TOP 5 PROSPECTS
Excerpted from BaseballHQ.com’s 2020 Minor League Baseball Analyst. To order: https://www.baseballhq.com/mlba2020
Gavin Lux, 2B/SS: Lux, 22, obliterated AAA pitching (.392 batting average, 13 home runs in 199 at-bats) before joining the Dodgers last September. He has an advanced understanding of the strike zone and a smooth lefty stroke and is a plus runner.
Dustin May, RHP: May, 22, has emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He comes after hitters with a four-pitch mix highlighted by a 94-98 mph fastball and backs up the heat with a plus cutter, curveball and changeup.
Keibert Ruiz, C: Ruiz started slowly before a broken finger ended his season in August. He’s a disciplined, contactoriented hitter with average power. Defensively, Ruiz moves well with good framing skills and a quick release but just an average arm. The 21-year-old is blocked in the majors.
Kody Hoese, 3B: The 25th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Hoese has some of the best raw power in the class. He has a quick, balanced, powerful stroke and should move through the system quickly despite being a fringe defender at third base. The 22-year-old college product seems ready for High A.
Josiah Gray, RHP: Gray, 22, pounds the zone and gets plenty of weak contact. His lively fastball has some arm-side run, though his potentially plus slider is inconsistent and his changeup is a work in progress. Gray posted a 2.75 ERA over 391⁄3 innings at Class AA, where he’ll likely return to start 2020.