Los Angeles Dodgers need to pick between catching prospects
By David Hill
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the enviable of position of having two excellent catching prospects. However, they need to pick one as the future of the position.
Of every position in baseball, catchers may be the most difficult to scout for the future. Typically, a catcher develops slowly, especially on the offensive side. A strong bat, or an excellent arm and glove, will carry a prospect further than they may get at another position. To have a catcher that is a top prospect, not only in a team’s system, but in the game itself, is to have a wondrous trade chip that few can match.
This puts the Los Angeles Dodgers in a unique position. At AA, playing for the Tulsa Drillers, the Dodgers have one of the top catching prospects in the game in Keibert Ruiz. The 19 year old switch hitter has rocketed through the system, showing excellent potential with the bat, along with a soft hands behind the plate. His .243/.306/.362 batting line, with seven homers and eight doubles, may not seem that impressive, but Ruiz is still a teenager. His ability to more than hold his own at AA shows his tremendous ability.
However, the Dodgers have another solid prospect behind the plate in Tulsa. Will Smith, a 23 year old former first round draft pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, has rocketed through the system as well. he has outperformed the more highly touted Ruiz this season, with a .296/.391/.614 batting line, along with 12 doubles and 16 homers, in just 220 plate appearances. Not only has Smith displayed a strong arm behind the plate, but he has also split his time at third, allowing Ruiz to handle the bulk of the catching duties.
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Meanwhile, the Dodgers are looking for help to make another run to the postseason while looking to end their World Series drought. The Dodgers have been linked to everyone from Manny Machado to Michael Fulmer to Brad Zeigler, making a move or two likely. Even though they have been on fire lately, there are still plenty of holes on the roster. Second base has been a black hole, and seven pitchers are on the disabled list. Reinforcements are needed.
By having two excellent catching prospects in Ruiz and Smith, the Dodgers have quite the potential trade chip. Both are young for their level, with an all around profile, both offensively and defensively, that teams covet. Should the Dodgers agree to part with one of their prized catching prospects, they may well land one of the top players on the trade block, perhaps even Machado.
These potential trades, and their desire to end the championship drought now, leads to an interesting problem. It is unlikely that the Dodgers can keep both catching prospects, especially as they look for a long term answer behind the plate. As the trades begin to happen, we may get a look at which catcher Los Angeles believes in, which one they feel will be a future star behind the plate.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a great position with two top catching prospects. If they do trade one, they will need to choose wisely.