Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Farm System Slips in Latest Mid-Season Prospects Rankings

How the mighty have fallen… but not really. MLB Pipeline released updated rankings for teams’ farm systems this week that showed the Dodgers falling from third (preseason) to 11th. Of course, there’s a good reason behind it.

Before breaking down the logic behind this, here’s what MLB.com’s team of Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Mike Rosenbaum had to say about Los Angeles.

No team combines winning in the big leagues and churning out quality young talent like the Dodgers, who have slipped a bit in the rankings because they graduated Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Dennis Santana, and Edwin Ríos this summer. It’s the first time L.A. has not been in the top 10 since we started ranking farm systems in 2015.

It’s surprising to see the Dodgers not in the top-10 for the first time in five years, but — as noted — when you graduate four prospects from your top-10. Still, even with all the talent the club has brought up to the big leagues over the last five-plus seasons, it’s an impressive feat to still land at 11 on the Pipeline.

According to MLB.com, LA’s top-10 prospects rank as follows

  1. Gavin Lux • SS/2B
  2. Josiah Gray • RHP
  3. Keibert Ruiz • C
  4. Brusdar Graterol • RHP*
  5. Kody Hoese • 3B
  6. Michael Busch • 2B
  7. Diego Cartaya • C
  8. Luis Rodriguez • OF
  9. Bobby Miller • RHP
  10. Clayton Beeter • RHP

* Brusdar still hasn’t accrued enough service time.

If you’re a deep-dive Dodger fan (and prospect huggers like our friends at dodgers2080.com), you know these names. Moreover, you can also understand how in a COVID season, the LA farm system would have fallen for the first time in five years. Along with several of the top-15 stalwarts from the last few seasons moving on up, players like Miller and Beeter were only drafted this year (like, just over a month ago) and haven’t even officially picked up a pro baseball. Hoese and Busch are 2019 draftees that were expecting to have just about wrapped up their first full-seasons as professionals.

In short, the eyes of prospects evaluators have not been on these guys because the COVID-shortened season eliminated the minor leagues as well as the ability for scouts to do their jobs. In a regular year, the Dodgers likely would be higher, but still out of the top-five farm systems. But that’s ok when you’re the best team in baseball, right?

NEXT: Who Should be the Everyday Second Baseman Down the Stretch?

Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

2 Comments

  1. I think this rating is not very accurate for any team as there is no way to truly gauge players on their continued forward progress do to specialized coaching which is what the Dodger Organization does so well. I imagine they put it out to say they did it but I would not stake any decisions on it.
    Guys like Devin Mann, Cody Thomas, Zach Reks, Michael Grove, Omar Estevez are all not mentioned and are on the Dodger 60 man roster. Geraldo Carrilllo and Marshall Kasowski have been much improved and I would rate higher than the recent draft choices Beeter and Miller. I think the MLB guys were lazy and did not due any in depth investigation.
    Mann and Thomas have made a lot of offensive progress this last year according to Tim Rogers who is one of the most knowledgeable people I know of when it comes to the Dodger Farm System.

  2. We still have a good farm system going and should continue to address specific position needs, and teach youngsters to hit LHP better, as that appears to be a little issue.

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