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Los Angeles Dodgers Prospects Report: Examining Stats For 10 Dodgers Top Prospects
By Matt Johnson,
3 days ago
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in MLB thanks to an excellent scouting department and one of the best player development programs. Unsurprisingly, it leads to many of the Dodgers top prospects being highly ranked or coveted around the league.
With the MLB trade deadline approaching, there’s an even bigger microscope on the Dodgers top prospects. Even if some of these players don’t make an impact for the Dodgers directly, their trade value could help strengthen the current Dodgers roster.
Let’s dive into our Dodgers prospect report with a look at the Dodgers top prospects in 2024. Statistics as of June 25 . via FanGraphs and MiLB.com .
Dodgers top prospects stats: Los Angeles Dodgers farm system tracker
Dalton Rushing is the Dodgers No. 1 prospect in 2024. Entering the season, the former second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft (40th overall) was rated by MLB.com as the 50th-best prospect in baseball. Los Angeles pushed him up to Double-A this season after he finished 2023 with 15 home runs and a .856 OPS at High-A. Thus far, things have gone pretty well at the next level.
After posting a .278/.394/.556 triple-slash line in April with 3 home runs and a 13.6% walk rate, Rushing showed an even better feel for the strike zone in May. He lowered his walk rate (21.6% to 16%) and maintained his OPS (.874). There has been some regression in June – .701 OPS and 27.9% K rate, but
2. River Ryan, SP, Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Triple-A)
River Ryan stats : 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 25% K-rate, 6.3% walk rate, ,267 batting average allowed, 19.4% Swinging Strike rate
River Ryan is the best pitching prospect in the Dodgers system and he shouldn’t be too far away from making his MLB debut. After a successful season at the Double-A level in 2023 (23.7% K-rate, 3.33 ERA), Ryan opened this season on the injured list with a shoulder injury that kept him out for several months.
The 6–foot-2 righty made his first Triple-A start on June 15, allowing 2 earned runs and 4 base runners in 0.2 innings. The following start, he recorded 3 shutout innings with 1 base runner allowed across 10 batters faced. Depending on his success this summer, he could be a call-up candidate in September.
3. Josue De Paula, OF, Great Lakes Loons (High-A)
Josue De Paula stats : .279/.388/.447, 14 steals, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, 41 RBI, 37 runs scored, 128 wRC+, .835 OPS, 22.7% K-rate, 13.5% walk rate, .168 isolated power
Very few of the Dodgers top prospects can match Josue De Paula’s upside. Signed as an international free agent ($397,500) in 2022 and a second cousin of Stephon Marbury, De Paula is showing off some of his potential this year. The teenage outfielder, standing at 6-foot-3, got off to a modest start with a .750 OOS (.267/.333/.417).
He showed better discipline in May, posting a 16.8 percent walk rate and raising his OPS to .895. He’s been just as good in June, walking in 15.3 percent of his plate appearances with an .824 OPS and 8 steals. There’s All-Star potential here, with De Paula’s ceiling being a corner outfielder who could hit 30 home runs in his peak season.
4. Diego Cartaya, C, Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Triple-A)
Diego Cartaya stats : .236/.354/.379, 5 home runs, 8 doubles, 1 steal, 27 RBI, 29.2% K-rate, 14.1% walk rate, 111 wRC+, .733 OPS, .143 isolated power
Diego Cartaya is just a few seasons removed from being considered one of the best catching prospects in baseball. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, he struggled as a 21-year-old at the Double-A level with a .189/.278/.379 slash line, striking out in 29 percent of his plate appearances. While he did hit 19 home runs, the Dodgers wanted him to repeat the level.
There has been an improvement. Cartaya struggled heading into May – .133/.298/.222 with a .520 OPS and 28.1% K-rate – but he’s turned things around since. From May 1 – June 23, Cartaya posted a .817 OPS with a .276/.378/.440 line. While he did strike out in 29.6 percent of plate appearances, including a 35.7 percent K-rate in June, he is getting on base consistently. Of the Dodgers top prospects, Cartaya might be one of the likeliest to be traded in July.
