Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
It’s prospect ranking season around baseball, and while my Top 100 won’t come out until January, others are busy ranking away.
Baseball America chimed in with its Dodgers’ Top 10 prospects. It is as follows:
- Corey Seager
- Julio Urias
- Jose De Leon
- Jose Peraza
- Cody Bellinger
- Grant Holmes
- Alex Verdugo
- Austin Barnes
- Jharel Cotton
- Yadier Alvarez
Not too many surprises here. Seager and Urias are the clear 1-2 in the organization, while De Leon has staked his claim to the third-best in the system. I was a little surprised to see Peraza check in so high, but BA is famous for being consistent with its rankings of players over the years. Peraza was No. 1 in the Atlanta system last year, so his being in the Top 5 in LA isn’t overly surprising.
Two things surprised me the most: Holmes dropping to sixth and Bellinger jumping into the Top 5. Holmes, despite his command issues, posted some strong numbers as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. And he missed a lot of bats. I still think he could be a No. 2 starter in the long run.
Bellinger’s ascension has been impressive. He ranked in the teens last year and is now a Top 5 prospect in one of baseball’s best farm systems. His power and defense look to be his carrying tools right now. Ben Badler, who authored the list, was impressed with Bellinger, too.
Excited about Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger. Swing evolution led to power spike that will play outside the Cal League. Slick with the glove too.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) November 13, 2015
Verdugo had quite a second half of the season which cemented his Top 10 prospect status. Also, it’s nice to see Barnes and Cotton get some much-deserved recognition. Barnes is a touch “old” in prospect years, but his skill-set could have him as a starting catcher on many MLB teams entering 2016. Cotton has done nothing but pitch well in the last three seasons. Whether his future lies in the rotation or bullpen, he has a major-league arm and could have sustained success in the majors.
As for Alvarez — well, the Dodgers didn’t give him $16 million because of his personality. He’s a talented pitcher who has shown enough to be in the Top 10 without having thrown a pitch in professional baseball.
I’ll say this: Nine of the 10 players above will appear in my Top 10 (barring trades or other additions), and I do have Bellinger as a Top 5 prospect in the system. This list is a very fine list.
