This off-season we set off to write our first book. Changes and challenges arose, so we've pivoted to releasing our top prospect lists & reports through the site and our Patreon. We're excited to finally show you the hard work of our evaluating team the last few months.
Below you'll find the top 10 players in the system with full reports of the top 5. The full rankings and reports on all top 30 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5 level) as we publish them. If you're into fantasy baseball, this tier also gets you the dynasty show, the FYPD list and the MiLB Daily Sheet in season. We plan to add all the reports to player pages on the site shortly after the season begins.
Top 10 Team Rank at First 5 Reports for Free Below
1. Diego Cartaya, C - 55 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
2021 Pre-season Rank: 3 Pre-season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 30 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL XL frame for a catcher, physical build with strength throughout the entire frame. High waisted, broad shoulders, long legs. Near maximum physical projection. Starts slightly open, low hand set by the letters, works deep onto backside during load, medium leg kick, lands on a firm front side allowing for lower half rotation which generates his power. High two-hand finish. Operation is reminiscent of current Dodger Will Smith.
STRENGTHS Elite exit velocity. Cartaya consistently barrels pitches in the zone and hits them hard which is a credit to his plus bat speed. Enters the zone with a steeper swing path which allows for him to elevate. Plus raw power which translates in game. Future 20-25 homer guy in the major leagues.
WEAKNESSES Swing tends to lengthen and will chase which contributed to his high K% at Rancho in 2021. He was however one of the youngest performers in the California League. Raw behind the dish and he is still improving his receiving/blocking skills. He does possess athleticism behind the plate when considering his size, reason to believe that he will be a quality backstop defensively.
SUMMARY In recent years the Dodgers have become accustomed to developing homegrown catching talent which has gone on to make a significant impact at the major league level. Cartaya seems to be following in similar footsteps. Signed out of Venezuela in 2018 for 2.5 million dollars, Cartaya has quickly asserted himself as one of the Dodgers premier prospects after experiencing a breakout offensive campaign in 2021. He shows the ability to consistently elevate and punish pitches in the zone and hits the ball hard. Defensively, he continues to be a work in progress but has shown improvements in his overall receiving and blocking abilities. Overall, it appears that the Dodgers have another offensive-minded, everyday major league catcher on their hands.
EVALUATOR Brandon Smith
2. Miguel Vargas, 3B - 55 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AA
2021 Pre-season Rank: 7 Pre-season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 55 | 45 | 55 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Vargas is high waisted and has a tall, strong and athletic frame. He’s almost certainly bigger than his listed weight of 205 now and has a big league body already. At this point, he’ll look to maintain his frame and his already strong upper body.
STRENGTHS Despite his length, has good bat to ball skills and generates above average bat speed without sacrificing any of his ability to make contact. Inside-out swing gives him the ability to hit the ball to all fields, but tapped into more pull side power in 2021. Easy power. Ball is electric off his bat with plenty of loft. Draw walks and lures pitchers into giving him something he can drive. Bat path isn’t too steep and has ability to adjust and barrel balls he gets out in front of. Has a powerful arm, which is his best defensive asset over at third base.
WEAKNESSES With already fringe-average speed, as Vargas continues to mature and maintain his build, he’ll likely slow to below average speed despite his athleticism. He has long legs and moves well, but doesn’t break out of the box well. His range and reads are average, but his hands and actions may not play well long term at the hot corner. If he adds more weight to his frame, his range along with his speed may also be affected.
SUMMARY The power breakout in 2021 was no fluke. Has great bat to ball ability, picking up spin and making adjustments with a less steep bat path than a lot of corner power bats. He may need to move to first base, which would be an unfortunate waste of his big arm, but his hands and size may be better served over there. The bat will play at either corner though. Still, Vargas has the skills to carry a good average, get on base and reach 30 homers, and he could force the Dodgers hand for a 2022 debut.
EVALUATOR Justin Lada
3. Bobby Miller, RHP - 55 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AA
2021 Pre-season Rank: 1 Pre-season OFP: 55
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 45 | 55 | 55 | 50 | |
| 95-99 mph | 77-80 mph | 84-88 mph | 85-88 mph |
PHYSICAL Athletic, physical starters build. Very smooth movements, use of lower half and synced delivery. Arm action is still a little long, but the Dodgers have helped him clean that up along with Miller’s improved condition, which has given his lower half more smooth, mobility. Uses a high 3/4 arm slot.
