Dodgers: FanGraphs Lists Four LA Prospects on Top 100 List
Prospect rankings offer baseball fans a refuge from the never-ending slog that is the ongoing CBA negotiations. FanGraphs released their top 100 prospect rankings on Wednesday. The site listed four Dodgers prospects on their list.
Diego Cartaya (37) - Catcher
Cartaya is listed a little higher in The Athletic's Keith Law rankings (13), but FanGraphs seems to be concerned with Cartaya's injury history. The 20-year-old Venezuelan appeared in just 31 minor league games last season. Nonetheless, the site noted Cartaya's "All-Star ceiling" and likened him to the best offensive backstop in the majors right now.
“The power, strikeouts, aggressive approach, frame, and arm strength are all reminiscent of Salvador Perez. There’s extreme variance here because we’re talking about a very young catcher, one who hasn’t played all that much yet, but Cartaya has the ability to be a star.”
Michael Busch (79) - Second base
In short, FanGraphs believes in Busch's bat, but not his glove.
“The strong-bodied Busch has never done anything but hit…Busch is not a good defensive player. Scouts who have had an extended look at him think he could eventually be passable at second base, but definitely not good, much like Tommy La Stella."
Luckily for Busch, the DH coming to the NL could create a more manageable path to the majors for the 24-year-old.
Andy Pages (86) - Centerfield
Old school baseball purists will roll their eyes, but FanGraphs expressed their excitement about Pages impressive launch angle.
“It’s very likely Pages not only gets to all of his raw power, but might outperform it because of how often he’s able to lift the baseball. He’s a launch angle unicorn with the thump to take advantage of it and a non-zero chance of staying at a premium defensive spot, though it’s not likely.”
Pages will likely never be a high batting average hitter, but his power could translate to many-a-home run in the majors one day.
Bobby Miller (94) - Starting pitcher
The site is reticent to state that Bobby Miller will be a starting pitcher in the longterm.
“Miller clearly has the stuff and control to pitch in the big leagues, but there is too much reliever risk for him to rank with the arms on this list who have a much better chance to remain starters throughout their development.”
FanGraphs did however complement Miller's "power arsenal", but is concerned about his command of his entire pitch mix year-over-year.
