Michael Busch, Kody Hoese open 2021 on Double-A Tulsa Drillers roster

Two of the Dodgers’ best prospects — their first two draft picks in 2019 — found a home in the Tulsa Drillers infield, with Michael Busch and Kody Hoese starting the season in Double-A.

The second baseman Busch was rated in the back end of top-100 prospect lists this preseason by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, ESPN, and topping out at No. 74 by Keith Law at The Athletic. Busch and the third baseman Hoese were non-roster invitees in Dodgers camp this spring.

Busch and Hoese’s highest level in 2019 was Great Lakes, which was then a low-Class-A affiliate, though both spent time in 2020 at the Dodgers alternate training site at USC.

Pitchers Gerardo Carillo and Andre Jackson are the only Tulsa players on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.

Other non-roster invitees on the Tulsa roster include pitchers Michael Grove, Ryan Pepiot, Nolan Long, Robinson Ortiz, Nick Robertson, and Gus Varland, catcher Hunter Feduccia, infielders Jacob Amaya, Devin Mann, and Ryan Noda, and outfielder James Outman.

The Drillers open their season at home Tuesday night at ONEOK Field, hosting Amarillo. The formerly-named Texas League is now called Double-A Central.

Scott Hennessey returns as Tulsa’s manager, as do hitting coach Brett Pill and pitching coach Dave Borkowski.

The active roster includes 28 players, plus four others on the injured and developmental lists. Yadier Alvarez begins the year on the injured list with Double-A.