Here are April's Dodger Pride Award Winners - Minor League Players of the Month for April

The Dodgers just announced their April Dodger Pride Award Winners.  This award celebrates the franchises best performers in the Minor Leagues for the month of April.  

Check them out below.

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes

Pitcher - RHP Henry Sosa posted a 1-0 record with a 2.61 ERA (9 ER/31.0 IP), striking out 21 batters against seven walks in five April starts for the Isotopes. The right-hander held opposing batters to a .233 batting average (27-for-116), while allowing only one home run in the month. The 12-year professional, who made 10 starts for the Houston Astros in 2011, was signed by the Dodgers as a free agent on December 13, 2013.

Player - OF Joc Pederson finished April among the Pacific Coast League leaders in several offensive categories including batting average (.398, 2^nd), runs (22, T-3^rd), hits (39, 1^st), home runs (6, T-3^rd), and stolen bases (9, T-2^nd). On the year, the left-handed hitting outfielder is batting .368 (50-for-136) with 11 home runs and 22 RBI, including a .418 batting average (38-for-91) against right-handed pitching. Through 36 games this season, Pederson has also tallied 15 multi-hit games, including six performances with three or more hits. The Northern California native was selected in the 11^th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft and entered 2014 as the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America.

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts

Pitcher - RHP Tyson Brummett went 2-1 and allowed only one run in 23.0 innings spanning four April starts, leading the Southern League in ERA (0.39) and ranking sixth in opponents' batting average (.181). On the season, the former UCLA pitcher is 3-3 with a 0.83 ERA (4 ER/43.1 IP) and has allowed one run or less in six of his seven starts for the Lookouts. With runners in scoring position this season, the right-hander has allowed only four hits (4-for-36), good for a .111 batting average. Brummett signed with the Dodgers as a free agent on February 20, 2014, after being drafted by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

(Pic via Dodger Insider)

Player - OF Scott Schebler drove in 16 runs (T-7^th, Southern League) and clubbed five homers (T-2^nd, Southern League) in 25 April games for Double-A Chattanooga. On the year, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has a .258 batting average with six homers, four triples and 21 RBI, and has excelled in clutch situations, batting .300 (9-for-30) with runners in scoring position. The 23-year-old, who was selected in the 26^th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, was the Dodgers' 2013 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year after batting .296 in 125 games for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga last season.

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

(pic via BB Prospectus)

Player - RHP Matt Shelton went 1-1 in April with a 1.76 ERA (3 ER/15.1 IP) in eight appearances for the Quakes, limiting opponents to a .228 batting average (13-for-57) and pitching scoreless relief in seven of his eight outings. The Texas native struck out 14 batters and walked only one in April before being promoted to Double-A Chattanooga on May 1, where he has made four appearances for the Lookouts. The 25-year-old was selected by Los Angeles in the 24^th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.


Player - INF Corey Seager batted .294 (25-for-85) in April, powering 10 extra-base hits, while tallying 13 RBI in 20 games for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. On the young season, the 20-year-old has raised his average to .333 (40-for-120) with two homers, 11 doubles, two triples and 15 RBI, batting .429 (15-for-35) with a .512 on-base percentage in nine May games. Seager was selected by the Dodgers in the first round (18^th overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft and entered 2014 as the Dodgers' second-best prospect according to Baseball America.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons

(pic via MiLB.com)

Player - RHP Michael Johnson posted a 1-1 record with a 1.35 ERA (2 ER/13.1 IP) and a save in eight April appearances. The right-handed reliever limited opposing hitters to a .200 batting average (10-for-50) with 19 strikeouts and five walks. On the season, the Massachusetts native has a 1.47 ERA (3 ER/18.1 IP) and 22 strikeouts in 11 appearances for the Loons. The 23-year-old, who was selected in the 14^th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, led the Ivy League with seven wins as a senior at Dartmouth College in 2012.

(pic via MiLB.com)

Player - OF Joey Curletta had a terrific month of April, as he was among the Midwest League leaders in several offensive categories, including batting average (.368, 2^nd), runs (18, T-3^rd), hits (39, 1^st), doubles (9, T-3^rd) and RBI (15, T-6^th) in 25 games for Great Lakes. Overall this season, Curletta has posted a .356 batting average (52-for-146) in 35 games, which ranks second among Midwest League hitters, and has seven three-hit performances for Great Lakes. The Arizona native was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/13/2014 - Dodger Links - Puig, Kemp and Discipline at the Plate

Juan Uribe and Hyun-Jin Ryu share some tunes in the pic above, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.

• Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs takes a look at the curveball Brandon Hicks hit for a home run off of Clayton Kershaw on Sunday.  It was a rare feat, indeed.
• Tracy Hackler at Panini's blog shares some preview pics of 2014 Prizm Baseball cards.  Check out the Puig and Kershaw cards below.

• Via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times, " Is there really any reason for Dodgers' concern over Kenley Jansen?"

“I’m not going to panic, I’m just going to go out there and just keep competing. I know who I am and what kind of stuff I have.”

• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider interviewed Matt Kemp about playing in his 1,000th game.
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Yasiel Puig is evolving fast."

“They pitched him like he’s going to chase and he’s quit chasing,” Mattingly said. “He’s made the adjustment. You see it with guys with that kind of talent. It’s just a matter of putting the mind to it. Yasiel’s smart. He just has to stay under control.” 

• Via Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times, "Ned Colletti urges more plate discipline from Dodgers."

"Sometimes that goes hand in hand with struggling because everybody tries to do too much and they try to do it too quickly inside an at-bat," Colletti said. "Sometimes, patience inside an at-bat can pay dividends. We see it all the time. When you see another team get a clutch it, most of the time it's been through a real good thought process that's had a dash of patience thrown in there."

• Via Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest, "Matt Kemp is an offensive asset again for the Dodgers."

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