January 27th, 2023 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka On Thursday, MLB Pipeline released their annual Top 100 Prospects list, which included an impressive seven Dodgers prospects.
That’s the great news … almost.
The less-than-great news is that there was one defensive position noticeably missing from among the seven; one which has been a bit of a dilemma for Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and the team this offseason – shortstop. In fact, of the seven Top-100 Dodgers prospects, there is only one infielder, 25-year-old second baseman Michael Busch, who also has some experience at first base, but we pretty much know that will never happen, with the Dodgers having signed future Hall of Fame first baseman Freddie Freeman to a six-year/$162 million contract on March 18, 2022 that runs through the 2027 season.
(Jon SooHoo)
Here is Dodger Insider beat writer Ron Gutterman’s article (verbatim) on MLB Pipeline‘s Top 100 Prospects list:
MLB Pipeline released its annual top 100 prospects on Thursday and the Dodgers were one of three organizations with at least seven players on the list (Baltimore had eight, Cleveland had seven).
- 14. Diego Cartaya, C
- 24. Bobby Miller, RHP
- 37. Miguel Vargas, INF
- 54. Michael Busch, 2B
- 56. Gavin Stone, RHP
- 70. Ryan Pepiot, RHP
- 81. Andy Pages, OF
Cartaya, the 21-year-old catcher and winner of the 2022 Dodgers’ Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year award, is the №2 rated catcher by MLB Pipeline and also ranked 18th among all minor league prospects by Baseball America and 19th overall by Baseball Prospectus.
Cartaya slashed .251/.379/.476/.855 with 13 home runs in 62 games with Great Lakes last season. He hit 22 homers and had an .892 OPS overall in 95 minor league games.
Miller was rated by MLB Pipeline sixth among right-handed minor league pitchers, while Baseball America landed him at №21 overall and Baseball Prospectus ranked him №27.
Miller spent the majority of 2022 with Double-A Tulsa, posting a 4.45 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 91 innings. He was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City in late August, where he excelled with a 3.38 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 28 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings.
Vargas, the 23-year-old infielder/outfielder who made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 2022, also ranks 30th via Baseball America and 39th via Baseball Prospectus. He slashed .304/.404/.511/.915 over 113 games in Triple-A OKC. Vargas will be vying for an Opening Day 2023 roster spot with the Major League club.
Baseball America has the Dodgers as one of just three teams to have at least three top-30 prospects. Baseball America has the Dodgers with six top-60 prospects and Baseball Prospectus gives them nine in the top 90.
Gavin Stone (Baseball America №50, MLB Pipeline №56, Baseball Prospectus №56) and Michael Busch (Baseball Prospectus №54, MLB Pipeline №54, Baseball America №59) are the fourth and fifth Dodger prospects to appear on both lists.
MLB Pipeline describes Stone as an aggressive, strike-throwing starter. He played at three levels last season and was remarkable at every stop. For High-A Great Lakes, he had a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings. In his longest stint at Double-A Tulsa, he held a 1.60 ERA in 73 1/3 frames. Finally, with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he posted a 1.16 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. He was the Dodgers’ 2022 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Busch, who has been compared by MLB Pipeline to Max Muncy, slashed .274/.365/.516/.881 in 142 games between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A OKC. His 32 total home runs was tied for the most among all Dodger minor leaguers and his 70 extra-base hits stood alone atop the Dodger minor league rankings.
Baseball America’s last Dodger-ranked prospect was right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who made his MLB debut in 2022 and had a 3.47 ERA and 122 ERA+ in 36 1/3 innings with the Dodgers. He ranked №55 on Baseball America’s list to go along with his №70 MLB Pipeline ranking.
Baseball Prospectus featured four other Dodger prospects that did not appear on the Baseball America ranking. Those four are right-handed pitcher Nick Nastrini (54), catcher Dalton Rushing (56), right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso (79), and outfielder Andy Pages (90).
Nastrini spent 86 1/3 innings with High-A Great Lakes, but also got six looks with Double-A Tulsa. In total, he tossed 116 2/3 innings last season, had a 3.93 ERA and 1.11 WHIP and a game-changing 13.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rushing, the Dodgers’ second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, excelled in a 28-game stint with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga. He slashed .424/.539/.778/1.317 and hit a home run in 8 of his 128 plate appearances.
Frasso, a Torrance native who attended Loyola Marymount University, played for four different minor league teams and had success with each club. Between Low-A Dunedin (Toronto), High-A Vancouver (Toronto), High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa, Frasso posted a 1.83 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 54 innings while striking out 76 batters.
Finally, Pages, the Dodgers’ №5 prospect in 2022, continues to rise through the system while maintaining high-quality play. In 132 games for Double-A Tulsa, Pages slashed .236/.336/.468/.804 and hit the fifth-most home runs in the entire farm system with 26. Pages makes MLB Pipeline’s top 100 in addition to Baseball Prospectus, finishing 81st.
