March 1st, 2017 at 6:00 am 
by Jacob Rudner With Spring Training underway, rosters will begin to take shape and, with that, there will be ballplayers who will slowly be weeded out and assigned to the minor leagues. But even though they will be sent down, it is an absolute must for Dodger fans everywhere to know these two names that you may have heard little or perhaps even nothing about … until now. So, let’s look beyond the obvious top prospects and learn a little bit about lesser known Dodger prospects Jack Murphy and O’Koyea Dickson.
Jack Murphy, a 28 years old catcher from Sarasota, Florida, is a must-know going into this season. Jack has paid his dues in the minors but he has yet to see a single pitch in the majors since he was drafted and it is about time for that to change. Murphy, who hasn’t been thoroughly impressive in his eight-year minor league career, was drafted in the 31st round in the 2009 amateur draft by the Blue Jays. Murphy, since he was drafted, has hit a career .231 with just 36 home runs.
Veteran minor league catcher Jack Murphy quickly became a fan favorite after being acquired by the Dodgers in January of 2016. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
So, with that in mind, you may be wondering why I have chosen to include him in an article about should-knows going into this year, I’ll explain. Last season the Dodgers traded away clubhouse leader and fan favorite A.J. Ellis in return for Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies. After the playoffs ended and the off-season started to come alive, the Dodgers traded Ruiz away to the Mariners. So, the depth chart is much thinner than most fans think. Besides guaranteed catchers Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes, Murphy finds himself on a short list with two other catchers – Kyle Farmer and Bobby Wilson. So, while his stats may be unimpressive, Murphy might just come up for the mere reason of depth. If there is an injury, which Dodger fans are very familiar with, it is quite possible, Murphy very well could find himself on the big league roster to help fill some holes and see some time behind the plate at Dodger Stadium this season.
Next, let’s get into the fun stuff. My personal favorite player in the minor league system in terms of fielders is O’Koyea Dickson. Dickson, a 27-year-old first baseman and left fielder from San Francisco, California, was drafted by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2011 amateur draft. Dickson was selected out of college after completing his Junior year at Sonoma State University. Since being drafted, Dickson has experienced average stats in the minors. At each level he has shown fans his ability to hit with power but never really displayed an overwhelming batting average. This of course was the case until last year.
Through six minor league seasons, Dickson has an impressive career slash-line of .285 / .353 / .493 for an OPS of .845. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
This past season, Dickson slashed his way to a .328 batting average to go along with 64 RBI’s and 18 home runs. This surge in power as well as batting average, which were both at career highs, has earned him a non-roster invite to spring training and a serious shot at making an impact this year in the majors. Fortunately for Dickson, Adrian Gonzalez is going to take a drastic reduction in playing time and he will certainly need someone to fill in for him when he’s not in the lineup. But, with options already in the majors and our top prospect being a first baseman, Dickson must use his flexibility as an outfielder to crack the roster.
What’s fortunate for Dickson is that this Dodgers front office seems to use guys that are playing well regardless of a roster crunch. For example, when Rob Segedin got called up last year he used his flexibility as a first baseman and outfielder to get himself a roster spot after tearing up Triple-A. When all is said and done, Dickson will make his debut this year whether it is in September or not.
So, with the 2017 season rapidly approaching, Dodger fans at every level should certainly look at the vast options that this team has in both the majors and the minors. I think you will be impressed.
Posted in 
From all I have read, pitchers love to throw to Murphy. He is a gamer.
O’Koyea Dickson has been one of my favorites since he played with the Loons in 2012. He can hit. Last year with the OKC Dodgers he went on a tear in August, literally carrying the team, and on the year had a .398 OBP. He also hit very in the Mexican Winter League.
O’Koyea played more outfield than first base in 2017. He is definitely backed up behind Cody Bellinger at first base. I’m hoping the new 10-day DL may give him a taste of MLB in 2017. If not, he is a minor league free agent going into the 2018 season so his path most likely will be through another team. Another good season could make him a Rule-5 candidate in December or a trade candidate by the Dodgers during the 2017 season.
