Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Gavin Lux has received plenty of fanfare over the past year for his unprecedented success in the Minor League ranks.
He tore the cover off the ball with Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma en route to setting numerous records before earning his first cup of coffee in the Majors last September. Lux thrived in his limited amount of at-bats and is now poised for even more opportunities during the 2020 season.
In a poll conducted by MLB Pipeline, various general managers, scouting directors and executives ranked Lux the second-best hitting prospect across baseball.
Lux earned 14% of the votes, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco (61%). Emerging Chicago White Sox star Luis Robert placed third on the list with 7%, while Seattle Mariners outfielder Jared Kelenic, Minnesota Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn and Atlanta Braves outfielder Drew Waters were among the other prospects to receive consideration.
The same group of general managers, scouting directors and executives also believe Lux is one of the smartest prospects in all of baseball. He tied for third in the category with 8% of the vote, bested by only Chicago White Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal (31%) and Rutschman (12%).
Of all the prospects to potentially play in the Majors this season, the consensus is that Lux will contribute the most. He placed first with 35% of the votes, ahead of Oakland Athletics left-hander Jesus Luzardo (19%), Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brendan McKay (15%), Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell (8%), Athletics catcher Sean Murphy (8%) and Robert (8%).
Between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City last season, Lux hit a stellar .347/.421/.607 in 113 games. He followed up that performance by posting a .705 on-base plus slugging in 30 regular season games with the Dodgers.
Lux was included on the club’s National League Division Series roster and started in three of the five games at second base. He most notably became the youngest player in Dodgers franchise history to hit a home run in the postseason.
Lux made it a goal of his to earn the starting job at second base in 2020. He has been the subject of trade interest this offseason, but the Dodgers to this point have shown no inclination of dealing him.
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