While the Dodgers Major League Club had a flat night in their return to L.A. there were some very exciting moments up and down the system.

Landon Knack got the call up from AAA OKC, and, like he’s done every time he’s been given the chance, he killed it. Knack featured a 3 pitch mix (He didn’t throw his Curve Ball), and constantly had the Angels hitters off balance. He’s a pitcher that consistently creates weak contact through elite sequencing, movement & elite execution with both his command & control. 

Miguel Vargas continues to gain more confidence with each passing game he has success. A lot of fans would like to see him moved back to 3rd base with the void left by Max Muncy, but it’s not that simple. Vargas has moved around from 1st base to 3rd base, then to 2nd base, almost exclusively at the MLB level, then to Left Field, back to 3rd, then back to left Field.

That’s all in the last 2 years. 

So, to ask him, for the 2nd time, to incorporate into a different position at the MLB level, all the while trying to prove himself offensively, with inconsistent playing time, is an ask that not even Super Star veterans could take lightly. To ask a young player who is just now gaining confidence would be a Huge ask, one that the Dodgers have felt is too big to this point. 

I can assure you though, Miguel Vargas has an elite attitude, and would accept anything the organization has to offer with open arms, so be on the look out. 

AAA OKC

Welcome back River Ryan! Ryan had been out all year with shoulder fatigue, and made his 2nd rehab start last night, first with OKC. Ryan hit 98, and featured his typical change and slider & big swag that he always has. 

3IP 1H 0R 4Ks 0BB He sat 96.5, touched 98.9 spin averaged well over 2300 and touched over 2500. That’s a BIG fastball! Cutter hit close to 90, his 4 curveballs got 2 swings, both whiffs, & he threw 1 changeup that landed. Great Outing!

Ryan is not on the 40 man because he wasn’t eligible for the Rule 5 draft last off season, so the Dodgers didn’t  have to protect him. So, to get him to L.A. would take some work, someone would have to be removed via DFA, trade or 60 Day I.L. but we all know how creative the Dodgers are in these situations. 

What the Dodgers want, in terms of roster construction, they typically get, because they are so thorough in how the do things and leave no stones unturned. 

James Outman has done very well since being optioned down to AAA OKC. Tough situation in that he was a 4 WAR player last year, posted a WRC+ well above league average, and was 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting, only to be given 36 games. But, the decision of where he plays is not something he can control, other than how he plays.

Outman is hitting .296, OPS .974 & has 7 HRs in 108 ABs, which is a home run every 15 at bats. That would be a rate that, over the course of a season, would be close to the top of the entire organization. Plus, his defense is plus, and he has hits in 9 of his last 10 games. So, hopefully he keeps “controlling what he can control” and forcing his way back into the L.A. lineup. 

Andre Lipcius has cooled down from what was a crazy pace of offensive output. He started the season going 5 for his first 9 in Tacoma & hit .350 in May, and also, has led the PCL through long stretches in Home Runs with 17. He’s currently behind his teammate Ryan Ward who has 18. 

Lipcius has an ISO that is 5 points higher than his K% and has posted a WRC+ that is 28% better than league average, so he has been very good. 

A lot of folks think he should be promoted to take over the 3rd base spot left by the Max Muncy injury. First, he’s not on the 40 man roster, so someone would have to get DFA’d or put on the 60 Day IL. 

And, no, Chris Taylor, Kike or Gavin Lux aren’t going to happen! At least I don’t think so, so move on from those ideas, at least for the current being. 

 So, would Lipcius be a good choice?

When I interviewed him for Dodgers Daily he made it very clear that 3rd base is his most natural position, and he’s played 16 games at the Hot Corner, and he’s also played 29 games at 1st base, so he’s definitely most comfortable on the corners. 

Ryan Ward has quietly been one of the best and most explosive hitters in all of the Minor Leagues. In fact, he leads the PCL in Home Runs with 18 and he’s posted a batting average .288, OPS 1.009. 

The dude does damage and has one of the best abilities of any player in the organization to hit for both power and average. Also, just know that, last year, he was promoted to AAA well before Andy Pages, and we know how good Pages is. 

Kody Hoese was drafted in the first Round of the 2019 Draft and got off to very good start to his career. But…then!

Then Covid cancelled the 2020 season, then he had an oblique injury that derailed his 2021 season, then he had a foot injury, then 2024 started.

And, he has finally arrived. 

This season, with full health, Hoese is having his best season as a professional this side of his short season in 2019 after he got drafted. He’s hitting .299, OPS 827, he has 6 Home Runs, 34 RBIs and 15 doubles. He’s long been the best defensive infielder in the system and now the “hit tool” has caught up. As Jason Martin said in our interview, everyone’s time table is different, and let’s all hope that Hoese’s time continues to be now.

Kyle Hurt is back from injury and was just recently moved off the IL, activated, then immediately optioned to AAA OKC. This is why it confuses me when Dodgers fans think the Dodgers need MORE pitching. They already have so much depth that guys like Landon Knack and Kyle Hurt, who have both had success at the MLB level, aren’t getting very many opportunities. 

Like every player in this position, all Kyle can do is pitch well and force the clubs hand. We know how the club loves to move their pitchers up and down, so he’ll be getting opportunity soon, at least that’s what the Dodgers history of transactions would suggest. 

The British Gas, Big Mike, Michael Petersen, made his MLB debut after forcing his way into opportunity. In fact, he got the W in the historic comeback win for the Dodgers this past week in Colorado.

