Overlooked Dodgers pitching prospect quietly developing into assassin at High-A

The Los Angeles Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches throughout the organization. Top to bottom, the Dodgers are loaded with talent. The Major League squad, even riddled with injury, is one of the best teams in baseball and is the current betting favorite to repeat as World Series champions.

In the farm system, the Dodgers have five Top 100 prospects and four prospects ranked in the Top 50. But even that is just scratching the surface.

Patrick Copen is one of the most overlooked and undervalued prospects in the Dodgers minor league system. He's not highly-touted, but he has been dominating in 2025. Copen is a developing into an assassin and looking like a future star for the High-A affiliate.

Dodgers' Patrick Copen emerging as standout prospect

Copen was drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Marshall.

In 31 college starts and 161.1 innings, Copen was 5-14 with a 6.30 ERA. Not exactly blue chip prospect numbers, but the Dodgers saw something in his profile and signed him for $225,500.

Copen is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. He can get his fastball up to 98 mph and has an arsenal of big break pitches with high spin rates and movement.

According to his prospect profile, "He now operates at 95-97 mph with a four-seamer with a low release height and carry that make it even more difficult to hit. His mid-80s slider and low-90s cutter are plus offerings at their best and the latter tops out at 95 mph."

Control is an issue that he is still working through, but whatever tweaks the Dodgers have made since getting Copen in the organization appear to be working wonders.

In 2024, he made 20 starts across two levels of the minor leagues and went 8-4 while posting a 3.59 ERA. His season was ended when he was hospitalized after taking a line drive to the face, but Copen has persevered and been even better in 2025.

Over eight starts for the High-A Great Lakes Loons, Copen has a 2.29 ERA and an astonishing 63 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

It's getting to the point where the Dodgers will have no other choice but to promote him and give him a shot in Double-A.

The ERA is one thing, but a 14.4 K/9 cannot be ignored. In his last three outings, Copen has completed 19.2 innings and punched out 30 batters while allowing only six hits.

If he continues at this rate, Copen will be flying through the minor leagues and the climbing every prospect list in existence. The Dodgers may have found a real hidden gem in the seventh round.