I absolutely cannot believe it is that time of the year again. That is, time to look at the playoff picture with the Dodgers minor league affiliates. In one month the minor league season will be over. That is one depressing thought, at least for me. In any event, it appears a number of the affiliates have a shot at post season play and the opportunity to extend their season a bit.

DSL Dodgers-1

In the Dominican Summer League, the six division winners advance to the playoffs. On the season the Dodgers-1 are 34-22 and three games back of the South Division leading DSL Mariners. They have 15 games left to play until league play wraps up on August 27. In eight games with the Mariners this season the Dodgers have won four and lost four. There are two games remaining to play with the first place Mariners.

DSL Dodgers-2

The Dodgers-2 have had a difficult season in the Northwest Division of the league and at 27-28 are 14 games behind the DSL Red Sox with 15 games left to play. It seems that during the season the parent Dodgers moved players back and forth between the two DSL teams perhaps to fill roster needs or perhaps looking to make one of them more able to challenge for a playoff spot.

Arizona League Dodgers

In the Arizona League the first and second half winners of the three divisions qualify for the playoffs. The Dodgers had a strong first half with a 19-9 record but at the break were one game behind the AZL Indians. With a number of players promoted to the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League, the Dodgers have found the going a bit more difficult in the second half. They are presently 6-6 and three games back of the first place AZL Reds in the Central Division, as well as one game behind the second place AZL White Sox. The Dodgers have 15 games left on their 2016 schedule which finishes on August 28 in a game against the AZL Giants.

Ogden Raptors

Four of the eight teams in the rookie level Pioneer league make it to the playoffs. The first and second-half winners in the North and South Divisions advance to post-season play. The Raptors finished the first-half with a 17-21 record leaving them five games behind the first place Idaho Falls Chukars. In the second half of the season the Ogden squad is currently 6-5 and one full game ahead of the second place Grand Junction Rockies. They finish league play on September 8 and have 27 games left to play.

Great Lakes Loons

The Loons have had one of those seasons. The pitching has been adequate – perhaps more than adequate – but the offense for most of the season carried the lowest team batting average in all of minor league baseball. However, the playoff procedures in the Midwest league were revamped some time ago to include more teams in post-season play. Eight of the 16 teams in the league can make their way into the playoffs. The first and second place teams in each of the two divisions in the first half of the season and in the second half qualify for extended season play. The Loons, with a 29-41 record in the first half of the season, finished 12.5 games behind the South Bend Cubs in the Eastern Division of the league. Currently the Loons are 18-26 in the second half but are only four and one-half games behind the Lansing Lugnuts for second place in their division. They finish league play on September 5 and with 25 games remaining in their schedule they still have a shot at a playoff berth. Four of those games are with the Lugnuts.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Six teams make the playoffs in the California League – the first half winner of each division, the second half winner of each division, and a wild card from each division. The Quakes had an excellent first half with a 42-28 record but finished one game behind the High Desert Mavericks. In the second half the Quakes are even up at 23-23 which leaves them six and one-half games behind the first place Lancaster JetHawks. With 24 games left in regular season play, the Quakes would be a long shot to finish first in the South Division of the league. The good news is, because of their strong first half, they are one-half game ahead of the JetHawks in the Wild Card race, and have three games remaining with the JetHawks in Lancaster at the end of August.

Nearly all of the players from the Quakes 2015 Cal League Championship team have been promoted which, of course, is the very purpose of the minor leagues.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Tulsa Drillers

Only four teams in the eight-team league make the playoffs. That is, the team finishing in first place in each of the two divisions in each half of the season. The Drillers had a 37-32 record in the first half leaving them three and one-half games behind the Springfield Cardinals in the North Division of the Texas League. In the second half they are currently 20-26 sitting in last place four games back of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. They have 24 games left in which to catch the Naturals and Arkansas Travelers who are also ahead of them in the race for the second half title. They have four games remaining with both the Naturals and Travelers.

Oklahoma City Dodgers

There are four divisions in the Pacific Coast League, each with four teams. The winners of each division advance to the playoffs. Oklahoma City presently has a 65-52 record and is seven games up on the second place Colorado Springs Sky Sox. They recently lost three of four games to the Sky Sox in Colorado Springs but had swept the Sky Sox in a three-game set at home in early July. The Dodgers have five of their final 26 games scheduled with the second place Colorado squad at home at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark beginning on August 24.

Seven of the parent Dodgers affiliates are still in the hunt for a playoff berth. Some – as we used to say down on our farm – have a tough row to hoe. However, Yogi said it best: “It ain’t over till it’s over.”