3 Dodgers top prospect favorites off to excellent starts in 2022

1. Miguel Vargas

22-year-old Miguel Vargas is both the top prospect the Dodgers will be most willing to wait for, and somehow also the one whose raw skills have him knocking on the door the hardest.

There’s no need to rush Vargas one level up — especially not at his age — but it’s noteworthy that he’s currently playing more advanced ball than Busch, and that he’s crushing titanic big-league-level blasts one step away from the majors.

Add in the fact that Justin Turner’s starting spot could easily transition into a “mentorship” role within the next year, and Vargas feels ticketed for 2023, especially as he powerfully gets his feet wet in Oklahoma City.

In 11 PCL games, the Cuban slugger is triple-slashing .250/.340/.455, striking out in just 21.56% of his plate appearances. But the numbers don’t adequately tell the story of what Vargas has brought to the table thus far — again, in just an 11-game cameo at the highest level after solving Double-A last season.

It’s worth watching Vargas’ second dinger of the year from Saturday’s action, which left the yard with an elite 112.7 exit velocity:

That’s why the Dodgers are excited to see Vargas mature as a defensive player, too — because the offense is unmatched and comes naturally.

There will be plenty of time to worry about when and where Vargas can get acclimated to big-league life, and unlike Busch, he likely won’t see game action until next season.

Following up a powerful spring training (against Guardians ace Shane Bieber!) with an excellent start at a new level is big news, though, and proves Vargas hasn’t missed a beat after skipping onto the next step.

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