A pair of Dodgers prospects highlights this week’s installment of the hottest pitchers in the minor leagues.
Selected with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, the Dodgers gave right-hander Zach Lee a $5 million signing bonus to turn down a football scholarship (quarterback) to Louisiana State. Despite struggling at High-A Rancho Cucamonga to open the 2012 season, the organization still handed Lee an aggressive promotion to Double-A Chattanooga at the halfway mark. Over 13 starts at the more advanced level, the right-hander registered a 4.25 ERA with 51/22 K/BB in 65.2 innings.
This season, however, Lee has put things together while repeating the level. Overall, the 21-year-old owns a 2.79 ERA with 85/24 K/BB through 93.2 innings.
Meanwhile, teammate Chris Reed has also enjoyed a breakout season in the Double-A Chattanooga starting rotation. A closer (at Stanford) when the Dodgers selected him No. 16 overall in 2011, the 6’5” left-hander has been kept on a short leash in terms of workload since turning pro, but has still been moved up the ladder quickly.
Like Lee, Reed split 2012 between High-A and Double-A, and struggled over the second half of the season at the more advanced level with a 4.84 ERA and 29/20 K/BB in 35.1 innings.
However, the Dodgers have scaled back the caution this season while having him repeat the level, and the 23-year-old is enjoying a breakout campaign as a result. Through his first 18 outings, Reed owns a 3.46 ERA with 74/32 K/BB in a career-high 96.1 innings.
Here’s a look at the rest of the hottest and coldest pitchers at every minor league level.
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