Dodgers Prospect Notes: Zazueta rising, De Paula bubbling to the top, Sirota still hot, Ehrhard doing well, Quintero on fire, more

Bruce Kuntz 07/03/2026 Prospect Notes Leave A Comment

Top Farm Batter

Mike Sirota has been the best hitter in the minor leagues this season. His on-base streak is up to nearing 70 games as the 23-year-old has remained dominant since being promoted to Tulsa.

He’s walked more than he’s struck out in Double-A, sporting an absurd 22% walk rate on the season alongside a .325/.483/.574 slash line. Sirota has seemingly put much of his preseason hit tool concern to bed with his graceful transition to Double-A. At this point, it looks like he could reach Triple-A before the end of 2026, and Sirota is on track to end the year within the top 20 of every league-wide prospects list.

Top Farm Pitcher

Christian Zazueta has also made the High-A to Double-A jump well, surrendering only one run and punching out 16 across his first two starts with Tulsa. He has gained a ton of buzz in the prospects world linked to his strong performance.

Zazueta has a rare combination of stuff and command that has made him an impossible matchup for many minor league hitters. The 21-year-old has paired a 37% strikeout rate with a 6% walk rate, placing his 31% K-BB rate second best in the minors among pitchers with 50 innings. He only throws three pitches, but he hasn’t needed more; his fastball is at least a plus offering with good carry in the mid-to-high 90s alongside a roughly average slider and a wipeout changeup.

The Mexican right-hander will be Rule 5 eligible this offseason, and the Dodgers will obviously be protecting him, but that status adds motive for the Dodgers to build up his innings total this year. He is on pace to potentially be a spot-starter in his age-22 season.

Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets

Zach Ehrhard has enjoyed an extended run of excellence, slashing .305/.435/.540 from May 1-June 30 with more walks than strikeouts. The 23-year-old has sustained his offensive production while getting consistent playing time at all three outfield spots, highlighting his versatility alongside his talent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ehrhard given a chance next year in the majors to fill a role similar to Alex Call‘s, especially down the stretch once the Dodgers ensure he’s gotten his share of overall playing time on the season; his athleticism and prowess with the bat would line him up for a slam-dunk everyday role on many teams.

Although speed-demon infielder Taylor Young hasn’t played everyday since being called up to Triple-A on June 10, the 27-year-old has taken advantage of his playing time, slashing .380/.475/.640 in 13 games. Young had a late start to 2026 but stole at least 40 bases each of the last three years. He isn’t projected to be an everyday big leaguer but the Louisiana Tech alum will look for a bench role in the future.

Double-A Tulsa Drillers

Josue De Paula is still doing his thing as part of Tulsa’s loaded outfield. His numbers were largely similar in June compared to the season as a whole: in 73 games, the 21-year-old rising superstar has slashed .322/.419/.563 with 15 homers, a 12% strikeout rate and 14% walk rate. He’s clearly established himself as an upper-upper echelon prospect of the truly untouchable variety which doesn’t come along often.

Sirota isn’t the only Driller with an impressive on-base streak; Jake Gelof has reached in 40 consecutive contests, compiling 11 homers and 36 RBI during the stretch. The jump to High-A tripped up the former second rounder in 2024, causing Gelof to fall off many prospect radars, but he has quietly turned things around the last two years. He is still a “proceed with caution” case, though; Gelof has a 31% strikeout rate despite his 121 wRC+ in 2026.

High-A Great Lakes Loons

Chase Harlan is has firmly maintained his rocketship trajectory across his first seven High-A games, tallying 12 hits in 30 at-bats (.400) including two homers. The 19-year-old third baseman has a 1.027 OPS this season and has put himself into the conversation with the best power-hitting prospects in baseball. If he can keep producing and continue limiting strikeouts for the rest of the year, Harlan should be a consensus top-100 or better prospect.

Eduardo Quintero has been nothing short of fantastic over the last two months. Since the start of May, the 20-year-old center fielder is batting .349 with 21 extra-base-hits and 27 stolen bases. He walked more than he struck out in June and might be knocking on the door to Double-A soon.

Brooks Auger has had a strong bounce-back campaign after a tough 2025. The 6-foot-5 hurler has a 2.19 ERA across 10 starts, posting a 1.04 ERA in June. Auger had an oddly low strikeout rate last season for his caliber of stuff but has punched out hitters at a 35% rate in 2026. The Mississippi State alum has all the components of a backend starter if he can stay healthy and consistent.

Single-A Ontario Tower Buzzers

Easton Shelton has done a boatload of damage in the California League this season. He’s easily pacing the circuit with 23 homers (second best is 14) and 75 RBI (second place 70). Shelton is also leading the league in strikeouts, going down at a 35% rate. The former undrafted free agent out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas has been an ultimate boom-or-bust hitter in 2026, and while his contact quality has jumped off the page, it will be interesting to see how it translates when he moves up to High-A.

Mairoshendrick Martinus took home California League Player of the Week honors at the end of June, capping off a very strong month. The 21-year-old slashed .346/.387/.663 across 25 games. While he isn’t walking much, Martinus has made adjustments in 2026 to drop his strikeout rate quite a bit, and he’s been productive overall as a result.

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About Bruce Kuntz

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Long Beach State journalism student in my fifth year of covering the Dodgers and their farm system.
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