As a recurring theme for the Los Angeles Dodgers, their farm system ranks as one of the best in all of Major League Baseball headlined by Diego Cartaya, their No. 1 prospect.
The Dodgers slotted in as the No. 3 farm system, behind the Baltimore Orioles (No. 1) and Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 2) in Baseball America’s organizational rankings.
Heading into the 2022 season, the Dodgers’ farm system ranked No. 8, and because of Miguel Vargas and Baseball America anointing him as their Triple-A Player of the Year, the club rose into the top three in all of baseball.
Baseball America released their top-10 Dodgers prospects, listing Cartaya at No. 1, followed by Vargas, Michael Busch, Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Stone, Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, Nick Nastrini and James Outman.
Cartaya earned a spot in big league camp and has already made a number of appearances catching top arms in the Dodgers organization.
The 21-year-old took part in the 2022 MLB All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium and was named the 2022 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year by the Dodgers after hitting a combined .254/.389/.503 with 22 doubles, 22 home runs and 72 RBI between Single-A and High-A with the Great Lakes Loons.
Miller at No. 2 is the wild card of the Dodgers prospects, featuring a live fastball and front-of-the-rotation stuff. He posted 11.6 strikeouts per nine in 91 innings between Double-A Tulsa and at Triple-A with the Oklahoma City Dodgers (20 games, 19 starts).
There’s speculation that he could contribute to the MLB roster this season, but not without a reduction in walks and a controlled approach to finding the zone and working ahead so he doesn’t have to force the use of his upper-90s heater.
Dodgers prospects will be key to 2023 success
This past offseason saw the Dodgers make a movement toward infusing youth onto their roster, and how that pans out could be key in the team’s success — or struggles — this year.
In addition to Vargas, the likes of Pepiot, Miller, Outman and Stone should see opportunities with the Dodgers at various points in 2023.
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