The Dodgers recently dealt outfielder Luke Raley to Tampa Bay for Tanner Dodson, a Minor League prospect that has had a world of success at every turn in his baseball career. Dodson has spent his entire baseball career, both amateur and professional, as a 2-way player, but only had 25 at-bats total last year and his fastball was hitting 98-100, so I think it could be assumed that the Dodgers are picking him up as a pitcher more than they are a position player. But, that’s just my opinion which is based off of 0 inside information on the situation, so take that with several grains of salt.  The former Tampa Bay farmhand fits the Dodgers formula with a pitch mix of the big fastball, ++slider, and changeup, but he also has the trait that all scouts and organizations love and that is that baseball is in his family genes. Dodson’s dad, Bo Dodson, was also a professional baseball player and was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1989 Draft, so he gets his baseball acumen honestly.

Cal

Dodson graduated from Jesuit High School and went to Cal where he had a remarkable career on the Berkeley campus. As a Golden Bear, the 2-way standout was one of 3 finalists for the John Olerud National Two-Way Player of the Year award, was first-team All-Pac-12, was on the watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, and also became an All-American after his Junior year. The California native then got drafted in 2018 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the Round B of the Competitive Balance Draft and has been a lifetime .247 hitter with an OPS of .655 as a position player, while posting an ERA of 3.11 in his 98.1 professional innings as a pitcher.

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Dodson features a fastball that was hitting 98-100 at the end of the year so he has the Velo that the Dodgers organization loves with its relievers, but, it’s not just his Velo that makes him such an exciting prospect. The movement he is able to get at such high velocities gives his stuff the potential to be really “dirty” and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways. Here is a video that shows just how much “arm-side” movement he gets on the 2 pitches in the video that were thrown at 98 and 100 mph respectfully.

Dodson’s changeup has great tumble and his slider is a ++ pitch that has great depth and is used effectively against both Right-Handers and Left-Handers.

Finishing Up

Although on the surface, it may seem odd that an organization would trade for a AA prospect straight up for a guy that will spend time in the MLB in 2022, it makes a lot of sense when a guy is as talented and unique as Dodson and becomes available. Let me preface this entire narrative by saying, if you follow anything at Dodger Poke, you would know that I have had Raley on for an interview, and I am a huge Luke Raley fan as a result. Huge! Maybe the biggest one out there! The guy is totally first class, has beaten the odds on several occasions, is insanely driven, and has a world of talent. But, the Dodgers are deep in the outfield, as evidenced by the AJ Pollock trade, so picking up a guy that is as unique and talented as Dodson makes total sense, even if it is at the expense of one of my favorites in Raley. Although I was sad to see him leave the Dodgers, I am very excited that he will get many more chances with the Rays to show the world what he is capable of, and I have no doubt he will do it. So, now that I’ve made my feelings on Raley very clear, let me welcome aboard Tanner Dodson, and say that we are happy to have you as a Dodger and are looking forward to watching your 100 mph fastball and competitive spirit.

Guillermo Zuniga is a 6’5 mountain of a relief pitcher whose stock is quickly rising in the organization. Zuniga was originally drafted by the Braves in 2016, but, after a year in their organization, was allowed to become a free agent after John Coppolella, the former GM of the Braves was banned from baseball for violating the rules of the international free-agent market. Zuniga hails from Colombia and grew up playing baseball on the weekends and is very proud of his South American Heritage.

When asked about his experiences as a kid, this is what the 6’5 reliever had to say:

Growing up in Colombia was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me because it has a lot of great traditions, beautiful islands, and the people there are very kind and loving to each other. I grew up playing baseball on the weekends for my school and I enjoyed playing to the fullest especially when my parents got to watch me play because now that I’m grown up they have only been able to watch me on TV.

The transition to coming to America was difficult for the big Colombia native but has allowed him to follow his dream of playing in the MLB.

