Dodger catching prospects stand out in preseason Top 30
by Christian Romo
The Dodger development system boasts some of the best catching talent in Major League Baseball.
Catcher Dalton Rushing, the team’s 2022 first-round draft pick, has been named the organization’s No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline in a their organizational Top 30 Prospects, released Wednesday. With catchers Diego Cartaya (No. 9), Thayron Liranzo (No. 10) and Yeiner Fernandez (No. 28), the club features four catchers in its Top 30 list.
The Dodgers are the only team in Major League Baseball to feature three catchers among their top 10 prospects. No other team features more than one.
It’s a high point of a collection that features several new players after a 2023 season when many top preseason prospects made a positive impact on the big league squad.
Rushing — who placed at No. 75 on MLB Pipeline’s preseason Top 100 — slashed .228/.404/.452/.856 with 15 home runs in 381 plate appearances at High-A Great Lakes in 2023. He arrived at Camelback Ranch in 2024 as a non-roster invitee and has appeared in eight games.
The catcher was also featured as the team’s No. 1 prospect according to Baseball Prospectus (No. 36 overall) and Baseball America (No. 50 overall).
This is the fourth year in a row that a catcher has topped the Dodger preseason Top 30, with Cartaya the No. 1 prospect in 2022 and 2023 and Washington Nationals’ catcher Keibert Ruiz leading the pack in 2021.
The Top 30 list also features top pitching talent, with right-handed pitchers Nick Frasso (No. 2) and River Ryan (No. 5) landing high on the list. FanGraphs named Ryan the organization’s No. 1 prospect.
Right-handed pitchers Gavin Stone (No. 6) and Kyle Hurt (No. 7) both made their Major League debuts in 2023. Hurt experienced the biggest jump forward of any Dodger prospect, sitting unranked at the beginning of 2023. He recorded a Minor League-high 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings on the way to winning the organization’s 2023 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year award.
Outfielders Andy Pages (No. 3) and Josue De Paula (No. 4) have both put up noteworthy Spring Training highlights. Pages has hit .471 (8-for-17) with two home runs and nine RBI in six Cactus League games. The 18-year-old De Paula, meanwhile, hit a two-run home run in his only Cactus League plate appearance so far.
Left-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris (No. 8) and outfielder Zyhir Hope (No. 21) make their first appearances on the Dodger preseason list after arriving from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for infielder Michael Busch on Jan. 11. Shortstop Trey Sweeney (No. 22) arrived from the New York Yankees on Dec. 11 in a trade for left-handed pitcher Victor González.
Other notable players on the list include outfielder and 2023 first-round pick Kendall George (No. 12), 40-man roster pitcher Landon Knack (No. 14) and 2024 international free agent shortstop Emil Morales (No. 19).
The full list
- Dalton Rushing — C/1B
2. Nick Frasso — RHP
3. Andy Pages — OF
4. Josue De Paula — OF
5. River Ryan — RHP
6. Gavin Stone — RHP
7. Kyle Hurt — RHP
8. Jackson Ferris — LHP
9. Diego Cartaya — C
10. Thayron Liranzo — C/1B
11. Payton Martin — RHP
12. Kendall George — OF
13. Joendry Vargas — SS
14. Landon Knack — RHP
15. Maddux Bruns — LHP
16. Justin Wrobleski — LHP
17. Ronan Kopp — LHP
18. Hyun-Seok Jang — RHP
19. Emil Morales — SS
20. Eduardo Quintero — OF
21. Zyhir Hope — OF
22. Trey Sweeney — SS
23. Jake Gelof — 3B
24. Alexander Albertus — INF
25. Samuel Munoz — OF
26. Austin Gauthier — INF/OF
27. Noah Miller — SS/2B
28. Yeiner Fernandez — C/2B
29. Jose Ramos — OF
30. Jesus Tillero — RHP
