For a second consecutive year shortstop Corey Seager was ranked the Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect by Baseball America.
The publication released its ranking of the Dodgers top-10 prospects Monday morning, which has Julio Urias moving from third in 2015 to second heading into the 2016 season.
Newcomers to the Dodgers organization Jose Peraza and Yadier Alvarez, are ranked fourth and 10th, respectively.
Alvarez signed with the Dodgers during the current international signing bonus, receiving a $16 million bonus.
In focusing on developing their farm system and retaining prospects over the last few years, the Dodgers have a deep farm system headlined by a dynamic duo, writes Ben Badler:
Seager and Urias are the best one-two prospect punch in baseball, but the depth behind them is impressive, too.
Seager began last season with Double-A Tulsa, though was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City after just 20 games. He hit .278/.332/.451 with 13 home runs, 20 doubles and 61 RBIs for OKC.
Seager then took the Majors by storm in September, batting .337/.425/.561 with four home runs, eight doubles, 17 RBIs, a .421 wOBA and 175 wRC+ in 113 plate appearances over 27 games.
Urias spent the majority of 2015 in Double-A, going 3-4 with a 2.77 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 15 walks in 68.1 innings.
He also made two starts with Oklahoma City, though struggled. Urias’ season was thrown off course a bit by elective eye surgery that forced him to miss one month.
Peraza joined the Dodgers on July 30 as part of the trade with the Atlanta Braves. He hit .293/.313/.376 over 118 Triple-A games with Gwinnett and Oklahoma City. He spent seven games with the Dodgers before a hamstring injury cut his season short.
Jose De Leon made a combined 23 starts with High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa. He finished with a 2.99 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 114.3 innings.
Cody Bellinger led all Dodgers Minor Leaguers with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs and 97 runs scored. Bellinger spent the entire season with the Quakes, batting .264/.336/.538 en route to the team winning the California League title.
Last year Baseball America ranked Bellinger the Dodgers’ No. 22 prospect; this year he checks in fifth. The 20-year-old Bellinger spent the bulk of the season at first base, though also sprinkled in some action in center field.
In his first full season with the Dodgers, Grant Holmes made 24 starts with Low-A Great Lakes. He went 6-4 with a 3.14 ERA, amassing 117 strikeouts in 103.1 innings.
Alex Verdugo hit .311/.340/.441 with nine home runs, 32 doubles and 61 RBIs over 121 games broken up with Low-A Great Lakes and High-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Austin Barnes appeared in 80 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .315/.389/.479. He also played 20 games for the Dodgers, where he hit .207/.361/.276 over 37 plate appearances.
After missing the start of the season due to a broken left wrist suffered in Spring Training, Jharel Cotton went 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 62.2 innings over 11 games (eight starts) in Double-A.
Cotton then appeared in fie games for OKC, posting a 4.91 ERA in 7.1 innings. Complete list of Dodgers top 10 prospects:
| Rank | Position | Player | 2015 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SS | Corey Seager | 1 |
| 2 | LHP | Julio Urias | 3 |
| 3 | RHP | Jose De Leon | 6 |
| 4 | IF/OF | Jose Peraza | 1 (Braves) |
| 5 | 1B/OF | Cody Bellinger | 20 |
| 6 | RHP | Grant Holmes | 4 |
| 7 | OF | Alex Verdugo | 5 |
| 8 | C | Austin Barnes | 15 |
| 9 | RHP | Jharel Cotton | 22 |
| 10 | RHP | Yadier Alvarez | N/A |