Petersen has always thrown “fuzz” meaning he throws hard, and pairs that with good secondary offerings. He’s called the “British Gas” because he was born in Great Britain and moved to Southern California when he was one. So, he is 100% a SoCal boy, but, because of his British roots, he was a part team Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he struck out Nolan Arenado and looked very good. 

AA Tulsa

Tulsa has gotten hot after a slow start, and it’s, likely, due to some timely promotions. Alex Freeland has been on a tear since he moved up to AA, Damon Keith just recently came off the IL, Diego Cartaya is starting to swing the bat well, and Edgardo Henriquez and Lucas Wepf have just made it into T-Town. 

Henriquez has been possibly the most “eye opening” prospect in the entire system this year. He didn’t pitch at all last year due to injury, and, to start this season, had thrown just 70.1 Innings with the Dodgers system since 2019.

Then, the Dodgers put him in the Prospect Breakout Game!

Then, we all sat in wonder as to who the heck is this guy throwing the ball 6000 miles an hour to home plate.

Then, he continued to create momentum, then he got promoted to Great Lakes, then to Tulsa. 

So, if you want to know how high the organization is on Henriquez, just look at how fast they have promoted him. 

He consistently hits over 100 mph, has touched 102 and has a slider that is very good. No prospect is “untouchable”, meaning, if the right package was offered that no team in their Right Mind would turn down, the Dodgers would have to strike. Especially considering that this roster is World Series or bust.  But, Edgardo is as close to as “untouchable” as it gets. This dude is awesome to watch!

Alex Freeland has put himself into some rarified air this year with how well he has played. In today’s podcast, Austin Brubaker even hinted that he might be climbing into one of the most “untouchable” prospects in the organization, and for good reason.

He’s hitting .303, OPS .979, he has 9 Home Runs & 17 stolen bases. He stole 31 bases last year, so he has a good shot at being a 20/30 guy, and and outside shot at being a 20/40. 

And, all the while doing so with an average over .300, an OPS approaching 1.000 & a fielding percentage at Short Stop of .966. That .966 fielding percentage would place him 7th best at the MLB level, to give it some perspective.

Dalton Rushing has been as advertised this year for AA Tulsa. His average is just .258, and while that is very respectable, it just scratches the surface of how good he has been.

First, the intangibles!

This dude is one of the most fiery and competitive dudes I have ever seen on a baseball field. He holds his pitchers accountable, and if they’re wavering in confidence, he lights their fire. 

I’ve seen him transform usually mild mannered pitchers into fire breathing dominators in the biggest moments of games. Yes, Jack Little, I’m looking at you!

Then, just the overall impact! 

He has energy to spare & it is all positive and works towards his competitive edge. And, it’s infectious! He has a very quick release, a good arm, frames the ball well, and can throw from his knees. 

Offensively, beyond his .258 average, he’s posted an ISO that is higher than his K% of 20%, which is very good. He also has a walk rate of 12% and when you put all of that together it adds up to a WRC+ of 137, which means he’s 37% above league average when compared to his peers. 

I understand that the Dodgers just signed Will Smith to an extension, but I would throw up in my mouth if they traded this guy. 

Sorry for the visual…Intentionally dramatic

Austin Beck is in a similar boat to Kody Hoese in the sense that he was a 1st Round Draft Pick, in his case in 2017, but has fought injury and is hoping he has finally arrived. He came to the Dodgers via Free Agency from the A’s and is very comfortable under the instruction and structure of the Culture of the Dodgers system. 

And, he’s having a good year!

He’s hitting .250, has an ISO of .256, a Home Run per Fly Ball rate of 26.3% and a WRC+ of 127. The top end is great, but the one thing I think he’d probably like to see improve, as he continues to improve in this system, is his strikeout rate. He’s striking out at a 34.7% clip, but when your HR/FB rate is so high, that makes up for a lot of that, which the WRC+ reflects. 

Click to watch Knowles in action

Antonio Knowles has a really nice pitch mix working, and his execution has been totally spot on. He’s throwing the sinker to lefties that “hops” back over the plate, then his devastating slider to righties, mixed in with the occasional 4 Seam to the top of the zone, or any location that needs to be very specific. 

Knowles has posted an ERA of just 1.74, he’s averaging close to 11 Ks per 9 innings, he’s giving up less than 1 Home Run per 9 and his K% is 30.1%. He carries an elite pitch in his tool bag, his slider, of which is so good, I gave it a name, the Conchinator. 

Conchinator comes from the fact that Knowles is from Key West & is proud to be a Conch alum. 

Logan Boyer is in the same  vein as Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez in the sense that he is insanely talented, as his results this year show, but he he’s fought the injury bug. 

In fact, coming into this year, Boyer had thrown just 40.1 Innings since being drafted in 2019. But, he’s healthy now, his fastball is touching 100 and he is totally dominating. He’s posted an ERA of just 1.59, and he has 27 Ks in 22.2 Innings.  His K% is 30%, he’s allowing less than 1/2 a Home Run per 9 innings and his average against is just .182. 

He has a big arm and, injury not withstanding, promises to have a bigger future. 

Lucas Wepf has turned into a force. He added some really nice weight to his legs and lower half of his body and it has payed off in huge dividends. He’s approaching 100 MPH, and with his awkward motion, it makes it very uncomfortable for hitters. 

His ERA was just 1.84 in 29.1 innings with Great Lakes and he has yet to give up a run in his 2 innings so far with Tulsa since his very recent promotion. Wepf loves the high leverage moments, is super competitive and is even more fun to watch. He is “must see’ TV!

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