Spring Training is hot and heavy into games and the Dodgers are getting to showcase some of the young talent it has developed. Here are a few of my takeaways from the action to this point and some of the position players that Dodgers fans should pay extra close attention to.

James Outman is in a position battle in the outfield and is hoping to cement the everyday Centerfield spot. Outman is ultra-talented and has the ability to be a 20/20 guy, possibly 30/30 in the right year. 

Outman has always played great defense and has always had massive power potential, but his key is going to be the trade-off between his power and the number of times he strikes out. 

Outman hit for 2 cycles last year, both within a week of each other, and also hit 2 grand slams, so the highs are very high. If he is given the chance, and if he can keep his low points to a minimum, he will be a top-shelf outfielder at the Major League level. We know the potential has been shown, not it’s gonna come down to how consistent he becomes. 

Devin Mann is a long lanky and versatile prospect out of Louisville that can play anywhere on the field except pitcher and catcher. Mann is most comfortable at 2nd base though and helped lead his Louisville Cardinal teams to the College World Series in Omaha.

Mann has the potential to be a very good, “swiss army knife” type of player, which we know the Dodgers value. And, he has the potential to have a lot of power. 

Towards the end of 2021, Mann had multi-home runs in 3 games in a row while in Double A, and they were all bombs. In fact, at one point he had hit 6 home runs in his last 10 at-bats, so when he gets hot he can carry an offense. 

Ryan Pepiot looked sharp in his 1 inning yesterday. Of course, what we are all looking for is his command of the strike zone and that was an emphasis in his off season. He has made some adjustments to help him access the strike zone easier and they were on display in his first performance. 

Takeaways from Ryan Pepiot 1) Changeup is back to having depth instead of horizontal. 2) Can give the slider a tighter cutter shape, or a bigger curveball look. 3) His Body looks great which will help him access the zone. Great off-season adjustments!

We’re all hoping for the best for Gavin Lux! Lux suffered an ugly leg injury and we’re all waiting to see how bad the damage is going to be. Lux was slated to get the bulk of time at shortstop and was primed to have a big year. 

Almost immediately after the injury, the Dodgers acquired Bryson Brigman to a Minor League contract, but that doesn’t automatically mean that the news is worst-case scenario for Lux. 

Leonel Valera and Jacob Amaya are no longer with the Dodgers and Eddys Leonard spent all of 2022 in High A, so there was a gap at AAA at shortstop. The club needed to pick up Minor League depth at shortstop anyways, so the Brigman pickup isn’t automatically tied to Lux.

I’ve seen Michael Busch play at UNC, and then a countless number of games at Tulsa and OKC. I am 100% convinced that he should get 300-400 MLB at-bats this year, if not more, and that, if he got those at-bats, he would be one of the best offensive players on the team.

I have 0 doubt that he would make all the routine plays and would provide a certain amount of grit and toughness that every team needs. The Dodgers need to find a way to make this happen! JMO!

Landon Knack might be the pitching prospect I am the most excited to follow in Spring Training. He’s healthy and ready to showcase his 4 plus pitches. Watch the “ride and run” on his fastball and the ++ changeup. Keep your eye on this guy, he’s gonna keep trending up.

Hunter Feduccia made a big splash over the weekend leaving a lot of Dodgers fans left wondering who he is. Look no further because we have a lot of coverage on him. 

Feduccia is a long and lanky catcher out of LSU that is one of the most durable catchers in the game. He gets stronger as the season goes on, which is a rare find for a catcher. Feddy, as he is known, is one of the most respected players in the org. and is very talented as well. Click the link on his name above for his full feature including an interview and a feature article that will let you know everything you need about the young catcher. 

Ryan Noda was picked up by Oakland in the Rule 5 Draft, which means he is on their  26-man roster and is going to get playing time at the MLB level this year. 

And, not unexpectedly, he’s off to a great start!

Noda is 2 for 5 so far for the A’s with a home run and 3 RBIs. Heckuva ballplayer! Keep it going Ryno!

