Inside The Dodgers

MLB Insider Thinks Dodgers Could Shockingly Call Up Top Pitching Prospect From Double-A

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman speaks in a press conference before game one against the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman speaks in a press conference before game one against the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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MLB.com analysts Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra put together a list in which the duo predicted one prospect per team that could be called up for the month of September.

When it comes to the Dodgers, Mayo and Dykstra believe that the team's best left-handed pitching prospect, Jackson Ferris, could be of use down the stretch.

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"Ferris’ overall numbers just seem OK, with an ERA just under 4.00 and too many walks (4.5 per nine) for Double-A Tulsa. But over his last nine starts, beginning with six shutout innings in an outing at the end of June, the lefty sports a 1.46 ERA and a .209 BAA. We don’t presume the Dodgers would jump a 21-year-old from Double-A into the rotation, but seeing him take care of some lefties out of the 'pen to get him his first big league action would be a lot of fun."

As one recalls, Ferris was one of the players coming back to Los Angeles (the other being fellow highly-touted prospect Zyhir Hope) in the deal with the Chicago Cubs centered around Michael Busch.

Ferris is currently ranked as the No. 6 prospect in a loaded Dodgers system. A long and lanky player, Ferris operates with a bit of deception before slinging the ball towards the plate. Most view the 21-year-old as a future starter in the rotation. He might not be an ace. However, being left-handed with an advanced repertoire of pitches, Ferris has good enough stuff to be a very effective pitcher.

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As theorized by the writers in the original piece, could the Dodgers look at him as a possible option this September?

The thought is a nice one — though unlikely for several reasons. The Dodgers are already carrying an inordinate amount of lefties on their roster. The numbers crunch is also something that conceivably won't help Ferris despite his ceiling.

Most teams carry 13 pitchers in a Wild Card round situation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Shohei Ohtani seem like locks as starting pitchers. Tyler Glasnow is also a certainy to be on the roster.

From there, you've got to pick nine more pitchers from a list featuring Clayton Kershaw, Blake Treinen, Emmet Sheehan, Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates, Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, and possibly Brusdar Graterol.

While Ferris is a likely longshot to be on the roster this season, his standing as the the most highly rated pitching prospect within LA's system lends itself to the notion that he'll likely debut in 2026.

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting).