Dodgers Prospect News: Seven Ranked in Baseball Prospectus Top 100

Last week we brought to you Baseball America’s Top 100 list, where the Dodgers had four of their top prospects listed. Since then, other lists have been released. MLB.com has four Dodgers on their Top 100, as does FanGraphs. However, one list stands out against the rest: Baseball Prospectus. Long-viewed as another reputable analysis group especially with prospects, they have released their own Top 100. And boy is it a whopper for the Dodgers. All told, there are seven Dodgers prospects in Baseball Prospectus Top 100! This is one behind the White Sox, and is tied with the Braves and Phillies.

2018 Prospects: The Top 101

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Ranking this year's top 101 prospects. Plus, within this link we've included a podcast discussing the rankings in depth.https://t.co/pwu4ACeM3X

— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) February 5, 2018

The Prospects

Those seven Dodgers featured are: Walker Buehler (#21), Alex Verdugo (#25), Yadier Alvarez (#41), Keibert Ruiz (#54), Dustin May (#69), Yusniel Diaz (#73), and Mitchell White (#86). The most intriguing entrant onto this list is Dustin May. Interestingly, he is still out of most other places top 10 lists for the Dodgers, let alone other top 100’s. That includes our own top 10 list of prospects. Now, this isn’t necessarily without reason. May, while having shown excellent poise and control, hasn’t shown any plus-plus pitches yet. Certainly his fastball and breaking ball could develop into that, but for now they are average at best. What makes him so successful is his impeccable control. We predicted a few weeks back that he would be one of our breakout prospects in 2018. While he isn’t on many top 10 or even 100 lists now, it isn’t a stretch to say he’ll be on most by years’ end.

Most of the other names on this Top 100 list are familiar and have appeared on various other lists. Walker Buehler and Alex Verdugo are the only players that have shown up on essentially every other list. Some lists do not have Yadier Alvarez on them, but most do. As is the case with Keibert Ruiz. This group of four prospects are generally our core four prospects. Mitchell White is starting to show up on a few lists, but is still not universally seen as top 100 material. Mainly because he doesn’t have that ace-upside many top 100 pitchers do have.

Yusniel Diaz, despite being a fairly universal top 100 prospect in 2017, has dropped off nearly every list. However, this is not his fault by any stretch. He once again posted a solid line in 2017, reaching all the way to AA. But for whatever reason, only Baseball Prospectus has him inside their Top 100. But fret not, Diaz is still a solid prospect that will reach AAA and could make a cameo in September this year.

The Takeaways

Clearly the Dodgers still have an immensely loaded and talented farm system. Despite graduations of players like Seager, Urias, and Bellinger, and trading names like De Leon and Calhoun away, the Dodgers still have a top 10 farm system in baseball. Even by some metrics a top 5 system. The players Los Angeles has are quality top to bottom. There are players ready to contribute this year, next year, and beyond. A great deal of the strength of the Dodgers’ system is within it’s depth. Since Andrew Friedman and company took over, that has been their main goal: to create incredible depth in the midst of competition. Our 25 man roster is deep and versatile, as is the 40 man, and the system beyond that.

This list continues to show and solidify our excellent farm system’s status. Many of these prospects have exciting futures ahead of them. And it is nice to see some prospects like Dustin May getting the recognition they deserve.