5 Dodgers prospects that should undoubtedly be on 2023 roster

The Los Angeles Dodgers have put together 10 consecutive playoff seasons because of the team’s ability to spend big on high-profile players while also being able to develop homegrown talent into stars. The likes of Corey Seager, Julio Urías, Walker Buehler, Cody Bellinger and Will Smith all started out with the organization and have blossomed into All-Stars.

That trend is set to continue in the immediate future as the Dodgers have some really exciting prospects waiting in the wings for big-league roles. Not all of these prospects will pan out, but when you have as many as the Dodgers do, there’s bound to be some success stories.

All in all, the Dodgers have seven prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 and some of them are going to make an immediate impact in 2023.

Some have already received their cup of coffee at the MLB level. That’ll only help fortify their case for next season.

Dodgers prospects that should be on the 2023 Opening Day roster

5. Miguel Vargas

We’ll start with the most obvious inclusion on this list. Vargas was already on the big-league roster in 2022. It would be extremely unlikely if he took a step backward and started the 2023 season in the minors, especially with the current status of the Dodgers.

The Dodgers declined Justin Turner’s club option for the 2023 season and, while that doesn’t rule out a return, it only makes it more obvious that the team has faith in Vargas to play a bigger role if called upon.

Vargas absolutely tore the cover off of the ball in the minors last season but didn’t quite see the same success at the big-league level. He hit just .170 in 50 MLB plate appearances with two walks and 13 strikeouts.

Vargas isn’t exactly the most threatening power bat, but he should be good for 20+ homers and 30+ doubles should he reach his potential at the next level. His speed and overall flair should help his case as well.

3. James Outman

James Outman was the hottest hitter in the entire Dodgers organization heading into October and still did not make the playoff roster when he absolutely should have. I understand the team traded for Joey Gallo, but that experiment obviously was not working and Outman 100% could have had a bigger impact than Gallo.

Heck, Gallo didn’t even record a single postseason plate appearance in the NLDS despite Cody Bellinger struggling so badly that he got benched. If the team obviously didn’t trust Gallo enough to actually log a postseason plate appearance then why didn’t they just add Outman instead of him?

Outman had a very brief showing with the big-league club and was absolutely phenomenal in his minimal sample size. In his four games played, Outman went 6-13 with two doubles, a home run and two walks.

He was also nothing short of spectacular in the minors last season. Not only did Outman hit for the cycle two different times in one week, but he was the best hitter in the entire organization (and that includes top prospect Diego Cartaya).

In 125 games split between AA and AAA, Outman slashed .294/.393/.586 with 31 home runs and 106 RBI. He hit .324 with a 1.090 OPS in 415 plate appearances against right-handed pitching. Probably time for him to be starting in left field.

2. Michael Busch

He likely isn’t going to be in the starting lineup, but at some point, it’s time to give one of the organization’s top prospects a chance at the big-league level. That’s the case for 2019 first-round pick Michael Busch, who really has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues.

If Busch was still 22 or 23, then the Dodgers could at least start him in Triple-A and eventually let him make his MLB debut during the season. At 25 years old, however, it’s time to bump him up as a depth infielder and see what he has to offer.

If Trea Turner does indeed sign with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Dodgers do not sign a shortstop to replace him, then we could see Busch in the Opening Day lineup in 2023. Gavin Lux would presumably shift over to shortstop with Busch taking over at second base, serving as one-half of a platoon with Chris Taylor.

Busch has certainly put together a resume to earn a spot on the big-league club to start the 2023 season. In 142 games between AA and AAA last season, Busch slashed .274/.365/.516 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI. He struck out at a high clip (26%), but that’s not a concern in today’s game.

If the Dodgers are really high on Busch, it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s the reason they let Turner potentially walk. Perhaps the Dodgers would rather spend big on someone like Aaron Judge and instead start Lux and Busch up the middle. Not going to rule anything out just yet.

1. Gavin Stone

Gavin Stone has risen incredibly fast in the Dodgers farm system as he has continued to mow down hitters at an insane rate. A back-end top-30 prospect at the start of 2021, Stone has quickly worked his way up from Low-A Rancho Cucamonga to Triple-A Oklahoma City by the end of 2022. That rapid rise has made him the 77th overall prospect on MLB Pipeline.

Stone’s numbers across his two MiLB seasons are certainly worth the extra attention. Across 212.2 innings, he has a 2.45 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and has struck out 306 batters. He’s an incredibly fast worker that pounds the strike zone with a great fastball.

Those numbers are with an inflated 2021 season as well. The former Central Arkansas right-hander obviously figured something out in 2022 as he posted a combined 1.48 ERA across three different levels.

It might be surprising to see Stone on this list before Bobby Miller, who is the second-best prospect in the Dodgers system. Stone is older than Miller (24 vs 23) and fits more comfortably into a long relief role, if that’s how the Dodgers want to use him initially.

While Miller has a higher ceiling, he still needs a bit more refining with better results in Triple-A. Expect Miller to start the season in OKC before eventually making his MLB debut at some point during the 2023 season.

Stone, meanwhile, is a strong candidate to make the Opening Day roster with how he has pitched thus far in his professional career.

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