Dodgers most impacted (baseball-wise) by canceled minor league season

Without a minor league season, several Dodgers players are impacted.

Minor League Baseball officially announced on Tuesday what everyone around the sport knew was coming: the 2020 season is officially canceled. While this news carries wide-ranging impacts, if we focus on the baseball side of things, there are a few Los Angeles Dodgers players of note who will see their development path impacted by the lost season

Of course, there are more important things to consider than player development in thinking about the ramifications of a canceled MiLB season. People are losing their livelihoods and means to provide for their families.

The Dodgers have committed to paying minor leaguers in their system through the end of August, but that is only $400 per week. Even with the generous gift by David Price to donate $1,000 to each player through the month of June, unfortunately, it can’t replace the wages lost from a canceled season.

Having said that, for the purposes of this article, we will focus on the baseball side of things in considering which players in the Dodgers system are most impacted without a minor league season.

With lights dark in minor league ballparks throughout the country, the Dodgers will have to rely on workouts and call-ups to give their top prospects reps. Teams are allowed to carry up to 60 players who are eligible to play this season. Los Angeles put 51 players on their roster list submitted to the league last Sunday.

In their initial player pool, there are several of the team’s top prospects, including 18-year-old catcher Diego Cartaya and pitching prospect Josiah Gray. Per Baseball America’s rankings, the Dodgers included their six best prospects on the 60-man roster.

But it’s a few of the players not invited to summer camp who draw concerns, along with one player expected to make the team.

Dodgers impacted by canceled MiLB season: Kody Hoese

While the Dodgers are expected to include a few of their most recent draft choices in their 60-man player pool, their first round selection from 2019, Kody Hoese, was left off their initial list.

The 22-year-old third baseman was selected 25th overall in last year’s draft, signing at full slot value of $2.7 million as a sign of the Dodgers’ commitment to the young hitter.

After tearing the cover off the ball in his sophomore season at Tulane (.391/.486/.779 with 23 home runs), the Dodgers were ready to invest in the right-handed hitter. He carried his college success into Rookie Ball where he slashed .357/.456/.643 in 19 games before progressing to Low-A and seeing his average come back down to earth at .264 with a lackluster .385 slugging percentage.

However, Hoese is still the best infield prospect in the Dodgers’ system behind Gavin Lux, and at his advanced age, it’s interesting they haven’t included him in the player pool yet. He could clearly use more reps after playing only 41 minor league games last season. While he is probably a few years away from making a major league impact, it would be unfortunate if the season passes without him seeing competitive action within the organization.

Dodgers impacted by canceled MiLB season: Dustin May

This one could go either way. Top pitching prospect Dustin May could find himself playing a prominent role for the Dodgers this season, as the team tries to manage the workload of their pitching staff in these uncertain times. An injury in the starting rotation could quickly turn May into a key piece.

However, if the Dodgers remain healthy and rely on their veteran arms, such as Ross Stripling, to provide assistance to the starters, it could be a lost season of sorts for May.

The tall right-hander made his major league debut last year after making 20 starts between Double-A and Triple-A, and looked the part, with a 3.63 ERA and impressive 8.31 K/9 and 1.30 BB/9 rates.

Without the benefit of the minor leagues to keep his workload steady, May could spend a lot of time this season playing in an unfamiliar role as an extra arm out of the bullpen. Manager Dave Roberts says he doesn’t plan on using a six-man rotation, and there are other candidates to take on that role if it should present itself, so unless an injury occurs, it will be difficult to keep May on any regular pitching routine.

Hopefully, he can keep his arm active in side sessions and gain experience through a new role this season. But it’s not an ideal set-up for one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball.