Dodgers Prospect Notes: An 8-1 Spring Breakout victory powered by dominant pitching & Liranzo, De Paula, and George

Bruce Kuntz 03/16/2024 Prospect Notes Leave A Comment

The Dodgers won their Spring Breakout game in dominating fashion by an 8-1 score over the Angels.

This event flew a bit under the radar with the first exhibition game in Korea happening tonight, but it was a nice debut for the Spring Breakout series. Multiple prospects appeared that have not yet made it into any Major League Spring Training games, making this the first time anyone could watch them in high definition or maybe at all.

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The pitchers the Dodgers sent to the mound were excellent, allowing only one run, which scored on an error.

Justin Wrobleski was the starter, tossing two shutout frames.

Wrobleski, my No. 12 prospect in the system, struck out four and allowed just one hit. He is going to be a big name to watch this season and will likely start the year at Double-A Tulsa.

The big swing of the game came from Thayron Liranzo, who mashed a three-run homer in the third inning. Liranzo, my No. 10 prospect, led the Single-A California League in homers last year and could become a top 100 prospect in the majors with a big season in 2024.

Another big performance came from Kendall George, the Dodgers’ top draft pick from last season. He went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two runs scored. George, my No. 20 prospect, possesses true 80-grade speed and good control of the barrel, each of which he showed today.

Josue De Paula also picked up two hits. My No. 2 prospect drove in George on each of his singles, going 2-for-3 with on the day.

Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope each made their first appearances as Dodgers after being acquired from the Cubs in the Michael Busch/Yency Almonte deal this offseason. Ferris, my No. 9 prospect, struck out three in two innings, while Hope, my No. 45 prospect, singled twice and stole a base.

Teenage infielder Alexander Albertus, my No. 30 prospect, entered the game off the bench and doubled in his first at-bat. Albertus walked twice as much as he struck out in rookie ball last year and could be on Rancho Cucamonga’s Opening Day roster this season.

Returning to the mound, the Dodgers allowed just one hit across the final five innings, which started with Jared Karros, my No. 56 prospect, throwing two impressive innings. Patrick Copen entered next, striking out four in two innings of his own.

Finishing off the game with an electric inning was Edgardo Henriquez, my No. 39 prospect. Henriquez struck out all three batters he faced, and although there was not a radar gun on the broadcast, his fastball looked to be running hot and forced a few ugly whiffs.

Henriquez missed all of 2023 after he had elbow surgery in Aug. 2022. If he is back to himself and healthy on the mound this year, as well as back to his previous fastball velocity in the high-90s, he could get back into the conversation among the best pitching prospects in the organization quickly.

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Everyone already knew that the Dodgers have a bright future, but a day like today sets that in stone. The Spring Breakout roster was missing a few top prospects such as Andy Pages, River Ryan and Diego Cartaya, leaving some extra room for other players to showcase themselves. Hopefully MLB carries this as a yearly event into the future.

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About Bruce Kuntz

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I'm a Long Beach State journalism student and I've been writing about the Dodgers and their farm system since I was in high school.
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