STRENGTHS Has an array of fastballs. Runs it to his arm side, has a four-seamer that tails and he has a hybrid cutter/slider. He touches 99 with his fastballs and his two-seam is a buzzsaw on right-handers and he can start it at the hip of left-handers, and gets called strikes with it. That branches well off his slider that breaks late and gets more horizontal break than vertical break. His changeup has good separation from the fastball and gets plenty of fade. Fills up the strike zone with all of his pitches, even his little-used curveball.
WEAKNESSES As electric as Miller’s fastballs can be, they induce more grounders and weak contact than swings and misses, which can leave him susceptible to some BABIP luck. The vertical movement on his four-seamer is average at best due to his arm angle. The curveball has good shape, but inconsistent and is little used.
SUMMARY Though the Dodgers kept the training wheels on him a little in 2021, everything flashed above average or the potential to be average. Throws all of his pitches for strikes, limits walks and commands the heck of his fastballs. As long as the velocity and command hold when the Dodgers take the gloves off, Miller looks like a top of the rotation arm. He could be ready to debut for LA in 2022, if there’s room. The Dodgers could opt to break him in through the bullpen, like they’ve done in the past, where he’d be an absolute weapon.
EVALUATOR Justin Lada
4. Andy Pages, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A+
2021 Pre-season Rank: 12 Pre-season OFP: 45
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 40 | 60 | 45 | High |
PHYSICAL More than physically mature for his age. Big, broad shoulders and a muscular frame, and thick forearms. Starting to add some mass to the frame and is built for a corner spot. Stands tall in the box and has long levers. Looks the part of a power-focused corner bat.
STRENGTHS He’s got one of the steeper vertical bat angles you might see, which helps him get the loft and taps into his raw strength and power and great bat speed. He’s got a Justin Turner-sized leg kick and extension and finish like Eugenio Suarez. There’s 40 home run power in the bat due to the lift, strength and bat speed. Can also launch the ball back into the infield from right field with ease, showing off a plus arm. Great feel for the strike zone. Works the count to force a pitch into the part of the zone where he can launch the ball.
WEAKNESSES The steep bat angle and barrel in his swing leads Pages to swing and miss more a lot. Struggles with spin and velocity up in the zone due to the angle of barrel in his swing. Fringey speed and will slow down with additional weight. Routes and jumps to the ball were slow and awkward in 2021. At times he looked like a DH playing the outfield.
SUMMARY After a year away from competition and skipping from rookie ball to High-A, Pages proved all season long that he can get to his plus raw power in games despite the strikeout rate. The easy power and loft in his swing suggest that he’s got a good chance he’s going to clobber enough homers to find a bat-first major league role of some sort. Has 40 homer potential, but needs to limit strikeouts to reach it.
EVALUATOR Justin Lada
5. Michael Busch, INF - 50 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AA
2021 Pre-season Rank: 2 Pre-season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 55 | 45 | 40 | 45 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Medium build with strength throughout the entire frame. Thick lower half, strong lower leg muscles. Noticeable muscular development of the upper body. Minimal room for physical projection considering age. Works from a slightly open stance, both knees bent, hands set even with back shoulder with bat pointed on back shoulder. Medium leg kick as timing mechanism, loads weight deep onto backside, creates hand separation deep into scap. Finishes with a high two hand back shoulder finish.
STRENGTHS Demonstrates the ability to control the zone and makes pitchers work. Patient approach and sees a lot of pitches and works his walks. Makes pitchers work, he is able to hone in on locations of the zone and punishes his pitch. Demonstrates the ability to hit to all fields with power due to his quick swing and the ability to get on plane. Consistently barrels the ball and it’s reflective in his quality of contact data. Swing generates loft, allowing him to elevate and tap into his in-game power. Future 20-25 homer and doubles profile.
WEAKNESSES Has some swing and miss in his game. Carried a 26% K% at AA in 2021. Question surrounding his athleticism/position in the field as he has limited range on the dirt. Alternates between playing first and second. Limited range and arm strength rules out the ability to play third base.
SUMMARY Although the power output may not be the same at the major league level, there are comparisons to be drawn to current Dodger Max Muncy in regards to Busch’s profile. Busch possesses a patient approach at the plate and the ability to punish pitches in the zone. Does not have a set home on the right side of the infield, as he starts at both first and second base. Long term, his profile fits the mold of the Dodgers. A player with defensive versatility who will hit regardless of where he is playing in the field. Future middle of the order bat.
EVALUATOR Brandon Smith
6. Ryan Pepoit, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AAA
2021 Pre-season Rank: 7 Pre-season OFP: 50
7. Eddys Leonard, INF - 50 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
8. Wilman Diaz, SS - 50 OFP
Age: 18 Highest Level: DSL
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
9. Clayton Beeter, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 11 Pre-Season OFP: 45
10. Jose Ramos, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked