Dodgers' Michael Busch trade steal reached new heights with latest prospect rankings

Jun 20, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Draft prospect Zyhir Hope during a high school baseball game at the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jun 20, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Draft prospect Zyhir Hope during a high school baseball game at the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Zyhir Hope had about as good a season as a newly-traded player could ask for.

He came over from the Cubs on arbitration day in 2024 along with pitcher Jackson Ferris as Michael Busch was shipped to Chicago. Ferris was more highly ranked in the Cubs' pipeline at the time of the trade, but it took no time at all for Hope to make an impression in Single-A.

Despite a brief stint on the IL and a rehab assignment in rookie ball, he readjusted quickly and finished the season with a .287 average .905 OPS, then continued to raise his profile in the AFL with huge flashes of power, including a 470 foot homer that left the bat at 110.6 MPH.

He ended the 2024 season as the Dodgers' No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline, but Baseball Prospectus' newest rankings see him leapfrogging everyone. He debuted on their list at No. 1, topping last year's No. 1 and 2, Josue De Paula and Dalton Rushing (subscription required). Ferris, who ranked higher than Hope in 2024 by MLB Pipeline's ranking, came in at fourth for Baseball Prospectus in 2025.

Zyhir Hope, part of the Dodgers-Cubs trade involving Michael Busch, tops Baseball Prospectus' 2025 ranking of LA prospects

Nick Frasso, Thayron Liranzo, and Payton Martin all fell off the list in 2025 along with Busch (traded), Andy Pages (graduated to major league status), and Diego Cartaya (DFA'ed). They were replaced by Hope, Ferris, Alex Freeland, Emil Morales, Joendry Vargas, and Eriq Swan. River Ryan and Kyle Hurt maintained places in the top 10 but dropped down to Nos. 9 and 10 from 6 and 7.

Busch had a nice season with the Cubs, but both of the Dodgers' acquisitions in that trade doing this well marks a massive win for the Dodgers as well. While it seems likely that Ferris will start the new season in Double-A (he was promoted there in August), Hope should almost certainly expect a promotion to High-A to begin 2025.

The Dodgers probably won't be looking to expedite him through the minors given how crowded their major league roster picture looks, but a lot can and will change by 2027, when he's expected to arrive in the majors. By then, Michael Conforto will probably be long gone and Teoscar Hernández will be on the last year of his contract. If Hope lives up to expectations, he could end up as a no-doubter for a future outfield spot.

Schedule