has excellent control, but he struggles in striking batters out. I've always been skeptical about his future with the Dodgers, because pitchers who can't get hitters to swing and miss at lower levels usually struggle as they move up through the ranks. One stretch of bad luck and he'll end up with a 6.04 ERA like Sexton had last year. I'm hoping he's the exception to the rule, but I can't endorse him as a quality prospect yet like i've seen some others do.
Best Hitting Prospect
Trayvon Robinson|OF|21
529 PA/.306 AVG/.375 OBP/.500 SLG/.875 OPS/15 HR/52 XBH/.194 ISO/.384 wOBA/43 SB/18 CS/125 K/50 BB
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think much of him coming into the season. He always had a solid collection of tools, but he would have ranked outside of my top 30 based on what he had accomplished to that point, even with the improvement in 2008.
So what he did in 2009 absolutely blew me away. His plate discipline took a huge jump, his power exploded, he began to use his speed, and he made hard contact with regularity. He did strikeout a ton, but that's a small negative compared with all the positive steps he took.
Yet, as with all prospects, he has to be viewed with a tinge of skepticism. I always reserve judgment on breakout years until they have a consolidation year of their skills where they prove it wasn't a fluke, and that's going to show itself quickly in AA. He doesn't need to repeat last year's performance, but he needs to show the improvements were real and that he can handle advanced pitching.
One concern that i've seen others bring up is that his BABIP was .391, which is about 40 points higher than any of his previous totals. However, it's only a minor concern for me because he hit the ball with more authority this year, and his speed will always lead to a high BABIP. In fact, i'm more concerned with how often he ends up putting the ball in play in the first place.
All in all though, he's around the top 10 for me, and he could rocket into the top 5 quickly if he proves capable of handling AA.
Best Pitching Prospect
Chris Withrow|RHP|20
86.1 IP/4.69 ERA/2.96 FIP/1.45 WHIP/105 K/45 BB
Domination and control issues were the themes for Withrow's 2009 season. He struck out batters at an amazing rate (10.95 K/9), but also allowed a ton of free passes (4.69 BB/9) that helped contribute to his 4.69 ERA. That number is misleading because he posted a 2.96 FIP and was victimized by a .357 BABIP against, but he didn't help his own cause by allowing so many runners to reach base for free.
He has the stuff to be comparable to Chad Billingsley (the good version), but he needs to figure out his control issues as he moves up levels. AA in 2010 should be a good test for him. If he does well enough, he may even get a cup of coffee late in the season.
Notables
Steven Caseres|1B|22
461 PA/.260 AVG/.360 OBP/.468 SLG/.828 OPS/.209 ISO/.366 wOBA/15 HR/46 XBH/116 K/54 BB
He took some significant strides forward in 2009, almost doubling his walk rate (6.8%/12.1%) and maintaining his power output despite the jump in level (.201/.209). However, he still struck out at a disturbing rate (29.5%), and he was horrid against southpaws (.581 OPS).
There is still a good amount of potential here for at least a part-time major league contributor though, as he can rake against righties and has a lot of raw power. Unfortunately, his issues with contact might be exposed by advanced pitching, and he had only one good month in 2009.
I think the Dodgers should make him repeat high-A until he proves he can handle the league. If he does, then AA would be a great litmus test for his abilities. There's a potential regular in there somewhere, but there's a lot of work to do.
Kenley Jansen|RHP|21
11.2 IP/4.63 ERA/3.89 FIP/2.14 WHIP/19 K/11 BB
Jansen was still playing catcher as recently as late June in 2009, but the Dodgers ultimately choose to make use of his arm on the mound rather than behind the plate. So far, that move is paying off, because Jansen has shown a plus-plus fastball in his limited innings in high-A. He sat 94-96 for most of the game, and topped out at 97.
Granted, he has had control problems, but that has to be expected from a new conversion to the bump, and there are signs that he could have at least one solid breaking ball (slurve/slider). Quite frankly, with as good as his fastball looked, that might be all he needs.
He'll probably start 2010 at high-A again, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him make the move to AA if he gains control of his considerable arm strength. There's a lot of work to do, so I would take it slow with him personally, but the temptation to push him is going to be there if he can put his heat in the zone.
Pedro Baez|3B|21
331 PA/.286 AVG/.326 OBP/.445 SLG/.771 OPS/.159 ISO/10 HR/28 XBH/84 K/16 BB/.342 wOBA
The potential is still there, but the breakout hasn't come yet. He moved up against better competition again this year, but this time he managed to hold his own. Still, a lot of things regressed, including his power and his walk rate. Worse yet, his high average was a matter of posting a BABIP (.364) 40 points higher than anything else he has ever done.
Needless to say, it wasn't a good year for him in a hitter's league, and he'll need to show he can be productive under favorable circumstances as a 22-year-old, or some will begin to lose patience with him.
It's hard to predict the development of raw players, and Baez was always a raw player that was going to need time, but three years of what amounts to mediocre progress is not what they had in mind. He'll surely begin 2010 back in high-A, and holding his own there is no longer good enough.
Scott Van Slyke|OF|22
563 PA/.294 AVG/.373 OBP/.534 SLG/.907 OPS/.240 ISO/23 HR/69 XBH/.394 wOBA/128 K/61 BB
For all the talk about Trayvon, Van Slyke's breakout was equally surprising. After three mediocre years with almost no progress being shown, he led his team in OPS and almost posted a wOBA of .400.
His walk rate was much improved, his power emerged, and he finally put together a full season. It seemed to stem from a change in approach, as he sacrificed contact for more pop when he did connect.
He has a chance to be a good hitter with some pop, but he's always going to be limited to the corner outfield positions, as he's not as athletic as his dad was. AA will be a good test to see if he can beat advanced pitching, and also to see if he can replicate his one good year as a professional. If he can hold his own in 2010, he may yet become a solid regular for a lower tier team.
Eric Krebs|RHP|24
25.0 IP/3.24 ERA/4.24 FIP/1.64 WHIP/31 K/25 BB
Krebs was the pitcher who was acquired for Delwyn Young in 2009, and while it's extremely unlikely that he'll provide the value to the Dodgers that Young likely would have, there's still a decent chance that he could become a contributor.
He deserves to be in AA, but the Dodgers put him at high-A anyway, and he struggled immensely with his command. The 31 strikeouts are great and all, but he's 24 years old playing in high-A, so he should be dominant. Overall, those aren't impressive numbers when context is accounted for.
Still, Krebs sits in the 91-93 mph range, and can top out at 95. He also has a sharp slider, and the combination of the two pitches should be able to get most hitters out. Unfortunately, control is a problem, and at 24, he doesn't have much time left to show that he can put the ball in the zone against better competition.
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