Last month, Bleacher Report released its rankings for the top 100 MLB prospects in the game heading into the 2020 season. Of course, the Dodgers had no shortage of representatives (5) in the rankings led by highly touted prospect Gavin Lux.
Saturday, they once again released another power ranking highlighting the top 50 middle infielders throughout the league. It’s not a surprise that this power ranking was led once again by Gavin Lux and featured 3 Dodgers overall.
Here’s a breakdown of each prospect for Los Angeles:
2B/SS Gavin Lux (Age:22) Rank: 2
Coming into the 2020 season, Gavin Lux was seen as a lock to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award while helping the Dodgers try to win an 8th consecutive NL West title. While things certainly haven’t gone according to plan with Lux still at the team’s alternate training site at USC, the 22-year-old still has tremendous upside.
Lux is still young and only has 23 Major League games under his belt after blowing through the upper levels of the Minors in 2019. His miraculous performance last season in which he posted a .347/.421/607 slash line with 26 home runs, 76 RBIs, 99 runs scored, and a 1.028 OPS is just too hard to overlook. On the defensive side of the ball, he does have some issues to clean up after having a few hiccups during summer camp. While his impact this season may be on hold indefinitely, there’s no doubt he has a future with the team.
2B Michael Busch (Age:22) Rank: 38
During his time at North Carolina, Busch proved that he can flat out rake. Over the course of three seasons with the Tar Heels, Busch hit .282 with 32 home runs, 32 doubles, and 142 RBIs. He commands the strike zone and isn’t afraid to take walks if he can’t find a pitch to drive as he had two seasons where he walked more than he struck out.
That kind of offensive potential was enough for the Dodgers to take him 31st overall in the 2019 Draft. While at UNC, Busch bounced back and forth between first base and the outfield but the Dodgers are intent on challenging Busch’s athleticism at second base. Even if Busch can’t handle duties at second base, his offensive ceiling can play at his old positions as well.
2B/SS Jacob Amaya (Age: 21) Rank: 45
Jacob Amaya may or may not be a name that many Dodger fans are familiar with. The 21-year-old is actually an LA county native who went to South Hills High School in West Covina and was committed to Cal State Fullerton before signing with the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2017 Draft. His grandfather, Frank Amaya, also played in the Dodgers organization in the 50s.
Amaya doesn’t have the same ceiling as Busch or Lux but still has the ingredients to become a solid hitter at the big league level. He has great knowledge of the strike zone and has the potential to hit double-digit home runs. Analysts have profiled him as a potential super-utility player with a strong arm and quick hands. He’s proven to be versatile thus far in his pro career seeing action at second, shortstop, and third base.
