Dodgers Prospect Acquired in Big Trade Cracks First Midseason Top 100 List
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not only been one of the best clubs in Major League Baseball for the last decade-plus, their farm system has been thriving as well.
This season hasn’t been any different.
When MLB Pipeline released its midseason player rankings on Tuesday, one Dodgers prospect cracked the top 100 for the first time.
Left-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris, who was acquired in the trade with Chicago that sent Michael Busch to the Cubs, has entered the rankings at No. 90. He joins four other talented Dodgers prospects – Dalton Rushing (No. 39), Josue De Paula (No. 49), Alex Freeland (No. 79), and River Ryan (No. 65).
When the Dodgers acquired Ferris, he was considered the No. 8 prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization, according to MLB Pipeline.
A second-round draft pick out of IMG Academy (Fla.) in 2022, Ferris spent his first professional season at Single-A Myrtle Beach in 2023. He ended up with a 3.38 earned run average and struck out 12.4 batters per nine innings over 18 starts (56 innings).
The Dodgers had a good feeling about Ferris, but they couldn’t be sure how quickly he would reach new levels in their farm system. On Aug. 2, he announced his arrival with Single-A Great Lakes by throwing eight innings of no-hit baseball.
The Loons had to pull him after eight innings and 98 pitches.
“I just feel like at the beginning of the game I was trying to get all four pitches in the zone: fastball, slider, curveball, changeup,” the Dodgers’ No. 6 prospect said. “Second inning goes by and I had a better feel for my changeup than I’ve had in a little bit, same thing for my curveball, and right now, my fastball and slider feel really well. I was able to get all four in the zone, and that was really good.”
Ferris issued four walks and struck out six.
The starter lobbied to finish the game but he was on a triple-digit pitch count and it didn’t make sense for him to go back out for two pitches. Eight innings was already a new career-high.
“If I go out there and do what I’m supposed to do, I have a good chance of giving my team a chance to win,” Ferris said. “That’s how it’s been the last few months. I just have to pound the zone, don’t need to nitpick.”
Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sport
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