The Los Angeles Dodgers’ highly-touted farm system was ranked the third best in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline in their annual midseason update.
They placed behind the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays. With their latest recognition, the Dodgers remain the only organization to appear in each of MLB Pipeline’s biannual top-10 rankings since they started compiling them during the 2015 preseason.
The Dodgers’ farm system is currently headlined by Gavin Lux (No. 10), Dustin May (No. 35), Keibert Ruiz (No. 36) and Will Smith (No. 54), all of whom were recently ranked in MLB Pipeline’s 2019 top-100 prospects midseason update.
Lux, having split time at Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, is hitting an unworldly .356/.427/.627 with 22 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs, 69 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 99 games between the two affiliates.
The 21-year-old has garnered national attention for his production with the Oklahoma City Dodgers. In 22 games during the month of July, he accumulated eight doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 26 RBI across 108 plate appearances.
Lux earned Pacific Coast League Player of the Month honors for his efforts.
With September approaching, the Dodgers are still debating whether to promote their top prospect when rosters expand. Another option under consideration is to allow Lux to join the team without activating him, similar to Smith last season.
After opening up the 2019 season with the Drillers and eventually earning a promotion Oklahoma City, May now occupies one of the Dodgers’ spots in their starting rotation.
In two Major League starts thus far, the right-hander has compiled an 0-1 record, 3.18 ERA, 2.87 FIP and 1.32 WHIP with 10 strikeouts against one walk over 11.1 innings pitched.
May has progressed in each outing, gaining confidence along the way. He allowed just one run in 5.2 innings of work in his previous start against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ruiz, still considered one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball, has been mired by inconsistencies and injuries this season. In 85 games between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit a combined .261/.331/.347 with nine doubles, six home runs and 34 RBI over 350 trips to the plate.
The 21-year-old enjoyed considerably better results for the Dodgers’ top Minor League affiliate, but appeared in only nine games there before suffering a broken finger — likely putting an end to his 2019 season.
As for Smith, L.A.’s other top catching prospect, he has taken on a significant role at the Major League level. Recently supplanting Austin Barnes as the Dodgers’ starting catcher, the 24-year-old is hitting a terrific .313/.360/.746 with eight doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBI in 75 plate appearances (22 games).
