This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
Prospects within the decrease ranges of the Minors have a protracted street forward to the massive leagues, however 4 younger place gamers within the Dodgers’ system have been producing a number of pleasure inside the group — and so they share the identical outfield.
Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Mike Sirota and Kendall George have been making strides of their improvement with Excessive-A Nice Lakes, complementing each other with the totally different strengths they convey to the Loons’ outfield unit.
De Paula (MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Dodgers prospect, No. 33 general) and Hope (Dodgers No. 3, No. 45 general) are essentially the most well-known of the 4. The 2 20-year-olds have been non-roster invitees to this yr’s Spring Coaching, the place they impressed of their time across the large league membership.
“I believe that these two guys do an excellent job of controlling the strike zone,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated throughout spring. “They hit the ball exhausting. They’re very assured, younger gamers. They’re very gifted, younger gamers. And it is enjoyable to see these guys reap the benefits of alternatives. They’ve opened up a number of eyes, definitely on our aspect of issues.”
Sirota and George are maybe a tad extra below the radar. Sirota (Dodgers No. 19 prospect) was a part of the return within the deal that despatched Gavin Lux to the Reds this previous offseason, and George (No. 13) was the Dodgers’ first-round decide within the 2023 Draft.
The Dodgers have been impressed with how Sirota, 21, has dealt with the changes that include being in a brand new group. He made his skilled debut this yr with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, the place he hit .354 with a 1.130 OPS in 24 video games earlier than being promoted to Nice Lakes.
The group needed to see how Sirota’s bat performed at Single-A, and did not fairly foresee the recent begin that may assist him get to Excessive-A — the place he is gone 14-for-32 (.438) and gotten on base at a .500 clip in 9 video games.
“He actually impressed with the best way he goes about it and works each single day,” Dodgers director of participant improvement Matt McGrath stated not too long ago. “The swing is actual. The at-bat high quality is actual. I am unsure any of us noticed him going off fairly like this to begin the yr, however he is actually assured in his talents.”
George, in the meantime, has been honing his high device — pace — and understanding tips on how to use it successfully, each on the basepaths and within the discipline.
The 20-year-old George nonetheless has room for development together with his swing, however he is a harmful runner when he will get on base. His 21 stolen bases are tied for second most within the Midwest League, and six of them got here in a single sport on Might 18.
“Kendall might be one of many quickest gamers within the Minor Leagues,” McGrath stated. “I believe he is actually understood tips on how to use that as a weapon, each together with his continued progress defensively after which as he continues to type of get the swing into an excellent place, the place he is each capable of harm the ball and in addition use the pace as a weapon on the basepaths, too.”
De Paula, Hope, Sirota and George all have their very own strengths, however the standout high quality of the 4 of them collectively has been the best way they’ve already pushed one another to be higher. They work collectively within the cages and within the discipline, the place they’re studying one another’s tendencies and turning into a unit defensively.
At this stage of their improvement, they’re at the least a few years away from the Majors. If or after they get there, there is no assure that each one 4 will nonetheless be sharing an outfield, provided that selections on the large league stage dictate what occurs with a company’s prospects.
In the meanwhile, the interaction between De Paula, Hope, Sirota and George has the Dodgers enthusiastic about how they may proceed to develop.
“There’s some stage of a pleasant competitors, the place it is 4 actually gifted gamers who’re each rooting for each other and in addition type of on the market being like, ‘Hey, I need to go present up at present, too,'” McGrath stated. “It is simply actually cool to see 4 actually gifted gamers who’re all superb, and in addition pushing one another to be higher each single day, too.”
