Top Prospect Dalton Rushing To Make MLB Debut for Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up Dalton Rushing. The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya broke the news earlier today. Rushing will be making his MLB debut when he first gets in a game, perhaps as soon as tonight.

Don’t let his name confuse you – the Dodgers certainly aren’t rushing Rushing to the majors. Rather, he forced their hand. The catching prospect slashed .308/.424/.514 through 31 games at Triple-A, hitting five runs and walking at a 15.9% clip. Simply put, it doesn’t seem like he has anything left to prove in the minors.

So, after more than a decade, the Dodgers are finally moving on from Austin Barnes. FanSided’s Robert Murray reports that the veteran will be designated for assignment to make room for Rushing on the roster.

It’s the logical decision, considering how poorly Barnes has hit this year (42 wRC+), but it’s still hard to imagine the Dodgers without their long-time backup catcher. The Barnes era is over. The Rushing era has begun.

Rushing cracked the top 10 on Just Baseball’s preseason top 100 prospects list. To understand why we’re so excited about his potential, check out what Aram Leighton wrote about the 24-year-old backstop:

10. Dalton Rushing – C – Los Angeles Dodgers

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 220 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 2nd Round (40), 2022 (LAD) | ETA: 2025

HIT	Plate Disc.	GAME POWER	RUN	FIELD	FV
50/50	65/65	55/55	45/45	45/50	55+

Rushing has mashed at every stop with his defense behind the dish progressing nicely. Though he is somewhat blocked by Will Smith, his blend of above-average pop and superb on-base skills should ensure that he is getting consistent big league at-bats soon.

Check out our interview with Dalton Rushing!

Offense

Rushing starts with a slightly open stance and a smooth leg kick to get into his back side. He controls his body extremely well, allowing him to consistently be on time with his smooth left-handed swing that consistently generates loft. Rushing’s strong pitch recognition skills and ability to repeat his mechanics help him get his A swing off consistently, with an average exit velocity of 92 MPH and a Hard-Hit rate of 48% at the upper levels in 2024.

A patient hitter with a phenomenal feel for the strike zone, Rushing has consistently walked at a high clip at each level thanks to a career chase rate hardly above 15%. His smooth and repeatable swing helped him post strong numbers left-on-left as well, with an .880 OPS in same-handed matchups in 2024. Rushing has the ability to hit 25+ homers while getting on base at a high clip.

Defense/Speed

Rushing is a good athlete behind the dish who has progressed nicely defensively. He focused hard on his receiving and gained a lot of valuable experience working with the Dodgers’ talented arms during Spring Training. His catch and throw skills have improved drastically, nabbing 30% of attempted base stealers in 2025 behind good arm strength and a quicker transfer.

While the Dodgers trotted Rushing out in left field at points in 2024 due to the presence of Will Smith at the MLB level, the team prefers to shift his focus back to catcher in 2025. Rushing is on his way to becoming an average defensive catcher if his receiving can come along a little further, but it’s more a matter of finding opportunity for him with the big league club.

Outlook

The bat will lead the way for Rushing, as he is athletic enough to potentially move to first base or corner outfield if the Dodgers want to get him in the lineup. That said, Rushing still has the goods to be an everyday backstop defensively. Offensively, Rushing offers a sound power-hitter’s profile, making 25+ home runs with great on-base skills an attainable outcome. He is one of the best catcher prospects in the game.