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Los Angeles Dodgers prospects of the decade by position

By Michael Wittman |
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out for the third out of the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out for the third out of the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 06: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out for the third out of the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 06: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out for the third out of the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Dodgers will see their decade come to a close and their farm system has produced many of their core players for next season.

The Dodgers are trying to buy championships. It’s a phrase that has been attached to the Los Angeles Dodgers for decades although that has not been the case in recent seasons.  In fact, the Dodgers’ 2019 playoff roster featured the fewest free agent signings of any other postseason roster.  Under Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers have been much more calculated with their free-agent signings and gotten productive players through other means.

One of those means has been their farm system.  The Dodgers ended last season with a top ten farm system in baseball which is outstanding for a team that has graduated impact players like Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler over the last few years.  As the decade comes to a close, here are the Dodgers’ top prospects for each position over the last decade.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 09: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs to first on an error in the third inning of game five of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on October 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 09: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs to first on an error in the third inning of game five of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on October 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Dodgers’ top infield prospects of the last decade

First Base – Cody Bellinger

The Dodgers drafted Cody Bellinger in the fourth round of the 2013 draft.  While Cody could be classified as an outfielder, he played over 2300 minor league innings at first base so this is where he gets ranked at for this article.  Cody first put himself on LA’s radar by mashing 30 home runs for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2015.  In his minor league career, he finished with just 66 home runs due to his rapid ascent to the big leagues.

Second Base – Gavin Lux

While Dee Gordon may get some attention at second base, Gavin Lux gets the nod here as he played three times as many minor league innings at second base than Gordon did.  Lux was drafted in the first round of the 2016 pick and made his big league debut in September.  Gavin hit 26 home runs in 113 games this season between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.  Lux could end up at shortstop eventually but at the moment he is viewed as the Dodgers’ starting second baseman for 2020.  The sky is the limit is a phrase that truly applies to Lux’s offensive potential.

Shortstop – Corey Seager

Continuing the trend of excellent drafting in the first round, Corey Seager was LA’s first-round pick in 2012.  While Seager never topped 20 home runs in a minor league season, he was easily one of the Dodgers’ best pure hitters this decade when it comes to prospects.  Seager is looking to rebound in 2020 as he gets further away from his TJ surgery and hip surgery from 2018.  Corey was routinely asked for in potential blockbuster deals as a prospect and wisely the Dodgers did not budge.

Third Base – Edwin Rios

This is another surprise pick but Edwin Rios played over 1900 innings at third base in the minor leagues and given how weak the hot corner has been in terms of prospects, Rios gets the nod here.  Edwin was a sixth-round pick in 2015 and slugged over 20 home runs in 2016 and 2017.  The injury bug stuck to him in 2018 but Edwin rebounded to hit 31 home runs in 104 games for the OKC Dodgers this year.  2019 first-round pick Kody Hoese will hope to make the hot corner a better prospect position in the next decade.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 07: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out in the first inning against the Washington Nationals in game four of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 07, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 07: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out in the first inning against the Washington Nationals in game four of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 07, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Dodgers top outfield prospects of the decade

Outfield – Joc Pederson

Joc Pederson was one of the few prospects on this list who was not a first-round pick.  Joc was drafted in the eleventh round of the 2010 draft.  In his minor league days, Pederson provided plenty of stolen bases as he swiped thirty bases in two different minor league seasons.  While his speed did not carry over to the big leagues, his “pop” certainly has as Joc is a lock for thirty home runs a season if given enough playing time.  Joc will enter his final season before free agency in 2020.

Outfield – Alex Verdugo

Dugie was the Dodgers’ second-round pick in the 2014 draft.  Verdugo was always a productive prospect although his ceiling was always left open for interpretation.  Alex maxed out at 13 home runs in a minor league season but has shown plenty of pop in the big leagues.  He hit .329 in 2018 as he spent another season in the minor leagues due to the Dodger outfield being crowded.  He was a very good if not spectacular prospect.

Outfield – Yasiel Puig

The enigmatic Yasiel Puig is one of two international signings to make this list.  After defecting from Cuba, Puig spent a year in Mexico before coming over to the Dodgers’ minor league system.  Puig hit .326 in his brief minor league career but did enough to show off his five tools and earn a call up to Los Angeles.  Puig’s best minor league season came in 2013 when he played 40 games at the Double-A level and hit .313 with eight home runs.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants during their MLB game at Oracle Park on September 27, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants during their MLB game at Oracle Park on September 27, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /

Best Dodger catcher and pitchers of the last decade

Starting Pitcher: Walker Buehler

The Dodgers gambled and drafted Walker Buehler in the first round of the 2015 draft knowing he could end up needing Tommy John surgery.  That was exactly what happened but Buehler recovered nicely.  Walker finished his minor league career with an ERA of 3.04 with an opponent’s average of .199.  His first big league action came as a reliever in September of 2017 and despite a rough month, he has transformed into the Dodgers’ ace of the present and future.

Relief Pitcher: Kenley Jansen

Kenley Jansen was originally a catcher but as most now know, he couldn’t hit well but had a rocket arm so the Dodgers converted him into a reliever.  Jansen never pitched above the Double-A level but has had a very good major league career over the last decade. He finished up his minor league career with a 2.57 ERA and went a perfect 8-8 in save opportunities.  The Dodgers didn’t have too many high-level relief prospects over the last decade so Jansen earns the nod here.

More from Dodgers Prospects

Catcher – Keibert Ruiz

The catcher position is interesting for the Dodgers over the last decade because Will Smith came up last season so theoretically he would be the top catching prospect except for the fact that Keibert Ruiz is viewed as a better prospect.  Ruiz was signed out of Venezuela and was the Dodgers’ top prospect until he fell behind Dustin May and Gavin Lux last season.  Keibert should be ready for the 2021 season if not before then.

Ruiz is known as a good contact hitter with very good pitch recognition with a chance to be LA’s catcher of the future.  While Ruiz is unlikely to hit for much power, he has topped out at 12 home runs in a single season during his minor league career.  Over the next decade, the Dodgers are loaded at the catcher position with Will Smith, Keibert Ruiz, and Diego Cartaya all sitting on the organizational depth chart.  Connor Wong is no slouch either.

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This article is just one interpretation of the Dodgers’ top prospects by position over the last decade although there were plenty of routes this article could’ve taken.  Who would you rank as the Dodgers’ best prospects by position over the last decade?

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