Checking in on the desert Dogs
The most interesting revelation is that some scouts believe Quintero could ultimately surpass Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota. That's quite a statement considering all three rank among MLB's top 20 prospects.
... and here I thought they were all about ice cream, pumpkin pie, and chocolate cake... but I just found out they are the Desert Dogs, not Dessert Dogs. Who knew? I learn something every day... but seriously, the Desert Dogs are 1-5 out of the gate. Yikes!
Chuck Davalan seems to be taking to 2B defensively, but has suddenly forgotten how to hit (.071 BA/.493 OPS). YIKES!
Eduardo Quintero is hitting .267 with a .809 OPS, and Chase Harlan is hitting .176 with a .760 OPS.
Dodgers Arizona Fall League: Quick Synopsis
The MLB Pipeline yesterday focused on the Dodgers' remarkable collection of young talent, particularly Eduardo Quintero, who some scouts believe could eventually become the best outfielder in an organization loaded with elite prospects.
Eduardo Quintero (OF, MLB No. 15): The 20-year-old is the centerpiece of the article. He hit .309 with a .445 OBP at High-A in 2026. With exceptional plate discipline, power, speed, and defensive ability in center field, Quintero projects as a potential 25-home-run, 25-steal player. Dodgers farm director Matt McGrath praises his maturity, consistency, and work ethic.
Charles Davalan (OF/2B, MLB No. 79): Coming off a Midwest League MVP season, Davalan hit .292 with 24 home runs and 17 stolen bases. The Dodgers are using the Fall League to develop his versatility by giving him playing time at second base.
Chase Harlan (3B, Dodgers No. 9): One of baseball's better third-base prospects, Harlan hit .298 with 14 home runs in 86 games. He possesses exceptional raw power and a strong throwing arm.
Pitching prospects: Marlon Nieves, Brooks Auger, Luke Fox, Sam Horn, and Cody Morse are participating. Auger is particularly interesting after posting 85 strikeouts in 59⅔ innings at High-A. Horn has yet to make his professional debut but can reach 98 mph.
The most interesting revelation is that some scouts believe Quintero could ultimately surpass Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota. That's quite a statement considering all three rank among MLB's top 20 prospects.
The second major storyline is Davalan's transition to second base. If he can become a competent defensive second baseman while maintaining his offensive production, his value to the Dodgers increases dramatically.
Bottom line: The Dodgers aren't simply sending prospects to Arizona for additional at-bats. They're developing positional versatility, evaluating elite talent, and potentially creating another wave of future major-league contributors.
Discussion (39)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Tarik Skubal will start Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2 on Monday as expected. No decision on Games 3 and 4.
Here's my take on the NLCS roster. 2 players will be replaced. 1. Miguel Rojas. Miggy is not right and they will need him for the WS. If they include him and he can't cut the mustard, he can't play in the WS. 2. Chris Bubic. They will need a multi inning guy not coming back from injury. The 2 replacements are 1. Emmett Sheehan 2. Justin Wrobleski Just MHO Book em
According to MLB.com:
“The talent in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) is generally considered to be equivalent to Double-A (AA) and Triple-A (AAA) levels, functioning primarily as baseball's "finishing school" for top minor-league prospects.”
Maybe our highly rated A League players need another minute or two facing better pitching.
In 28 could we see? 1B. Tibbs 2B. Davalan SS. Betts 3B. Morales C. Smith and Rushing LF. DePaula CF Quintero RF. Pages DH. Ohtani 4th OF. Sirota If Tucker opts out or he’s at 1B. And a payroll within the threshold. And going for a 5-peat
NLCS MVP Hotsheet:
I like our chances. Brewers are a pesky team, but not an unknown quality.
Early in the year someone asked me which of the OF do I thought would ultimately be the best fit for the Dodgers. My answer was Eduardo Quintero. He is the most complete OF in the organization. He has all the tools, as does Sirota, but Quintero has a huge edge in the running game, and as good as Sirota is defensively, Quintero is better. In 227 games in CF, Quintero has 22 assists. Sirota does not have a CF assist, but has 5 assists in the corners. Quintero has a 60 arm and Sirota has a 55. Both OF have all tools graded at above average or better, and both have a 60 FV. JDP is higher rated because of his hit and power tools, which are exceptional. This shows how much the publications value hitting over anything else in their FV grades.
IMO, Eduardo Quintero is special and will be every bit as good as Jackson Merrill is for the Padres. He does not project to be a PCA, but he does not need to be in order to be an All Star CF for the Dodgers.
One of the biggest home runs in Dodger history was hit 38 years ago today.
That would be Mike Scioscia's 2 run hr in the 9th inning off Doc Gooden in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS.
There has been a lot of discussion about the AFL today. The Dodgers (in particular) do not send their top prospects there; rather, they send prospects they want to focus on certain aspects of their game, such as Davalan, who is focusing on learning 2B. Chase Harlan is playing 3B and 1B, and Quintero has mostly played RF. What does that all mean? We don't know, and the Dodgers are not going to say.
I think the Dodgers have two "generational talents" in their outfield: DePaula and Quintero. I think both will be special players, think Yordan Alvarez and Carlos Beltran. I also like Sirota a lot, but I am beginning to wonder about his injuries. The Dodgers are concealing something...
Pages is already an All-Star at a young age… He is a year younger than PCA. Don't forget Ehrhard, JT3, and George. Some will be traded. Kyle Tucker is not going anywhere… except maybe 1B when the Dodgers let Freddie walk.
Sirota, JT3, and Ehrhard could likely fetch a great SS. Leo?
In case anyone missed it: