2024 Futures Game roster shows Dodgers farm system isn't what it used to be

The roster for the lesser-watched little brother of the MLB All-Star Game, the All-Star Futures Game, is set. The Dodgers will have two prospects representing them on July 13, but they may not be the ones you think. Dalton Rushing, Josue De Paula, River Ryan, Jackson Ferris, Diego Cartaya — none of these top 10 prospects, who are also probably the most well-known of any of LA's prospects to fans, made the cut.

Instead, No. 8 prospect Thayron Liranzo (C/1B) and No. 17 prospect Jeral Perez (2B) will head to Arlington for the game. Liranzo is currently struggling a little in High-A, but there's still a huge draw in a switch-hitting catcher whose power sets his game apart. Perez is in Single-A and hitting well (.280 with an .846 OPS), and power is the biggest draw there, too; he led the ACL in home runs last year with 11.

Still, these definitely aren't the names Dodgers fans were expecting to see on the Futures Game roster this year, and it could point to a more serious decline for the farm system in recent years.

Dodgers' Nos. 8 and 17 prospects Thayron Liranzo and Jeral Perez to represent LA at All-Star Futures Game

Good on MLB for rewarding Perez, but the Dodgers' farm isn't quite as star-powered and front-loaded as it used to be.

Cartaya probably wasn't going to be featured on this list despite his recent promotion to Triple-A. His drop from the top of the Dodgers' pipeline was swift and ungraceful, and he still hasn't fully worked his way back into looking like he could really be successful at the major league level. Rushing and De Paula (perhaps especially De Paula) had much better arguments for roster spots, but neither made the cut, and Liranzo even edged out Rushing for one of the catcher spots in a slightly head-scratching move (though Rushing did appear in last year's game). De Paula could have a very good argument to get tapped since Nationals outfielder James Wood has been called up to the majors and currently holds a roster spot, but it still feels like a major snub.

Maybe the selection committee just wanted to give a few lesser-known names a shot at the bigger stage? That might not make much sense either, though, because Boston's Marcelo Mayer and New York's Spencer Jones are both repeat visitors. Headliners typically earn these kinds of plaudits, and the Dodgers' farm is short on household names these days.

MLB Pipeline ranked the Dodgers' farm system eighth in baseball before the season started, but it did fall from sixth last year, and these sort of strange selections could be more signs that Dodgers player development just isn't what it used to be. The depth is still there, but ... the shine is off.