The Dodgers’ consensus top 100 prospects for 2021

We got two new national top-100 prospect lists out this week, with Keith Law at The Athletic posting his rankings on Thursday, followed by MLB Pipeline revealing its list. Coupled with earlier lists from Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, a consensus is forming as to the Dodgers’ top prospects.

Right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray, and catcher Keibert Ruiz were ranked in the top 100 on all four of these lists do date, with each considered the top-ranked Dodgers prospect on two of the four outlets. Gray has an average ranking of 55, and Ruiz’s average is 66.

Gray’s highest ranking comes from Law at No. 39, up from No. 63 last year. “His fastball is 93-95 with good run and carry despite the low release height, generating a lot of swings and misses on the pitch,” Law wrote. “The Dodgers saw more consistency and quality to the curveball in 2020, adding depth against left-handed batters.”

Gray was ranked 58th by MLB Pipeline, one spot behind Ruiz.

Michael Busch, a first-round pick in 2019 out of North Carolina, was ranked 74th by Law but didn’t show up in the MLB Pipeline top 100. Considering that earlier this week he was rated the fifth-best second base prospect by MLB Pipeline, and No. 4 at the position (Xavier Edwards) checks in at 85th overall, it’s fair to assume Busch is fairly close on the outside of MLB Pipeline’s top 100, looking in. Busch is rated 87th by Baseball America and 91st by Baseball Prospectus.

Though Ruiz appears in all of these top 100 rankings, another Venezuelan catcher in the system received high praise as well. Law at The Athletic is bullish on Diego Cartaya, the 19 year old signed by the Dodgers in July 2018, ranking him 75th overall, ahead of Ruiz at 80th.

“Cartaya is an advanced hitter for his age with tremendous bat speed and plus power, potentially a 30-homer guy who’ll also hit for average because of how well he can go the other way,” Law wrote. “He’s improving behind the plate, with the tools to end up above-average there and a plus arm, playing with a lot of energy and setting a good target for pitchers.”