The Dodgers are entering an interesting phase of their next era of Dodger Baseball. They are beginning a youth movement. A lot of the veterans of this recent run have been let go. Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Kenley Jansen among others have all left via free agency. While we are sad to see them go, this opens the door for the newest crop of Dodger prospects to take the field. These kids have helped the Dodgers climb back atop the standings in the NL West.
The kid that has made the biggest impact this season has been 25-year old outfielder James Outman. Originally the Sacramento based left-handed hitter was called up to play in four games in 2022 and clubbed his first MLB home run while batting over .400 during that short stretch. Outman, a seventh-round draft pick in 2018 is batting .274/.371/573 with 8 home runs and a 149 OPS +. Many consider Outman to have a legitimate chance of winning National League rookie of the year. Young players like this are increasing the Dodger’s odds of winning the NL West this season. With improved play from these youngsters means betting on the Dodgers to win the division this year is looking like more of a sure thing. Sports betting is still illegal in California so all you Cali fans will have to wait until the state joins the list of states that have legalized sports betting. Fortunately, according to usalegalbetting.com most states across the country have legalized sports betting. These states host the nation’s top sportsbooks and are ready to take your action on the Dodgers or on any other team.
Another fine young prospect getting an extended look this year is infield prospect Miguel Vargas. The 23-year old Cuban born player has posted a .344 OBP while driving in 17 runs in the early going. Vargas learned better plate discipline during the spring while battling an injury. He has almost as many walks as he does strikeouts. Learning the strike zone is key for young players.
Another solid looking young ball player is Michael Busch. Busch ranks as the club’s #3 prospect, according to mlb.com. The left-handed hitting infielder is a first-round pick with a great baseball pedigree out of the University of North Carolina. This year he has already played in 7 games, while posting a .348 OBP. Busch crushed 54 home runs in the minors, and drove in 193 runs. So it is fair to say that he can handle his own with the bat. On the diamond he can play multiple positions including 3B, 2B, and the corner outfield spots.
On the pitching side, the Dodgers have several kids knocking on the door. Ryan Pepiot, and Gavin Stone are the most big league ready hurlers. Both have already made their big-league debuts. While Pepiot posted a 3.47 ERA across 36.1 innings last year, he was slated to be in the starting rotation before an injury forced him into the injured list. Stone, a fifth-round pick out of Arkansas figures prominently in the Dodger’s future pitching plans. Another pitching prospect Bobby Miller (another first-rounder) is almost ready to be called up as well. Other young pitchers such as Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin are already regular rotation stalwarts for the Dodgers. The vaunted Dodger’s farm system is finally starting to bear fruit.
Again, what is going on here?
There’s zero chance Scott wrote that. It’s tone and style are odd, to say the least.
It’s a sponsored post Bluto,
I’m poor and need money.
I was trying to figure out how you went from decrying the Dodgers youth movement to extolling it.
I’ve always been pro-youth, I just don’t think they have anyone super great in the farm, except for Outman. But I want to see, and the only way to see if any of these hyped prospects have anything is to call them up and play them. Outman looks very toosly. Busch, Pepiot, Stone, Miller, Vargas, all need more playing time to find out what they have. Same for Pages, Cartaya, etc. I do not think there is a Bellinger, Seager, or Urias in any of those guys, but some are bound to be productive. Only way to find out is to play them.