Every year at about the same time that pitcher and catchers report for spring training, a group of minor leaguers also report for camp – not big league camp but minor league ‘early spring training’ camp.

Being invited to early spring training is a big deal because it usually indicates that the Dodgers organization has you on their radar and usually includes 50 (or so) of the organization’s top prospects, primarily from the Advanced-A level and above.

Another advantage to being invited to early spring training is that those invited are among the first minor leaguers to see action in major league games. They are easy to spot, as they do not have their names on their jerseys during the big league games and usually have uniform numbers in the 80’s and 90’s.

Although he hasn’t appeared in a big league spring training game yet, top infield prospect Cory Seager is currently in early spring training camp and Dodger fans willing to walk past the big league practice fields at Camelback Ranch to the backfields can watch the minor leaguers working out out daily, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch an intrasquad game among the top prospects.

Seager has excellent power to all fields – especially to center and right – center.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Seager, who split time in 2013 between Low-A Great Lakes and Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga, ended the 2013 season with a triple slash of .269/.351/.824 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs. He figures to begin the 2014 season back at Rancho Cucamonga but will most likely be promoted to Double-A Chattanooga at some point during the season. And while this may not seem to be earth shattering news, is actually is when you consider that Seager will only be 20 years old in May.

With full minor league spring training scheduled to begin on Monday, March 3, the backfields at Camelback Ranch will go from roughly 50 minor leaguers to approximately 150 and things get very busy; and even though most minor leaguers will have high uniform numbers, those who attended early spring training camp will continue to wear their lower numbers. Unfortunately, there are no names on the jerseys so identifying specific players can be difficult if you do not recognize them. But if you simply asked one of the many coaches in minor league camp (when they aren’t busy, that is), they will usually be happy to tell you who’s who.