2026 Spring Breakout Dodgers Recap: Zach Root makes emphatic pro debut & James Tibbs III continues to break out as bats rule the day

Jared Massey 03/23/2026 Prospect Notes Leave A Comment

It was long. It was hot. It was chaotic. But in the end, it was two years coming for the Dodgers to showcase their best prospects, and they did not disappoint.

The Dodgers won their Spring Breakout contest against their Spring Training neighbors 11-10, besting the White Sox in a matchup that saw the teams combine for 21 runs on 18 hits and a staggering 27 walks.

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But the real story was the players, some of whom performed as expected and others who opened eyes and gave fans a new name to remember. Let’s take a look at who stood out.

James Tibbs III

This should come as no surprise, as he has showcased his prodigious offense this spring with the big club, but Tibbs still impressed by displaying his patience and power in his four plate appearances. After the team fell behind 8-2 in the second inning, it was Tibbs who delivered the big hit to bring the game back within reach.

Tibbs walked in his other three plate appearances, having a perfect night at the plate. All of this comes after hitting .326/.392/.651 with three homers in 20 spring training games. While there isn’t a direct path for him to the majors, James could force the Dodgers’ hand with a strong showing at Triple A Oklahoma City this year.

Mike Sirota

Sirota had been the player I was most excited about seeing this spring, after dominating A ball in his pro debut last season before a knee injury cut his season short. Now on a big stage, Sirota showed he’s ready to make up for lost time.

His 110.5 mph line drive was the hardest hit ball of the night, and he added another run scoring single as well as a bases loaded walk. Sirota seems to be picking up where he left off last year, which is scary for opposing pitchers and exciting for Dodger fans.

Josue De Paula

De Paula is used to performing on big stages. He was named the MVP of last year’s Future’s Game after homering off of White Sox prospect Noah Schultz. So it was only fitting that he’d collect another big hit off a ChiSox lefty in a showcase.

JDP swung at just three pitches last night and also drew a pair of walks. This is coming off a spring training in which he hit .375 with a .464 OBP on the big league side. De Paula should head to Double A Tulsa to start the season as a 20 year old.

Zyhir Hope

Hope got off to a hot start this spring in big league camp but struggled down the stretch, ending his time on the major league side with a .184/.244/.237 line. He started at DH and batted 6th in the Spring Breakout game and looked more like himself, drawing a pair of walks and collecting this hard hit single off top White Sox prospect Hagen Smith.

Joendry Vargas

2025 was a lost season for Vargas, who hit just .221 in Rancho before suffering a fracture in his wrist that cost him the rest of the year. While he’s known more for his power potential, Vargas had a big impact on the bases in the game for the Dodgers, stealing a pair of bags and then mind-gaming the left side of the infield on a routine groundball to score from second.

Cam Day

Day was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent most of last year with High A Great Lakes before getting a cup of coffee in Tulsa. He pitched in five games with the big club this spring, allowing three runs and striking out four. The stuff is ahead of the results right now, as the 23 year old threw the hardest fastball of the game last night at 99.8 mph while averaging 97.9 with the pitch and he used an impressive curveball that he commanded well to strike out the side in the 3rd inning.

Zach Root

The biggest surprise and the best performer was Root, who tied the Spring Breakout record for strikeouts with eight over his three innings of work. The Dodgers’ top pick in last year’s draft, Root was seen more as a back end starter with #4 upside. That may have changed on Saturday, as Root came out of the gate firing 97 mph fastballs and touching 99.

Now, it’s only 3 innings in March and not too much can be drawn from such a small sample. But, if this is who Root is as a pitcher now, after a full offseason in the Dodgers’ development lab, Zach could take off and make a big jump up the prospect rankings as well as the minor league ladder.

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Who were you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments and be sure to stick around this season for coverage of all of these prospects and many more!

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