Dodgers Prospect Notes: Cameron Decker & Hyun-Seok Jang finish strong, Jared Karros active, Emil Morales DSL MVP, more

Bruce Kuntz 09/17/2024 Prospect Notes Leave A Comment

(Via @RCQuakes)

Top Farm Batter

Cameron Decker had an impressive season in Single-A, making headlines with his ability to drive in runs. Decker drove in 10 runs in a single game in August, and in total, he drove in 36 runs in his final 31 games.

Decker finished the year with a 131 wRC+ in 62 Single-A games. Although he struck out at a higher than comfortable 33.7% rate, he flashed impressive power ability, mashing 45 extra-base-hits. Decker was an 18th round pick in 2022 and he has since transitioned to mostly playing first base, but his bat has put him on the radar moving into the offseason.

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Top Farm Pitcher

Hyun-Seok Jang finished his 2024 season on an excellent run. After pitching in the Arizona Complex League for most of the year, he got a taste of Single-A with five starts before the schedule concluded. Across 12 1/3 frames, Jang allowed only four hits and three runs while posting a 40% strikeout rate.

The shaky command which plagued him in rookie ball remained to a certain degree, translating to a 16.7% walk rate, but he threw enough strikes to find success. Jang has a deep bag of quality pitches; his fastball has touched 99 mph this year, he throws two different breakers and his changeup has shown at least plus potential. As he continues developing, Jang could become a premier name in the minor leagues.

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Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club

After making himself a bubble 40-man candidate as a reliever last year, Alec Gamboa has shifted back to a starting role in 2024. His results have been solid overall, but he has seen decreases in strikeouts alongside a reigning in of command to satisfy the ask for length as a starter. Gamboa is 27 and he doesn’t seem particularly likely to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, so he could end up being plucked by another organization.

Edgardo Henriquez still hasn’t been called up, but that may not be due to his performance. His walks and average against have each regressed a smidge alongside the move to the PCL, but his strikeout rate has remained north of 30%, and his triple digit fastball/bullet slider combo look as deadly as ever. Ultimately, the Dodgers may have decided his command is just short of what they deem big league ready. If this is the case, Henriquez can still be expected to reach Los Angeles no later than next summer.

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Double-A Tulsa Drillers

Jared Karros was activated from the development list at the end of August and was able to make two starts before Tulsa’s season wrapped up. He had been inactive since mid-June and wound up with 67 2/3 total innings on the year, assuming his season is done. Karros’ last start was great; he threw three perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Yeiner Fernandez finished the season strong, slashing .306/.358/.510 across his final 12 games. Although he hasn’t particularly stood out, Fernandez played a quality campaign in his first Double-A season, hitting at a roughly Texas League average level despite being more than three years younger than the league average age. Fernandez doesn’t hit for a lot of power, but he also doesn’t strike out, and he can play second base or catcher at a solid level. If his hit tool continues improving as he gets a bit older, Fernandez could regain his prospect stock back from a couple years ago.

Garrett McDaniels flies under the radar as a 2018 Marlins draftee, but he has emerged as an interesting left-handed relief prospect this year. He earned a midseason promotion to High-A, where he shifted to a bullpen role and posted a 1.70 FIP across 19 appearances. It was enough for McDaniels to get a small taste of Double-A, where he struck out six in three innings before the season ended.

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High-A Great Lakes Loons

Nick Biddison finished the season on fire in High-A. Across his final 24 games, the 2022 fourth rounder posted a 194 wRC+ and 1.022 OPS. Biddison was tagged with concerns about how he’d handle velocity when he was drafted, and although his first full season was fairly pedestrian, this stretch could signal a breakthrough for the utilityman.

After an adjustment period to High-A, Josue De Paula was back to himself across his final 21 games of the year. Arguably the top prospect in the system, De Paula slashed .342/.510/.479 for a .466 wOBA with 9 stolen bases from August 15 through the end of the season. He won’t turn 20 until next May, so the offensive numbers he puts up are simply ridiculous.

Peter Heubeck had a quality 2024 season. Although he never got a promotion to Double-A — possibly due to his workload as the season went on — Heubeck posted a 3.05 ERA, 30% strikeout rate and .181 average against this year. Command is a problem which will have to be addressed for the 22-year-old to remain a starter, but he proved that his stuff is very good with his performance in 2024.

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Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Zyhir Hope closed out his first season in the Dodgers organization with a 144 wRC+ and .903 OPS in Single-A. He posted nutty exit velocities throughout the season and his hit tool held up better in his 19-year-old season than was expected. Most of Hope’s games came after a two-month stint on the injured list due to a shoulder injury, so it was good to see that his production didn’t suffer following that break.

Christian Zazueta had a rough stretch from late June through late July, but he bounced back to finish the season on a very high note. Across his final seven starts, the 19-year-old posted a 2.43 ERA, 32.8% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate. When he is at his best, Zazueta’s three-pitch mix paired with advanced command makes him very effective.

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Rookie Ball (Dominican Summer League)

Emil Morales was named the Dominican Summer League MVP. The Dodgers’ top signee from this year’s international free agency class, Morales dominated his first summer as a pro, posting video game numbers that culminated in a .342/.478/.691 slash line. He homered 14 times in 46 games as a 17-year-old shortstop. The sky is the limit for Morales, and he should be stateside soon, whether it is for spring training next year or maybe even instructs this fall, if the Dodgers want to be aggressive.

Arnaldo Lantigua was also recognized for his performance in the DSL this year, being named a DSL All-Star. Lantigua, an 18-year-old outfielder, slashed .301/.430/.575 with 11 home runs in 49 games.

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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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