I signed with Atlanta in 2016 and came to the United States that next year in 2017 and it was a challenge because I didn’t know the language and the baseball stateside was very advanced. I was just an 18 year old boy who was simply living the dream I always had as a boy and that was to be like the players I grew up watching on TV in the MLB.

After being allowed to become a free agent, Zuniga chose the Dodgers because they had always been a family favorite.

When I arrived with the Dodgers I knew a lot about them because they are my mothers favorite team. People call the Dodgers the “Latino” organization. So when I decided to sign with the Dodgers we were all very happy because we knew it was a very good organization that had a lot of great prospects and they always play to win, and I dare say that the Dodgers have the best fans in the MLB.

Zuniga signed with the Dodgers in the Winter of 2017, then spent 2018 in the AZL and did very well posting a ERA of 3.86 over 37.1 innings. He then split 2019 between Rancho and Great Lakes and threw a total of 64.1 innings combined between the two locations. He had an ERA over 4.00 in both locations but registered a 2.6 K:BB ratio. Zuniga was in the process of increasing his velocity and mastering his command as a Dodger in 2019, but then was forced to spend all of 2020 back home in Colombia due to Covid.

I had to travel back to Colombia due to the death of my grandfather in 2020, and then I couldn’t leave because of Covid so it was difficult. I couldn’t go to a field due to the quarantine rules, so I had to improvise with my father to stay at the level of the Dodgers players because that is such a high level.

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Zuniga is an imposing pitcher with a big 6’5 230 pound frame. He has a pitch mix of a fastball that has reached as high as 101 during spring training this year, a slider and a changeup. Here are some examples of his big fastball being used in the 4 slot, then up in the zone to maximize the pitches “riding” effect”.

Zuniga’s slider is a ++ pitch for a couple different reasons. It is a power pitch to begin with which makes it effective, but it also tunnels off of his fastball very, very well. Here is a picture that shows how the fastball and slider comes out of the same tunnel. The picture on the left is the slider whereas the picture on the right is the fastball, and as you can see, both pitches start in the same tunnel.

Zuniga tunnels the slider very well off of his fastball, but it also has a tremendous amount of 1 to 7 shaped break, and sometimes just straight tumble.

Zuniga also features a changeup that he throws mainly to lefties that he can throw with fade to “hop” back over the plate or can create tumble with the pitch to induce swing and miss.

Wrapping Up

Zuniga hit 98 consistently last year and hit 101 during Spring Training this year, so, at 6’5, he has a pretty high ceiling as a high leverage reliever. He has settled in nicely as a Dodger as has continued to increase his velocity and strike throwing ability through the great instruction he has gotten during his 2 years in the organization. He is extremely happy to be a Dodger and feels right at home with the organization, so he is going to maximize his ability and his potential is to be a guy that sits in the upper 90’s hitting the 100 mph mark or above on occasion with a tunneled slider and an out pitch changeup to lefties. So pay attention to this name because he has all the stuff, is improving by the day, and is ready to make a splash onto the scene in 2022.

Michael Busch and James Outman are both in the starting lineup today and are 2 of the organization’s top prospects.

James Outman is a big, athletic outfielder that has a middle linebacker background and is absolutely fearless around the wall. He has “plug an play” defensive skills, and after making some adjustments to his swing, is turning into a very good offensive player as well. Outman went to High School in the Bay Area and graduated at Serra, then played Collegiately at Sac State before being drafted in the 7th Round of the 2018 Draft by the Dodgers.

Here is a look at James Outman “Under the Hood”.

Outman was the last crop of Dodgers who had the benefit of playing rookie ball in Ogden and was considered to be “plug and play” as a defender.  He has shown excellent range and is great at both going back on the ball and playing the wall, and also coming in and making sliding catches. Outman was featured on Dodger Poke, so for a more detailed description of him you can click anywhere on the underlined portion and read all about him. 

I still think I could have used some work going into professional baseball, but Reggie was a stickler for defense at Sac State so I felt like I held myself to a really high standard in college and was ready to hold myself to an even higher standard as a Professional.

