Oakland coach Mack Hawks talks to pitcher Eriq Swan (22) during Monday's season opener. Blackman defeated Oakland 3-2. Brent Milam / For The DNJ, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Los Angeles Dodgers Youngster Could See His Prospect Status "Explode" in 2025

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Feb 3, 2025 10:38 AM ET

Count Baseball America among the believers in Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Eriq Swan.

The 23-year-old Swan was a fourth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2023 out of Middle Tennessee State. He pitched in just 13 games last season (nine starts), going 0-1 with a 5.72 ERA,. but despite the numbers, BA ranked him as a potential breakout prospect for 2025.

Could Swan be the next Dodgers pitcher to see his prospect status explode? Possibly, as Swan has shown elite pure stuff as a professional. One of the buzziest names in the Arizona Fall League, Swan showed off an upper-90s fastball that touches triple digits at peak, as well as an upper-80s cutter and a changeup. He was limited to just 28.1 innings in his pro debut but pitched in the AFL.

Eriq Swan could be the next Dodgers pitching prospect to take a massive step forward.

He has elite stuff.

Here's why he's one of our breakout picks for 2025 ⤵️https://t.co/awSrPJpzIX pic.twitter.com/05Hr1gemjO
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 2, 2025

The Dodgers have one of the best pitching development groups around, having cultivated Bobby Miller, Tony Gonsolin, Emmett Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Dustin May and Landon Knack in just the last few years. Because of that, Swan should continue to refine his skills this season.

He should begin the year in the High-A California League but could appear in Double-A by the end of the season, bringing his big-league dream closer to a reality.

The other thing to note about Swan's development is this: It will be interesting to see how other teams view him moving forward. Given that the Dodgers are so rich in pitching at the major league level, perhaps Swan can become a trade piece for them down the road.

The Dodgers have Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Gonsolin in the rotation mix at the beginning of the year, plus the rest of the above group.

The minor league season begins at most levels on April 5.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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