2019 top Dodgers prospects: No. 21-25

25. Gerardo Carrillo

A big jump forward in performance and stuff put Carrillo on the Dodger prospect map in 2018, but his electric arm could make him a sleeper on the national prospect stage in 2019. Carrillo held his own in his first taste of full season ball, and though he may not be ready for a move to the California League, an innings bump is likely in the cards.

Carrillo overcomes his slight frame with an extremely quick arm and short action that can push his velocity into the mid-90’s. He’s athletic and can repeat his mechanics fairly well, though his command is still in the developmental stages. Carrillo’s plus heater has excellent sink and helped him to product a 49 percent ground ball rate in the Midwest League.

Carrillo is also developing a power curve and change up, but both need maturing at this point. He will flash plus with the curve in getting sharp 11-5 break, but he is not consistent with the release point and speed of the pitch, occasionally flattening it out. His change up also shows decent fade, but doesn’t feature much in video I’ve seen, and he likely hasn’t needed it much to this point.

Despite a 1.65 ERA over 49 Low-A innings, Carrillo will likely benefit from returning to Great Lakes to start 2019, and he may not break camp with the team if the Dodgers hope to limit his innings around 100. His talent may very well dictate a push to Rancho Cucamonga at some point, and he likely will increase his profile amongst the national prospect media when that happens.

Carrillo is the one prospect in this grouping that has the potential to make a great leap forward on this list come next season, especially if he improves his command and the consistency of his breaking ball. His upside is likely that of a mid rotation starter or possibly power reliever, but at just 20 years of age, it’s too soon to peg a future role or major league ETA on him.

24. Cody Thomas

The former Oklahoma quarterback produced a season roughly in line with his career totals in terms of contact and walk rates and batted ball profile, but an improvement in his fluidity and hard contact could portend a possible breakout in 2019. Though already 24, Thomas is still young in terms of on field development, given his split collegiate duties with Oklahoma football, and his performance in Rancho Cucamonga should be enough for an advancement to Double-A to start the year.

A big framed guy with a long swing, strikeouts may always plague Cody Thomas, but his swing mechanics and upper body showed much more fluidity in 2018 film. Thomas hits from a low crouch and stride that covers ¾ of the batter’s box, but he transfers his weight well and generates line drives and fly balls with a high lofted swing and plenty of extension. He looks less comfortable on off-speed pitches and will “bar” his arm, limiting his ability to adjust or drive the ball to the right side.

Thomas came one home run shy of matching his 20 home run season in Class A, but he almost doubled his extra base hit totals thanks to friendlier hitting environments and more consistent hard contact. Thomas spent most of the season in right field, but can handle center field on occasion and he’s a good athlete for his size.

Ultimately, Thomas’s strikeout percentage is still a cause for concern when trying to forecast his big league future, but he’s made enough improvements on the margins to hope for enough of a correction over the next two seasons to allow him to tap into his power often enough to be a capable big league outfielder. His age still limits his overall ceiling, but Thomas has platoon or second division starting potential.

23. Morgan Cooper

Still waiting for his first professional appearance since being selected in the second round of the 2017 draft, it has been difficult to decide where to peg Morgan Cooper on the 2019 prospect list. While his grade suffered a significant knock in lowering his risk score, it’s hard to say just what ceiling he has left until we see where his stuff is in comparison to what he had shown at Texas.

The pitcher Cooper was that final season at Texas was a potential workhorse starter with plus strikeout stuff and polish. Cooper’s best pitch was a big curveball that he could manipulate the shape and speed on, generating soft contact and empty swings. Cooper could run his fastball into the mid 90’s with above-average control, and he was one of the top strikeout arms in the Big XII.

While Cooper’s size suggested an innings-eating starting pitcher, his now extensive injury history throws that into question. It’s possible that Cooper’s future development might benefit from monitoring his workload from the pen, and a return to his past stuff could make him an impact reliever. For now, the hope is that we see Cooper start his pro journey at some point in 2019, or we can question his inclusion in any future lists.

22. Ben Holmes

You probably won’t see a mid-season minor league free agent signee reach this high in the prospect rankings again, which should underscore just how tremendous Holmes was after signing with the organization after his Miami release. Though Holmes’ upside is relatively low, the polished left hander could add to a deep reserve of starting pitchers in Triple-A capable of contributing to the big league club in 2019.

Focusing primarily on his brief Los Angeles tenure, it’s hard to say what the Dodgers changed in Holmes’ approach over his time with Miami, but there was a big jump in his strikeout rate upon joining the organization. With Tulsa, Holmes competed with command of four pitches, his slider flashing above average and his sneaky fastball ambushing hitters. He also would show a solid curveball early in counts, and had plenty of fade on his change up to get right handed hitters to chase the pitch.

Holmes’ frame is already filled out and he’s not likely to improve on his fringe velocity, but he’s shown enough know-how to get hitters out in both the Texas and Arizona Fall League that he could be in line for a big league call-up in 2019. That line, however, is a long one, and Holmes’ low upside could see him leapfrogged by more famous prospects like Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.

The Dodgers must have seen enough to like to still send him to the Arizona Fall League after last season and he’s earned a rotation spot in an upper minors rotation. Holmes could also fill a middle relief role if need be, though his stuff is likely better suited to eat innings from the back of a rotation. His rehabilitation with Los Angeles has also given him a modest trade value than he wouldn’t have had otherwise, especially with rebuilding teams looking for a capable arm to serve as a bridge for more high ceiling arms.

21. Jaime Schultz

Acquired from Tampa Bay after being designated for assignment in January, Schultz represents an intriguing change of scenery case. Gifted with a power arm and the ability to miss bats, Schultz finally reached the big leagues with the Rays in 2019. His problems with command and high walk totals have ultimately prevented him from carving out a more permanent role in the big leagues.

Schultz has two of the better looking breaking balls in the system, but has pitched primarily off his quality fastball to date. He sits consistently in the mid 90’s with “rising” action on his heater, but his command of the pitch is below average. His breaking balls are both power pitches, with his slider resembling more of a cutter and approaching 90 mph, while his curve has almost 12-6 break and plus velocity for the pitch.

Schultz’ mechanics can get a little complicated. He has a very quick arm, but a stab in the back of his delivery can affect his timing and release, causing him to open up too much and allow his fastball to run too much to his arm side. He looks like a decent athlete and has already filled out his small frame.

It’s only a small sample size, but it looks like Schultz has increased the usage of his slider this spring with Los Angeles, which has been a focus for other arms in camp as well. The Dodgers may feel that changing Schultz’s extreme fastball usage could be the ticket to unlocking his relief potential. He’s proven capable of missing bats with gaudy minor league strikeout rates, and more consistency in the strike zone would make him a potential late inning option. Being on the 40-man roster, Schultz has a leg up on other relief prospects in earning major league time this year, but he’ll likely open the season in the minors where he can further work with the development staff and get better acclimated with his pitching plan of attack.