Dodgers Dugout: Looking at the Dodgers’ top 10 prospects

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and the Dodgers are now 24-0 when Miguel Rojas gets a hit.

The Dodgers always have one of the top minor league systems in baseball, and with the July 31 trade deadline approaching, this seems like a good time to review the team’s top 10 prospects, some of whom could be dealt.

To compile the list, I reviewed the top 10 prospects lists as ranked by Baseball America, MLB, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus, giving points depending on where they are ranked. Since I’m not traveling around the country watching these players, comments are based on scouting reports. Also, if you want to spend an interesting evening, buy a ticket behind home plate at a Rancho Cucamonga game. Many times scouts from different teams are sitting there, particularly as we get closer to the trade deadline. If you approach them politely, they are usually more than happy to talk to you about their thoughts on players. You can usually tell the scouts by the fact they are either holding a radar gun, or have a notebook and are writing in it during the game. Some of the comments here are based on these conversations.

So without further ado:

1. Dalton Rushing, C, 23, bats left, throws right
2024 (double-A Tulsa): .253/.371/.459, 11 doubles, 9 homers, 233 at-bats
2023 (Class A Great Lakes): .228/.404/.452, 18 doubles, 15 homers, 381 at-bats
Drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2022 draft

Rushing hits for power and draws walks and is major league ready on offense. However, he is a work in progress defensively. However, he is stuck behind Will Smith, so he may have to learn how to play in the outfield. As to why he is not up in the majors instead of Austin Barnes? It’s better for him to play every day in the minors than play once a week in the majors. Plus, his defense is not major league ready yet.

2. Josue De Paula, OF, 19, BL, TL
2024 (Class A Rancho Cucamonga): .279/.388/.447, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 34 walks, 57 K’s. 208 at-bats
2023 (Class A Rancho Cucamonga): .284/.396/.372, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 46 walks, 61 K’s, 282 at-bats
Signed out of the Dominican Republic as an amateur free agent on Jan. 15, 2022

Scouts believe he could develop into a .300 hitter with 30 homers as he continues to mature physically. He is not good defensively and has average speed. He is the cousin of former NBA player Stephon Marbury and is projected to reach the majors in 2026 or 2027.

3. River Ryan, RHP, 25
2024 (triple-A Oklahoma City): 4.91 ERA, 3.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 walks, 4 K’s
2023 (double-A Tulsa): 3/33 ERA. 97.1 IP, 78 hits, 44 walks, 98 K’s
Drafted in 11th round of 2021 draft by San Diego

It’s a bit of a head scratcher to see Ryan so high, considering he will be 26 in August. He spent the first three months of the season on the IL with shoulder fatigue, and this is after he wasn’t allowed to pitch more than five innings or throw more than 76 pitches in a start last season. He throws hard, reaching 99. The Dodgers acquired him just before the 2022 season for Matt Beaty.

4. Thayron Liranzo, C/1B, 20, BB, TR
2024 (Class A Great Lakes): .230/.354/.382, 13 doubles, 6 homers, 38 walks, 64 K’s, 204 at-bats
2023 (Class A Rancho Cucamonga): .273/.400/.562, 24 doubles, 2 triples, 24 homers, 70 walks, 112 K’s, 345 at-bats
Signed out of the Dominican Republic as an amateur free agent on Jan. 15, 2021.

The switch-hitter bats better from the left side and led the Cal League in multiple offensive categories last season. He has a strong arm and could end up being the best catcher on this list. Of course, there’s that Will Smith guy in the majors, so Liranzo gets some time at first base.

5. Kyle Hurt, RHP, 26
2024 (triple-A Oklahoma City): 4.09 ERA, 11 IP, 7 hits, 12 walks, 19 K’s
2023 (double A and triple A): 3.91 ERA, 92 IP, 69 hits, 44 walks, 152 K’s
Drafted by the Miami Marlins in fifth round of the 2020 draft.

Another prospect who is a bit on the old side. Hurt has pitched 8.2 innings for the Dodgers combined in 2023 and 2024 with a 1.04 ERA. Those strikeout numbers in 2023 are eye popping. Some scouts consider him closer material. The Dodgers acquired him along with Alex Vesia on Feb. 12, 2021, for reliever Dylan Floro.

