Even After Skubal Trade, Dodgers Farm System Is Still Elite
The Dodgers' player development and discovery have allowed them to maintain an elite farm system, even after the Tarik Skubal trade.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off the inevitable at this year’s trade deadline, netting Tarik Skubal’s services to add to an already elite rotation. The cost was two top-100 prospects: Zyhir Hope (JB No. 30) and River Ryan (JB No. 51), a steep price for a rental.
Despite the departure of Hope and Ryan, the Dodgers remained tied for the most names on our recently updated Top 100 Prospects list with six.
Headlined by the No. 10-ranked Josue De Paula, the Dodgers are the lone organization to have three representatives within the top 20, with Eduardo Quintero (JB No. 14) and Mike Sirota (JB No. 19) staking their claims as premier prospects in the sport.
Charles Davalan reprised his role inside the top 100 (No. 67), while Christian Zazueta and Chase Harlan joined the fold, slotting in at No. 41 and No. 83, respectively.
Los Angeles isn’t just a powerhouse on the major league front; they also boast state-of-the-art player development and discovery. Let’s dive into why the Dodgers’ farm system remains elite despite the loss of Hope and Ryan.
Incredible Outfield Depth
Parting with a prospect like Hope for a rental would be an enormous pill to swallow for any organization, but the Dodgers were well equipped to pay the hefty price.
De Paula, Sirota, Quintero, and Davalan all roam the outfield grass, creating quite the logjam within the organization. That’s without taking into account James Tibbs III, who is in the midst of a stellar season in Triple-A and a fringe top-100 prospect in his own right.
Though he was undoubtedly gaining steam going into the deadline, Hope was seen as more expendable, given his profile as a high-variance power hitter.
Reportedly off-limits in trade talks were De Paula and Quintero.
Long regarded as one of the more polished young bats in the minor leagues, De Paula has fully risen into consensus top-10 prospect status, slashing .303/.398/.546 with 26 home runs and 29 stolen bases through 119 Double-A games.
De Paula managed to improve his bat-to-ball ability while also incorporating more game power, an issue he has been knocked for in the past. Paired with his stellar approach, De Paula has blossomed into the most complete offensive prospect in the sport.
Following a breakout 2025, Quintero has picked up right where he left off. Running a .936 OPS in his second High-A stint, Quintero made a leap from No. 36 to No. 14 on our top 100 update.
A legitimate five-tool talent, Quintero runs stellar contact rates and batted-ball metrics for his age, with the plus wheels and center fielder traits to go along with them. Quintero’s ultra-passive approach will be put to the test as he climbs, but the toolset and production are befitting of a potential future No. 1 prospect in the sport.
Sirota has been the most productive bat in the minor leagues since he joined the Dodgers last season, holding a career OPS of 1.017 while pairing stellar power output with minuscule chase rates. Of minor leaguers with at least 700 plate appearances over the past two seasons, Sirota’s 171 wRC+ tops the list, 19 points above the next-best mark.
Davalan’s rise into relevance has been less flashy, but the 5-foot-9 41st overall pick has run elite contact metrics while mashing 24 home runs at High-A. At this point, he’s well overdue for a promotion.
2026 Developmental Success Stories
Two new Dodgers joined our top-100 this August, both data darlings that have managed to take a leap with sustained performance in 2026.
In the current baseball landscape, four-seam quality is paramount to success, and Zazueta boasts one of the better fastballs in the minor leagues. A DSL lottery ticket swapped for Caleb Ferguson in 2024, Zazueta has added a few ticks in velocity and developed three playable secondaries.
Now sitting in the mid-90s, Zazueta generates carry from a 5.3 ft. release height, creating a frightening flat-approach four-seam that picks up whiffs in buckets. Aiding the profile, Zazueta is pinpoint, peppering the top rail consistently.
Zazueta’s cambio has taken a significant leap alongside his fastball, selling it with arm speed and really fading off his hopping four-seam. He’s managed to create at least average glove-side offerings as well in a sweeper and cutter.
A 2024 third-round pick, Harlan possessed some of the most raw juice in the entire class, but lacked the feel to hit and defensive fit of a top-40 pick. Harlan produced across the complex and Low-A, but high whiff rates followed him into full-season ball.
Harlan quieted his hands and introduced a more pronounced leg kick, now getting on time and on the barrel more consistently. The returns have been impressive, now making contact at a solid clip and tapping into his double-plus raw power more often.
He’s still on the ground at an undesirable clip, but his Low-A slugging percentage rose from .356 to .571 this season. Harlan is still working on incorporating more game power in his leap to High-A, but his 109 mph 90th percentile exit velocity speaks for itself.
Maintaining a Deep Farm System
Depth is nearly as important as the talent at the top — the Dodgers have shown that throughout their reign at the top of farm system rankings.
Trade Zyhir Hope and River Ryan… who cares? Have Christian Zazueta and Chase Harlan take their place. Deal Michael Busch, Keibert Ruiz, and Josiah Gray? We’re good; we have Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, and Justin Wrobleski.
Craft a revolving door of talented prospects to bolster a farm system so you can continue to bid high on the next available talent.
The aforementioned Tibbs likely represents the next man up to the majors, slashing .293/.415/.542 with 26 home runs in Triple-A.
Emil Morales offers an extremely compelling case to be included in our next top-100 update, tallying 26 home runs across Low-A and High-A while still just 19 years old, with a shot at sticking at the six.
Last summer’s 40th overall pick, Zach Root, was nails at High-A, already making his way to Tulsa. Fellow 2025 draftee Cam Leiter has registered a 36.7% strikeout rate in the lower minors.
The Dodgers managed to float Bo Lowrance down to pick 40, who our Tyler Jennings ranked 20th overall in last year’s class.
Despite having just one pick inside the top 30 in the last five years, the Dodgers’ knack for player development and player discovery has made them the pinnacle of farm system success.
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Landon is a recent high school graduate, currently 17 years old going to study Media at UC Riverside next fall. He excels with data analysis inside…