Roger Arrieta
Who Is Our Next Superstar?
Counting Down the Top Five Candidates to Have Breakout Seasons in 2015
The Dodger’s roster is currently loaded with plenty of ball players who have mass potential should they be afforded the opportunity to play in the show. They have owned one of the strongest farm systems in the league for quite some time now, thanks to excellent scouting and player development. With new management in place and a roster full of revision, I believe the table could be set for five Dodgers to post all-star numbers in 2015. Here is a countdown from five all the way down to the number one ball player most likely to succeed.
FIVE
Scott Van Slyke
Scotty is still a pretty young player at 28 years old. He is also a true testament of how valuable regular at-bats are to a young player in the minor leagues. From 2005 to 2012, Van Slyke spent 791 total games in The Dodger’s farm system. But it’s been the past few seasons in which we’ve seen a glimpse of Van Slyke’s brilliance at the plate. In 2014, in only 98 games, he raked a total of 11 home runs and batted .297 at the plate.
He shows great ability to hit the ball hard to all fields and is having a lot of success in the Cactus League this Spring. The outfielder/first baseman could find himself battling for a spot in left field against Crawford and Ethier if his performance remains consistent throughout the preseason. But consider this scenario; should Joc Pederson struggle in April and May, we could see SVS earn regular at bats in Joc’s stead. If that turns out to be the case, Van Slyke could possibly have an all-star caliber season.
FOUR
Alex Guerrero
The 28 year old Cuban defector, Alex Guerrero, was on the cusp of being called up to the big leagues last season when a fight broke out in the Albuquerque Isotope dugout between him and Miguel Olivo. The fight led him to suffer a freak injury which sidelined him for some time as he needed plastic surgery to fix his ear. When he was finally called up last season, he fizzled as he collected only one hit in 13 at bats.
Fast forward to this Spring. He is now hitting .438 for the Dodgers in the Cactus League with one home run. With some of his versatility on display, he is proving that he can play mostly anywhere on the field, giving Mattingly the sort of depth that the Dodgers were lacking last season. Guerrero has been seen taking reps in Left field, 3rd base, 2nd base and shortstop. If he can replicate the sort of performances he put on in Cuba before he defected, (with regular at bats) we could see a .290 to .300 hitter with the power to hit 15 to 20 home runs in 2015.
THREE
Yasmani Grandal
26 year old catcher, Yasmani Grandal, was acquired this Winter in a deal that sent Matt Kemp and roughly 36 million dollars to the Padres. Noted for his pitch framing ability and his potential to hit with power at the plate, the Dodgers may have found a catcher that can really do it all. While it seems likely that Grandal will share time behind the dish with veteran catcher A.J. Ellis, it will be Grandal’s time to shine now that he is in L.A.
In 128 games last season, Grandal was able to swat 15 home runs and chase in 49 RBIs. The only down side was that he hit a meager .225 at the plate. But in a dugout filled with experienced veterans who are willing to advise the young catcher, Grandal could not only have a breakout season this year, but he could be a long term fixture behind the plate at Dodger Stadium.
TWO
Joc Pederson
These last two candidates were really tough to figure out when arranging the order of this list. But I put Pederson as number two for a good reason. Pederson is coming off of an astounding year in Triple-A. The Pacific Coast League MVP is now tearing up the field for The Dodgers this Spring. His Spring Training stats so far include a .429 batting average and an OPS of 1.121. With his defensive range and speed on display, Pederson is proving that he is indeed a five-tool player.
Joc, however, is still very young. At 22 years old, The Dodgers are taking a risk putting such a young talent in the Opening Day lineup this season. It could be likely that he could use some more at bats in Triple-A before he is completely groomed and polished to play in the show. But if the Dodger brass and coaching staff believes he can have success at this young age, then we can give Joc the benefit of the doubt.
ONE
Yasiel Puig
Puig may be a confusing pick at number one. Yes, he’s already played during two seasons with The Dodgers. Yes, he has been a walking highlight reel, both on defense and at the bat. However, I would like to consider two things; his time spent in the majors and his experience.
At 24 years old, Puig has only spent 252 games in the majors so far in his career. In his debut season, he hit 19 home runs and batted over .300 in only 104 games. He also put together a successful 2014 campaign, hitting 16 homers and leading the team with a batting average of .296
But the young phenom still has some growing to do. In a game that is currently ruled by pitching, Puig is only now beginning to learn how to focus his seemingly chaotic energy on the field. If Mattingly and McGwire can teach him to focus his energy into making himself a constant threat every time at the plate, we could see a legend in the making. With some help, we can expect to see Puig hit 30 home runs a year on average and he will remain a career .290 hitter.
So that is my list of potential breakout players this season. It will be great to see how they turn out in 2015.
