Know Your Enemy: Albuquerque Isotopes

So far this season, the main reason to check out the Round Rock Express has been to see the talent for the home team. As obvious as that sounds, that wasn't always the case, when talent for the AAA affiliate was barren. But this weekend, not only will we continue to be exposed talent from the Express, but also from their opponents, the Albuquerque Isotopes.

It's no surprise that the Isotopes are only 1.5 games behind Round Rock for the PCL American South division lead. Even after sending up highly touted prospects Jerry Sands and Kenley Jansen to the majors, the L.A. Dodgers' AAA affiliate still has plenty of talent left in the minors to stay competitive for the entire 2011 season.

Most "Know Your Enemy" posts have ended up highlighting prospects on the pitching side, which is ironic seeing as how the PCL is a hitter's league. That's just how it's been. But this weekend's series (June 4-7) aims to change things as the Isotopes have a few nice hitting prospects I'm excited to see in action:

Trayvon Robinson, OF: While most of the buzz in the Dodgers' farm system at the beginning of this year was on Jerry Sands, who got called up early in the season and has somewhat disappointed, it's Robinson who has been hailed as the more athletic fielder with better tools. Not only can he hit for some pop (11 homeruns in AAA), but he also has some speed, too (6 stolen bases, 4 triples).

He strikes out every third at bat, which is more than the Dodgers would like him too, but he still hits well enough and is projected to be a .270-290 hitter during his career. Picture him as a better hitting Chris Young.

If Sands continues to struggle at the plate, don't be surprised to see Robinson called up to have his crack at the majors this year. Otherwise he's sure to be on the 25 man roster in 2012.

Dee Gordon, SS: Now the the PED-era is officially over (See: "The Year of the Pitcher," 2010) teams have gone away from focusing on guys who can blast home runs and have focused more on guys who can get on base and make stuff happen when they're there. Dee Gordon is that kind of player.

Though his father, former Major League pitcher Tom Gordon, was nicknamed "Flash," it won't be a big surprise if that nickname carries over to Dee, who is a full burst of speed on the base paths. Having stolen 126 bases in his last two seasons in low A ball, Gee's already grabbed 20 bags this season with a 87% success rate (compared to his '09-'10 rate of 74%.) Forget about being a poor man's Jose Reyes, he could simply just be the next Reyes, if not better.

Ranked as the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect by various publications and MLB's No. 44 prospect at the beginning of the year, Gee is simply biding his time in AAA, waiting for the call up. With Rafael Furcal consistently getting injured and with Gee finally figuring out the nuances of stealing bases without getting caught, it doesn't seem like it will be much longer before he's playing at Dodger Stadium.