6. Diego Cartaya, C, 22, BR, TR
2024 (double-A Tulsa): .236/.354/.379, 8 doubles, 5 homers, 27 walks, 56 K’s, 161 at-bats
2023 (double-A Tulsa): .189/.278/.379, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 37 walks, 117 K’s, 354 at-bats
Signed out of Venezuela as an amateur free agent on July 2, 2018.

Saw him play at Rancho Cucamonga in 2022 and it seemed no one could get him out. Now, lots of people get him out. He was once ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball, but dropped out of the top 100 this year. He’s still young, so there is time to recover, but he has been passed by two catchers on this list. According to some scouts, Cartaya got pull happy and wrecked his swing. You have to figure that if there is a trade for a big name, one of these three catchers will be dealt.

7. Nick Frasso, RHP, 25
2024: has not pitched
2023 (double A and triple A): 93 IP, 87 hits, 31 walks, 107 K’s
Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth round of the 2020 draft

Frasso had surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will probably miss all of this season. He had a ligament repaired in his right elbow in 2021. When he’s healthy, he has a 100-mph fastball and an 80-mph changeup, but the key is staying healthy. The Dodgers acquired him from Toronto in 2022 for Mitch White.

8. Joendry Vargas, SS, 18, BR, TR
2024 (Rookie League Dodgers): .320/.418/.485, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 15 walks, 31 K’s,103 at-bats
2023 (Dominican Summer League): .328/.423/.529, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 30 walks, 31 K’s, 174 at-bats
Signed out of the Domincan Republic as an amateur free agent on Jan. 15, 2023.

He is tall (6-4) for a shortstop and could move over to third base eventually. Strong arm and exceptional batting eye for someone so young. He led the Dodgers’ Dominican Summer League team to the title in 2023. His current weight is 175, so should add even more power as he puts on more weight.

9. Jackson Ferris, LHP, 20
2024 (High A Great Lakes): 4.24 ERA, 63.2 IP, 52 hits, 32 walks, 81 K’s
2023 (Low A Myrtle Beach): 3.38 ERA, 56 IP, 35 hits, 33 walks, 77 K’s
Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2022 draft

I guess not all the Dodgers’ pitching prospects have to be in their mid-20s. Ferris has three good pitches: A 95-mph fastball, a 78-mph curveball and an 82-mph slider. He projects as an ace, but is a little bit away from making the majors. One scout compared him to Blake Snell. He was acquired on Jan. 11 from the Cubs along with minor leaguer Zyhir Hope for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte.

10. Justin Wrobleski, LHP, 23
2024 (double-A Tulsa): 3.06 ERA, 67.2 IP, 57 hits, 13 walks, 62 K’s
2023 (High A Great Lakes): 2.90 ERA, 102.1 IP, 93 hits, 35 walks, 109 K’s
Drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2021 draft

He dropped to the 11th round because he had Tommy John surgery two months before, which probably made the Dodgers love him even more. He has a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s slider and a low-80s changeup. He is marching right through the minors and was promoted to triple A last week, where he struck out 11 in five innings.

Previous years

What does it really mean to be a top 10 prospect though? Not always a lot. Let’s take a look at the Dodgers’ top 10 prospects in previous years:

2019
1. Alex Verdugo
2. Keibert Ruiz
3. Dustin May
4. Gavin Lux
5. Tony Gonsolin
6. Will Smith
7. Dennis Santana
8. Jeter Downs
9. Mitch White
10. Diego Cartaya

2014
1. Joc Pederson
2. Corey Seager
3. Julio Urías
4. Zach Lee
5. Chris Anderson
6. Chris Withrow
7. Alex Guerrero
8. Chris Reed
9. Oneiki Garcia
10. Ross Stripling

2009
1. Andrew Lambo
2. James McDonald
3. Ethan Martin
4. Josh Lindblom
5. Scott Elbert
6. Ivan De Jesus
7. Dee Gordon
8. Josh Bell
9. Chris Withrow
10. Nathan Eovaldi

