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The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the organizations that are in prime position to win the 2023 World Series. At the early juncture of the season, they were not as dangerous and unbeatable as compared previous years, but Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have exemplified that they are the best duo in baseball. The Atlanta Braves are still the favorites to win it all, but the Dodgers are not far behind.
It is not only Betts and Freeman who have been doing most of the work as Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Jason Heyward have been incredible for Los Angeles as well. James Outman has been a revelation in 2023, with his 2.8 WAR and 17 HR and 59 RBI with a batting average of .254 (as of time of writing). Conversely on the pitching department, Los Angeles has been relying heavily on Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller and Julio Urias.
A plethora of these youngsters like Outman and Miller are part of the Dodgers' farm system, and this September is another chance for the franchise to promote several individuals who are ready to flourish in the major league level. With that in mind, here a couple of prospects who are must watch TV for the Dodgers.
3. Miguel Vargas
When the season began in Los Angeles, Miguel Vargas was the most hyped and talked about rookie in the organization even ahead of revelations like James Outman and Bobby Miller. Vargas' slashing line in his first 81 games in a Dodgers uniform was far from impressive as he hit .195/.305/.367. The squad decided to send him down to Triple-A, and Vargas has been finding his touch in the last several contests.
He has been producing a bevy of multi-hit games, so Vargas is expected to get a call-up sometime in September. Kolten Wong and Emmett Sheehan have been chosen as the two individuals to be called up to the majors when rosters expanded, but it has not closed the doors on the 23 year-old infielder.
2. Ryan Pepiot
As previously mentioned, the pitching of the Dodgers have been a slight cause for concern heading into the postseason, so they are continually searching for arms that can be utilized in the postseason. Ryan Pepiot is a pitcher who has been chosen as an option when Los Angeles had the ability to add a couple of guys during double headers, so it is not far-fetched for him to be given a legitimate chance at that level.
Pepiot has pitched three contests for the Dodgers which constituted to 14 innings, an ERA of 1.29, and 14 batters struck out. His slow start in Triple-A for 2023 has been thrown down the drain as he has proven that Pepiot is more than just the 27th man for Los Angeles.
1. Gavin Stone
Gavin Stone is the No.5 prospect in the Dodgers' organization, but his major league career has started off on the wrong foot. Stone has pitched 18 innings in a span of five games, but his ERA is at a whopping level of 10.50 with four homers surrendered. Dodgers reporters have mentioned that he is the second most-ready prospect behind Michael Busch, but he has not proven that yet.
Stone is currently at Triple-A, but his dreadful start for the Dodgers has been mitigated in the last couple of months for the Oklahoma City Dodgers. In the stretch from July to August, Stone's ERA has dropped to below three, along with a respectable strikeout and WHIP rate. With the heavy reliance on guys like Kershaw and Urias, they may want to promote Stone to lessen the burn on their arms heading into the grueling postseason run.