The 6’3 outfielder was considered “plug and play” defensively, but knew that he needed to make some adjustments to his swing.  He had always hit the ball hard, and had always shown good power, but he needed to build a swing that would create more consistency. Outman was not only open to the changes, he has been the driving force behind them and the results have been fantastic.  After being moved up to AA Tulsa this past year, Outman hit .339 in August, had 7 multi hit games, and an OPS of .976.  He backed that up by being an All Star in the Arizona Fall League while hitting .292 with an OPS of .994.

I made a lot of adjustments, but probably the biggest one was being able to relax in the box and loosen up my body and let my athleticism take over instead of just trying to muscle the baseball.

MLB?

James Outman is, in my opinion, a Major League caliber player and one that could stick for many years.  He has MLB defensive skills, more than enough athleticism, can steal bases, hit for power, and now has a swing that should allow him to be both consistent and powerful. His approach to the game, work ethic, and ability to relax and have fun, but also play with an “edge”, are big-league caliber tools that will keep “edging” him forward.  He has all the tools to be a big leaguer, has a big-league approach, and is getting closer to his dream, one step at a time.

Michael Busch

Michael Busch came to the Dodgers from the University of North Carolina and was a 1st round pick in the 2019 draft.  While Busch had a slow start, his finish to the season was nothing short of remarkable. After a decent start in May, things went pretty sideways for the Tar Heel infielder in June as he hit .173, had no home runs, had just 1 RBI, and struck out 29 times in 75 at-bats.

After going 0 for 3 in his first game in July, Busch’s average was all the way down to .217.  But as the weather heated up, so did his bat..  In the rest of the month, the Tar Heel 2nd baseman hit .300 and had 8 multi-hit games which were almost twice as many as he had in May and June combined.

Although August was a fairly modest month, the #3 Dodger prospect had a September to Remember.  In September, Busch hit .413 and had 6 multi-hit games in the 13 games the Drillers played in September.  If you add in the last 2 games of August, Busch had 8 multi-hit games in his last 15 games played.

Busch is a right-side infielder that played mostly 2nd base but also played 1st, so the Dodgers are trying to create the versatility in him that they like in their players.  

Dodgers infielder, Michael Busch, had one of the most amazing months of offensive baseball I've ever seen.

In September, he hit .413, had an OPS of 1.230, and had multiple hits in exactly 1/2 of the games played in the month.

Dude can absolutely rake!#dodgers #michaelbusch pic.twitter.com/sgeapxyGW8

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) January 26, 2022

The game of baseball is a daily grind that, for many, becomes a “way of life” and creates camaraderie and brothership that is unmatched. For Aaron Ochsenbein, a pitcher in the Dodgers organization, baseball became a passion at an early age, and he has taken that passion to the next level and is just a couple steps away from the ultimate prize, the MLB.

Background

Ochsenbein grew up in Lexington Kentucky and is the kind of story that makes him easy to root for because although he starred at Lawrence Dunbar in High School, he certainly wasn’t a  “5-star” recruit, didn’t get drafted, and had just 1 DI offer which was from Eastern Kentucky where he ended up.

My recruiting trail was a little spotty and EKU was my only DI offer. During the summer after my Junior Year I pulled my oblique muscle and a bunch of the other schools that were talking to me fell off the table a little bit and then my Senior year EKU was still keeping tabs on me and they believed in me so I decided to go there.

Ochsenbein was very excited to get his College career started and got off to a great start, but after 8 starts into his first year on Campus he was faced with yet another injury, this time it was Tommy John Surgery, which forced him to shut down the rest of that year and miss all of 2016.

