Anthony Arroyo
As the Los Angeles Dodgers look toward the start of Spring Training, here’s a list of four players who could potentially crack the Opening-Day roster to start the 2025 season. Whether it’s a rising star or a comeback story, these four Dodgers players are the ones you’ll want to watch as Spring Training gets underway.
Dalton Rushing
The power-hitting catcher, ranked number 30 in MLB’s top 100 prospects according to MLB.com, Rushing looks to spring for his chance to crack the Opening Day roster.
With his fantastic play in the minors, hitting .271 with 26 homers, he placed 2nd in the entire Dodgers farm system in the 2024 season. It’s only a matter of time before he makes his impact with the Big League club.
His ability to walk at a high rate and play catcher and in the outfield make him an intriguing player to keep an eye on heading into spring training this year.
Bobby Miller
With a lackluster year in 2024 with the Big-league club that saw his ERA skyrocket to 8.52 in 56 innings last year, he was not the Bobby Miller fans were used to when he first broke onto the scene in 2023, where he was a fireball pitcher that helped lead the Dodgers to a yet another playoff birth that season.
Whether Miller has developed the ability to throw strikes and advance in counts remains to be determined. However, nobody questions his pitch mix ability.
Still, if he can put two and two together during spring, he is a player the Dodgers hope to add into their rotation or as a long reliever at the start of the Major League season.
James Outman
More than likely, the player with the highest chance to crack the Major League roster is James Outman. The player that placed 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 had a season to forget in 2024.
He hit .147 in 156 plate appearances and had an OPS+ of 50, 50 points lower than the MLB’s league average hitter. Outman was a completely different player in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. There, he slashed a .279 batting average and homered 17 times in 319 plate appearances.
In the spring, Outman hopes to continue his success in the Minors, which he can carry to the Big leagues during the Dodgers series in Tokyo.
Edgardo Henriquez
Few Dodgers fans had heard of Edgardo Heriquez before he was on the team’s postseason roster in 2024. The 22-year-old fireball pitcher was a name most Dodger fans were unfamiliar with on the Dodgers’ Postseason roster.
The right-hander from Cumana, Venezuela, only threw 3.1 innings during the regular season of 2024. But his ability to throw extremely hard landed him a spot on the World Series roster.
In the spring, the Dodgers will have to monitor the young pitcher to see if his contributions can enhance an already loaded bullpen that has added some big names this offseason.
This spring, the Dodgers will closely monitor his development, particularly his ability to add a reliable secondary pitch. If he can refine his arsenal and throw strikes consistently, Henriquez could secure a bullpen spot on the Opening Day roster.
Conclusion
With Spring Training around the corner, these four players have a prime opportunity to make an impact. Whether it’s Rushing making his MLB debut, Miller rediscovering his form, Outman proving his worth, or Henriquez breaking through as a bullpen weapon, Dodgers fans will have plenty to watch as the team gears up for a second World Series Championship.
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