Much of the attention involving Los Angeles Dodgers prospects this season has centered around Will Smith, and deservedly so, but he’s recently been joined in the spotlight by Gavin Lux. The young shortstop began the season with Double-A Tulsa before earning a promotion.
Lux has been on nothing short of a remarkable, if not historic tear, since joining Triple-A Oklahoma City. Through his first 15 games with the affiliate, Lux is batting .531/.577/1.063 with nine doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 22 RBI.
Including time with the Drillers, he’s slugged 20 home runs, which surpassed a previous career high of 15, set last year with High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Tulsa.
Lux has hit safely in all 15 games with Oklahoma City and with that has also come a streak of five consecutive games with a home run, entering play Friday; Lux has slugged six homers during that stretch.
The multi-home run performance came Wednesday, which Lux followed up with his first career five-hit game on Thursday. Overall, he has nine multi-hit efforts with Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers selected Lux with 20th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. He debuted that year in the Arizona Rookie League and finished the season with rookie level Ogden Raptors. Lux spent all of 2017 with Low-A Great Lakes and was on the Quakes’ Opening Day roster for 2018.
A strong showing earned him a promotion to Double-A in August of that year, and Lux remained with the Drillers into late June of the 2019 season.
Lux’s outlook with the Dodgers provides plenty of intrigue. When drafted, he was touted by some as the heir apparent to Corey Seager. Particularly if the Dodgers eventually moved Seager off of shortstop and to third base.
There hasn’t been any indications the club is giving serious consideration to doing so, and in the meantime Lux has begun to play some second base. That position has been a bit of a revolving door for the Dodgers and still appears to be so amid Kiké Hernandez’s inconsistency.
Should Lux continue with his torrid hitting for Oklahoma City, he may be a dark horse candidate to receive a call-up once active rosters expand in September.
