June 28th, 2023 Scoreboard
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The second half of the minor league season kicked off on Wednesday for the Dodger affiliates, and Dalton Rushing got his going in style, as he put Great Lakes up for good with a solo shot in the 4th:
Dalton Rushing just keeps on mashing lefties, this is his 8th homer of the season, 101 mph off the bat, the ball traveled 367′ pic.twitter.com/PZSvXHfNMk
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) June 29, 2023
This was Rushing’s first homer since returning from the IL due to concussion protocol after taking a barrel on a backswing rather solidly to his catcher’s helmet.
The 40th overall pick in the 2022 is destroying lefties this season, slashing a ridiculous .424/.608/.818 vs them, with 7 of his 14 hits against southpaws going for extra bases, and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9).
Incidentally, in Rushing’s three games since returning from the IL, he has not donned the tools of ignorance; he has only played first base and DHed. This happened only one previous time since joining the organization, and that was a rather understandable circumstance, as he was promoted very late in the season in 2022 to Great Lakes for three games, as they were in the midst of a playoff push, and Rancho Cucamonga’s season had just ended. He wasn’t about to show up and catch a pitching staff that is unfamiliar to him, it was just an opportunity for more ABs, so that situation was of little concern.
This latest usage, however, may bear a little watching, as concussions are no joke, and the Dodgers are always keen on load management, and the dog days of Summer are just around the bend.
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Jared Karros picked up his second W of the season after putting together a dominant performance for Rancho Cucamonga, as he faced one batter over the minimum in his 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just an infield single, and striking out 3. For the season, the Manhattan Beach native has an ERA of 2.57, with 47 Ks and just 11 BBs in 42.0 IP.
Though Karros is not an especially hard thrower just yet, what with just a bit of room to add muscle to his 6’7, 195 lbs frame, he has solid command of a plus overall repertoire, and it all comes out of a higher release point. Here’s a look at what the former UCLA Bruin brings to the table, four each of the fastball, curve, slider, and changeup:
It is still anyone’s guess as to how much of a workload the Dodgers will give the lanky righty over the course of the season, but if a spot were to open up in Great Lakes’ rotation in the second half, it is easy to imagine that the 2022 16th rounder is on the short list for Midwest League consideration.
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On Wednesday, for a third consecutive time, Great Lakes was carried by the dynamic piggybacking duo of Ronan Kopp and Jerming Rosario to a victory, as they combined to toss 6.0 scoreless for the Loons:
Ronan Kopp matched his career high in strikeouts, and lowered his ERA to 1.91 with another scoreless outing for Great Lakes:
3.2 IP
2 hits
0 runs
2 BBs
7 Ks⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pwDSofitOq— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) June 29, 2023
Jerming Rosario continued his hot run for Great Lakes, as he struck out 3 in his 2.1 scoreless inning of relief, allowing just an infield single. His last three outings, combined:
10.1 IP
5 hits
1 run (earned)
2 BBs
15 Ks pic.twitter.com/dvZPeua3Ht— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) June 29, 2023
Born just 8 and a half weeks apart, the pair of hard-throwing pitchers with fantastic sliders also share similar difficulties with command at times, but when it all clicks, they both look like top 100 prospects.
This is what a player acquisition and development system is supposed to look like — scouts find quality clay, hand it to a top-drawer dev people, and let the coaches cook, with polish coming as the players ascend through the system. By no means are the pair of hurlers finished products, and they’ll lay eggs now and then, of late, they are harnessing their stuff and trending in the right direction.
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A pair of top IFAs hit their first homers of the season on Tuesday. First up, Santo Domingo, DR native, Samuel Munoz:
18 year old Dodger prospect Samuel Munoz, MLB Pipeline’s #7 IFA in the 2022 class, hit his first homer in the Arizona Complex League yesterday. His OPS is currently .838, with almost as many walks (10) as Ks (12). pic.twitter.com/jJk2tNuZmm
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) June 28, 2023
The 18-year-old puts together quality ABs, and is as he is 5/5 in stolen bases, and he is tied for the Arizona Complex League lead in triples with 3. Though Munoz was originally signed as a first baseman, he has spent the entire complex season in the outfield, with 9/16 games spent in center.
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And second, Joendry Vargas:
Dodger prospect Joendry Vargas, MLB Pipeline’s #3 IFA in the 2023 class, hit his first homer as a pro today. In 16 games in the DSL, he’s slashing .302/.465/.472, with a lot more walks (16) than strikeouts (9), and he has been successful on 5/6 SB attempts. pic.twitter.com/FmRvExQVcx
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) June 27, 2023
Vargas, who also hails from Santo Domingo, is living up to his top prospect billing, as he too is grinding out ABs and showing pitch recognition well beyond his years. Additionally, despite being 6’4, he is showing the range and quickness that may lead to him staying at short long-term:
Dodger prospect Joendry Vargas, making a diving play at short in the DSL pic.twitter.com/tY5rZ1YsaD
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) June 8, 2023
The Tulsa rotation may be getting all the headlines, there’s on display at the lower levels of the system as well.
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Here’s Thursday’s start times for the minor-league clubs (all times Pacific), along with the Dodger affiliate’s starting pitcher:
Author’s note: I am no longer going to list starters for the ACL/DSL squads, it is always going to be TBD
- Oklahoma City at Sugar Land – 5:05 PM, Justin Hagenman
- Tulsa at Amarillo – 5:05 PM, Nick Frasso
- Great Lakes vs Lansing – 4:05 PM, Maddux Bruns
- Rancho Cucamongs vs Visalia – 6:30 PM, TBD
- ACL Dodgers at ACL Rockies – 6:00 PM
- DSL Dodgers Bautista at DSL Braves – 8:00 AM
- DSL Dodgers Mega vs DSL Brewers – 8:00 AM
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Enjoy your Thursday, folks.