MLB Pipeline released their annual top-10 farm system rankings, and despite graduating top prospects such as Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler in recent years, the Los Angeles Dodgers still came in at No. 7.
The Dodgers are the only organization to appear in each of MLB Pipeline’s biannual top-10 rankings since they started compiling them in 2015.
The Dodgers’ farm system is currently headlined by Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz, Dustin May and Gavin Lux, all of which were recently ranked in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 going into the 2019 season.
Verdugo has made the Major Leagues briefly in each of the last two seasons with the Dodgers. In 37 games in 2018, he hit .260/.329/.377 with six doubles, a home run and four RBI.
He spent most of last season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hit an impressive .329/.391/.472 with 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBI. The 22-year-old has gotten off to a hot start to this spring as he competes for a starting outfield job.
Ruiz hit .268/.328/.401 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI in 101 total games with Double-A Tulsa a year ago. He, along with other top catching prospect Will Smith, are both believed to be a year away from being Major League ready.
May had a bit of a breakout season in 2018, splitting time between High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Tulsa. In 23 combined starts between the two levels, he went 9-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.11 WHIP while striking out 122 and walking 29 in 132.2 innings.
Lux also had a breakout season between the Quakes and Drillers, batting .324/.399/.514 with 15 home runs, 85 runs scored and 57 RBI in 116 games.
The Dodgers farm system also includes prospects like Tony Gonsolin, Dennis Santana, D.J. Peters and Edwin Rios, all of which could make an impact at the Major League level as soon as this season.
