Dodgers: LA Prospect Named Top Rookie of the Year Candidate
The offseason brings forward many different discussions, including which prospects might make a big impact for the following year.
For the Dodgers, Andrew Friedman and Stan Kasten have both hinted at the possibility of a youth movement in Los Angeles, so we could see more young talent than usual in 2023.
MLB.com prospect experts Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra, and Jonathan Mayo put out a list of the top Rookie of the Year candidates for each team. Unsurprisingly, the Pacific Coast League’s Top MLB Prospect is L.A.’s listing.
Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF (No. 3/MLB No. 41)
The Dodgers could have openings at third base and in the outfield, leaving plenty of opportunity for Vargas, who defected from Cuba with his father Lazaro (the DH on the 1992 and 1996 Olympic champions) in November 2015 and signed for $300,000 two years later. He has an advanced understanding of hitting and solid raw power, which translated into a .304/.404/.511 line with 17 homers and 16 steals in 113 Triple-A games before he got a cup of coffee in Los Angeles.
While Vargas’ performance with Los Angeles was not what we were expecting, he did show potential. He has done nothing but hit as a minor leaguer, so no one really doubts that he’ll hit. The bigger question here is where he will play on defense.
Ultimately, that aspect does not outweigh the strength of Vargas’s offensive profile. He can hit for average, hit for power, plus his eye is outstanding. The Dodgers will find somewhere for him to play.
