X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Los Angeles Dodgers Top MLB Prospects for 2017 Dynasty Leagues

Now is a great time to be a Dodgers’ fan. Sure they didn't beat the Cubs in the NLCS last year, but between current on-field talent and minor league hopefuls, few teams are in a better position than Los Angeles.

They’ve got one of the best shortstops in the game in Corey Seager and the best pitcher of our time in Clayton Kershaw already in the big leagues while potent weapons Cody Bellinger and Yadier Alvarez await for their time to shine.This is going to be a fun team to watch for a long time and the annual battle for the NL between Los Angeles and Chicago should be exciting.

By the way, if you are interested in more MLB prospects columns, head on over to our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. Throughout the offseason, you will find the rest of our team prospect breakdowns, fantasy baseball prospect rankings, tiered positional rankings, keeper values articles, and more - all in one easy place.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers Top Prospects for Dynasty Leagues

Today I am beginning my list of prospect systems in the NL West. I have already covered the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Later, I will delve into the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. To read more about my prospect coverage, click here.

 

Top Overall Talent: Cody Bellinger

Top Prospect to Debut in 2017: Cody Bellinger

Bellinger went from an obscure name struggling in the minors to easily the Dodgers’ top prospect. Between 2013 and 2014, he combined for four home runs. Now he is a perennial threat to blast 30 homers in the minors with improved plate-discipline skills. Many scouts are now placing him among the top-25 prospects in baseball, a long way for a guy who was drafted just 124th overall back in 2013. He has a polished approach to the plate and just an absolute ton of power. All he needs now is playing time and he should be ready to put together near-elite results for dynasty owners.

Top Prospect who won’t debut in 2017: Yadier Alvarez

Alvarez touched a professional mound for the first time in his career this past season when he began at the Rookie-level and ascended to the Class-A Great Lakes Loons. He had a lot of hype surrounding him entering the season and he capitalized on it, delivering outstanding results at both levels. He is a potential ace in the making and could be the latest of L.A.’s homegrown aces. But as someone who has only 59.1 professional innings, Alvarez still has several years left of development before he will be ready to join the big-league rotation. Fantasy owners, however, should understand how special of a pitcher he is and consider owning him regardless of his ETA.

Biggest Boom or Bust: Walker Buehler

Since being selected with the 24th overall pick back in 2015, Buehler has accumulated a total of five innings as a result of undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2015. But he was always held in high regard by the scouts who watched him pitch in college. They saw a pitcher with a repertoire of four above-average pitches and the command to accompany them perfectly. Of course, he has thrown only five professional innings since college. There is really no telling how he will recover from Tommy John surgery, but he is expected to begin the season back in the minors and will likely throw as much as L.A. feels comfortable using him. He still has some serious upside if he can get back to form, but it is always risky betting on young pitchers who have gone under the knife.

Biggest Sleeper: Mitchell Hansen

Hansen hasn’t made much progress through the minors to this point, but the progress he has made has been exciting to follow. The big left-handed bat played in 70 games at the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2016 and while there, he slashed .311/.356/.491 with 11 homers and 11 stolen bases. The strikeout rate of 21.5 percent is a bit high for someone only at the Rookie-level, but owners should still be excited about his combination of size (6-foot-4, 195 lbs) and raw talents. Scouts who believe in him see a guy capable of posting 15/20 seasons at the big leagues with a .260+ average. In a strong system, Hansen flies under the radar as someone who could potentially make an impact if he starts improving his game.

 

Top Prospect Hitters

Best Power Hitter: Cody Bellinger

Most Likely to Hit over .300: Cody Bellinger

Bellinger is not just the best hitter in the Dodgers’ system, he would likely be the best hitter in nearly any system. He combines one of the most patient approaches in the minors with the most raw power of anyone in the minors. Fantasy owners expect a lot out of someone whose primary position will either be first base or the outfield and Bellinger absolutely looks poised to produce as much as anyone. By the time he reaches his prime, he will likely be a .300 hitter who approaches (and possibly surpasses) 35 home runs every season.

Best Burner on the Bases: Andrew Toles

Toles burst onto the scene in 2016, beginning the season at High-A and finishing his season as a member of the Dodgers battling for the pennant. This all coming a season after he was completely out of baseball. It is probably easy to say that the reason the Dodgers added him was because they liked his all-around game, but he centers that game around his speed. Toles is incredibly fast, as demonstrated by the 23 stolen bases in only 82 games in the minors in 2016 and virtually every season before that. In fact, he swiped 62 in 121 games back in 2013. That is not an easy total to reach.

