The Dodgers have preached about depth and the maintenance of their farm system since the reign of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman began and it continues to work.
The Dodgers consistently boast some of the greatest homegrown players in the league, including the most recent 2019 National League MVP, Cody Bellinger. There are more on the way like him and it is largely a testament to an amazing player development system.
On Monday, Baseball America released their top 10 list of Dodgers prospects and there were some surprising placements. Here is the link to the full Baseball America column:
The Dodgers system is anchored by a potential all-star infielder and a front-of-the-rotation arm ready to contribute in 2020
And the scariest part?
There's a TON of talent at the lower levels behind them.
Our brand new @Dodgers Top 10 for 2020: https://t.co/u6OHYiE0zC pic.twitter.com/ETYeIlJx4n
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 6, 2020
Here is the top 10 list for those who are not active subscribers to Baseball America:
- Gavin Lux
- Dustin May
- Keibert Ruiz
- Tony Gonsolin
- Josiah Gray
- Jeter Downs
- Diego Cartaya
- Kody Hoese
- Michael Busch
- Luis Rodriguez
This top ten list is absolutely loaded.
Gavin Lux and Dustin May appear ready to make huge contributions to the 2020 squad with cameos in 2019 showing promise. Lux will likely enter as the starting second baseman in a platoon, barring a trade. Dustin May will likely be a rotation stalwart from the jump and could reach his upside in his second go-around, similar to Walker Buehler.
Keibert Ruiz could also find his way into a major league role late in 2020 with a September call-up appearing likely. He had a rough 2019 campaign offensively, but it’s a guarantee he will rebound in 2020 to some degree.
Tony Gonsolin should receive some innings in somewhat of a Ross Stripling type of role where he sees time in the bullpen and as a spot starter.
Josiah Gray could play the Gonsolin/May part in 2020 as he continues to shine. His trade counterpart Jeter Downs likely is more of a 2021/2022 option up the middle than a 2020 one.
Diego Cartaya and Luis Rodriguez are both present in the 7-10 range and represent tons of upside in the system as international free agents.
Kody Hoese and Michael Busch were the Dodgers’ top two draft selections in 2019 and will look to potentially make quick climbs to the big leagues.
NEXT: The Dodgers May Bank on Their Prospects in 2020