Top Dodgers prospect raises profile after 2 defensive gems in spring training opener

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Since he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system a little over a year ago, outfielder Zyhir Hope has skyrocketed to the top of the franchise's prospect rankings. In Thursday's Cactus League opener against the Chicago Cubs, he showed us why.

The 20-year-old, who is participating in his first Dodgers spring training as a non-roster invitee, was not in Los Angeles' starting lineup; but he entered the game in left field during the fifth inning when the Dodgers were trailing, 6-3 to the club that originally selected Hope in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Hope got not one, but two chances to flash some leather in left field once he took the field for Los Angeles. He made a diving catch to rob Christian Franklin of a base hit in the fifth inning, and he crashed into the left field wall to make the final out of the sixth inning and prevent a run from scoring.

Hope went 0-for-2 at the plate with one walk in what would end up being a 12-4 Cubs victory, but his impressive performance in the field made his Cactus League debut a memorable one.

Top Dodgers prospect Zyhir Hope raises profile after strong defensive performance in spring training opener

Hope was flipped to the Dodgers the same year he was drafted, along with pitching prospect Jackson Ferris, in the trade that sent infielder Michael Busch to Chicago. Hope enters 2025 ranked as the No. 75 prospect in baseball (according to MLB Pipeline) and the No. 6 prospect in the Dodgers' farm system.

Hope has hit .289 with 12 home runs, 16 doubles, 45 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a .911 OPS across 72 games in his minor league career thus far, splitting time between rookie ball in the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He also represented the Dodgers in the Arizona Fall League in 2024, where he hit .228 with a .747 OPS for the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Hope has an Major League ETA of 2027, so it may be a while before we see him in the Dodgers' lineup. But if he continues on his current trajectory, he could be making an impact with both his bat and his glove sooner rather than later.

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