April 25th, 2019 at 3:30 pm 
by 0799291000348 None of the above; just three guys with three very different backgrounds working their way through the Dodgers minor league system pursuing their dreams to be major league baseball players. But there are dozens of players who fall into this category. What makes these three guys special?
Glad you asked.
Three home runs in one game is an attention grabber; 24-year-old Cody Thomas and 22-year-old Niko Hulsizer accomplished that feat in the last week; Hulsizer on April 15 for the Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons, and Thomas two days later for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. In addition, both have interesting anecdotes in their respective sports backgrounds:
- Cody Thomas was a 6’-4” quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners, playing three games as a Freshman in 2014 (two wins and an overtime loss), but never saw the field the following year as the third-string QB, backing up Baker Mayfield. Spring 2016, the right-handed-throwing / left-handed-hitting Thomas played outfield for the OU baseball team, playing well enough for the Dodgers to select him in the 13th-round of that year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft. So long football, hello professional baseball.
- Niko Hulsizer hit 27 home runs in 2017 (second in Division-1 baseball) playing for Morehead State University. He followed that up by winning the 2017 College Home Run Derby on July 1 in Omaha, Nebraska. Hand injuries affected his hitting in 2018, dropping him to the 18th round of the draft, where the Dodgers selected him. His plus-plus power, athleticism, strength (he dead-lifts 545 pounds), and above average speed, make him an intriguing prospect to follow.
Through April 18, Zach Reks has slashed .359 / .419 / .590 / 1.009 for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, including three home runs. But the story for the 25-year-old right-handed throwing / left-handed hitting Chicago, Illinois native is even more compelling.
The Dodgers selected Reks in the 10th-round of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Since then, he has not only demonstrated excellent bat-to-ball skills, but has also shown an uncommon commitment and perseverance to the game.
After playing one season for the Air Force Academy, the 6′-1″ / 160-pound outfielder was told by the baseball coaches that he was not progressing as they had hoped, and he was cut from the team.
Not willing to give up his baseball dream, Reks transferred to the University of Kentucky and tried out for the team, only to hit another road-block when told that he was not big enough. He took a job at a nearby Toyota plant, put in long hours at the the gym, and hit every evening. Growing two inches, and gaining twenty pounds of muscle since his freshman year, while honing his hitting skills, Reks was ready when another opportunity to walk-on for the Kentucky team was presented. Reks not only made the Kentucky team, but he became one of their best players in 2017.
(Photo courtesy of BaseballCensus)
Who knows, perhaps one day Dodgers fans may see Thomas, Reks, and Hulsizer patrolling the outfield at Dodger Stadium. Wouldn’t that make for a great story?
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Very nice write-up, Jesse! Not sure if any of those three will end up making the bigs in a Dodger uniform (Thomas probably has the best chance of the three, however). Reks is a real feel-good story, a classic overachiever who never let anyone tell him what he couldn’t do as a ballplayer. His current age is inconsequential because he was held back by his coaches one too many times for obviously silly reasons, plus his hit tool is LEGIT. He’ll end up catching on with a big-league club eventually if it turns out he can’t crack the Dodgers’ parent club roster. Should already be playing for AAA OKC, quiet as kept. As for Hulsizer, had NO idea he was such a strong dude (lol)! He’s off to a solid start for Low-A Great Lakes this season, but could be on the move for High-A Rancho soon along with Hunter Feduccia if opposing teams continue to pitch around him due to being such a huge HR threat.
On a sidenote, 3B prospect Cristian Santana had quite the afternoon for AA Tulsa in their Game 1 doubleheader: 4-4 with a HR and 3 RBI! He’s now batting a robust .357 with 2 HR and 11 RBI through his first 17 games of the season. That .846 OPS ain’t too shabby, either. He’s starting Game 2 right now at DH so he could end up having one of those career outings at the plate today. At the rate he’s going, he might very well launch himself back into Top 10 prospect status for the Dodgers but we shall see…
Always enjoy reading your take on Dodgers prospects, thanks for reading, comments, and insight.
I have not personally seen any of these players in competitive games, only during spring training workouts and a couple of minor league games on back fields, so it is hard to predict how far each will go. Based on those very limited observations and their career stats to date, my non-professional opinions: Hulsizer has the highest upside, with the potential to be a right-hand power hitter, with good defense, and speed; Reks bat will give him an opportunity to be a fourth outfielder, and Dodgers have also been playing him at first base which will increase his value; Thomas may be 24 years old, but he has not played much baseball — he had planned to be a pro QB — he is an excellent athlete, but will that translate into a legit prospect is the question.
I have watched Cristian Santana in 2018 and 2019 spring training. He absolutely crushes fastballs, but breaking pitches he reminds me of Pedro Cerrano from the movie Major League; “Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid.” Of course he is very young, so plenty of time to turn around that issue. Defensively, I am not impressed with his actions at third base — I did not observe the quickness, or hands associated with that position. I think he will be a first baseman, or possibly moved to the outfield.
Thanks for your reply! Yeah, Hulsizer might end up having the highest upside of the three but my money’s still on Thomas to stick with the Dodgers long-term. Like you said, he never played much baseball until finally committing to it full-time upon being drafted. Since then, he’s clearly made strides in his progress. Matter of fact, his current average at AA Tulsa is somewhat misleading as he’s actually been stinging the ball all over the field of late yet most of them ended up in someone’s glove (like what happened to him in the doubleheader last night, unfortunately). Still leads that club in HR and RBI so he’s pretty much on track in that area. Would be nice if he started picking teammate Reks’ brain for hitting tips in the meantime, ha!
Speaking of Santana, if he did have trouble handling breaking pitches before then it hasn’t really showed itself this season so far. I tuned in to that double-header last night and one thing that clearly stood out for me regarding his performance at the plate is that he’s not aggressively swinging for the downs every time up like he often did in the past. He’s letting his naturally quick hands do most of the work and is even squaring balls up through the middle consistently (probably the reason why his current average looks the way it does). HR he hit last night was an opposite-field shot, too. Defensively, you might have a valid case for him being moved off 3B at some point but I think he can stick there if he continues to put in the work. He definitely has the arm for the position (would be an absolute waste at 1B, anyway) and has enough range and mobility to not be a total liability there. Not sure if he’s quick enough to man LF, though…but then again, he doesn’t particularly strike me as someone the Dodgers would plan on keeping as he doesn’t quite fit their offensive philosophy. Could be prime trade bait in the right deal, however…