Los Angeles Dodgers prospects of the decade by position
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.
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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.
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?