Toles is finally starting to hit enough where he looks like he might become a big-league regular and fantasy owners have to be ecstatic. With his solid bat, he should have no problem getting on base enough to put his speed to use.

 

Top Prospect Pitchers

Strikeout Machine: Yadier Alvarez

It should be easy to see why Alvarez is the strikeout king in this system. Not only does he have an upper-90s fastball, but he possesses one of the more elite right-handed sliders in the game and a well above-average curveball and changeup help to round out his insane repertoire. Out of pitching prospects in the minors, there are few who can match the stuff of the 20-year-old right-hander.

If his command can continue to hold up as it did in his brief tenure at Class-A, he has the potential to be a future No. 2 pitcher with the potential to compete annually for the NL strikeout lead with his soon-to-be teammate Clayton Kershaw.

Best Command: Brock Stewart

Prior to his promotion to the big leagues, Stewart had assembled quite the track record of stellar command. Between his 2015 and 2016 seasons, he played at a total of five minor-league levels and proved stingy with the walks, never walking batters at a rate higher than the 6.4 percent he allowed back in 2015 at High-A. Scouts who watch him pitch believe that will be his calling card through the majors as he does not possess overwhelming stuff, but owners will gladly take his excellent command for a No. 4 or 5 starter in the big leagues.

 

Top 10 Dynasty Prospects for the Los Angeles Dodgers

1. Cody Bellinger (1B/OF, AAA)
ETA: 2017
A well-rounded first baseman in all facets of the game, Bellinger looks poised to be a perennial All-Star producing elite numbers for dynasty owners.

2. Willie Calhoun (2B, AA)
ETA: 2017
A power-hitting second baseman with patience to boot, Calhoun could be an All-Star second baseman and join Bellinger and Seager to form the most lethal infield in baseball.

3. Yadier Alvarez (SP, A-)
ETA: 2019
Alvarez has the stuff to be a future ace and though he requires many years of development, owners should be patient with him as the payoff could be massive.

4. Alex Verdugo (OF, AA)
ETA: 2017
Verdugo has an intriguing power/speed combination with a patient approach to the plate that will take him to the big leagues. He could be a future 15/15 hitter with a .290+ average.

5. Andrew Toles (OF, MLB)
ETA: 2017
The speedster has finally started to hit enough to support his speed and may be able to carve a big-league role out for himself yet. His speed makes him a potentially valuable fantasy commodity.

6. Yusniel Diaz (OF, A+)
ETA: 2018
Diaz has a ton of raw talent and could be a future 20/20 hitter, but he will need to stay healthy first and improve his plate discipline.

7. Gavin Lux (SS, ROK)
ETA: 2020
Scouts see Lux as a future power/speed threat at shortstop with plenty of raw pop and speed, but he has at least three more years of development before he will be ready for the big leagues.

8. Brock Stewart (SP, MLB)
ETA: 2017
His command gives him a high floor, but his ceiling is limited as a result of his lack of dominant stuff. He should make it as a solid No. 4 starter in the majors.

9. Austin Barnes (C/2B, MLB)
ETA: 2017
Barnes could probably post a solid batting average in the big leagues and swipe some bags, but Yasmani Grandal will keep him from taking over a permanent role in the majors for the foreseeable future.

10. Walker Buehler (SP, A-)
ETA: 2020
If Buehler can bounce back from his injury as well as many think he can, he could be a special pitching talent.

 

Conclusion

The Dodgers have made it a habit to draft well and sign outstanding international talent. As a result, they are one of the few teams that has been able to maintain a dominant presence in both current big-league talent and rising talent. With guys like Bellinger, Alvarez and Calhoun leading their prospects, they figure to be able to constantly reload rather than rebuild.