Maybe I’m reading something wrong here. In the last 2 sentences it appears O’Koyea Dickson could be both a minor league free agent and a Rule-5 candidate during the same off-season. I don’t see how that’s possible.
Was your intent that he could be a free agent after the 2018 season?
I first heard of Jack Murphy last year in a blog, I think it was by Ron or Harold.
Watching him catching last spring I can understand the respect people have for him. He appears solid behind the plate, so I’m assuming it’s only his bat that’s keeping him down.
I also remember hearing that all the pitchers like pitching to him. That might have been in the previous blog I read.
This was Ron’s article: Jack Murphy
He will have completed seven years (2011-17) in the minors so will be a free agent after the 2017 season is completed. You are correct. He will no longer be a Rule-5 candidate once he gains free agency. Good eye RR.
Minor league players become free agents, after seven years (signing year +6 years), five days after the the World Series ends.
Dickson appears to have excellent eye-hand coordination to the ball and hits ball with authority. Right now, I would much rather see him on the roster than Gutierrez. Murphy? I would rather see Farmer get the first call if needed, not only a catcher but plays a pretty good third base if needed (as I recall he was GA Bulldogs SS in college).
And a high school quarterback in a movie.
You are both quite correct. Kyle Farmer
Hopefully Kyle can have an injury free year in 2018.
I had the pleasure of watching Dickson during the 2013 season when he was with the Quakes. I could tell right away that he had strong potential to make it to the bigs, although probably not with the Dodgers.
That season he had a slash-line of .280 / .338 / .457 for an OPS of .796. He also slugged 15 home runs and drove in 88. He played 59 games at 1B, five at 3B and only one in LF but was stellar at none. His career FPCT at 1B is .985, which might keep him from the MLB, but you never know. He definitely has pop, which might make him more attractive to an AL team.
He is a great guy and I sincerely hope he makes it to the Show with somebody, but at 27 years of age, his clock is definitely ticking.
I absolutely love Murph, but I do not see him as an MLB catcher, not even as a back-up … injuries notwithstanding, of course.
Murphy came over in late-season trade for Darwin Barney in 2015.
I have not been a fan of O’Koyea as long as some of you. It took me until he got to Chattanooga. I do not know exactly what it was that caught my attention, but I have been a huge fan ever since. I think there are too many obstacles to climb to get to the Dodgers this year, so I think he will either be included in a trade package during the year or he will sign as a Minor League FA after the season. I know people who know him from the Bay Area, and they cannot praise him enough for what a solid person he is. I know he will make it to the Show, and I will continue to follow him where ever he eventually lands.
Like RR, I was unaware of Jack Murphy until Ron’s article. I remembered that article and saw him play in Sacramento. He appeared solid behind the plate, and if I remember correctly, he made solid contact and had at least one hit the game he started. There is a special place in my heart for those who struggle to eventually get to AAA after 6-7-8-9 years in the minors, and not get the Call. I hope that Jack Murphy can some how get to at least experience an ML dugout during a regular season game at least one time. I know his family & friends are really hoping for that day. He deserves it.
Only 1 ST game last night, but Murphy did not look like anything other than an emergency fill-in at catcher, both defensively and offensively. Nationals now have 3 ML catchers in Wieters, Norris, and Lebaton plus a couple of catching prospects on its 40 man roster. Wonder if Dodgers could acquire Norris for a low level prospect and get Nats to pay half of his ML contract? Make Austin Barnes the super utility guy that gives Dodgers a lot of flexibility in later innings and a much better backup than Murphy or Wilson.
Have to agree with you SCB, it was both difficult and painful to watch.
Although it is unlikely that Murph will be among the first or even second round of cuts that are looming – probably occurring within the next couple of days (because catchers are still needed at ST), he is now at risk of losing his starting role at OKC.
Bobby Wilson didn’t look all that sharp last night either with a WP and PB in the same inning that undoubtedly had Steve Yeager going nuts, but at least he’s hitting the ball.
If Kyle Farmer can crank it up a bit over the next couple of weeks, I can see him slotting in behind Grandal and Barnes in the catching depth department.
But, as they say in the catching world, “You’re one foul ball away from the big leagues.”