It’s a unique challenge to talk about the future of an organization that lives so firmly in the present. The Dodgers have always been much more likely to buy MLB talent than to rely on their pipeline, so there’s always the question when looking at the Dodgers’ system that there’s a good chance that, if we see these players reach the Show, it will likely be in another uniform.

That being said, the Dodgers have five Top 100 prospects. all on the offensive side: 4 outfielders and one shortstop. For the sake of this series, we’re going to focus on the one shortstop, and the lowest-rated prospect on the board, coming in at #92 (#80 at ESPN): Emil Morales.

At just 19, Morales is likely several years away, but he was one of the top international prospects in the 2024 class and has tremendous power for his size. He’s torn the cover off the ball in his first couple of seasons in pro ball, including hitting .349 in the final six weeks of the season in Single-A.

The Dodgers will likely take their time with Morales, as he continues to fill out, and smooth out some holes in his swing and has a very high swing-and-miss rate on off-speed pitches. He has good range and instincts at short, but as he progresses in the system and puts on more muscle (he’s already gone from about 190 lbs. to 205 since he has signed), his 6’3″ frame may profile better as a third baseman long-term if bulk slows him down defensively.

If I was to pick an MLB comp, which is hard to do with someone so early on in their career, I’d have to go with someone like Willy Adames. Powerful bat, with good defensive tools, but questions about middle infield staying power. I’m also reminded of Yoan Moncada as a prospect. He was signed as a second baseman, and at the time, he was also around 6′ 2″, 205, and described as having ‘linebacker strength’. Moncada also looked like a linebacker, still does – and I could see Morales following a similar path. As I said, we don’t often discuss the future when it comes to the Dodgers, but Morales has a bright one.