MLB Dirt

With the issue of ownership up in the air, the Los Angeles Dodgers seem poised to begin a rebuilding of their franchise, which is always a positive development for young players in an organization. One of the Dodger prospects who figures to be a major part of the Dodgers’ future is right-handed reliever Logan Bawcom.

Bawcom was a two-way player in high school, but had his most statistical success as a hitter, batting .500 with 12 home runs as a high school senior. He continued playing both ways at Midland Junior College, but upon arriving at the University of Texas-Arlington, he finally converted to pitching full time. In 2010, his junior year, he struck out 87 batters in 90.2 innings and had an impressive 3.87 ERA. That success was enough to garner him significant interest from the pro ranks, and he was drafted by the Dodgers in the 17^th round of that year’s draft.

The Dodgers have groomed Bawcom to be a closer from the moment he signed. He possesses a low 90’s fastball, a sharp slider, and an improving changeup; a potent arsenal for a 9^th inning pitcher. In his two minor league seasons, Bawcom has posted an 8-4 record in 68 relief appearances, with 29 saves and a 3.43 ERA. Perhaps more impressive have been his 113 strikeouts in 94.1 innings. More information on Bawcom’s statistics is available here.

Bawcom made it as far as high-A this past season. With the Dodgers having let former closer Jonathan Broxton leave via free agency this off-season, there should be plenty of opportunity for Bawcom to keep advancing rapidly, and closing games at Dodger Stadium in the near future.

Logan Bawcom Interview:

Who was your favorite team and player growing up?: I grew up watching the Texas Rangers and rooting for them. Roger Clemens was always my favorite pitcher.

What coach or manager has been most influential on you so far?: K.J. Hendricks. He was my hitting coach in college my junior year and he was pretty influential in my life all around.

Can you run through what your draft experience was like?: I was on the couch at my apartment and read it online on the draft tracker. I then went and ate a good solid meal by myself to treat myself for the accomplishment.

What has been your favorite highlight from your career so far?: Getting called up High-A and getting a save that night after I got off the plane was really awesome.

What is the toughest thing about being a minor league player?: The travel can get bad at times depending on the league you’re in.  Sleeping on a bus isn’t the most comfortable thing ever, but its part of the job.

What is the anticipation like as you keep making progress and keep getting closer to the major leagues?: It’s really awesome looking at how close you are.  It makes you work harder and stay focused because you’re that close to the dream you’ve always wanted.

After you signed, did you do anything special to celebrate or treat yourself or family?: I went to eat a steak I think is what I did.  I was by myself because my family was out of town and I was still at college.  I got tons of texts and calls from everyone I could think of.

How aware/interested are you in baseball history?: I like it.  I’m not a big history buff, but I do watch some older games a lot on MLB Network here and there. You can learn from those guys.

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

Filed under: Down and Dirty - Interviews, On the Farm - Prospects Tagged: | Logan Bawcom, Los Angeles Dodgers, Prospects