The Los Angeles Dodgers saw three players receive recognition on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list for the 2021 season, headlined by Keibert Ruiz’s inclusion at No. 53 overall. Josiah Gray (No. 68) and Michael Busch (No. 87) also made the cut.
The publication recently named Ruiz the Dodgers’ top prospect for the 2021 season. Last year at this time, he was the club’s fourth-ranked prospect and No. 90 overall.
With the 2020 Minor League season cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Ruiz found himself part of the Dodgers’ 60-man player pool. Most of his reps came at the club’s alternate site, but he did enjoy a brief stint at the Major League level, collecting two hits in eight at-bats over two games.
In his last full Minor League season, Ruiz hit a combined .261/.331/.347 across 85 games between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. He is a career .299/.351/.420 hitter in five Minor League seasons.
Like Ruiz, Gray was included in the Dodgers’ player pool. Despite making a start against the L.A. Angels during the exhibition Freeway Series, he did not receive any looks during the regular season or playoffs.
Gray enjoyed a breakout 2019 season, going 11-2 with a 2.28 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 26 games between three Dodgers’ affiliates. He has jumped up various prospects rankings in recent years, placing first in the Dodgers organization on MLB Pipeline’s end of 2020 season update.
Busch, one of two players selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, hit just .125/.371/.125 over five games with Low-A Great Lakes that year.
At the end of the season, he was sent to the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .231/.545/.462 with one home run in 22 plate appearances (five games).
Dodgers’ haul on first day of 2020-21 international signing period
On the first day of the 2020-21 international signing period, the Dodgers added 22 players to the organization (12 pitchers, four infielders, three outfields and three catchers), a group headlined by Wilman Diaz, Rayne Doncon and Jesus Galiz.
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