Who Is The Best Power Hitting Prospect In The Dodgers' Organization?

Pure raw power is what I'm looking at here when it comes to Dodgers' prospects. Cuban import Yasiel Puig is the obvious choice and likely the correct one. Let's put aside the absurd .600 ISO in 9 Rookie Ball games because 9 games is 9 games and he had played professionally in Cuba prior to jumping ship to the States.

I also don't care about the .096 ISO he posted in 14 games in High A ball. When you're just a reported 22 years old and already stand 6’3”, weigh 215 pounds, and look like the Cuban Arnold Schwarzenegger, you better hit for power. I don't expect Puig to be up with the big club until mid-2014 at the absolute earliest, so his performance in full seasons in AA and/or AAA will sway my opinion of him more so than his reputation in Cuba or his early time in America.

Another candidate is the recently-drafted Justin Chigbogu. Selected in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, the first baseman possesses a lot of natural power at just 18 years of age:

Chigbogu has played in just 31 professional games, all in Rookie Ball. He amassed just 131 plate appearances and put up a disappointing ISO of .113 with three dingers and four doubles, but again, he's not even nineteen yet.

The Dodgers drafted Chigbogu knowing he'd need ample time to develop and if he progresses in his development and with his power I could see him as a solid starter at first down the road. Whether that will be with the Dodgers, who are tied long-term to Adrian Gonzalez, is another question entirely. But with his massive power potential and good eye at the dish - 10.7% BB% in his 2012 Rookie Ball stint - the upside is there. Of course, he's going to have to really cut down on that 38.2% strikeout rate if he ever wants to be a regular and not a platoon or bench player.

Last but most certainly not least is another 2012 draft pick, outfielder/first baseman Joey Curletta.

That right there is what we call Prodigious Power. If you put Puig into his own "freak of nature athletically" category Curletta would garner my vote. An 18-year-old who ISO'd .273 his senior year of high school, Joey was taken two rounds after Chigbogu and took part in 25 Rookie Ball games. He didn't fare well with an ISO of .027 as he whiffed in nearly 30% of his 85 plate appearances but again, he's extremely raw and is at least three years away from threatening to make the major league roster. Three years is conservative but he seems like a toolsy player with more than just power in his bag, from what I've read.

The crazy power potential is there and in my wildest dreams I imagine him figuring it all out by the start of this season so he can be the right-handed platoon partner of Andre Ethier in right field. Hell, I imagine anyone being Dre's platoon partner.

Also, Curletta is listed at 6'4", 230 - yes, bigger than The Cuban Missile Puig.

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The Puig at the top is a Gold Parallel from 2012 Leaf Valiant and is numbered 03/10. It was had for half a blaster and was followed by the 04/10 copy which the seller accidentally sent in a separate bubbler. I sent it back. The Chigbogu is a fantastic on-card auto #'d 544/797 that ran me a few bucks. Curletta, unfortunately, does not have any cards that I know of or that have made their way to eBay.