I was ecstatic to go to College as a Freshman and compete and kind of earn a spot there at EKU so to speak. I started off as a reliever there because they had Juniors and Seniors that had some Seniority, were super competitive and understood the game. It’s kind of funny, the day of my injury I was supposed to start that game but the day before my coach saw me with some ice on my arm and asked if I was okay. I told him I was just a little tender but would be ready to for the game the next day and he said he was going to bring me out of the bullpen and give my arm another week before I started again.  I came out of the bullpen in that game the next day and I think it was a curveball and that was the pitch. It was against Illinois State and I remember it very vividly.

The Kentucky native redshirted during 2016 while recovering, then eventually made it back to the mound in 2017 in a dual role, both as a starter and out of the bullpen. With a good smile and a humble chuckle, Ochsenbein described his comeback.

Yeah, so I earned a spot as a starter my first year back from Tommy John in 2017 and it didn’t go too hot. But then I made that transition to the bullpen and everything just started to click. I started to throw harder, my mentality changed and then coach started putting me in the back end of games and he was like, just go get these 3 outs, sometimes 6, but that was the biggest change for me was the mentality from a starter to a reliever.

Ochsenbein made 14 appearances as a Redshirt Sophomore, then had a big year in 2018, and although he was not 100% sold on the idea of being in the bullpen full-time, it quickly became obvious that high-leverage relief was suited perfectly for the 6-3 Right-Hander. Bullpen duty allowed Ochsenbein to max out his stuff, and, as a result, his fastball jumped 5 to 6 miles per hour, and after a good finish to 2018, he took his new role to the Cape Cod League and put his name on the map by striking out 43 hitters in 18 relief appearances, had the highest K/BB ratio in the league and entered 2019 having embraced his new role, and full of confidence.

I gave Coach Thompson a hard time about moving me to the bullpen when he made that decision, but as things started to unfold I found myself and my mentality and my velo started to tick up a little bit and I was like, “you know what, this might not be so bad.” As a relief pitcher you get to pitch more often that helps as well and when things start to click you just stick with the routine, stick with whats working and you go with the flow.

Ochsenbein is unique in many different ways. His pitch mix is somewhat unique in the sense that, unlike most pitchers, he offers a split-finger, but his motion, as he put it, is also “a little quirky” and it makes hitters uncomfortable.

Yeah I think my motion plays well for me because I’m a little different and I don’t have the same motion that other guys do. My arsenal isn’t as powerful as some guys but it gets the job done because I keep the hitters off balance pretty well.

Entering 2019 Ochsenbein added a splitter to his mix, and, as a 3 pitch pitcher, became one of just 11 players in Ohio Valley Conference history to record a sub 1.00 ERA with at least 50 innings pitched. During that campaign, he struck out 90 hitters in 54 1/3 innings pitched, had 10 saves, and became an All-American, first-team Ohio Valley, and a finalist for NCBWA Stopper of the Year for his efforts. He was then drafted by the Dodgers that Summer in the 6th Round of the 2019 Draft and has been working his way through the Dodgers ranks ever since.

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Ochsenbein spent all of 2021 in AA Tulsa and had a very good year recording an ERA of 3.32 with a strikeout ratio of more than 3:1. He had 56 appearances and threw 82 innings and gave up just 63 hits during his action on the mound, and that’s on the heels of a completely dominant 2019 where he recorded an ERA of 1.44, had a strikeout to walk right at 6:1, and had a WHIP below 1.00. Ochsenbein has shown that he can be dominant out of the pen and is working his way possibly into the closer role for the Dodgers, and certainly as high-leverage relief. He features a 3 pitch mix of fastball, slider, and splitter, and having seen him in person on several occasions, I can tell you, his stuff is legit. Here is a sequence showing how he uses all 3 pitches very effectively.

What’s Next?

I must admit, having seen Ochsenbein on several occasions, I am quite biased because I love his stuff. When he would come in after the smooth motions of Nick Robertson or Mark Washington, his motion would seem to have some “knees and elbows” to it that made hitters uncomfortable. His fastball jumps out of his hand, and his slider and splitter just seem to have more bite than what hitters are ever expecting. This is a guy that reminds me of a “Blake Treinen” type bullpen arm that could easily be a very, very good closer, and at the very least, very good in high-leverage set-up situations. Having spent all of 2021 in AA Tulsa, I would expect that he will eventually make it to AAA OKC this year before his final destination which is in LA, a place where I think he’ll land and stick for several years.

