Major League Baseball's offseason is in full swing, and that means everyone is thinking about the future. In most cities, that means next season; in some, though, it means the bigger picture, the next three to five years. You're either selling wins or you're selling hope, the old saying goes. We here at CBS Sports like to provide as much hope as we can around this time of the winter by evaluating each team's farm system.
Of course, that doesn't mean every team has an equally good farm system -- some, as you'll find out throughout this process, are lacking in that respect. It does mean, nevertheless, that CBS Sports will be spending the next few weeks examining the top three prospects in each organization. We define "prospects" as retaining their rookie eligibility for the 2023 season, so if a young player is missing that's likely why.
These lists and evaluations are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, and player development types. There's also firsthand evaluation and bias thrown into the mix. Keep in mind that player evaluation is a hard task, and it's fine if you disagree with the rankings. These are opinions, and they have no real bearing on the future. You can check out our winter top 20 list by clicking here.
With that in mind, let's get to it by dissecting the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1. Diego Cartaya, C (2023 seasonal age: 21)
The Dodgers have steadily produced quality catching prospects in recent years, be it Will Smith, Keibert Ruiz, or now Cartaya. (That's without mentioning Dalton Rushing, their second-round pick last summer.) Cartaya's game is all about power. He has good raw juice at the plate (to go with a willingness to walk) and a very strong arm behind it. The main question here concerns his hit tool. He struck out in more than 27 percent of his plate appearances last season, and that's before reaching the Double-A level. Add in how pull-happy Cartaya is, and it's fair to wonder if he's destined for a subpar batting average. To his credit, it probably won't matter thanks to his various strengths.
2. Bobby Miller, RHP (2023 seasonal age: 24)
Another thing the Dodgers have consistently done is unearth gems late in the first round. Miller, the 29th pick in 2020 by way of Louisville, is in line to be the next one. He's all but certain to make his big-league debut sometime in 2023 after appearing 24 times across the upper minors last season, accumulating a 4.25 ERA and a 3.92 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 112 innings. Miller has loud stuff, including a triple-digits fastball and a promising slider and changeup, and he's taken well to a mechanical overhaul as a professional that truncated his arm stroke, among other changes. Last season helped ease concerns about his usage as a professional, too: he faced 20 or more batters in 15 games after he cleared that mark just once in 2021. The Dodgers have suffered a number of losses to their rotation this offseason, and Miller seems as likely as anyone to benefit next summer from that development.
3. Miguel Vargas, 3B/2B (2023 seasonal age: 23)
Vargas is also likely to be a benefactor of Los Angeles' winter, with Trea Turner and Justin Turner each finding homes elsewhere. He reached the majors last season, appearing in 18 games after spending most of the year hectoring Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .304/.404/.511 slash line. Vargas is all but certain to figure into the Dodgers' Opening Day plans, though it's an open question as to whether he'll do so as a second or third baseman. Whatever the case, the appeal here is his bat. There's a real chance that he posts above-average marks in both contact and power, and he's always demonstrated an ability to walk and keep his strikeouts in check. Depending on what the Dodgers do the rest of the way, it's possible that the 23-year-old Vargas spends next season as the youngest everyday regular in their lineup.
