NL West Farm System Report

The divisional reports are a new series put out by the PitcherList dynasty team. These reports provide a list of the top 10 prospects on each team in the division and highlight two players from each organization. Each division will be updated once per month by our divisional experts. This article focuses on the NL West.

Be sure to head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the farm system reports already published.

Remember, we’re less than halfway home — I’ll be trying not to panic or shift rankings too much unless players truly earn the bumps. I trust what I saw in the off-season to be a bit stickier than a month or two of new data. Some lists have remained almost exactly the same, and some have shifted dramatically. That’s the nature of the game!

 

NL West

 

Colorado Rockies

 

Notable Promotions

• Adael Amador was recalled from Double-A this past weekend to fill in for the injured Brendan Rodgers, who is on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain. It should be expected that after this first swing, Amador will return to the minors when Rodgers is healthy again, and so he will remain atop the prospect list. Through his first 14 ABs, Amador has shown his youth, as the 21-year-old is just 2-for-14 with a single run scored and a stolen base while striking out five times. This is nothing to disparage the top prospect, but he likely isn’t worth moving into your active roster spots while he gains valuable experience. Note that all four games have been on the road and now he gets a chance to play three consecutive series at Coors… so maybe the numbers pick up a bit.

Notable Performances

• Chase Dollander looks good. Real good. He just posted his season high in innings, throwing seven innings of one-run ball (it was an unearned run) while striking out eight. He leads the Northwest League in strikeouts, having fanned 68 batters in just 46.1 IP. He’s also top 10 in the NWL in BAA, WHIP, and ERA for first place Spokane.
• Cole Carrigg is higher on my list than the MLB’s official rankings (eighth), and I might still be too low on the young catcher. Carrigg is cooking in High-A right now. He has eight multi-hit games in his last 11 – netting 24 hits total in that span and stealing three bases in two separate games. Almost a must-add in true dynasty formats, he has plus speed, a double-plus arm and he might play shortstop, outfield, or catcher. Supposedly he can pitch too. The power is lacking a bit, but for certain team builds he looks like he could be a future stud.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Notable Promotions

• It remains crowded at the Major League level for the Diamondbacks, and there have been no major call-ups. This section projects to stay mostly quiet this season with just two of their top prospects being at AAA. A fair number of their prospects have dealt with injuries as well, and nobody is drastically standing out. The rankings remain unchanged from May.

Notable Performances

• Jordan Lawlar was activated from the IL this week and instantly started showing why he is the far-and-away the No. 1 prospect in the Snakes’ farm system. In his first game back with AAA Reno, Lawlar fell a triple shy of the cycle. There is certainly excitement around the youngster, as the Diamondbacks are having issues with their infield, namely with Eugenio Suárez struggling, but management is content to have him gain experience before coming to the bigs. The concern is that Lawlar has only had a brief rehab and spring training this season, and bringing him up would likely lead to a Jackson Holliday-esque stint. Don’t be shocked to see him called up this summer, but he probably won’t until he gets more ABs under his belt.
• Druw Jones played to a .848 OPS in A-ball in May, which is impressive considering he had just 8 XBH in 82 ABs. He’s an on-base machine, and the 21-year-old should continue to progress nicely. He isn’t expected to get to the majors until 2026, and there’s certainly some worry about the power, but if you’ve made early investments into him, you’re excited to see his career OBP of near .400 stay constant at this level.

 

San Fransisco Giants

 

Notable Promotions

• Marco Luciano got called up in mid-May but was injured at the end of the month and is currently rehabbing at Triple-A. There is some thought that he will stay at that level after he is done, but his 10-game stint with the big league club went pretty well. At least, much better than the 14 games he saw last season. Luciano went 9-for-24 with two doubles, six runs, a triple, and one RBI, striking out just five times and walking thrice. While this does result in a .986 OPS, there is reason to pause because both doubles and three of the total hits were at Coors against a Rockies pitching staff that leaves much to be desired. He really only saw full playing time in six of those 10 games. The 22-year-old will one day be a fixture for this club, as his bat speed and plus-plus power at the middle infield position is hard to ignore, but with plenty of options for San Fran, I expect us to have to be a bit more patient.
• Mason Black also got a bit of a run with the Giants in May but it went poorly. He returns to the list at No. 10 after giving up 14 runs in 14.1 IP during that span. Seven walks, three hit batters, plus a home run allowed in each of the four outings just does not scream readiness to me. Especially when pitching in a friendly park and still allowing the Rockies to score four on you in just three frames. His Triple-A numbers still look good, but I think a bit more experience and this taste of the majors will both go a long way. It just may take more time. Even if he sees more action, I would be weary.

