Spencer Ward
The 2024 Dodgers have been in celebration mode since winning the World Series, but that does not mean that is the end of Dodgers playing in 2024. The Arizona Fall League season has just come to an end, and some Dodgers prospects are making a splash in the desert. Before we get into the players, some people may wonder what exactly the Arizona Fall League is.
The AFL is a developmental league where all 30 teams send out players that their respective teams may want to get more of a look at for various reasons. Whether those reasons are injury-related and the team wants the player to get more innings pitched/more at-bats, or the player could be eligible to be taken in this year’s Rule 5 draft, and the team has to decide if they want to add that particular player to the 40 Man Roster to protect them from being taken by another team.
Now, for the players that the Dodgers sent out to the AFL, the list includes 7 players: 4 pitchers and 3 position players.
LHP Kelvin Bautista (25)
Bautista appeared in 6 games for the Glendale Desert Dogs, tossing 6 2/3 IP and finishing with a 5.40 ERA and a WHIP of 1.950. His ending line of 6H 5R 4ER 7BB 3K 1WP in 33 batters faced is not the prettiest, and watching up close, it never seemed like he had control of any of his pitches and knew where they would end up.
There were far too many non-competitive pitches, which led to all of the walks. Bautista is eligible for next month’s Rule 5 draft unless he gets added to the Dodgers 40-man roster before Tuesday’s 6 PM ET deadline.
RHP Alex Makarewich (22)
Makarewich was a similar story to Bautista this Fall, also appearing in 6 games and throwing 6 innings. He is on the younger side of players that are generally sent out to the Fall League being 22 years old. The stat line is not very pretty, 6IP 9H, 10R, 9 ER, 11BB, 8K, 3HBP, a 3.333 WHIP, and 40 batters faced.
This performance isn’t the end of the world for him as he is not eligible for the Rule-5 Draft for another 2 years. His biggest challenge in pro ball is the command, and strikeouts have never been an issue. In his first season in Pro Ball this year, he had 45Ks in 32IP but issued 37 BBs. Makarewich will presumably start next season back with Rancho Cucamonga.
RHP Jerming Rosario (22)
Rosario was 1 of the 2 bright spots on the mound for the Dodgers prospects. He started 2 games (6 games total, 1 game finished), throwing 16IP, 13H 8R 8ER 1 HR 8BB 24K 2 WP 1.313 WHIP, and 68 batters faced.
The strikeouts were there for Rosario this fall, tallying up 24 of them and tying him for third overall, just 2 behind the leaders. His final outing was arguably the most impressive, coming out of the bullpen, throwing 3 innings, allowing just 1 hit, and racking up 7 strikeouts.
He is eligible for the Rule-5 Draft even at the young age of 22, given that he signed at 17. I don’t expect the Dodgers to protect him, and I also don’t expect him to be selected by another team. (Fingers crossed)
RHP Eriq Swan (23)
Rounding out the last of the pitchers, the lone arm that made the Fall Stars team. Swan, just drafted in 2023, only appeared in 4 games (2 starting). His ending line was 8 2/3 IP 7H 5R 5ER 2HR 1BB 14K 0.923 WHIP with 33 batters faced.
The command was excellent for the 2023 4th-round draft pick, issuing just one while striking out 14. That is a big improvement from his regular season, where his BB/9 was 6.4, and his SO/9 was 10.8. The 6’6″ Swan ranks #33 in the Dodgers system per FanGraphs. He will be an intriguing arm to watch next season; as he will be 23 all season, he could be an arm to watch climb up the rankings.
INF Jake Gelof (22)
Gelof, the first of three hitters the Dodgers sent out to the AFL, got off to a hot start but cooled down towards the end of the fall, making his overall numbers not too great. His final numbers are, in 18 games, 71 PA 58 AB 10 H 9 R 2 2B 1 3B 2 HR 11 RBI 1 SB 11 BB 20 K .172 BA .310 OBP .345 SLG .655 OPS.
Some may be disappointed at the overall numbers, rightfully so, his career OPS since being drafted is just .710 and may be skewed with a 4-game stretch in 2023 at the Complex where his OPS was 1.104. Gelof is going into an important season next year. He turns 23 in February, and for being a 2nd-round pick in ’23, he has yet to prove much with the bat, which was his best tool coming out of college.
OF Zyhir Hope (19)
The youngest player of the group and the youngest player overall in the AFL, he has some of the best tools in all the minor leagues. Hope got off to a strong start, which helped him be the lone Dodgers hitter to be selected to the Fall Stars roster (P Eriq Swan, the other selection). Zyhir also had one of the more memorable moments of the entire season, he hammered an 86MPH cutter dead center over the batter’s eye in Peoria, traveling 470ft with 111MPH exit velocity.
Those numbers are outstanding for anyone, let alone a 19-year-old. Hope has real 30-30 potential, which is why he is skyrocketing up most Top 100 prospect lists. His final numbers from the fall were, in 23 games, 103 AB 92 PA 21 H 16 R 3 2B 1 3B 5 HR 21 RBI 2 SB 1 CS 8 BB 21 K .228 BA .301 OBP .446 SLG .747 OPS. Still a lot of swing and miss in his game but the sky is the limit for Zyhir Hope.
INF Sean McLain (23)
Arguably the most impressive of the Dodgers players this fall is 2022 5th-round pick Sean McLain. McLain is the exact type of player the Dodgers love to have in the system. He appeared in 7 games at 2nd, 11 at 3rd, and 1 at SS. In 20 games, 76 PA and 59 AB, McLain had a .254 AVG, .421 OBP, .458 SLG .879 OPS, with 15 H 8 R 1 2B 1 3B 3 HR 10 RBI 10 SB 2 CS 16 BB 19 K.
McLain was very patient at the plate and had a very good approach, took his walks and never tried to do too much. He is not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft until next offseason, but with another good year, he could find himself a spot on the 40-man roster as a perfect utility player.
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