Although many Dodger fans might not follow the minor league system in great detail, the majority of those fans will have heard of the Dodgers top three prospects. Corey Seager, Julio Urias and Joc Pederson are invariably listed in the first three spots on Dodger prospect projections. The order may vary but that trio always commands the first three spots, and I expect they do in any trade talks with the Dodgers.

The rest of the top ten prospect groups does vary from list to list. Several of the names, usually pitchers like Chris Anderson, Tom Windle, Grant Holmes, Chris Reed and Zach Lee, appear in most rankings in various orders. The limited number of position players as top ten prospects in the Dodgers farm system is a bit concerning but help is on the way.

One player that has worked his way into the top ten is outfielder Scott Schebler. I expect by the time the 2015 prospect lists are compiled he may well be pushing his way towards the top five.

No longer is Scott Schebler (left) considered the Dodgers “other” outfield prospect. He will soon be ranked right up there with his close friend and former Lookouts teammate Joc Pederson (right) as among the best in the country. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Schebler, who turned 24 in October, was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended Prairie High School where he was a five-sport athlete in high school excelling in baseball, football, basketball, soccer and track. He set school records in the long jump, 55-meter and 800-meter relay.

He then attended Des Moines Area Community College where he hit .446 with 81 runs, 20 homers and 82 RBI in 56 games as a Freshman and was named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Schebler initially planned to attend Wichita State University to pursue his studies and play baseball for the Shockers. Although Wichita head coach Gene Stephenson was excited at the thought of having Schebler become a Shocker, he was undoubtedly disappointed when the left-handed hitting/right-handed throwing Schebler was drafted by the Dodgers at the 26th round of the 2010 First Year Player Draft.

“He is an outstanding all around athlete,” said Stephenson before learning that Schebler had been drafted by the Dodgers. “He is a really great competitor and has a chance to be a really outstanding left-handed hitter with some power and he runs well. But what we like most about him is his competitive nature and hard-nosed attitude for playing the game. We think he will be a great addition to our program.”

Although Schebler and Pederson were both drafted in 2010, Pederson was selected in the 11th round and Schebler in the 26th. And while Pederson’s $600,000 signing bonus wasn’t considered all that outlandish, Schebler received a signing bonus of $300,000 which was unexpected and a bit unusual for a 26th round pick. That significant bonus was the first indication that the Dodgers saw Schebler as a lot more than just a late round draft pick.

His first full year in the Dodger system was in 2011 with the Pioneer Rookie League Ogden Raptors. In 70 games the 6’1” 208 lb. Schebler started a trend. He hit .285 with 33 extra base hits. He had 17 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs. He tied teammate O’Koyea Dickson for the most home runs on the Raptors. He also struck out 97 times leading the league in that department. He walked only 13 times.

In 2012 Schebler played 137 games with the Great Looks Loons the Dodgers Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. He had a bit of a disappointing season hitting .260 with only six home runs. His extra base hit tendency did continue as he had an additional 32 doubles and eight triples. He struck out 99 times, far from the league lead, but also had only 30 walks.

By July of 2012 DeJon Watson, then the Dodgers Dodgers Director of Player Development, saw something in Schebler that others may not have.

“Another kid would be [Scott] Schebler, who’s in the Midwest League,” said Watson when asked about Dodger prospects flying under the radar. “The numbers aren’t sexy, but [the Midwest League is] a tough league to play in your first full season, the ball doesn’t carry.”

During the summer of 2013 the fun began for Schebler as he played a full season with the High A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League. He hit .296 with 95 runs and 91 runs batted in. He was third in the league with 13 triples and second with 27 home runs. Schebler had 29 doubles and led the league with a total of 69 extra base hits to go along with the second best slugging percentage in the league at .581. He struck out 140 times and had 35 walks. He was named a California League Post-Season All-Star and chosen as the Dodgers 2013 Minor League Player of the Year.

After his outstanding 2013 season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Schebler was named the Dodgers 2013 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The California League has a definite reputation as a hitter friendly league and as a result Schebler moved up the Dodgers prospects list considerably less than one might expect. The burning question then became how he would follow up his 2013 season with the Quakes as he began the 2014 season in the Class AA Southern League, which is more of a pitcher’s league with one of the lowest-scoring leagues in the high minors.

I expect Schebler’s play in 2014 was a surprise to everyone but himself. He is a confident young player but never satisfied with his play. “I’m happy with my season but not satisfied,” said the 23-year-old, who was batting .276 through his first 121 games with the AA Chattanooga Lookouts. By season’s end he was first in the league in games played (135), in triples (14), in home runs (28), in total bases (272), in slugging percentage (.556) and in extra base hits with 65. He ranked second with an OPS of .921 and third with 82 runs. Schebler hit for the cycle on June 2nd and had a three-home run game on August 12th. Schebler had answered that burning question loud and clear.

For the second time in as many years Schebler again was a Post-Season All Star in 2014 and chosen by the Dodgers to participate in the 2014 Arizona Fall League, in which he hit five home runs while batting .310. One of those home runs came off Mark Appel who was the number one overall draft pick by the Houston Astros in the 2013 June Draft. Jim Callis is an MLB.com draft and prospect expert who has been covering the draft and prospects since 1988 and describes Schebler’s success against Appel.

“Schebler had the two best at-bats against Appel,” wrote Callis. “He dealt with six straight mid-90’s fastballs in the second inning, getting ahead in the count 3-1 and blasting a 95-mph heater over the fence in right-center. Schebler fouled off a changeup to lead off the fourth before coaxing four straight balls for Appel’s lone walk. As Schebler showed against Appel, he has a knack for working counts until he gets a pitch he can hammer.”

Bernie Pleskoff, another MLB.com columnist, first saw Schebler in Spring Training, followed by his appearance in the 2014 Southern League All Star Game when he played left field for the Northern Division as a member of the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. Schebler caught Plesoff’s attention with a home run off Atlanta Braves prospect J.R. Graham. He also doubled and had a walk in that game.

“Outstanding athletic ability. Brings thump, speed. Bright future,” Pleskoff wrote in his assessment of the then 23-year-old left-fielder.

Pleskoff suggests how Schebler can improve his game.

“Schebler has work to do recognizing pitches and being more patient at the plate,” says Pleskoff. “Using more discipline and recognizing breaking balls and off speed pitches outside the strike zone will be one area that will help with gaining better contact and cutting down the strikeouts. Pitchers, however, will have difficulty getting fastballs by him that are anywhere near the strike zone. Schebler can feast on mistakes.”

It seems Schebler has made some adjustments since Bernie Pleskoff watched him in the Southern league All Star Game. In the second half of the season he stuck out 44 times and walked 26 times while posting a .385 OBP. He credits hitting coach Shawn Wooten with helping him shorten his swing.

“Everybody told me, ‘You have really, really quick hands,’ ” Schebler said. “I realized what they were seeing.”

Schebler wants to be a Dodger and play in Dodger Stadium but he is not letting himself get discouraged with the overcrowded Dodgers outfielder in front of him.

“You keep working hard,” said Schebler. “There are 29 other teams. I’d love to play for the Dodgers. That’s my dream. They gave me the opportunity. But if I let that stress affect me, the other 29 teams are not going to see what I have.”

Smart kid.