2004
1. Edwin Jackson
2. Greg Miller
3. Franklin Gutierrez
4. James Loney
5. Joel Hanrahan
6. Chad Billingsley
7. Xavier Paul
8. Andy LaRoche
9. Koyie Hill
10. Reggie Abercrombie

1999
1. Angel Peña
2. Chin-Feng Chen
3. Mike Judd
4. Steve Colyer
5. Luke Allen
6. Luke Prokopec
7. Onan Masaoka
8. Glenn Davis
9. Jorge Piedra
10. Adam Riggs

1994
1. Darren Dreifort
2. Todd Hollandsworth
3. Roger Cedeno
4. Rick Gorecki
5. Raúl Mondesi
6. Jose Parra
7. Todd Williams
8. Jim Ashworth
9. Dwight Maness
10. Mike Moore

1989
1. Ramón Martínez
2. José Offerman
3. Dan Opperman
4. Braulio Castillo
5. Bill Bene
6. Chris Nichting
7. Dave Hansen
8. John Wetteland
9. Eric Karros
10. Mike James

1984
1. Gilberto Reyes
2. Jose Gonzalez
3. Sid Fernandez
4. Dave Anderson
5. Franklin Stubbs
6. Vance Lovelace
7. R.J. Reynolds
8. Cecil Espy
9. Lemmie Miller
10. Mariano Duncan

Kershaw has a setback

Remember when Clayton Kershaw made that start last week for Rancho Cucamonga, and looked good? Well, forget all that. He had a sore shoulder for a couple of days after throwing, and it has pushed back his return. An MRI showed no damage. He will rest the arm for about a week.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s not surprising that there’s a little bit of a regression in the throwing process,” Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “This is part of the process for anyone who goes through surgery, who goes through rehab, and is on their way back.

“It could be a week [off], and then he’ll ramp up again. A week is not long enough to worry about cutting into the buildup he’s already had, but it’s a way for us to get the soreness out. … You do the scan to see if there’s new [damage], which there wasn’t, so that’s why we feel very comfortable and confident that this is just a blip.”

Gavin Stone impresses

Gavin Stone is vying with Tyler Glasnow to be the staff ace. Stone threw the first shutout (and first complete game) of his major league career on Wednesday. I think it still counts if it’s against the White Sox.

After his first two starts this season, he had an ERA of 9.00, which went nicely with his ERA of 9.00 last season. Since then: 8-1, 2.11 ERA, 81 IP, 62 hits, 21 walks, 59 K’s.

“When he takes the mound, you feel like he can go six or seven innings — that’s refreshing for me, especially when you look at where our bullpen is at,” Roberts said. “He’s sneakily been a guy that I’ve counted on, and has really performed. All the credit goes to him and the pitching coaches.”

Miguel Rojas is the man

Miguel Rojas has excelled at the plate and with the glove this season, but his offense has been a big surprise. What happened?

Roberts: “I think sometime in late April, he cleaned some things up mechanically with his setup and being a little bit more handsy, his path is better. And he’s ridden that swing out for this whole season. So he and the hit guys came up with something, found something that unlocks something. So he’s playing really good baseball. The intensity, the focus, the energy he brings every night is contagious.

“The biggest [thing] is he can throw a strike when he needs to, whether it’s strike one, whether it’s 2-and-0 to get back into the count. Whatever the situation, he can throw a strike,” Roberts said. “And what that does is it kind of gets control of an at-bat, and it minimizes damage, and he’s done all that.”

Secrets don’t make friends

Colleague Sam Farmer writes about the speakeasy at Dodger Stadium, located under the right-field pavilion.

“I like to come in here when I get to the game early, get a few drinks, eat and then just walk around the stadium,” said Jose Barragan, a high school math teacher and longtime Dodgers season-ticket holder. “It’s got good ambiance.”

The door is right next to a row of locker stalls behind glass that are filled with Tommy Lasorda artifacts.

