Dodgers Way Quick Hits: New Prospects, Muncy, Kemp

The Diamondbacks and the Giants both lost and the Dodgers knew they needed to capitalize and get a win. On Monday, July second, the Dodgers got the job done, a win, except this time, by a long shot. But, before beating the Pirates 17-1, there was plenty of action in the news department.

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• Giants laughably sign pitcher that Dodgers absolutely own
• Dave Roberts’ quote about Padres in NLDS should motivate Dodgers

The Dodgers have always been a formidable presence on the international free agent market. From players like Yasiel Puig to Kenta Maeda and everyone in between, there is no fight the Los Angeles front office will shy away from. 2018’s international signing period opened on July second and this year was no exception from the rest. The Dodgers signed a total of 12 young prospects, 10 of which were from Venezuela and the remaining two were from The Dominican Republic. Headlining the list of signees was Diego Cartaya, the number one overall international prospect, and he was inked do a nice deal with a signing bonus of $2,500,000. Cartaya is just 16-years old but the young catcher plays with a very developed demeanor, playing well beyond his years. Cartaya is an amazing defender and his offense is just as good as he possesses a solid, contact oriented bat with decent power to all fields. The young catcher may also open the door to a potential trade as the depth at catcher.

Other notes…

• Max Muncy continued his storybook season on Monday night when he smashed his 18th home run of the season and raised his OPS to 1.027, good for first in the NL and third in all of baseball. Muncy has quickly become a must-start in every lineup and it is obvious that Dave Roberts feels the same way as he started Muncy at second today. Regardless, Muncy who has emerged as a star this season will get reaccustomed to second base on the fly, as his bat is vital to the success of the Dodgers.

Next: Dodgers: The Dodgers' Bats Literally had a Blast in June

• Like his teammate, Matt Kemp is enjoying just as great a season as Max Muncy. After fans wanted the 33-year old outfielder to be traded, he has truly emerged as the team’s brightest spot even amidst his worst slump of the season. Kemp, as of Monday is eight for his last eight at-bats and has hit 15 home runs on the season. Due to his wildly successful season, Kemp finds himself ranked second in All-Star voting and he will need all the help he can get to either stay in the top three or win it.