When Steven Proscia was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 39th round of the 2008 First Year Player Draft out of Don Bosco Preparatory School (Ramsey, NJ), the then 17-year-old Suffern, New York native opted to attend the University of Virginia instead. The move proved to be a wise one, as Proscia not only received a college education but also improved his stock while with the Cavaliers and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 7th round of the 2011 First Year Player Draft as an infielder.

So impressed with Proscia were the Mariners that they sent him directly to their Advanced Single-A affiliate High Desert Mavericks in the California League. This move not only benefited the Mavs, but it put into motion a series of events that would ultimately prove beneficial to the Dodgers organization as well.

Because the Mavs play a short 45 minutes away from Rancho Cucamonga in Adelanto, CA, Dodgers Vice President of Player Development De Jon Watson not only got a good look at Proscia when the Mavericks came down the I-15 from High Desert, but he saw him when the Quakes traveled up Cajon Pass to Stater Brothers Stadium.

Proscia spent the last half of 2011 season with the Mavericks hitting an impressive .303 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs in only 44 games played. He split time between the Mavs and the Double-A Jackson Generals of the Southern League in 2012 where he hit a combined .314 with 28 home runs 103 RBIs.

Proscia showed tremendous power in 2012 when he split time between Advanced Single-A High Desert and Double-A Jackson. (Photo credit – Matt McDaniel)

Proscia began the 2013 season at High Desert but was promoted back up to the Generals after only 21 games. It was here that the Proscia struggled for the first time in his young professional career finishing the season hitting only .201 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs.

On March 29, 2014, just five days before the Quakes season opener at LoanMart Field, the Mariners traded the now 24-year-old Proscia to the Dodgers for cash.

Who got the better end of the deal? I’ll let you decide:

Proscia has appeared in all nine games thus far in the new season for the Quakes. He is hitting .281 (9 for 32) which is second only to Corey Seager’s .351. He is third on the team with a .395 OBP, has hit two doubles and one home run and is second on the team with four RBIs. He can play every infield position but thus far has spent all of his time at third base (and DH once). He has committed only two errors in 22 total chances – not great but not all that uncommon for a Cal League third baseman one week into the season.

What is my early assessment of Proscia? Here is a tweet that I sent out from Rancho Cucamonga at the Quakes season opener on April 3:

I realize that nine games into the season is a very small sample size to evaluate anyone, but if Proscia’s performance thus far is any indication of what we might expect from him, it appears that the money the Dodgers paid to land Steven Proscia is money well spent.