Notable Performances:

• My former top prospect in this organization, Carson Wisenhunt, has become a bit of a hit-or-miss type pitcher, literally. In May, Wisenhunt allowed 13 earned runs in 21 innings pitched but also struck out 33 batters. The .270 BAA is concerning but at just 23 years old, there should be plenty of time for him to work on his command. There is some expectation for him to be a part of the major league roster this season, but I don’t see that happening before rosters expand without an injury. The 1.57 WHIP this season just does not bode well, but it will likely be a bump in the road. Nonetheless, he gets a slight demotion.
• Bryce Eldridge is moving up to claim that top spot and it’s well-earned. Eldridge hit .307/.367/.466 in May and is at .286/.333/.686 midway through June. Those are Judge-like numbers and I’d imagine a promotion to the next level will follow soon. Eldridge is projected to arrive in 2026, and if he keeps this type of production going, it will probably be early in the ’26 season.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Notable Promotions

• Landon Knack got a second, albeit short, run with the Dodgers this season, seeing a spot start in mid-May after getting three turns in the rotation in April. His activity helps him crack the list, as any prospect with the chance to be an immediate boon to a fantasy team should. Knack sits 12th on the prospect list for MLB, but over the course of those four starts allowed just a .189 BAA and a sub-one WHIP. He has a chance to contribute to this NL West-leading team this season. Be warned, he probably won’t notch wins even if he gets the call, as going past the fifth inning has been rare for the 26-year-old.

Notable Performances

• Dalton Rushing has been absolutely balling out at the Double-A level. He is mashing righties and maintaining a .914 OPS on the season, which bumps to .998 with RISP. The Dodgers are not a team that has much room with Andy Pages still with the big club, and Rushing has a ways to go, but with LA being potentially aggressive at the deadline, Rushing is a name that might attract some attention or maybe a trade. That’s obviously speculation but Rushing will likely be a player to make some sort of impact by next season. I’m investing where I can.

 

San Diego Padres

 

Notable Promotions:

• Randy Vasquez got the call in early May, had trouble, got sent down, and then was brought back up on June 1. Since then, he has made another three starts with the Padres and has stayed in the rotation. I’m not super impressed. He is not generating nearly enough Whiffs at this level and the 1.20 WHIP is concerning, especially since he really does not walk many batters. You can do worse, but I’m not sold quite yet.
• Adam Mazur got his first crack at the bigs in June, and it was a tale of two very different results. He allowed just two hits against the Angels in his first appearance, struggling a bit with control, which is fine. But then got clobbered for 8 ER in just three innings against the Diamondbacks on June 9. Oof. He’s sticking around and will face the Mets this upcoming weekend, but the state of the Padres rotation, with injuries to both Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove occurring nearly simultaneously, is not great. Thus, Mazur will continue to get his chances. I’m leaving him in the minors where I can and maybe even buying low on him from a frustrated, hasty owner. He has 51.1 innings pitched under his belt in the minors, where he had a 1.03 WHIP, but these first two appearances with the Padres have resulted in a 1.89 WHIP. Long term, he will be fine, but he departs the list while he continues to give it a go at the highest level.
• Triple note here, the Padres are busy out on the farm… Leodalis De Vries, the 17-year-old and No. 1 international prospect, has been promoted from Rookie to Single-A. If you have a long horizon, or even if you don’t, the switch-hitting, plus speed shortstop has shown great discipline at the plate and like Ethan Salas before him in the international pool, might be fast-tracked to the big club prior to his 2028 projection.

Notable Performances:

• What to do with Dylan Lesko, one of the prospects I own a fair amount of. He’s been tough to decipher. Since May 18, Lesko has made four starts. The first three were great, with a combined 15 IP, 5 ER, and no home runs while striking out 14. But then, in his most recent start on June 8, Lesko Regress-ko. Seven earned in just four innings, and the player who has a career 6.46 ERA in the minors reappeared. I try to tell myself, “He’s just 20 years of age, this is going to happen” but I have my doubts. I’ve moved him down a bit and this is a clear buy-low spot if you like the underlying stuff. We’ll see if he can master High-A this year, but as of now, the 2026 expected arrival might be too early of a projection.