Mike Salas
It’s that time of the year for Baseball Prospectus to publish their annual Top 101 prospects for 2025. The Los Angeles Dodgers has five players that made the list, and some of you might be surprised of the rankings.
Zyhir Hope #8 – Age 19 / Outfielder / Bats Left / 5’10. Hope was part of the Michael Busch and Yency Almonte trade with the Chicago Cubs. He was assigned to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and was assigned to the Arizona Fall League after the regular season ended. The Dodgers planned to select the Virginia prep product in the 11th round, only to get beaten to the punch by the Cubs, who landed him for $400,000. My gut tells me that Zyhir will be moved up this year.
Quakes 2024 stats – 221AB / 46R / 64H / 9HR / 36RBI / 9SB / .290AVG / .419OBP / .903OPS
Scouting Reports – Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 65 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50
A twitchy athlete with a beautiful left-handed stroke, Hope already produces 110-mph exit velocities as a teenager. He hasn’t seen a lot of quality pitching and tends to chase pitches out of the zone, so he likely will need some time to hone his approach and develop at the plate. But his combination of easy bat speed, growing strength and some natural loft in his swing could translate into plus power in his prime.
Hope’s plus-plus speed contributes to his 30-30 upside and allows him to cover plenty of ground in center field. He also has well above-average arm strength that intrigued some clubs on the mound. As a left-handed pitcher, he ran his fastball into the mid-90s and displayed promising shape with his curveball.
Josue De Paula #9 – Age 19 / Outfielder / Bats Left / 6’3. De Paula was born in Brooklyn but signed out of the Dominican Republic for $397,500 in January 2022. He made his U.S. debut by batting .284/.396/.372 in Single-A as an 18-year-old last season, and he would have ranked in the California League top five in hitting and on-base percentage if he hadn’t fallen just short of qualifying.
Loons 2024 Stats – 385AB / 69R / 103H / 10HR / 62RBI / 27SB / .268AVG / .404OBP / .809OPS
Scouting Reports – Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 55
De Paula is built to hit with a sweet left-handed stroke and advanced aptitude to recognize pitches and make quality swing decisions. He spent the offseason training with Juan Soto and Elly De La Cruz in Florida, adding significant muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame that should translate into increased power in 2024. With his hitting ability, bat speed and projectable strength, he could develop into a .300 hitter with 30 homers on an annual basis once he learns to drive balls in the air more consistently.
De Paula looks twitchier and more athletic this year, and the Dodgers are hoping that will translate into more effectiveness on the bases and in the outfield. He has fringy to average speed but has been an opportunistic basestealer, swiping 30 bags in 39 tries in 128 games during his first two pro seasons. He lacks instincts and has been error-prone as an outfielder, showing an average arm while spending most of 2023 in right field.
Dalton Rushing #22 – Age 23 / Catcher / Bats Left / 6’1. Rushing signed with Dodgers for $1,956,890 as the top pick (second round) in the 2022 Draft. After posting a 1.262 OPS in his pro debut, he played in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. He homered 15 times in 89 games in High-A last summer despite dealing with a concussion after getting hit on a backswing.
OKC 2024 stats – 420AB / 69R / 114H / 26HR / 85RBI / 2SB / .271AVG / .410OBP / .896OPS
Scouting Reports – Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 55
Rushing stands out most for his well-above-average raw power, he’s far from a one-dimensional player at the plate. He has a quick, compact left-handed swing and consistently drives the ball in air to his pull side without selling out for home runs. Strikeouts are part of his game, but he makes a lot of hard contact, draws plenty of walks and further enhances his on-base ability by getting hit by more than his share of pitches.
Rushing is reasonably athletic for a 6-foot-1, 220-pound catcher and can flash close to average speed once he gets going on the bases. Because he’s relatively inexperienced behind the plate, his receiving and blocking skills are works in progress, though he has the hands and agility to get the job done. He has the solid arm strength to deter the running game and still is learning to call games and run a pitching staff. The Dodgers began playing him in left field in mid-2024, looking for additional ways to eventually get him at-bats in a big league lineup that includes All-Star backstop Will Smith.
Jackson Ferris #52 – Age 20 / LH Pitcher / 6’4. Ferris established himself as an elite prospect as a junior at IMG Academy in 2021. When he threw a no-hitter and a perfect game in his first two starts. He has been compared to Blake Snell at the stage of their careers. He was the second part of the Michael Busch Yency Almonte trade with the Cubs.
Drillers 2024 Stats – 5-7 Record / 126.2IP / 27G / 0SV / 145SO / 3.20ERA / 1.18WHIP
Scouting Reports – Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 55
Ferris can miss bats in the strike zone with a variety of pitches, starting with a 92-95 mph fastball that reaches 97 with a flat approach angle and excellent carry. He entered pro ball with a 75-78 mph curveball with downer break, and Chicago helped him add a 79-82 mph slider with sweep, and both are at least solid offerings. His mid-80s changeup with fade shows similar promise.
Ferris doesn’t always keep his complicated mechanics in sync, which costs him control and command, but he does have the athleticism to make them work and they do create deception. Adding strength to his projectable 6-foot-4 frame could add some needed power to his breaking balls and help him do a better job of locating his pitches more consistently. He has frontline-starter ceiling and resembles Blake Snell at the same stage of their careers, albeit with better stuff and a cleaner delivery.
Alex Freeland #82 – Age 23 / Short Stop / Switch Hitter / 6’2. Freeland he became the second-highest drafted position player in Central Florida school history. The Dodgers drafted him in the third round. After a lackluster first full pro season, he has had one of the biggest breakthroughs in the system this year.
Drillers 2024 Stats – 507AB / 100R / 132H / 18HR / 74RBI / 31SB / .260AVG / .387OBP / .829OPS
Scouting Reports – Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55
Freeland draws walks and makes quality swing decisions as well as any Los Angeles farmhand. A switch-hitter, he does more damage as a lefty, but has improved his production from both sides of the plate in 2024. He’s making more consistent hard contact and could provide 20 homers per season.
His advanced instincts allow him to play faster than his average speed on the bases and at shortstop. He has range to both sides, reliable hands and plus arm strength, allowing him to make all the plays. Though he also has seen action at second and third base and has the versatility for a utility role, he profiles as a regular at short.
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