Major League Baseball owners may have ruled out the players, which the league’s first work stoppage since 1994-95 and to bring the off-season to a halt, but that does not mean we derail our typical off-season plans. Indeed, CBS Sports is highlighting the top three prospects for all 30 teams, as well as naming the top 50 prospects in the minors, regardless of team affiliation.
That journey we find today focuses on the Los Angeles Dodgers‘farm system.
Note that these lists are formed after discussions with scouts, analysts, and player development people from across the league. There is personal prejudice embedded, as one would expect from subjective exercises, so some degree of disagreement is to be expected.
Now, on to the gas bakery.
Bobby Miller, RHP
Coming from Louisville, there were enough scouts who felt Miller would end up in the bullpen that he slipped to the Dodgers at the end of the first round. Of course, less than two years later, he seems more certain to stay in a rotation. Miller’s best pitches are his mid-90s sinker and his slider, and he’s seen both his change and command increase since he became a pro. If there is one lack of his game at this point, it is a lack of exposure. The Dodgers micromanaged his outings last season, to the point where he averaged less than four frames per appearance. The game is changing, with beginners shouldering fewer and fewer turns, but it’s still on the light side for a suspected beginner. Nevertheless, Miller should reach the majors in 2022.
Vargas may or may not end up as a third baseman for the long term, but his bat is the reason why he ranks this high. Last season, he launched a career-high 23 home runs over High- and Double-A, doing so while hitting .319 / .380 / .526, running and keeping his knockout rate below 20 percent. Given Vargas’ youth (he celebrated his 22nd birthday in November), all indications are that he is a middle-order bat on the rise.
Cartaya, who turned 20 in September, was limited to 31 Low-A matches last season due to visa issues. In those games, he hit .298 / .409 / .614 with 10 home runs. Cartaya’s best offensive feature is his raw power, though he also has a mature understanding of the hitting zone. Defensively, he is considered a sure thing to stay behind the sheet. This combination bodes well for his chances of developing into a starting catcher.
