Dodgers prospects to watch in Spring Breakout
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This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- All the attention as the week goes on will, rightfully, be on the Dodgers’ Major League team as they head to Seoul, South Korea to open one of the more anticipated seasons in franchise history. But the organization will also be glued to what happens back in Arizona.
On Saturday, a group of Dodgers prospects will travel to Tempe to take on the Angels in the inaugural Spring Breakout, which is a new initiative to showcase some of the talent that is set to hit the Majors over the next couple of seasons.
The Dodgers have quite the talented roster, with four top 10 prospects in the organization set to play in the game. Of the group participating, let’s take a look at three prospects who could easily steal the show this weekend.
C Dalton Rushing (No. 1)
Rushing is the Dodgers’ top prospect, and it’s easy to see why. The former Louisville catcher already has the body of a Major League player. He hits the ball hard consistently, and there’s little doubt that he’ll continue to hit as he continues his rapid rise through the Minor League system.
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The Dodgers’ top selection in the 2022 Draft took part in his first big league camp this spring. He didn’t record a hit in 10 Cactus League at-bats, but even that didn’t stop him from making a big impression in a star-studded clubhouse.
“Dalton has been great,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts last week. “The way he’s handled himself in a big league clubhouse at 23 years old, I’m very impressed. The way he’s handled the pitching staff, caught ‘pens and watched games, I think is really going to help him going forward. So Dalton, he’s been a really good surprise for all of us.”
OF Josue De Paula (No. 4)
If you haven’t heard this name, it’s probably time you start getting to know it. De Paula is turning 19 years old in May, but he already has one of the most mature swings and approaches in the Dodgers’ Minor League system.
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De Paula got his first taste of pro ball in the United States last season, hitting two homers, stealing 14 bags and posting a .768 OPS in 74 games with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. In 2024, the Dodgers are expecting De Paula to continue adding muscle to his 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame, which will help his power numbers.
The added weight and natural strength were evident in his first taste of the Cactus League, as the Dominican outfielder hit an opposite-field homer in his first at-bat of the spring. If De Paula continues to develop at this rate, he’ll be one of the top prospects in all of baseball sooner rather than later. Watching him against the Angels’ top prospects will be worthwhile.
LHP Jackson Ferris (No. 8)
Ferris is the highest-ranked pitching prospect making the trip to Tempe, making him the favorite to start for the Dodgers. The left-hander was the key piece in the offseason trade with the Cubs that sent Yency Almonte and Michael Busch to the Windy City.
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Ferris’ early comp has been to two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. If that comparison is even close to true, the lefty has a chance to become the next big Dodgers pitching prospect. And if he does, indeed, get the nod to start, it’ll be the first time he suits up for the Dodgers in game action since joining the organization in January.