Dodgers: Top Three Prospects to Keep an Eye on in 2019

For my third and final prospect, I wanted to shed some light on a player that not many people have heard of. For this pick, we’ll look at 17-year-old catcher, Diego Cartaya.

Cartaya was signed in last year’s international signing period and was looked at as the highest ranked international prospect of 2018.

Cartaya is a 6’2 catcher weighing in around 200 pounds but despite the overwhelming size, his defense is highly proficient. Cartaya is known for a good arm with defensive capabilities far beyond his years. MLB Pipeline wrote on Cartaya that he, “draws a strong Salvador Perez comparison” and added that he, “moves well for a tall guy behind the plate and demonstrates advanced receiving skills for his age. ”

Offensively, Cartaya is a contact hitter with amazing awareness for the strike zone. He is fairly powerless at the moment but, with the United States hitting coaching and some more physical maturity, Cartaya can easily develop his power game.

Cartaya excites me personally for a few reasons. One, he is not even 18-years-old and he is already in the United States. Most players his age are not strong enough to make the move but Cartaya is and he is here. The last catcher to make the move to the US this quickly and at this age was… Keibert Ruiz.

Two, Cartaya is quietly waiting in the middle of the Dodgers top-30 prospects before making his American debut. Give him some time to impress in the States and he could very quickly rise to the top of the system making either Ruiz or Will Smith available in the trade market.

Cartaya will be very interesting to watch now that he is in the Dodgers’ States system.

Beyond these three players, there is so much talent to keep an eye on 2019. These three players are just my favorites at the moment and I’m sure that will change as the season progresses. For now, Will Smith, Tony Gonsolin and Diego Cartaya are my big three.