The Baseball America top 100 prospects for 2017 was unveiled Friday night during an hour-long special on MLB Network. The Los Angeles Dodgers placed four Minor Leaguers in the publication’s ranking, led by Cody Bellinger at No. 7 overall.
Dodgers who joined Bellinger in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list are Yadier Alvarez at No. 26, Alex Verdugo at No. 58, and Willie Calhoun at No. 92. Bellinger was previously rated baseball’s No. 6 prospect by ESPN’s Keith Law and No. 13 by MLB Pipeline.
What’s more, the versatile first baseman was also named the Dodgers’ top prospect by Baseball America, and the top prospect at his position by MLB Pipeline.
Bellinger batted .263/.359/.484 with 23 home runs, 17 doubles and 65 RBI in 117 games with Double-A Tulsa last season. He played 81 games at first base, 13 in left field, 13 in center field and nine in right field.
Bellinger was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the final three regular-season games of 2016, going 6-for-11 with three home runs and five RBI. Bellinger then hit .250/.364/.361 with one double, one home run, six runs scored, five RBI and seven walks in nine games during Oklahoma City’s nine-game playoff run.
Alvarez was named the Dodgers’ top prospect by Baseball Prospectus, and placed No. 46 overall in Law’s ranking.
Alvarez received a $16 million signing bonus on July 2, 2015, which was the first day of the 2015-16 international signing period. He was 19 years old at the time and ranked the top international prospect by FanGraphs and No. 2 by MLB.com.
The Cuban native made his professional debut last June with the Arizona League Dodgers, where he went 1-1 in five starts, with a 1.80 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 20 innings. Alvarez concluded the season with Low-A Great Lakes.
In nine starts for the Loons, the right-hander was 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 39.1 innings pitched. Alvarez recorded 10 strikeouts in each of his first two starts, and averaged 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings with the Loons.
Verdugo was ranked the Dodgers’ fourth-best prospect by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, and No. 31 overall by Law.
Verdugo batted .273/.336/.407, setting career highs with 13 home runs, 63 RBI and 44 walks in 126 games with the Drillers. It marked the first time in Verdugo’s young career that he played above High-A.
The 20-year-old joined Oklahoma City for the Pacific Coast League championship, going 4-for-12 with three RBI while appearing in four games. Verdugo was among the Dodgers prospects sent to the Arizona Fall League, though he struggled due to fatigue. Verdugo was named to the Mexican national team for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Calhoun hit .254/.318/.469 with 25 doubles, 27 home runs and 88 RBI with the Drillers last season. Over 14 Arizona Fall League games, he batted .255/.300/.340 with one home run and six RBI, and not only was named to the Fall Stars Game, but took home MVP honors.
Baseball America listed Calhoun fifth their ranking of the Dodgers’ top-10 prospects, and he was also rated the organization’s eighth-best prospect by Baseball Prospectus.
Bellinger, Calhoun and Verdugo are among the Dodgers’ non-roster invitees to Spring Training.