Zack Plunkett is a pitcher in the Dodgers organization that has one of the most interesting stories of any player in professional baseball, and we’re gonna start at the beginning. Plunkett grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and has known nothing other than being the best and being around the best. He played at L.D. Bell High School for the legendary Paul Gibson who is approaching his 3rd decade as the Blue Raider skipper and has amassed over 500 wins. While at L.D. Bell, Plunkett became a standout catcher and became District MVP, an all-area performer, was recognized as a top 500 High School player in the country by Perfect Game and was selected to participate in the Perfect Game National Showcase. If you’re wondering if listing him as a catcher earlier was a typo, it wasn’t, so settle in, grab your popcorn and let’s continue with the story of Zack Plunkett, “A Story You Won’t Believe”.

The Beginning

Growing up just 11 miles from Fort Worth, the young DFW native became a Diehard TCU fan and followed them very closely as he grew up.

My mom went and got her nursing degree at TCU when I was in Middle School and I got to watch them in the 2010 College World Series at Rosenblatt, and there was a catcher there by the name of Bryan Holaday and I absolutely idolized that guy because I loved the way that he played with such energy and he became my motivation behind the plate. It was local and I got to go watch some games so TCU was definitely a dream school for me.

After a very successful prep career, Plunkett followed his dreams and signed with TCU, and played on teams as a Freshman and Sophomore that both went to the College World Series. On the surface, it appeared like all of his dreams were coming true, but below the surface, he wasn’t getting the one thing that matters the most to people as competitive as he is, and that is playing time.  Plunkett came into TCU with Evan Scaug, and Scaug was one of the best catchers in the Country as evidenced by him becoming a catcher on Team USA. With the writing on the wall, the 6’2 DFW native decided to leave the great state of Texas and transferred to Arkansas where he had to sit out a year because, well, no good reason other than the NCAA simply doesn’t always make sense or do the right thing for the Student-Athletes, I’ll leave it at that.

Woo Pig Sooie!

After sitting out a year, Plunkett then found himself in yet another competition with yet another elite catcher, Grant Koch, who, the same as Scaug, also became a Team USA catcher as well. Plunkett again became relegated to backup duty, but because of his incredible work ethic, leadership skills, and the way he took B.P. before games, unbelievably he got drafted after his Junior Season after never having been a starting catcher on any of his teams in College. After talking with the Diamondbacks, Plunkett didn’t feel like the situation with the D-Backs was the best at the time, so he made the very difficult decision to come back to Arkansas. Don’t get me wrong, playing College baseball at Arkansas is insanely cool, but when College players come back for their Senior years they are taking chances at losing leverage, getting hurt, or just simply not playing well.  Those are all very valid reasons for concern, but one concern that never enters the picture is whether they will actually be the starter when they come back. Well, that is, unless your name is Zack Plunkett. When Plunkett came back to Arkansas, he was faced with competing against yet another catcher that made Team USA, Casey Opitz, and, again, was relegated to backup duty. Plunkett was now a 5th-year Senior that wasn’t a starter with dreams of someday playing professional baseball, and as crazy as that sounds, it happened.

It Just Takes One

While at TCU, Plunkett had pitched 1 seemingly meaningless inning in a blowout game against Texas Tech, but that inning ended up not only not being meaningless, it became more important than he could have ever imagined. It was the only inning he threw in his entire college career, but luckily enough, Brian Kraft, an area scout was in the stands and took notice to the fact that he was sitting 95 with his fastball. So, time went on, Plunkett transferred, continued to be a backup and during the 2nd half of his last season at Arkansas that same scout, Brian Kraft, came to talk to him at Arkansas. The two had kept communications through the years since Plunkett’s days at TCU and Kraft told Plunkett that he couldn’t draft him as a catcher because he was a 5th year senior who had never been a starter. So, one could certainly assume that the story would end here, but grab another handful of popcorn and keep reading.

