Five Dodgers Prospects Off to Hot Starts in 2019

gavin lux — Gavin Lux (from 2017 )- Photo credit Marshall Dunlap on Flickr

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With over a month down in the 2019 season, here’s a look at some Dodgers prospects who have gotten off to a hot start.

Estevez began his first month in Double-A with a scorching hot .385/.449/.564 line, adding two homers and eight doubles. Estevez also improved on his plate discipline, putting up a 10/13 BB/K ratio. He reached base in all but two games he started in April, and in each of the seventeen games he did reach base, he did so at least twice in each game. While he’s cooled off a little bit in May, he’s still hitting Estevez .333/.412/.456 overall. He just turned 21 in February, so this could be the beginning of a breakout year for him, if he can come back quickly from the unknown leg injury that just got him placed on the IL.

Josiah Gray

In his first month in a new organization, Josiah Gray has quickly impressed and put himself on the radar as one of the Dodgers‘ top pitching prospects. In five starts at Single-A, Gray pitched to a 1.93 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched across five starts, adding a 26/7 K/BB ratio. Gray also allowed batters to hit just .165 against him, and his stats hold up sabermetrically as well, with his performance translating to a 2.25 FIP. With the way he’s pitched this year, Gray may not be in Single-A for long. Gray has already been promoted to High-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he had a lackluster debut that he will look to improve upon in the coming weeks.

Gavin Lux

Lux broke out last year as not only one of the Dodgers‘ best prospects, but one of the best middle infield prospects in baseball, and he’s continued that progress into this season. All he’s done is hit .298/.362/.562 and with eight homers already, after hitting 15 across two levels last year. His BABIP signals there could be even more room for improvement, and with his progress, it’d be a surprise if he didn’t finish the year at Triple-A or higher.

Mitchell White

White, like Gray, was recently promoted a level after a very strong start to 2019. White spent part of 2017 and all of 2018 at Double-A, and it appears the third time around was the charm for him. In seven starts, he had just a 2.10 ERA, allowing zero earned runs in four of those seven starts, and never allowing more than three in any start. He’s got his strikeout and walk rates back where they need to be, with 11.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. Batters have hit just .165 against him this year, and he’s got a low WHIP of 0.83. After a tough year last year, this looks to be a #RenaissanceSzn for White.

Edwin Uceta

Uceta is by far the least heralded of all the prospects on his list, but his performance this year can stand alongside with ease. In his seven starts this year, Uceta has pitched to a 1.89 ERA with High-A Rancho, allowing zero earned runs in four of his seven starts. The smallish righty has put up 11.34 K/9 and 2.97 BB/9, striking out 42 batters in 33.1 innings pitched. After a breakout year last year, Uceta will spend the entirety of this season as a 21 year old, and if he keeps performing at this level, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him rewarded with a promotion to Double-A soon.

Future Dodgers

Future Dodgers writes about the Dodgers at all levels, specifically focusing on their minor league system. For daily updates and news, follow him on Twitter @FutureDodgers. For articles, opinion pieces, rankings, and more in addition to what's here on Prospects1500, check out http://futuredodgers.wordpress.com. Feel free to email him at futuredodgers@gmail.com.