Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. C OF Dalton Rushing | 24 | AAA | 2025
I started this list thinking it might be impossible for any of these guys to crack baseball’s best lineup this season, but there’s a non-zero chance Rushing winds up an opening day outfielder in Los Angeles. They’ll certainly bring in a veteran or two, but his primary competition today would be Andy Pages and James Outman. A left-handed hitter at 6’1” 220 lbs, Rushing hit 26 home runs in 114 games across Double and Triple-A last season, slashing .271/.385/.512 on the strength of his trademark patience at the plate.
2. OF Zyhir Hope | 20 | A | 2027
Hope was 2.1 years younger than the average age in the Low-A California League but slashed ..287/.415/.490 in 54 games anyway, tacking on nine home runs and nine stolen bases. He lost a chunk of the season to a shoulder issue, but he’s back at it in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .260/.345/.453 with three home runs in 19 games there. A tremendous power-speed athlete at 5’10” 193 lbs, Hope has as much upside as anybody in the system if the hit tool and plate skills gains he showed this season continue to materialize.
3. OF Josue De Paula | 19 | A+ | 2026
The plate skills are incredible, helping De Paula post positive outcomes against older players every step of the way, with wRC+ scores of 161, 118, 125, and 136 across his four stops. In High-A, he was 3.2 years younger than the league average, but the 6’3” 190 lb lefty walked more than he struck out (50 over 38) and posted a .422 on base percentage. He also slugged just .356 with ten extra base hits in 52 games. Tough to be a major league outfielder with 30 extra base hits across a full season, but that’s probably not De Paula’s fate. He should learn how to attack and elevate across time.
4. SS Alex Freeland | 23 | AAA | 2025
First thing’s first, land ain’t free. Unless you’re a nepo kid, I suppose. And like I said about Rushing, you really gotta earn your little spot of land on this roster. A switch-hitter at 6’2” 200 lbs, Freeland was a third-round pick out of Central Florida in 2022 and has added strength during his time as a professional, leading to a breakout season that saw him play at three levels and slash .260/.387/.442 with 18 home runs and 31 steals in 136 games.
5. SS Emil Morales | 18 | DSL | 2029
A 6’3” 191 lb righty, Morales might wind up a little big for shortstop, but there’s not much reason to worry about that now while he’s looking like dynamite. In 46 DSL games, he slashed .342/.478/.697 with 14 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He did strike out 45 times, but he drew 40 walks, and it’s tough to evaluate plate skills much on DSL outcomes where pitchers can be all over the place.
6. SS Joendry Vargas | 19 | CPX | 2029
Another XL shortstop at 6’4” 175 lbs, Vargas was almost two years younger than the average player in the Arizona Complex League but thrived anyway, slashing .303/.406/.493 with four home runs and 11 stolen bases in 38 games. You could flip he and Morales here as I typically do with players who have played stateside in comparison to those who haven’t; I just see some unique upside in Morales, while Vargas strikes me as a more regular, excellent Dodgers’ prospect.
7. RHP Edgardo Henriquez | 22 | MLB | 2024
Henriquez pitched just 3.1 innings as a big leaguer, but I’m pretty sure he’s getting a World Series ring, which is nice. He was good for those 3.1 innings and amazing in the minors thanks to a wicked heater/cutter combo. He struck out 88 batters in 53 innings across three MiLB levels and allowed just two home runs all season. Could be part of the late-inning picture early in 2025.
8. RHP River Ryan | 26 | MLB | 2024
Ryan was rolling before losing the season to a strained ulnar collateral ligament. He allowed just three earned runs in 20.1 innings, good for a 1.33 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He was throwing a cutter that pushed up to the mid 90’s, and while he might not be able to get back to that video game level of ridiculousness, he’s a Dodger and a pitcher, so it makes some sense to bet on the high-percentile outcomes even in the face of a tough injury.
9. OF Eduardo Quintero | 19 | A | 2028
Quintero puddled up a bit in his 27 Low-A games at season’s end, but he played well for 56 games in the complex league, slashing .330/.459/.449 with three home runs and 29 stolen bases. He got caught stealing just thrice, which makes sense given his 70-grade speed, but it’s nice to see he knows how to do the thing considering he got caught three times in six tries in Low-A.
10. OF Kendall George | 20 | A | 2028
Carrying tools of 80-grade speed and plus defense in center will keep George in the major league picture no matter how good a hitter he winds up becoming. A left-handed hitter at 5’10” 170 lbs, he’s been on an-base machine with plus patience who plays to his strengths by going the other way, but the fear is he might not impact the ball enough to scare pitchers out of the strike zone.
Thanks for reading!