Although Kraft told Plunkett that he couldn’t draft him as a catcher, he also told him that he needed to start pitching and maybe he could get drafted as a pitcher. Plunkett had always been known as one with a big arm, had already registered 95 in a game at TCU, so why not, it was worth a good ole’ College try and Plunkett got on the phone with Matt Hobbs, the Arkansas pitching coach, and asked if he could throw some bullpens, which his pitching coach allowed. During his 1st bullpen session, and on the 3rd pitch he hit 97 and the Rapsodo machine was lighting up like a Christmas tree and everyone in the room was blown away. Despite showing some incredibly impressive pitch metrics, Dave Van Horn, the Arkansas Head Coach, never let him pitch in a game, so Plunkett was ending his Collegiate career never having been a starter, having pitched a grand total of 1 inning, and with concern that his career in the game of baseball was coming to an end. But, after having the extreme misfortune of having to sit behind 3 Team USA catchers, Plunkett caught a break. Remember Brian Kraft, the scout that saw him pitch his 1 inning at TCU? Well, he was so impressed with what he saw that night that he was able to convince Plunkett to give pitching a try, and when his metrics got out he got more attention from scouts and eventually got drafted in the 20th Round of the 2019 Draft. Plunkett’s amateur career had proven to be the ultimate in perseverance and is one that is truly inspirational and now he has his sites set on the biggest prize of all, the MLB.

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Plunkett has always had a big arm so becoming a pitcher was a natural fit, and, it actually matches his mentality as a player better too. Plunkett is so competitive that hitting was a struggle for him because failure always made him want to press harder, which many times makes things much more difficult. So, as a pitcher he can take that mentality and, as he says, “grip it and rip it”, and it absolutely works. He features a 3 pitch mix between Fastball, split-finger, and a slider and has pitched exclusively in relief roles with the Loons and Drillers so those 3 pitches are plenty for him to be very effective in a 1 or 2 inning role. His fastball sits 94-96 and has hit as high as 97, so it really jumps out of his hand.

Plunkett also features a split-finger pitch that has very good tumble.

Plunkett’s slider has very good depth and is a really effective pitch. The depth on the pitch, in my opinion, gives him the ability to present it as both a “curveball” type shape and a “slider” type shape based on the count and how he is attacking the hitter.

Predicting the Future

Although Plunkett is already 26 and is just starting at the AA level, that is not a measurable that is relevant because he just started pitching in 2019 and has very little wear and tear on his arm. Plunkett has the big 6’2 frame, has a big arm, good off-speed stuff, and is one of the most competitive people in the game, so he checks all the boxes for the Dodgers. 2021 was his first significant experience on the mound so he is getting ready to explode onto the scene in the next couple of years as another example of just how good this organization is at finding certain guys with certain qualities and skills and developing them into big-time Big Leaguers.

Ryan January is a catcher in the Dodgers organization whose background is a documentary on the great American phrase “From Sea to Shining Sea”.  His journey began just up the road from Boston, detoured to Pasadena, Texas that is, and is now winding its way to L.A. in hopes of finding a permanent destination in the MLB.

History

Located just 15 miles North of Boston, Swampscott, MA. is a quiet town along the Atlantic Coast that is known for its vast history of fishing, recreation, and tourism. It’s a slice of Americana that takes you back in time and marks the beginning of the baseball “Journey of January”. January had a remarkable career at Swampscott High School, where he became an ESPN All-Stater, 3rd Team All-American, First team All-Region and was widely considered one of the best prospects in the Northeast. Not only did he develop a reputation for having great physical skills, but he also became known as the ultimate competitor as evidenced by the thoughts of his Head Coach, Jason Calichman, given to the Boston Herald.

