The crazy thing about prospect rankings is that many of them don’t consider momentum or whether a player is injured. In the most recent round of MLB Pipeline’s rankings for the Los Angeles Dodgers, there were two pitchers who haven’t even appeared in a game this season.
Righty Nick Frasso — who is currently ranked No. 3 and almost a shoo-in to make his MLB debut this year — underwent shoulder surgery in February to repair a torn labrum and is expected to be out for up to 12 months.
Another right-hander, 25-year-old River Ryan, was also shut down due to shoulder issues before this season began. Late last year, many pundits expected one or the other to make their MLB debut in 2024.
Starting Late
The good news for Ryan is that he’s back on the mend after appearing in an Arizona League game two weeks ago. He only threw two full innings, but he also struck out five batters, showcasing why the Dodgers were so high on him when they dealt for him back in the spring of 2022.
On June 10, Ryan made another relief appearance at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, striking out three batters over two scoreless innings.
Ryan’s late start in 2024 could conceivably prevent him from debuting in the majors this year, but it won’t stop him from climbing the prospect rankings. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Charlotte native might be a bit undersized, but his pure athleticism is what makes him stand out.
A Steal of a Deal
For those who don’t remember the trade with San Diego, the Dodgers acquired Ryan straight up in a deal for utilityman Matt Beaty. At the time of the trade, the Padres were grooming Ryan as an infielder. During his first year on the San Diego farm, he hit .308 in 43 plate appearances for the Arizona League Padres.
During his time at UNC Pembroke, Ryan was a two-way player who played all around the infield and was among the club’s top relief pitchers. He never hit for much power, but he slashed .422/.495/.611 in 108 plate appearances during his junior year. As a freshman, he appeared in 10 games and threw to the tune of an impressive 0.71 ERA over 25-1/3 innings of work.
Seemingly, the Dodgers knew right away they wanted to nurture Ryan as a pitcher, ushering him to Rancho Cucamonga where he started 10 games and posted a 2.67 ERA in 2022. He earned a promotion to High-A Great Lakes later in the season and appeared in five games — three of which were starts — and tallied an impressive 1.93 ERA with 22 punchouts in just 14 innings.
In 2023, Ryan made it as high as Triple-A Oklahoma City. He made 24 starts between Double-A Tulsa and OKC by the end of the season, posting a 3.80 ERA with 110 strikeouts over 104-1/3 innings of work.
An Elite Repertoire
The thing that makes Ryan stand out among all the other pitching prospects on the farm is that he has so many plus pitches. His fastball typically sits at 95 to 97 MPH and topped out as high as 99 MPH in 2023. Scouts also rank his slider and curve as plus pitches. Because of his success with his breaking pitches, he got away from his changeup in recent years, which still could develop in time.
According to MLB Pipeline: “Ryan’s outstanding athleticism and clean arm action have eased his transition to full-time pitching and add to his upside as a No. 2 or 3 starter. While his control and command are still works in progress, he has the tools to become an average strike-thrower with more experience. He had no trouble handling a career-high 104 1/3 innings last year, though Los Angeles never let him top five innings or 76 pitches in any of his 26 outings.”
Obviously, the Dodgers have no need to rush Ryan, especially in a season when Dustin May and Clayton Kershaw could provide late-season reinforcements. However, with his high ceiling, Ryan will certainly be someone to keep an eye on heading into next spring.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Appreciate you focusing on some farm guys. Next year depending on injury and trades the competition for a spot in the rotation is going to be fierce. Glasnow, Yamamoto and Stone. I don’t think they will sign Bueller. May and Gonsolin should be available along with Ohtani. Knack, Ryan and others are lining up to compete. Does Kershaw pitch another year? Rumors are Dodgers want to sign Saski due out in 25. To win in baseball you need dominant pitching. Looks like Dodgers are locked in for several years. They desperately need guys that can make contact and get on base in the bottom of the lineup. Who will they decide can fill that role in 25 and beyond? Do they trade pitching to get it or do they think they have people on roster or on the farm like Sweeney? Fascinating to watch how the Dodgers are setting up for the next decade.
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What’s your opinion on this year’s trade deadline? I have nothing concrete to prove it, but I think Andrew Friedman might have at least one “big splash” up his sleeve this year.
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got to be a outfielder or third baseman. We have an abundance of unproven pitching which will have good value to struggling teams desperate for pitching.
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With Yamamoto and Grove hitting the IL today, maybe we’d better hold on to all of our abundance of unproven pitching.
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YY, Stone, Grove, Miller and May are far from established or proven major leaguers. Wouldn’t trade YY or Stone. Would certainly trade any of the other 3 in a package for a proven outfielder, unless you think all of them will be top of the rotation , which would be silly. If we traded our top pitching prospects over the last 10/12 years for proven players we would have lost uh, oh yeah, Buehler.
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I’d be interested to hear a few names of people you would consider “proven outfielders”.
I feel as though Grove, Miller and May all have different trade values, so how about coming up with a trade or two for discussion.
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Losing Mookie yesterday is going to test the resolve and resilience of this team. I do not believe that AF will make a trade for a superstar. I think he will try to tweak the roster and add some more depth. The one outfielder who I think has great bat to ball skills, most likely will not be on the market, Steven Kwan. One site is already suggesting that the Dodgers will now make a move for Willy Adames. And they have suggested that Landon Knack would be the centerpiece in such a deal. They also suggested a one for one. Doubt that happens. I think Rojas moves to SS most of the time. His defense is good enough for him to stay there a while. He might need a day now and then to keep fresh. I would say they lose Yamamoto for at least 8 weeks. Maybe 12. Mookie could be out anywhere from 4-8 weeks. One good thing is that he will not be worn out by the end of the year and should be fresh in the playoffs. Miller back this week. I have mixed emotions about this. He wasn’t great before he was injured, 1-1, 5.40 ERA, WHIP of 1.457. 18 K’s but 6 walks. He has not been all that in his games against minor league hitters. 0-2 combined 6.23 ERA at A and AAA combined in 4 games. I feel better about Kersh coming back simply because Kersh is more of a pitcher now. He knows his FB is not what it used to be, and his secondary pitches are much better than when he first came up. I do not expect May to be in the rotation whenever he gets ready, he might become a valuable piece at the back of the pen. The players on the roster right now are going to have to step up. I do not think Vargas will just be handed the starting left field job either. Ohtani will most likely go into the leadoff spot. He has more reps there than anyone else on the team. The top four will most likely be, Ohtani, Freeman, Hernandez and Smith. But I would rather see, Ohtani, Smith, Freeman, Hernandez.
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Wrobleski may well be this year’s Sheehan. He is moving up to AAA.
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What a comeback last night. Wow. Second time I have seen the Dodgers mount a rally in the 9th to beat Colorado. RIP Willie Mays. Mays was the best player I have ever seen in person. He was dynamic and made it all look so easy. He and Willie McCovey are the only two Giant players I had total respect for.
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