While the Los Angeles Dodgers again have been active in free agency, they maintain a strong farm system that includes notable prospects such as Zyhir Hope, Dalton Rushing and Jackson Ferris, among others.
The trio have gained national notoriety as well, and in Ferris’ case, he’s skyrocketed since being acquired along with Hope in a trade that sent Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs last offseason.
Ferris was the Cubs’ No. 8 prospect at the time of the trade and he has continued to blossom in the Dodgers’ system, which he attributes to strong coaching throughout the Dodgers organization.
Ferris began his 2024 season with High-A Great Lakes, where he made 20 starts with a 3.39 ERA in 98.1 innings. In what turned out to be his last for the Loons, Ferris went out on a high note as he threw eight no-hit innings but was not allowed to go back out for the ninth.
“I remember coming off in the seventh inning and some players were not talking to me, which is kind of different. I’m a big talker in the dugout, so when they stopped talking to me, I kind of looked around and noticed I had a no-hitter,” Ferris recently crecalled.
“Went out for the eighth, three up and three down, and came back off, and the head coach and pitching coach didn’t really say that I was done. So I was fully expecting to go out for the ninth and then halfway through the inning, D.A. (pitching coach David Anderson) said they got a call saying I wasn’t allowed to go out for the ninth. It kind of sucked.”
Ferris’ pitch count sitting at 98 heading into the ninth inning is most likely why he wasn’t allowed to finish his start. Exceeding 100 pitches is something that rarely happens at the Major League level within the Dodgers farm system, or any team for that matter.
Nonetheless, Ferris’ disappointment at not being given the chance to complete a no-hitter is understandable as it could have been his first as a professional. Ferris threw a no-hitter in high school, but he views that as being in a different tier.
“I have, but six or seven innings, so it’s a little different,” he said. “Being able to go a nine-inning no-hitter would’ve been a lot cooler.”
The Dodgers have always been careful with the health of their young arms under Andrew Friedman’s regime, but a higher level of care has likely been implemented as a result of the rash of injuries to starting pitchers in the organization the past two seasons.
Jackson Ferris on Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101 for 2025
A group of five Dodgers prospects made Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101 list for the 2025 season. The group includes Hope at No. 8, Ferris at No. 52 and more.
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