Prospects to Watch (Positon Players)

In our last article, we covered some of the pitching prospects that Dodgers fans should follow. In today’s article, we’re gonna cover a few of the position players that we think should be followed the closest. 

Drew Avans was voted as the “grittiest” player in the Dodgers Minor League organization by his teammates. Avans is not big, and he’s not flashy, but he is very good. He had a 53-game on-base streak last year which was the longest such streak in the last 3 years in the PCL. 

Avans also had 40 stolen bases, hit .282, had an On base percentage of .379 and was towards the top of the league in total bases and runs scored. 

He’s simply one helluva player in the truest form of what a baseball player should be and how they should play the game. 

Ryan Ward is a left-handed hitting outfielder that might be the most underrated offensive prospect in the game. Wardo as he is known, hit home run #25 last year on August 2nd, and, at that time, that led everyone at every level in the Dodgers organization, and it also led all of the Texas League.

Ward got hurt at that point in the season after having his best week of the year, and it hurt his numbers, but, make no mistake about it, this dude can hit. 

Andy Pages was just recently placed on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and for good reason, he’s very talented. Pages has a bazooka for an arm and has a world of power. 

He led the Dodgers Minor League system in 2021 in home runs, and, although his average wasn’t as good this year, his home runs per flyball rates continue to indicate that he’s gonna hit a ton of home runs as a professional. 

Jonny DeLuca is a young outfielder that can play anywhere but is best suited for centerfield due to his athletic ability. It came as a surprise to some when he was placed on the 40-man this past off-season, but not to those that follow it closely.

DeLuca was a switch hitter at Oregon, so he never tapped into his power potential while he was a Duck. Since he’s become a Dodger he has become a right-handed hitter only and has really become an ultimate weapon at the plate.

DeLuca has power to spare, he is a great athlete, and he is a very disciplined hitter, so he has the potential to hit for a high average and for equal power. In fact, when he was promoted to AA Tulsa, he led the Loons in both home runs and stolen bases. 

Eddys Leonard is an infielder that was placed on the 40-man in front of the 2022 season, which goes to show how high the organization is on his talent. Leonard is one to watch even more closely now considering the uncertainty of Gavin Lux and the Dodgers needing depth at the shortstop position.

Leonard spent all of last year at High A Great Lakes, so it would be a huge jump for him to see time in LA, but, he’s just one injury away from that becoming a very real possibility. 

Kody Hoese is a former 1st Round Draft pick that hasn’t been able to avoid the injury bug. He is the best defensive 3rd baseman in the organization, and it’s not close, but his offense has been an issue, and injury has been the reason why. 

Hoese fought an oblique injury in 2021, then got hot last year before getting injured again. 

This season is a huge season for the former Tulane Green Wave, because, if he can stay healthy, he has a lot to prove. 

Carson Taylor is a catcher that was drafted in the 2020 Draft that was just 5 rounds. Taylor is a switch hitter and has always brought great offense with him, but last year was marred with injuries. This will be a big year for the Virginia Tech Alum because it will be somewhat of a bounce back and with the recent addition of Dalton Rushing, and the ever-present Diego Cartaya, 2023 will be a chance for Taylor to re-establish himself as one of the best young catching prospects in the game. 

Brandon Lewis led the entire Dodgers organization in home runs per at bat in 2021, but had a down year last year, so you can bet he’s chomping at the bit to get 2023 started. Lewis is a local LA boy that went to UC Irvine and has a world of power as a corner infielder. 

He can play either 1st or 3rd base, and, although he does have massive power potential, he’s pretty good at going the other way too. This is a big “bounce back” year for him, so watching his progress will be a lot of fun and certainly interesting. 

Become a subscriber to our Dodgers Daily YouTube page and follow us on Twitter @dodger_daily, on Instagram @dodger.daily, or on TikTok @dodgers_daily.

Leave a comment, click the like button, and tell all your friends about Dodgers Daily so we can keep growing and keep providing quality content in the future.