“When you’re out there as a fan and you see those lockers, we wanted it to be, `Oh cool, locker, locker, locker, locker…’ and then, `Oh, there’s a blank one,’ ” said Dodgers executive Janet Marie Smith, the nation’s foremost ballpark designer. “And you walk through the blank one and you’re in this little surprise speakeasy.”

However, to get into the speakeasy you need an online reservation secured by a season-ticket holder using points acquired by spending money on food and merchandise. Which is sort of a bummer.

Offense

Here’s a look at the Dodgers’ numbers the last two weeks (through Wednesday):

Miguel Vargas, .500/.571/.583, 12 at-bats, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 2 walks
Shohei Ohtani, .383/.500/.957, 47 at-bats, 3 doubles, 8 homers, 17 RBIs, 12 walks, 7 K’s
Chris Taylor, .375/.444/.688, 18 at-bats, 1 triple, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, 2K’s
Miguel Rojas, .324/.342/.514, 37 at-bats, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 5 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .300/.368/.540, 50 at-bats, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 6 walks, 6 K’s
Gavin Lux, .235/.257/.353, 34 at-bats, 1 double, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Mookie Betts, .214/.313/.214, 14 at-bats, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Andy Pages, .200/.259/.400, 50 at-bats, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 3 walks, 11 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .186/.234/.302, 43 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 3 walks, 15 K’s
Jason Heyward, .182/.308/.333, 33 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 8 RBIs, 5 walks, 6 K’s
Cavan Biggio, .182/.308/.182, 22 at-bats, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 10 K’s
Austin Barnes, .177/.177/.177, 17 at-bats, 7 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .160/.222/.240, 25 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 7 K’s
Will Smith, .059/.175/.206, 34 at-bats, 1 triple, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 4 walks, 9 K’s
Team, .242/.318/.433, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 19 homers, 4.69 runs per game

Pitching

And here is how the pitchers have done the last two weeks (through Wednesday):

Evan Phillips, 0.00 ERA, 4 saves, 6 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 5 K’s
Daniel Hudson, 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 walks, 7 K’s
Landon Knack, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 0.00 ERA, 2 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 2-0, 0.64 ERA, 14 IP, 5 hits, 1 walk, 19 K’s
James Paxton, 1-0, 0.75 ERA, 12 IP, 5 hits, 4 walks, 14 K’s
Alex Vesia, 1.59 ERA, 2 saves, 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 K’s
Michael Petersen, 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 2 hits, 3 walks, 3 K’s
Gavin Stone, 2-0, 2.11 ERA, 21.1 IP, 12 hits, 4 walks, 17 K’s
Yohan Ramírez, 0-1, 2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP, 7 hits, 2 walks, 8 K’s
Anthony Banda, 0-1, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 4 walks, 4 K’s
Ryan Yarbrough, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 4 hits, 4 walks, 5 K’s
Blake Treinen, 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 4.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 6 K’s
Bobby Miller, 8.64 ERA, 8.1 IP, 10 hits, 6 walks, 3 K’s
Michael Grove, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 3 K’s
Walker Buehler, 15.75 ERA, 4 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 2 K’s
J.P. Feyereisen, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 4 hits, 1 K
Team, 9-4, 3.21 ERA, 6 saves, 117.2 IP, 79 hits, 38 walks, 106 K’s

Bottom of the lineup

We’ll keep track of this throughout the season, because I have a feeling this is going to be crucial when the postseason comes around. Here are the best and worst team batting averages for the Nos. 7-9 spots in the batting order:

1. Milwaukee, .276/.347/.418
2. N.Y. Mets, .267/.320/.4171
3. San Francisco, .254/.320/.398
3. Angels, .252/.319/.409
5. Houston, .250/.289/.390

MLB average: .229/.293/.357

20. Dodgers, .219/.285/.336

26. Pittsburgh, .207/.266/.299
27. Detroit, .201/.264/.302
28. Chicago White Sox .201/.249/.307
29. Miami, .200/.244/.289
30. Oakland, .197/.283/.328

The Dodgers have risen four places since we checked two weeks ago and are out of the bottom ten for the first time this season.

