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Son of Dodgers fan favorite making name for himself in LA's minor-league system

Los Angeles Dodgers v Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers v Los Angeles Angels | Katharine Lotze/GettyImages

In 1988, the Dodgers took first baseman Eric Karros in the sixth round of the draft. He earned his major league debut in 1991 and became an everyday player the year after, going on to hit 20 home runs and drive in 88 runs to become the 1992 National League Rookie of the Year. He spent 10 more seasons with the Dodgers, racking up nearly 1,000 RBI for LA before he was traded to the Cubs in 2003. He retired after the 2004 season, when he was released by the Athletics in August.

He's had a successful broadcast career since then, and joined the SportsNet LA team as a color commentator in 2022. In the last days of spring training, he was on the call when his son, Dodgers pitching prospect Jared Karros, was on the hill against the Angels. Karros (the younger) threw two innings, only giving up a walk and a hit while striking out four, and his dad gave him a standing ovation as he walked off the mound.

Karros was a 16th-round pick for the Dodgers in 2022. He's made seven starts in High-A so far this season, and he's looked very good doing it.

Dodgers prospect Jared Karros, son of Eric Karros, is during heads in High-A

Karros is currently on a 19-inning run-less streak with the High-A Great Lakes Loons, dating back to April 25. He's struck out 19 batters and only walked seven over that span. His May 7 outing was probably his best start so far — he pitched six innings, only gave up two hits, walked none, and struck out five — but close behind is his April 25 start, when he pitched five innings, only gave up one hit, and struck out eight on the way.

He was promoted to High-A after pitching almost 71 innings for a 3.95 ERA in A-ball last season and made two more starts for a 0.69 ERA. He may be well on his way to Double-A soon if he can keep up this kind of performance for a few more starts.

His younger brother, Kyle, is also in High-A as an infielder in the Rockies organization, so baseball is clearly a family affair. Maybe Eric will be able to call his son's major league debut in a few years' time.