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Five Dodgers Postion Players Impressing During Spring Training
The Los Angeles Dodgers, as most MLB teams do, have given multiple players chances during Spring Training, and five players took the opportunity in the first half of the preseason to capitalize.
The Dodgersβ starting lineup is mostly set, with a big payroll leading to multiple key starters locked in, though some spots in the bottom of the order and on the depth chart are up in the air.
The World Baseball Classic has led to multiple starters departing from spring camp, and a handful of injuries are giving opportunities for position players to get multiple at-bats.
Here are five players who are lighting it up in the first half of Spring Training:
Santiago Espinal
At 31, Santiago Espinal is having a late-career renaissance. He was signed on a minor league deal after the Cincinnati Reds and the rest of the MLB did not present him with a more tangible deal.
With the injury to Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim away on WBC duty, Espinal has been stealing the show in the battle for the second base role.
Through 22 plate appearances, an admittedly small sample, Espinal is hitting .625/.636/1.1125 with a 307 wRC+. He has two home runs, two doubles, and 10 hits, along with drawing four walks and driving in eight runs.
He is doing all of this while flashing high-quality fielding, which he has always had. With the Reds, Espinal was a subpar hitter, putting his MLB career in jeopardy, though his 2026 Spring Training is giving it new life and then some.
Espinal, even if his numbers come down to earth some, will be a part of the infield platoon as long as he hits at least league average β anything else is gravy.
Zach Ehrhard
Ehrhard, who came via the Boston Red Sox in the Dustin May deal, did not come with much hype, but his Spring has looked quite promising.
The 23-year-old is having an amazing spring with 30 plate appearances, the highest total entering Fridayβs game against the Kansas City Royals.
He has nine hits, four of which are doubles, a triple, and four RBIs, along with working three walks and stealing two bases.
Even with a higher sample size than any other Dodger, Erhard has a wRC+ of 159, with a slash line of .346/.433/.577.
Ehrhard is an outfielder in a crowded prospect pool, but stacking more performances as he has will potentially open the door for him to serve a role, either as a trade piece or in the platoon.
Noah Miller
Miller is the No. 31 prospect according to FanGraphs, and he came via the Dodgers, along with outfielder Manuel Margot.
The infielder has 26 plate appearances, hitting .381/.500/.629 with a 190 wRC+. Additionally, he has hit a home run, racked up five walks and five RBIs, and recorded two doubles.
He does a good job of fielding as a shortstop, along with showing good speed and quality ability as a contact hitter.
Mill has struggled to hit in Triple-A, but he has figured things out on offense; his skill set could lead to a substantial role in the platoon down the line.
Josue De Paula
De Paula, the top prospect in the organization, is only 21 years old, and he has racked up 24 plate appearances.
In which he has 10 hits, two doubles, and two home runs, along with three RBIs and four walks.
He is slashing .400/.500/.450 with a 160 wRC+. He has serious power, which makes it surprising that he does not have a home run, but his approach at the plate has shone.
He has a full season of time with the Double-A team coming up, but if De Paula keeps hitting well, he could get to Triple-A sooner rather than later, leaving him one step away from a major league spot.
With Teoscar Hernandez in his mid-30s and his deal coming to an end soon, De Paula looks in line to replace him or serve as a key trade piece in a deal down the line for a star.
James Tibbs III
Tibbs, the other piece in the Dustin May deal, is also impressing. He is on the older side for a prospect, but at 23, he is showing good flash on offense.
He is hitting .292/.393/.625 with a 152 wRC+. The outfielder has 4 hits, including a triple and 2 home runs, with 5 RBIs.
While he has walked four times, he has 10 strikeouts, showing his aggressive power approach.
Tibbs III is the No. 9 prospect on FanGraphs. They project him to be more of a platoon player, but if he can keep hitting well and improve his fielding, he could be an everyday starter.
As the No. 13 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tibbs III has the pedigree to become a major league starter, and his offensive production thus far in the spring is raising the likelihood that he improves his ceiling.