Let’s look at the Dodgers in the Nos. 7-9 spots individually:

No. 7 (mainly Pages and Outman): .222/.287/.314
No. 8 (mainly Lux, Kiké, Rojas and Pages): .220/.295/.369
No. 9 (mainly Barnes, Lux, Rojas and Taylor): .214/.273/.326

These names look familiar

We’re doing something a little different this season. Instead of looking only at players who were with the team last season, we will expand it to include notable players from the past. Click on the player’s name for a complete look. Numbers are through Wednesday.

Yency Almonte, Chicago Cubs, 1-0, 3.45 ERA, 15.2 IP, 9 hits, 8 walks, 20 K’s, on the IL

Tyler Anderson, Angels, 7-7, 2.63 ERA, 99.1 IP, 75 hits, 46 walks, 65 K’s

Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs, .273/.333/.432, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 34 RBIs, 115 OPS+

Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs, .260/.352/.445, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 29 RBIs, 124 OPS+

Jonny DeLuca, Tampa Bay, .151/.241/.252, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, 43 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, N.Y. Yankees, 1-3, 5.84 ERA, 1 save, 24.2 IP, 26 hits, 12 walks, 20 K’s

Victor González, N.Y. Yankees, 2-1, 3.86 ERA, 2 saves, 23.1 IP, 13 hits, 13 walks, 11 K’s, in minors

Bryan Hudson, Milwaukee, 4-0, 0.84 ERA, 43 IP, 19 hits, 8 walks, 49 K’s

Kenley Jansen, Boston, 3-1, 2.30 ERA, 15 saves, 27.1 IP, 18 hits, 11 walks, 32 K’s

Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore, 5-2, 2.63 ERA, 16 saves, 27.1 IP, 16 hits, 11 walks, 39 K’s

Lance Lynn, St. Louis, 3-3, 3.86 ERA, 81.2 IP, 81 hits, 30 walks, 78 K’s

J.D. Martinez, N.Y. Mets, .287/.356/.503, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 34 RBIs, 149 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Detroit, .195/.259/.309, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 60 OPS+

Kenta Maeda, Detroit, 2-4, 6.00 ERA, 54 IP, 59 hits, 18 walks, 41 K’s

Shelby Miller, Detroit, 4-5, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP, 14 hits, 6 walks, 23 K’s

Ryan Pepiot, Tampa Bay, 4-4, 4.40 ERA, 71.2 IP, 53 hits, 25 walks, 83 K’s

David Peralta, San Diego, .200/.302/.236, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 58 OPS+

Kevin Pillar, Angels, .316/.371/.553, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 6 homers, 25 RBIs, 156 OPS+

Luke Raley, Seattle, .253/.299/.444, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 22 RBIs, 115 OPS+

Amed Rosario, Tampa Bay, .296/.320/.408, 12 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 24 RBIs, 109 OPS+

Corey Seager, Texas, .255/.339/.442, 7 doubles, 14 homers, 36 RBIs, 123 OPS+

Trayce Thompson, in the minors with N.Y. Mets

Justin Turner, Toronto, .243/.344/.369, 13 doubles, 5 homers, 23 RBIs, 106 OPS+

Trea Turner, Philadelphia, .329/.380/.445, 11 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBIs, 134 OPS+,

Alex Verdugo, N.Y. Yankees, .237/.306/.399, 15 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 41 RBis, 98 OPS+

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Landon Knack, 1-1, 2.10 ERA) at San Francisco (Logan Webb, 6-6, 3.16 ERA), 7:15 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Saturday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 8-5, 2.88 ERA) at San Francisco (TBD), 4:15 p.m., Fox, Bally Sports West, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Sunday: Dodgers (*James Paxton, 7-1, 3.39 ERA) at San Francisco (TBD), 1:05 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Shohei Ohtani interested in home run derby but Dodgers sound reluctant

Clayton Kershaw won’t throw for at least a week after feeling soreness in shoulder

Made in McHenry: How Bobby Miller’s hometown stoked his fiery ‘competitive mindset’

The secret’s out on ‘hidden’ speakeasy under Dodger Stadium pavilion

And finally

Don Drysdale apppears on “The Donna Reed Show.” Watch and listen here.