3. Jose De Leon, RHP
Birthdate: 8/7/92 (24 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AAA, MLB
Stats in 2016: 86 1/3 IP, 2.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 5.85 BB%, 32.46 K% (minor league stats only)
I was really struggling initially in my top 3 in this system. While the Dodgers should see as many as 8 players ranked in the top 100, in my view, there is a definite tier of 3 elites at the top – three guys who should all slot in within the top 25-35 prospects in all of baseball.
De Leon may be the biggest draft success story in the last 5 years, coming from a $35K bonus as a 24th round draft choice out of Southern University to the point of making his major league debut last season and being considered among the top 30 prospects in the entire game!
More from Los Angeles Dodgers
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Los Angeles Dodgers: The legends on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Breaking down the NL MVP race: Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Freddie Freeman
- The impactful philanthropy of Clayton Kershaw’s Ping Pong 4 Purpose
- MLB news: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres
De Leon has a solid three pitch mix with a fastball that sits 92-95 and can run to 97 and runs arm side with late movement. His change mimics that late movement and really has become arguably his best overall pitch, grading out as a certain plus pitch, and even plus-plus in the eyes of some scouts.
De Leon also mixes in a slider, which really isn’t a big time strikeout pitch, but he does get a seeming double break on the pitch where he gets late depth after the initial movement of the pitch that helps him to miss barrels and induce weak contact.
De Leon had some shoulder inflammation that delayed the start of his season in 2016, and he was a player who had rough conditioning when he came into pro ball, so he has some caution flags to note, but his conditioning is excellent now, and as long as his health remains steady, he should be a guy who ends up in the Dodger rotation to open 2017.
Next: #2