Dodgers Move Up in Latest Prospects Rankings Update, Who Could Help Soonest?

The officially unofficial quarter-season prospects list update dropped last week and the Dodgers fared well, once again landing 7 players in the top-100 after graduating Miguel Vargas since the last list. Overall, the usual suspects are there with a few guys moving up the rankings.

We’ve seen or at least heard of most of these guys over the last couple of seasons. Diego Cartaya is a staple of every prospects list and trade rumor, plus he spent significant time with the Dodgers during spring training back in March.

Bobby Miller is set to make his MLB debut this week and is a consensus top-25 prospect on evaluator lists.

Miguel Vargas graduated off the prospects list and is now the Dodgers’ everyday second baseman. Michael Busch spent time with the club after making his MLB debut earlier this month and figures to see his name included in a number of trade rumors over the next few months.

Gavin Stone also debuted earlier this month and is set to join the starting rotation for the next few weeks while Dustin May is sidelined with a forearm strain. And Ryan Pepiot would 100% be in the starting rotation already if he wasn’t dealing with an oblique injury that could keep him out until mid-July.

Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing are probably the least known of the guys on this list. Rushing is another catching prospect who is playing exceptionally at High-A Great Lakes. He won’t factor into the Dodgers’ plans this season. He’s also buried on the depth chart by Will Smith and Diego Cartaya (and possibly Hunter Feduccia).

Pages, however, is an intriguing player that could find his way up to the big leagues this season if a few things go his way. He was recently elevated to Triple-A after tearing it up at Double-A and is maybe two injuries in the outfield away from possibly getting called up.

Who Can Help the Dodgers Soonest?

The Dodgers need all the pitching help they can get at the moment, as evidenced by two of the three pitchers on this list (Miller, Stone) pitching for LA this week. Pepiot would be if he was physically able to. Beyond that, Michael Busch will be the next guy up when the Dodgers need a corner infielder.

There are a few other guys we could see in LA sooner rather than later who just missed this list but are tearing it up at the Double-A level.

• RHP Nick Nastrini (8th on LAD top 30, 23 years old)
• RHP Nick Frasso (9th on LAD top 30, 24 years old)
• RHP River Ryan (12th on LAD top 30, 23 years old)