OFFSEASON Meanwhile, Down on the Farm

https://x.com/francysromeroFR/status/2011860155172880779?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^2011860155172880779|twgr^1c1a5696dd75b5e2ca6d3e20396e235136903caf|twcon^s1_c10&ref_url=https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/dodgers-sign-2-top-prospects-amid-mlbs-international-signing-period-11368118


edit: @irish why don't my posts show the image instead of just a link? I use the chain link icon...

 

@MLBPipeline
The Dodgers have signed 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Ezequiel Melbourne, No. 29 on the Top 50 International Prospects list, for $747,500.

Keep track of top international signings: https://atmlb.com/3YEi4DB

 

i literally have to copy/paste from X to here
won’t work from the X app, has to be from the browser

 

https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb...id-mlbs-international-signing-period-11368118

Read this... sounds like Melbourne is definitely one to keep an eye on.

 

this one?

 

dont do it guys, remember what these types do to their heroes lol

now if only you had somebody here who cared enough to do it
to try to do it
or who would hire some hindoo to doo doo it
i of course would love to do it
making you happy is my prime directive
i was made for loving you baby!

but you outta luck
you preferred safe, comfort and security
the three stooges at the top of the stooge pantheon
and now that is all you got left
because that is what is right
pew! pow!

prove me wrong @TAFNAC

(maybe if you send him a few hundred bucks for the hindooing?)

 

I'm too busy being a Nazi to fix that.

 

DO IT!!!!!

 

Nazi pfft!

We all know that the socialism wags the nationalism.

Why kid when you can play.

 

In Nazi Germany, site does YOU.

 

Always fun to look at various Top 100 lists (well, at least it's fun if your team is highly represented). This one from Yahoo Sports ranks them from a Fantasy perspective, so take with a grain of salt. Compared to the standard MLB Top 100 in which the Dodgers have 7 prospects, they have 8 on this list:

9) Josue De Paula, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 21 | ETA: 2027
The Dodgers have won back-to-back championships, and for those who don’t enjoy that, they may be disheartened to hear that they have one of the best farm systems in baseball, with De Paula leading that group. The 19-year-old went hitless in four games with Double-A Tulsa, but that was preceded by an .827 OPS, 32 stolen bases and 12 homers in 98 games in High-A for Great Lakes. While he doesn’t have elite speed, his ability to read pitchers and quickness gives him a chance to be a major threat in the stolen-base category, and while it’s more projection than reality right now, there’s well above-average power in his left-handed swing. The ball jumps off his bat and his approach is outstanding, but hitting for average isn’t a guarantee because there’s some swing-and-miss and he’s willing to hit late in counts. De Paula is also not an elite defender, but he’s good enough to stay in the outfield, and he could be yet another star for the Dodgers in the latter part of the decade.

24) Eduardo Quintero, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 20| ETA: 2028
Quintero saw his stock soar in 2025 after he put together a .293/.415/.508 slash at the Low- and High-A levels while adding 19 homers and 47 stolen bases in his 113 games. That’s not to say that he was an unknown coming into the year -- far from it -- but there weren’t many better at the lower levels in 2025. Everything projects above-average or better for the outfielder, and that includes defensively which should help him rise through the Los Angeles system. It’s not likely that he’ll be a 30-plus homer player at the highest level, but he’s far from bereft of pop, and 20-homer seasons with a high average are well within reason. That’s enticing even before considering the potential for steals, and while he’s not likely to make his debut until the latter part of the decade, his skill set should make him worth the wait and then some.

27) Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 21 | ETA: 2027
Hope was one of the breakout prospects of the 2024 season, and while his 2025 campaign didn’t match lofty expectations, there was enough good to suggest a bright future. He compiled an .804 OPS with 13 homers and 27 steals, and he did it over 127 games as a 20-year-old while reaching Double-A for a brief six-game sample. A left-handed hitter, Hope has one of the more athletic swings you’ll see, and that along with a keen eye at the plate gives him a chance to hit for a solid average while also drawing a good amount of walks. The power is right there with the hit tool in terms of grades -- maybe even a tick better -- but it’s still a work-in-progress; something that is understandable for a player of Hope’s age and timeline. The hope (pun absolutely intended) is that Hope can be a player who steals 30-plus bases with a similar amount of homers and a solid average, and what’s shown over the last two seasons suggests he can do just that.

Mike Sirota, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 23 | ETA: 2027
Emil Morales, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 20 | ETA: 2028
Alex Freeland, INF, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 25 | ETA: Debuted in 2025
Jackson Ferris, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
River Ryan, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 27| ETA: Debuted in 2024

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-mlb-prospect-rankings-top-161742878.html

 

When I post stuff about prospect rankings, I almost always use MLB Pipeline as a reference... mostly because it doesn't require a subscription. This article has a table that shows top ten Dodger prospect rankings for Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and FanGraphs, so it's worth a quick peek to view how they rank across different rating systems. I tried to cut-and-paste it here, but the formatting didn't work well.

Nice write-up on Quintero and Sirota too.

https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-prospects/107706/dodgers-prospects-outfielders

 

Haha, I got the impression that the analyst Josh Norris didn't love having to sit there and talk up the Dodgers system. Must not be a fan. But good stuff, nonetheless. As he said, Dodgers are not likely to graduate many of their prospects this year, outside of Freeland and a couple of the pitchers like Ryan and Hurt, so this time next year we may be looking at the same core of prospects and by then any of the four OFers and possibly five with Davalan could be #1 in the organization. Another point he made is of that group, whoever doesn't progress relative to the others is likely to be traded.

 

What if you're the Padres, Gnats, DBacks, or Rockies - you know that the Dodgers have dominated the division for over a decade, just got stronger during the offseason, top free agents hope for a chance to sign with LA... and then you read that the top two prospects in the division and three of the top four may all wear blue in the future?

It's got to be pretty deflating.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-prospect-ranking-nl-west-dodgers-padres-giants/