Top 30 Prospects by yours truly

Phil Gurnee ♦ July 29, 2026 ♦ Leave a comment

The trade deadline is coming up, so after perusing Baseball America / Rotowire / Prospects Live / MLB Pipeline and watching multiple minor league games over the last two years here is my own top thirty Dodger Prospects. Some of these folk will get traded in the next five days. I would place De Paula/Quintero/Morales/Zazueta in the I’m not trading them unless Mason Miller is available.

Skubal is of course the big name and also a free agent so putting together a deal for a guy who has won the last two American League CYA and is also a free agent is simply throwing darts but I like throwing baseball darts. To get Skubal I expect the Dodgers will indeed part with a major league rotation piece, thus keeping the actual prospect part of the deal more in the top 50-100 range. If they don’t deal Sheehan/Wrobo, then yes, I could see Zazueta being part of the package. With Snell / Glasnow coming back the easy argument is that the Dodgers don’t need to overpay for Skubal but I think what many are missing when they make that argument, is that the Brewers can easily match any Dodger package if they want to. We might be salivating over the current Dodger farm system, but the Brewers are loaded from top to bottom along with a major league rotation piece like Logan Henderson. Even with the best record in baseball, I don’t think any Dodger fan feels this is a powerhouse Dodger team and facing the likes of Miz and Skubal would be quite the gauntlet, if the Brewers were to acquire Skubal. Thus, my own package is clearly an overpay for the best pitcher to be available at the deadline in quite some time.

What do the Tigers need? They would want a major league rotation piece to replace Skubal, they don’t need a CF with Max Clark ready to step into that void as early as August so I’m not including Sirota or Quintero in the deal. Gleyber Torres is a one year player, so they could use a 2nd baseman or SS if they move McConigle to 2nd base after this year. 3rd base could use an upgrade. The corner outfield spots could use an upgrade. They could use another future starter or current bullpen help. Their top prospect is a CF in Max Clark, followed by SS Bryce Rainer and catcher Josue Briceno. Those are basically all they have when it comes to top 100 prospects so they could use an influx of new talent.

No one will like what I’m suggesting, but if you want to win a Championship you might want one of the best pitchers in baseball on your side instead of against you. Sheehan or Wrobo. Wrobo would be the better sell to the Tiger franchise base because of his fantastic first half, but Sheehan still touches all the bases you’d want in a good young controllable starter. Sorry Hope fans, Zyhir Hope will follow Sheehan/Wrobo. The Tigers would want De Paula they would have to settle for Hope who should be bashing home runs for the Tigers by this time next year. You’d think that would be enough but I don’t think it would be. Chase Harlan might seal the deal. If we didn’t have Morales, I wouldn’t think of trading Harlan but we do and besides, Muncy has decided he’s going to play forever anyway.

So Step One:

Trade James Tibbs III to the Miami Marlins for Braxton Garrett

Trade Wrobo or Sheehan / Zyhir Hope / Chase Harlan / Braxton Garrett for two time CYA winner Tarik Skubal

Instead of six top ten outfielders the Dodgers will only have four in De Paula / Quintero / Sirota / Davalan. If the Brewers really want Skubal they can beat this. Will they? I hope they do, it would make October even more special.

Onto the top 30 list:

Rank	Name	Notes
1	Josue De Paula	Cloest thing to Yordan since the Dodgers traded Yordan
2	Eduardo Quintero	All five tools, will be a future Dodger CF
3	Mike Siiota	All Five tools, only reason below Quintero is age and historical health
4	Emil Morales	Possible future Dodger 3rd Baseaman
5	Christian Zazueta	Best pitcher in the system. Might be best prospect pitchers in the NL. Yup, just might be.
6	Zyhir Hope	Would be many teams top outfield prospect
7	Charles Davalan	Would be many teams top outfield prospect. Incredible steal last year.
8	Zach Root	Only above River Ryan because of health. Oh, and that walk rate gives me pause to put him this high.
9	James Tibbs	Would be many teams top outfield prospect
10	Bo Lowrance	Another Dodger draft day steal? Many think so
11	Aidan West	Don’t sleep on him
12	Chase Harlan	Possible future Dodger 3rd Baseaman
13	River Ryan	Best stuff in system, but to many injuries to have him any higher.
14	Ching-Hsien Ko	Big power
15	Kellon Lindsey	Like to see him healhty for a full year
16	Jackson Ferris	Back end starter at this point
17	Kendall George	A better Chandler Simpsion or Scott, maybe
18	Brady Smith	Like him alot
19	Zach Ehrard	Alex Call in AAA, should have a Major league career
20	Nicolas Perez	Not sure yet, but was having a breakout season until he got hurt
21	Cam Leiter
22	Joendry Vargas	Not writing him off yet, but getting close
23	Adam Serwinoski	back end starter or bullpen
24	Noah Miller	Will be someone’s untiliy infielder
25	Elijah Hainline	Will be someone’s untiliy infielder
26	Russell Sandefer
27	Mairoshendrick Martinus	I like this guy, no one eslse seems to.
28	Tyler Gough	Just a dartboard shot here
29	Eason Shelton	Billy Ashely step on up.
30	Ryan Ward	Yeah