Dodgers prospect draws comparison to one of LA’s biggest trade regrets in new ranking

Los Angeles Dodgers v Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers v Los Angeles Angels | Ric Tapia/GettyImages

When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Roki Sasaki, they had the No. 1 spot on every top 100 prospects list locked up.

Sasaki probably shouldn't actually count, but he did technically sign a minor league deal with the Dodgers and is still treating spring training like an opportunity to break onto the roster, as if the team hadn't guaranteed a major league rotation spot for him the second he was posted to MLB.

With Sasaki taking up most of the air in the room, it might be easy to forget about the rest of the Dodgers prospects who are also getting their flowers. MLB Pipeline's updated top 100 features six LA prospects including Sasaki, and ESPN's, written by Kiley McDaniel, features eight (including, of course, Sasaki at No. 1).

McDaniel made a particularly interesting comparison between his No. 20 prospect (MLB Pipeline's No. 40), the Dodgers' Josue De Paula, and a former Dodgers prospect who represents one of Andrew Friedman's biggest stumbles at the helm of the organization, Yordan Alvarez.

Alvarez was traded from the Dodgers to the Astros in 2016, and Friedman has since publicly acknowledged that letting him go was a mistake.

Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula drawing more comparisons to former top prospect Yordan Alvarez

MLB Pipeline notes that "Dodgers officials routinely describe De Paula as the most advanced young hitter their organization has had in years," and both his hit and power grade out at 60. He's been ascending steadily through prospect rankings since he began his professional career, and he even slingshotted past Dalton Rushing last year in The Athletic's rankings to claim the spot as the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect.

De Paula spent an almost equal amount of time between Single-A and High-A last season, and his power took a dip following his promotion (slugging percentage down to .356 from .447) but his OBP improved by over 30 points.

McDaniel writes, "The downside of that comp is De Paula doesn’t offer much in terms of speed, defense, or arm. The upside is that he isn’t just raw power projection; he’s also an above average hitter with plus pitch selection and current plus in-game power, though he hasn’t fully leaned into pulling and lifting the ball as much as he probably will in a few years."

That certainly sounds like a good recipe for a future full-time DH, but with Shohei Ohtani having that position locked up through 2033, the Dodgers might have to get creative if De Paula continues to produce as he ascends through the minors. They could also turn him into trade bait, but with all of the comparisons to Alvarez, he might not be a guy the Dodgers are eager to give up.

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