Beyond just the 10 names presented on this list, the Dodgers have some solid depth pieces dynasty owners should look into. Guys like Jordan Sheffield, Will Smith and Starling Heredia could all prove to be high-upside players and worth the investment in dynasty leagues. This is easily one of the top 10 farm systems in baseball and is worth studying for dynasty owners in search of Minor League talent.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kendrick Bourne

Explodes for 10 Catches With Teammates Sidelined Thursday
Puka Nacua

Big Second Half Against 49ers Solidifies WR1 Ranking
Christian McCaffrey

Remains Dominant While Handling 30 Touches
Matthew Stafford

Turns in Another Dominant Three-Touchdown Performance
Kyren Williams

Excels as Pass-Catcher, Snags Two Touchdowns on TNF
Lamar Jackson

Ravens Likely Without Lamar Jackson Until Week 8?
Cam Schlittler

Dazzles in 12-Strikeout Performance, Yankees Advance to ALDS
CFB

Quintrevion Wisner Expected Back vs. Florida
CFB

Emmett Mosley Probable for Longhorns vs. Florida
Giannis Antetokounmpo

to Join the Bucks in Miami
Jaden Ivey

Fully Recovered From Fractured Fibula
Nick Jensen

an Option for Preseason Finale
Lars Eller

Could Be Available Saturday
Jonathan Huberdeau

Remains Under Evaluation
Brock Purdy

Week-to-Week After Suffering Setback With Toe Injury
Jonathan Toews

Labeled as Day-to-Day
Bryan Rust

to Miss Start of Season
Niko Mikkola

Inks Eight-Year Extension With Panthers
Jackson LaCombe

Signs Largest Contract in Ducks History
Terry McLaurin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 5
Bucky Irving

"Week-to-Week," Unlikely to Play in Week 5
OG Anunoby

Was Inactive for the Knicks' Preseason Opener
Joel Embiid

Adem Bona Starts in Place of Joel Embiid on Thursday
Dominick Barlow

Grabs 10 Boards in Abu Dhabi
Miles McBride

Leads the Knicks to an Exhibition Win in Abu Dhabi
VJ Edgecombe

Drops 14 Points in Thursday's Exhibition
Josh Hart

Injured in Exhibition
Shane McClanahan

Expected to be "Fully Ready" for Spring Training
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to be Ready for ALDS
Coby White

Does Some Shooting During Wednesday's Practice
Patrick Williams

Hurts Ankle at Practice
Mark Williams

to Sit Out Preseason Opener
Noah Clowney

Healthy and Bigger Ahead of New Season
Gabe Vincent

Logs Full Practice
LeBron James

Does Individual Work at Practice
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Getting Back on Track After Partially Rupturing Hamstring
Terry Rozier

Suffers Left-Hamstring Strain
Brandon Williams

Out One Week Due to Hamstring Strain
Daniel Gafford

Sidelined Due to Ankle Sprain
Bryce Eldridge

to Undergo Wrist Surgery
Atlanta Braves

Brian Snitker Will Not Return as Braves Manager
Cam Thomas

Has Dropped A "Good Amount" of Weight This Offseason
James Wiseman

Rehab Going Well, Could be in Mix for Starting Center Job
Dorian Finney-Smith

Unlikely to be Ready for Season Opener
Brock Purdy

Toe Issue Could Linger All Season
Connor Ingram

Oilers Acquire Connor Ingram
Anders Lee

on Track to Play in Preseason Finale
Alex Ovechkin

Expected to Suit up Thursday
Ryker Evans

Out 6-8 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
Ivan Demidov

Avoids Serious Injury
Luke Hughes

Agrees to Seven-Year Deal Wih Devils
KaVontae Turpin

Status for Sunday Up in the Air
Jauan Jennings

Ruled Out Against Rams on Thursday
Brock Purdy

Ruled Out for Thursday Against Rams
Ricky Pearsall

Ruled Out for Thursday
Jayden Daniels

Plans to Return on Sunday
Michael Carter

Taking First Snaps During Wednesday's Practice
Chuba Hubbard

Misses Practice, Week 5 Status Uncertain
Trey Benson

Sidelined 4-6 Weeks After Knee Surgery
Luke List

Looking to Win Again at Sanderson Farms Championship
Tom Kim

Could Be in For Long Week in Mississippi
Max Homa

Are Things Beginning to Turn Around For Max Homa Ahead of Sanderson Farms?
Nicolai Hojgaard

an Interesting Play at Sanderson Farms
Lamar Jackson

Considered "Week-to-Week" With Hamstring Injury
Davis Thompson

Looks to Keep Momentum Going in Mississippi
Bucky Irving

Dealing With Foot Sprain, Spotted at Practice on Crutches
Nick Dunlap

Hoping to Turn Woes Around at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid a Volatile Option at Sanderson Farms
Thorbjorn Olesen

