With the Dodgers getting a rare September off-day today, I decided to look in on the club’s minor-league affiliates who are participating in the playoffs.
It was a quick look.
Three Dodgers affiliates found their way into their respective postseasons: The Arizona League Dodgers (who were eliminated Saturday), the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors.
Chattanooga and Ogden are both in action tonight, against Huntsville and Idaho Falls, respectively. The Chattanooga game isn’t available via MiLB.TV, but the Ogden game is. Eighteen-year-old left-hander Victor Gonzalez is starting for Ogden in a game that begins at 6:15 p.m. PST.
Taking a step back, it wasn’t a great year in the Dodgers’ system as wins and losses are concerned.
According to MLBFarm.com, a fantastic repository for minor-league minutiae, Dodgers affiliates combined to win .4651 percent of their games in 2014. That’s the sixth-lowest percentage in baseball. Ranked by wins, the Dodgers’ affiliates ranked third to last.
Of course, developing talent takes priority over wins and losses. Making the playoffs is something to celebrate, but the Dodgers will celebrate more if Victor Gonzalez is winning games in Dodger Stadium in five years.