* * *
As a fun side note, a good many of the Dodgers top prospects spent this past week working out at Dodger Stadium, and on Thursday evening, several of them attended the LA Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs basketball game at Crypto Arena. The Clippers won 138-100.
Play Ball!
* * * * * *
Posted in 
“The beat goes on” (Sonny & Cher generation)
Besides shortstop, there is a dearth of third base prospects. Some baseball fans and journalists continue to tout Vargas at third, but there is nothing in his professional baseball resume that indicates his defense can even reach acceptable level of play for the position. Kody Hoese, the Dodgers first round pick in 2019, was considered the third baseman of the future, but injuries have completely derailed his prospect status. Perhaps he can stay healthy in 2023 and position himself for the 2024 roster. During the 2020 pandemic shortened season Hoese’s hitting was terrific playing on the taxi-squad (at USC). If I remember correctly, Gavin Lux said Hoese was the best hitter in that group.
Can Will Smith be the next Dodger 3b if he signs an extension? Plus DH.
Is Busch the opening day 2b.?
Be careful trading him away he may be another Jordan Alvarez.
I believe Smith would be a very good third baseman if the Dodgers give him a full off season and the following spring training to work on his defense. Joe Torre came up as a catcher with the Cardinals and went to third base when he was 29 and I think Smith is a much better athlete than Torre was at that time. Craig Biggio went from catcher to 2b when he was 26.
Busch at 2b? I think he will be given a shot at playing there and LF if he is still with the Dodgers in spring training. Only way Dodgers should trade Busch is for another team’s top flight shortstop or third baseman. He might be used in a Bryan Reynolds trade, but I would rather see the Dodgers trade Vargas than Busch who is reportedly a better athlete.
Going to have to start playing them or flip them for areas of need. Can’t hide them forever with the Rule 5 draft. I’m thinking the Dodgers will be very active at the trade deadline. We will have a much better idea of what we have at that time. We could also use some of the prospects to unload Taylor and his contract to get under the CBT. I am ready to see what the kids can do.
Hopefully Outman Vargas Busch perform well and contribute. Also need May and Pepiot to succeed. If this happens we can compete for the division title and or wild card. And as you said Ohio we can make the moves needed at the trade deadline.
At least at the trade deadline we will be making informed decisions about our prospects. We will have a much better idea of what we have and what we need.
Going into the 2023 season, it appears that the Dodges are secure in three everyday positions — catcher, first base and right field. Every other position is, basically, a “crap shoot”. That is not to say that the team will not be competitive but there are many problems to address and I don’t believe waiting until the season starts and then finding out who will fill those positions is a great idea.
Agreed, waiting until season starts leaves players up in the air about positions and the potential of being traded sooner than later. That being said, there are questions the Dodgers cannot answer until they see players in camp and Cactus League games. For example, will the hitting coaches and mentoring by Freeman and Martinez get Jason Heyward back on track offensively? Can Gavin Lux play acceptable defense at shortstop? Are Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch ready now to be on the active roster? Can the Dodgers pitching staff work their magic on Noah Syndergaard? Is 2022 Trayce Thompson the real deal, or was that an aberration and Thompson is still a AAAA player? Is Daniel Hudson’s ACL 100% healed to where they can rely on him for late innings?
JP that is an awesome take. It is so true that the unknown can decide destiny. Like everyone else I get sick thinking about letting Alvarez go to the hated Astros, they don’t deserve a diamond in the rough trade. OhioDodger is also spot on; let’s see how the kids do, heck we’ve seen how far the vets take us in the playoffs. At least with a lot of this young talent you can see them mature into a winner. See Russell, Cey, Lopes, Garvey, Yeager in 1981.
JP whatever happened to old brooklyn
Your mission JP and RC, get Old Brooklyn back. This message will self destruct in 20 seconds.
I have a call in to TrueBlue Will. Waiting on his reply.
I don’t know that person — remember reading a few comments over the years
Just heard back from TrueBlue Will. He said that he last spoke with Old Brooklyn Fan on New Year’s Eve. I completely forgot that TBW had told me that OBF’s computer broke and he hasn’t (and probably won’t) get it fixed.
Will added that Joe is walking around better and told him that he hopes to go back to seeing live baseball this summer.
I don’t have any confidence in Friedman’s ability to make good trades.The trades he made giving away Alvarez and Cruz was irresponsible, and letting both Tre Turner and Seager walk was shortsighted.The farm system aside from pitchers and catchers is not as good as people think. I don’t see a championship any time soon.
.
I don’t have any confidence in Friedman’s ability to make good trades.The trades he made giving away Alvarez and Cruz was irresponsible, and letting both Tre Turner and Seager walk was shortsighted.The farm system aside from pitchers and catchers is not as good as people think. I don’t see a championship any time soon.
If I said this before,im doubling down on my comments.
.