2025 May Farm Report: NL West

When the Dodgers moved Michael Busch to Chicago (NL), the goal was to get younger prospects who could help down the line. Los Angeles picked up high-profile arm Jackson Ferris and power-hitting outfielder Zyhir Hope in the deal. Ferris has come along, while Hope’s blossomed into a very talented piece.

Hope finished April in the top 10 in RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.516) in the Midwest League, the latter of which was buoyed by four home runs and 12 extra-base hits. Does the RBI figure mean anything? Not really. The takeaway here is that Hope, a formidable 5’10” slugger, is developing nicely, getting extra-base hits and handling more advanced pitching.

Aside from Hope’s dominance in the Midwest, the Dodgers are seeing good returns on their high-end names. Dalton Rushing posted a decent .894 OPS in the hitter-friendly PCL in April, while Alex Freeland posted a combined .383 OBP this season at Oklahoma City despite strikeout (44 K over 34 GP) woes.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise thus far is Mike Sirota, acquired this past January in the Gavin Lux trade. As I noted back then, Sirota was a first-round quality prospect who slid to the third round after an up-and-down junior season with Northeastern. But as of May 7, Sirota led the California League in slugging percentage (.642) and OPS (1.078).

Sirota was one of three Quakes to finish April in the top 10 in OPS. Former Oregon State infielder Elijah Hainline (.864) and 19-year-old outfielder Eduardo Quintero (.867) were, as well.

Diamondbacks

As we’ve noted multiple times over the month, Jordan Lawlar is raking in Triple-A. Lawlar made up for lost time to have an April for the ages, as he picked up a PCL-high 42 hits and .748 SLG. There’s not much left for Lawlar to accomplish but the question for Arizona is this: where does he fit on the Diamondbacks right now?

Long term, the D-Backs have options. Lawlar’s seen more and more time at second base this season, which sort of tips their hand. It would allow Arizona to take advantage of his speed in a middle infield position and keep Geraldo Perdomo where he’s comfortable.

Down in Double-A, the Diamondbacks had three players in the top nine of the Texas League in OPS for April. Kristian Robinson (remember him?) is only 24 despite being a well-known name for years. Robinson hit five home runs and 12 extra-base hits over 22 games to post a 1.001 OPS in the opening month, while LuJames Groover (.999 OPS) came close after a six-home run month.

Also in Amarillo is Tommy Troy, one of Arizona’s former first-round picks. Troy walked 19 times in April to lead the Texas League and, with a loaded middle infield depth chart, could be a nice piece to dangle when the time is right.

I’ll finish off with quick notes on other names.

Druw Jones is a legit star defensively. However, the bat just hasn’t developed as hoped thus far. He’s still 21, though, and that’s important to keep in mind. But in 177 career Minor League games, Jones has eight home runs (none this year) and a .102 ISO.

Ryan Waldschimdt, playing with Jones in Hillsboro (A+), has been pretty good, highlighted by four home runs and a 1.018 OPS in April. Slade Caldwell, taken two picks before Waldschmidt last July, slashed .312/509/.519 (1.028 OPS) with two home runs, six stolen bases, and 11 extra-base hits in his first 24 games as a pro.

Giants

The Giants had a beefy rotation in Sacramento (AAA), highlighted by two MLB-caliber arms in Kyle Harrison and Mason Black (Harrison is back in the Majors as a reliever). However, it’s hard to have a conversation about the River Cats without Carson Seymour and Carson Whisenhunt.

Seymour, acquired three years ago in the Darin Ruf trade, struck out 37 over his first 32 innings this season at Triple-A. He’s not as hard as he was in college, although capping out at 98 MPH with the two-seamer is still good. On top of that, Seymour doesn’t whiff a ton of bats (26.3% Whiff%) despite the premium stuff. It plays, though.

Whisenhunt, meanwhile, is the more prominent name who has only walked five over his first 30 innings. He struck out 31 in that span with the Cats.

Bryce Eldridge missed most of April thanks to a left wrist injury that kept him out for Giants camp, including the Spring Breakout. But now that Eldrige’s healthy, the 2023 first-round pick has been doing what he does best: hitting for power. The 20-year-old cracked four extra-base hits over his first 12 games.

Lastly, how about Bo McDonald? A gifted athlete who wasn’t drafted in 2023, the Giants scooped him up for $50,000. He’s been terrorizing the Northwest League with Eugene, as McDonald posted a .957 OPS, fifth-best in the circuit, in April. McDonald had three home runs and eight extra-base hits with the Emeralds in that span.

Padres

Infielder Leo De Vries skyrocketed to the top of the Padres’ prospect list after holding his own in Lake Elsinore (A) last year as a 17-year-old. And at the age of 18, De Vries is lapping players significantly older than him.

De Vries led all qualified Midwest League hitters in OPS (.962) last April, a month that saw the shortstop hit for the cycle with two home runs in one game. Are teams making mistakes against De Vries? Sure. But, he’s been impressive, including this home run when he crushed a low breaking ball right in the happy zone for left-handed hitters.

Oh, and did I mention he walked 15 times compared to 18 strikeouts over 24 games in April?

De Vries is the big name in the Padres’ system, a top-heavy system with several elite prospects before dropping off. Ethan Salas, still 18, posted a .544 OPS in only 10 games played thus far at Double-A. Kash Mayfield, a physically mature lefty who was San Diego’s first-round pick last year, struck out 24 over 19.1 IP at Lake Elsinore.

Also, a quick look at some of San Diego’s other 2024 MLB Draft picks. Tyson Neighbors, the electric ex-Kansas State reliever with power stuff, struck out 22 over 11.2 IP with Fort Wayne (A+) thus far. Clark Candiotti, a starter and fourth-round pick, struck out 21 over 15 but walked 13. Outfielder Kavares Tears hit two home runs and four extra-base hits over 14 games with Lake Elsinore (A).

However, arguably the most interesting development from their 2024 class was Kasen Wells and what he did in April. Wells stole a California League-high 20 bases in April and picked up 33 hits over 26 games.

Rockies

It’s been a tough start to 2025 for the Rockies. Let’s just put it that way. However, one positive — despite the losses — is been Colorado fans have been able to see their future at Coors Field. Chase Dollander and Zac Veen both made their MLB debuts in April, while Adael Amador is back at the MLB level after several injuries to their middle infield.

It’s also been a tough month for several of their other notable prospects. Charlie Condon missed the first month with a broken wrist and only recently got back into action down in the ACL. Benny Montgomery currently has a .646 OPS, and Yanquiel Fernandez — not a patient hitter whatsoever — had just a .712 OPS in Triple-A despite seven home runs.

Still, there have been good stories. Robert Calaz joined Fresno (A) in April and, despite missing almost a month of action, posted a .960 OPS over his first seven games of full-season ball thanks to two home runs. Brody Brecht, a 2024 first-round pick, struck out 34 over his first 19.1 IP with Fresno.

Brecht showed elite stuff in Iowa, highlighted by a triple-digit fastball. However, the command was far from ideal and will be the deciding factor whether he’s a reliever or starter long-term.

However, the best stories came from the Eastern League. Cole Carrigg finished tied in the top 15 in total hits (20) last month alongside Dyan Jorge, the former $2.8MM man. Kyle Karros, meanwhile, is currently hit .333 with the Yard Goats.

Michael Prosecky, a strikeout machine in the lower Minors, finished April with a 2.86 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 22 innings with Spokane (A+).

Check out our other Minor League coverage, including our AL West farm report for May.