Ryan is the ultimate competitor,” Calichman said. “He demands a lot of himself and his teammates and I think it’s helped everyone. Scouts are coming to all our games to see Ryan, but I think it has helped some of our other players get noticed as well.

After High School, January loaded up his 6’4 frame and sweet “left-handed” stroke and headed South to San Jacinto Community College after originally committing to LSU. San Jac. is one of the best JUCO baseball programs in the country, and the JUCO route itself is a great option for players that have the tools he possesses because there is no waiting period to turn pro. At the Division I level, players have to wait either 3 years or until they are 21 to be eligible for the draft, so for guys like January, with elite tools and size, the JUCO route is the most direct path to the draft, as evidenced by the fact that he was drafted after his 1 year as a Gator. During his year at San Jac. January made a huge name for himself by leading his team to the JUCO World Series finals where he hit .375 and had 4 home runs as the team’s DH. He was in the DH role because he had broken his thumb earlier in the season which caused him to miss the last 25 games of the regular season.

Drafted

After 1 year at San Jac. January was drafted in the 8th round of the 2016 Draft by the Diamondbacks and spent the remainder of 2016 at the Rookie ball level where he became a Pioneer League All-Star after hitting 10 Homeruns in 183 at-bats and recording an OPS of .846 while hitting .273. The tall Massachusetts native was off to a great start as a professional and had turned himself into a top 30 prospect in the Diamondbacks organization and appeared to be destined for a fairly quick road to the MLB.  But, after starting fast, he was never placed on the 40 man roster with the Diamondbacks and became eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Winter of 2020 where the Dodgers picked him up. He spent this past season with High A Great Lakes, where he, quite frankly, struggled through July, then rebounded very nicely to hit .250 in August with an OPS of 1.230, then hit .250 in September with an OPS of 1.114.

Although January has had some ups and downs so far in his career, believe me when I make the statement that he has big-time tools. Despite obviously throwing right-handed, he hits left and has the potential to be a very good offensive player at the MLB level. He also has very good defensive skills and has recorded a pop time as low as 1.88 which is substantially lower than the MLB average, so he has the tools to have an above-average throwing arm at the MLB level as well. He has the toughness to match the position, is an extremely motivated young player, and is in an organization that will develop his tools to the fullest.

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January has a long frame at 6’4 and has hit at almost every level he has been, many times at an elite level. The combination of those skills has led some to profile him as a corner outfielder, a profile that he has used as fuel to his fire to work harder every day behind the plate. He has recorded a pop time as low as 1.88, so he has a good arm and a good release, and, when given a chance by the pitchers, has shown that he has every tool needed to throw runners out.

Although January has the desire, work ethic, and skills to be very good defensively, his best skill, no question, is his ability to swing the bat. His numbers in 2021 do not, in any way, indicate what he is capable of because he got off to such a slow start. If you saw him in August and September after he made some adjustments, or at San Jac, or during his 1st year with the D-Backs, you’d know what I’m talking about. January has the potential to hit and hit quite a bit at the MLB level.

January’s Journey

The Dodgers continue to have one of the best developmental systems in the league year in and year out, so carving an everyday role at the MLB level is extremely difficult. Will Smith is still young, Austin Barnes has been a great Dodger, the organization just picked up Kekai Rios, Hunter Feduccia is very good, Hamlet Marte provides a lot of value, Carson Taylor and Jesus Galiz are top 30 prospects and Diego Cartaya is ranked by many as the #1 prospect in the entire organization. The competition moving forward will be fierce, but competition is something this Swampscott native has always thrived on. He grew up in front of Scouts, played for possibly the #1 JUCO baseball program in the country, performed on their highest stage, then showed what he is capable of when he got to pro ball. He has dealt with the ups and downs that this game can present and he has seen the other side and is ready to move forward and finish his journey, the “January Journey”, and keep moving forward to his goal, the MLB.