In 2013 I tried to predict the Dodger Pride Awards on each farm team for a given month. My success was modest to say the most. It was very time consuming as I had to basically study the progress of every player on each farm team roster. While that was helpful in being acquainted with the players on the farm, it really didn’t raise my batting average in making the selections. Once I learned the criteria for the Dodger Pride Awards I knew it would become increasingly difficult to predict the selections. According to the Dodgers PR Department, the criteria for the Dodger Pride Awards is as follows:

“The Dodger Pride Awards are issued on a monthly basis to the players at each level of the club’s minor league system who play the game with a hustling, smart, aggressive style. The players and staff on each respective club vote for the awards.”

This year I decided to simply select a hitter, a starting pitcher and a reliever on each team to whom I would give an award for the month. It gives me the flexibility to play favorites if I so choose and not be concerned with the selections made by the players and staff on each club who have inside information. So that there is no confusion, I shall call my awards the ‘Think Blue Pride Awards’

Great Lakes Loons

Hitter: The choice was between Kyle Farmer and Joey Curletta. The decision goes to Farmer, the Dodgers 8th round selection in the 2013 First Year Player Draft, has been a personal favorite of mine since he was drafted. He had a very successful debut in 2013 with the Rookie League Ogden Raptors. The former shortstop, now perhaps the Dodgers number one catching prospect, has continued to hit well with the Loons while learning the defensive skills of catching. In April he hit .323 with eight doubles and a league leading 21 runs batted in. He struck out only nine times in 103 at bats and he walked seven times. His OBP was .356 and he even stole four bases.

Pitcher: The pitching staff has struggled with four nineteen year olds now in the starting rotation. Jonathan Martinez, has cooled a bit, but had a very good April. Signed by the Dodgers as a non drafted free agent in 2011, he went 3-2 in April pitching 29 innings with a 3.41 ERA while striking out 29 and walking six. On April 3rd Martinez pitched six innings of scoreless ball, striking out a career high 11 and walking none. On April 21st he pitched seven innings giving up but one earned run on four hits while striking out five and walking none.

Jonathan Martinez
(Photo credit – Mlive.com)

Relief Pitcher: It was difficult to look past Victor Arano, another nineteen year old who split his time between starting and relief. However, left-handerMichael Johnson who was drafted by the Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2013 First year Player Draft is the relief choice for April. In eight relief appearances he pitched 13.1 innings giving up ten hits and two earned runs giving him a 1.35 ERA for the month. He struck out 19 and walked five.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Hitter: It is also difficult to look past Corey Seager, one of the youngest players in the California League. However the nod goes to twenty-four year old Adam Law, son of former major league player Vance Law,who has to play some catch up as he took two years off from his studies and baseball to go on a two year mission as a Mormon. He was drafted in the twelfth round of the 2013 First Year Player Draft. He has already caught up a bit by going directly from the Rookie League Ogden Raptors in 2103 to the Advanced A Level Quakes. During April the third baseman hit .309 with 25 hits, 15 runs, eight runs batted in and five stolen bases. His .OBP was .380.

Adam Law
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Pitcher: Chris Anderson and Lindsey Caughel gained serious consideration but the award goes to Fabio Martinez who was signed as a minor league free agent before the present season. Although plagued with control problems, the twenty-four year old Martinez held opposing hitters to 13 hits in 26 innings and a .155 batting average against him while striking out 23. He posted a 3.81 ERA in April.

Relief Pitcher: Also a difficult decision between Matt Shelton and Geoff Brown. Shelton earns the Think Blue Pride award and also a promotion to the Chattanooga Lookouts with his relief work in April. In 8 games he pitched 15.1 innings with an ERA of 1.76 and an even more impressive WHIP of 0.91. Equally impressive was his strike out total of 14 compared to a single walk. A 24th round selection in the 2011 First Year Player Draft, Shelton has continued to be hidden in plain sight.

Chattanooga Lookouts

Hitter: Again two possible choices with Scott Schebler and Darnell Sweeney being about the only bright lights in the April offense with the Lookouts. The twenty-three year old Sweeney, the Dodgers other Dee Gordon, gets the award. Batting lead off, the second baseman, hit .296 with 12 runs and 24 hits. Among his hits were two homers and four doubles. Selected in the 13th round of the 2012 First Year Player Draft, the switch hitting Sweeney has displayed very good plate discipline for a lead off hitter walking 16 times and striking out 18 times. His OBP in April was .418.

Darnell Sweeney
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Pitcher: Twenty-nine year old Tyson Brummett, signed as a minor league free agent, has had an unexpectedly good April. However, the award goes to Chris Reed, the Dodgers first round selection in the 2011 First Year Player Draft, who perhaps had an even better April than Brummett. In 31.1 innings Reed gave up 19 hits while serving up only one home run. He posted a 1.71 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. Reed struck out 28 and walked 12.

Relief Pitcher: If it had not been for one ineffective appearance on April 28 Pedro Baez would have been the hands down selection for April. He perhaps should have been anyway since he has been promoted to the Dodgers. The award goes to Mr. Consistency, Michael Thomas, another of my personal favorites continues to fly under the radar. Thomas , a left-hander, was drafted in the 35th round of the 2011 First Year Player Draft. In 11.1 innings in April he had 1.59 ERA. He struck out 16 hitters for a K rate of 12.8 per nine innings. He did walk eight but was very effective in minimizing any damage they might have caused.

Albuquerque Isotopes

Hitter: Joc Pederson, the Dodgers number one prospect and an 11th round draft pick in 2010, simply owned the month of April. He hit .398 with 39 hits, six home runs and 14 runs batted in. His OBP was an incredible .504 and his OPS equally impressive at 1.167.

Joc Pederson
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Pitcher: This might have been Zach Lee’s month if it had not been for minor league free agent signee Henry Sosa who led the team in innings pitched during April with 31. Sosa posted a 2.61 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and struck out 21 while allowing seven free passes. He is a twenty-eight year old right-hander.

Relief Pitcher: The forgotten man – Yimi Garcia – had another good month in relief. Signed as a non drafted free agent in 2009 he continues to get hitters out. In April he pitched 13.1 innings with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. He struck out 14 and walked four. He did give up three home runs.