5. Kyle Hurt, SP, Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Triple-A)
Kyle Hurt stats : 4.50 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, .189 batting average allowed, 36.2% K-rate, 21.3% walk rate, 16.3% Swinging-Strike Rate in 10 innings pitched
A fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Kyle Hurt has since shown the talent that generated first-round buzz back in 2017. The Dodgers acquired him in February 2021, along with Alex Vesia, in the Dylan Floro trade with the Miami Marlins. By 2023, Hurt had already made his MLB debut with Los Angeles.
Hurt hasn’t pitched much this season. After opening the season in the Dodgers bullpen – 1.35 WHIP in 6.2 innings – an injury landed the 6-foot-3 righty on the injured list in April. After being activated off the IL, Los Angeles sent him down to Oklahoma City where he has allowed 8 hits in 6.2 innings. Since being sent down to Oklahoma City, Hurt has allowed a 9-6 K-BB ratio with 3 wild pitches and 2 hits allowed in 6 innings.
Nick Frasso underwent labrum surgery on his right hip, coming off offseason shoulder surgery in November. A fourth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Frasso has previously undergone UCL surgery in 2021 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Frasso, who won’t pitch in 2024, recorded a 3.26 ERA with a 15.5 percent strikeout rate and .257 BAA in 19.1 innings at Triple-A last season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers only spent $30,000 in 2021 to sign Thayron Liranzo out of the Dominican Republic. The 20-year-old switch-hitter broke out in 2023 with .272/.400/.562 slash line with 24 home runs, 13 doubles and a .962 OPS in A-Ball last season.
Now playing for High-A Great Lakes, Liriano has had an up-and-down season. He slashed .172/.250/362 in April, striking out in 39.1 percent of his plate appearances with a .612 OPS. Liriano’s bat came alive in May, as he more than doubled his walk rate, cut his strikeout rate to 21.2 percent and recorded a .289/.433/.434 triple-slash line with an .866 OPS and 150 wRC+. In June, his line fell to .224/.318/.362 with a .680 OPS and 21.2 percent strikeout rate. He currently projects to be a first baseman, but he’ll need to develop more in-game power.
One of the top international prospects in 2023 out of the Dominican Republic, the Dodgers paid $2.077 million to land Joendry Vargas. Previously a switch hitter, Vargas now exclusively hits from the right side and he’s made steady improvements this year. At the Rookie COmplex level, Vargas is striking out at a high rate but getting on base over 40 percent of the time. June has been one of his best months, with a .912 OPS and 4 steals, but he has struck out in nearly 31 percent of his 65 plate appearances.
Eduardo Quintero stats : .344/457/.480, .937 OPS, 148 wRC+, 15 steals, 3 home runs, 20.5% K-rate, 13.9% walk rate, .136 isolated power, 4 doubles, 2 triples in 151 plate appearances
Part of the Dodgers 2023 international class, signed for $297,500 out of Venezuela, Quintero has quickly displayed the speed that caught scouts attention. The 18-year-old, who won’t be 19 until September, dominated the DSL in 2023 -180 wRC+, 15.1% walk rate, 22 steals, 1.089 OPS in 212 PA – is making it look easy this year in Rookie ball.
Quintero has a double-digit walk rate (13.9 percent) for the second consecutive year and he’s on pace to record more steals than he did last season. June (362/.456/.483, .939 OPS) has been another great month for him and he’s been more aggressive on the basepaths (11-for-12 on stolen base attempts). He’ll likely be considered one of the top 100 prospects in MLB next year.
10. Justin Wrobleski, SP, Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Triple-A)
Selected with the 342nd pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski continues to make quick work of the minor leagues. A year ago, Los Angeles sent him to High-A and he excelled, recording a 2.90 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP and 26 percent strikeout rate, though he did walk 8.3 percent of batters faced. With that success, he opened his age-23 season at Double-A.
Wrobleski, one of the more polished arms among the Dodgers to prospects, made quick work of his new competition. While his ERA rose (3.06), he nearly cut his walk rate in half (4.8 percent) and still kept his strikeout rate at 23 percent with an 11.7 percent Swinging Strike rate. He was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City in late June, striking out 11 batters in his Triple-A debut but allowing 2 home runs in 5 innings pitched.
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