a Solid Play at Sanderson Farms
Stephan Jaeger

a High-Upside Play in Mississippi
Shedeur Sanders

Reamins the Browns QB3 in Week 5
Hayden Buckley

Trying to Find Form at Sanderson Farms
Ben Martin

Struggling Mightily with Golf Game
Jacob Bridgeman

Leaning on his Putter at Sanderson Farms
Lanto Griffin

Heating Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Quade Cummins

Trying to Make Cut at Sanderson Farms
Carson Young

Aims to Rebound from Procore Championship
Matt Kuchar

Still a Golfer to Watch This Week
Doug Ghim

Trending Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Eric Cole

May Struggle at Sanderson Farms Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Ready for Sanderson Farms Championship
J.T. Miller

Considered Day-to-Day
James van Riemsdyk

to Rejoin Team Wednesday
Vince Dunn

Labeled as Day-to-Day
Nils Hoglander

to Sit Out 8-10 Weeks After Surgery
Mats Zuccarello

Expected to Miss 7-8 Weeks
Kirill Kaprizov

Signs Largest Contract in NHL History
Mackenzie Hughes

Eyes Another Strong Week at Sanderson Farms
Andrew Putnam

a Solid Value Play in Mississippi
Tarik Skubal

Shines in Postseason Debut, Tigers Take Game 1 Over Guardians
CFB

Behren Morton To Start Against Houston Saturday
Texas Rangers

Rangers, Bruce Bochy Mutually Agree to Part Ways
Minnesota Twins

Rocco Baldelli Fired as Twins Manager
San Francisco Giants

Giants Fire Manager Bob Melvin
Francisco Alvarez

to Have Thumb Surgery in the Coming Days
Bo Bichette

Blue Jays Optimistic Bo Bichette Can Return for Division Series
Lucas Giolito

Won't be on Wild-Card Roster With Elbow Issue
Alex Bregman

Should be Good for Game 1 of Wild-Card Series
Lukas Dostal

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Mattias Samuelsson

Out Week-to-Week
Chase Elliott

Steals the Win at Kansas and Locks Into the Round of 8
Chase Briscoe

Earns Another Top-Five Finish at Kansas
Christopher Bell

Finishes Third at Kansas Speedway on Sunday
Kyle Larson

Strong Kansas Performance Positions Him to Advance in the 2025 Playoffs
Joey Logano

Kansas Struggles End In Disappointment
Dominick Reyes

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Carlos Ulberg

Gets First-Round Knockout
Ivan Erslan

Loses Third Fight in a Row
Ramon Taveras

Drops Decision At UFC Perth
Jack Jenkins

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jake Matthews

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Neil Magny

Pulls Off Comeback Win
Charlie Campbell

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Tom Nolan

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Denny Hamlin

Despite Power-Steering Failure, Denny Hamlin Dominates and Finishes Second at Kansas
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace's Playoff Bid Likely Ends After Scrape With Boss at Kansas
William Byron

Runs Poorly, Still Finishes in the Top 10
Tyler Reddick

Finishes Seventh at Kansas Despite Distractions
Shane Van Gisbergen

Earns First Cup Series Top-10 Finish on an Oval
Pete Alonso

to Opt Out of Contract and Enter Free Agency
Clayton Kershaw

Not Available for Wild-Card Series
Max Muncy

Expected to be Ready for Game 1 of Wild-Card Series
Bo Bichette

Without a Timeline, Unlikely to Return in Postseason?
Noah Gragson

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Kansas Lineups
Todd Gilliland

Is A Quality Value Option for Kansas Lineups
Kyle Larson

the Favorite to Win at Kansas
Ryan Blaney

the Chalk DFS Play at Kansas
Denny Hamlin

Has Struggled at 1.5-Mile Tracks This Season
William Byron

a Solid DFS Pivot at Kansas
Alex Bowman

Will Alex Bowman's Top-10 Streak at Kansas Continue?
Ryan Preece

Should Have Speed at Kansas
Christopher Bell

Has Been Consistent at Kansas Despite Rarely Contending to Win
Joey Logano

Miserable Qualifying Result Makes Joey Logano a Top DFS Contender
Chase Elliott

Likely to Make Round of 8, but Has Hardly Been Inspiring
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Exits Early With Thigh Contusion in Loss
Trea Turner

to Return on Sunday
Ramón Laureano

Ramon Laureano Lands on 10-Day Injured List
Brett Baty

Lands on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP