Saturday the Arizona Complex League began the 2025 season. The ACL Dodgers lost their first game of the season, 6-5, and my overhype of Emil Morales was not rewarded. Morales went 0-4, with a BB and a K.
On a rehab assignment, 2B Jake Gelof went 2-2 with 2 doubles and a BB.
UDFA, 6’4”, 225 pounds, 19-year-old 1B, Easton Shelton, also had a pair of hits; a HR and a double, with 4 RBI.
18-year-old OF Ching-Hsien Ko also had a pair of singles in 3 AAB, plus was HBP.
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The Arizona Complex League (ACL) season typically consists of 60 games for each team. Each team is limited to one ACL or FCL (Florida Complex League), and each League has 15 teams. These are considered the domestic rookie league teams. Most teams also have one or two teams in the Dominican Summer League. For 2025, the league’s regular season runs from May 3 through July 24. That will allow a little over 6 weeks, for those deserving of advanced play, to get promotions to Rancho Cucamonga. The postseason begins on July 26th, 2025.
Here is the LAD ACL roster for 2025.
The player I am most excited about is 18-year-old 6’3”, 219-pound SS, Emil Morales. Probably not intentional, but nevertheless, Morales was listed #1 on “Ten prospects in the ACL to keep an eye on”:
Morales was born in Spain but trained in the Dominican Republic and established himself as having one of the highest ceilings in the 2024 international class. Signed for $1,897,500 as the top prospect in the Dodgers’ crop, he broke into pro ball by winning MVP and top prospect accolades in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He slashed .342/.478/.691 in 46 games and led the DSL in slugging, OPS (1.169), homers (14) and total bases (105).
“Morales opened eyes in DSL last summer and then turned heads on the backfields this spring in Arizona. The latest in Los Angeles’ pipeline of talented Latin American players, Morales offers a blend of power, hittability and the ability to stick on the left side of the diamond, even if shortstop might not be his long-term home. He has the potential to do damage in the middle of an order in a few years’ time.”
“Morales was one of the toasts of the 2024 Dominican Summer League, and on the backfields this spring, he’s looked like a prime breakout candidate. There’s little question about the offensive force Morales can one day become, but he’s increased his chances to stick at shortstop, as well. So far, he’s shown strong instincts and quickness and decent enough range to give himself a longer leash at the position. If he can keep his growing body lean and lithe, he might defy the odds. If not, his offense, which should produce power and hittability in equal measure, will easily allow him to profile at the hot corner. Scouts also have raved about the leadership traits Morales has shown on the field during his first action stateside.”
Here is Emil Morales’ Baseball America Scouting Report Page:
“Morales is powerfully built and has plenty of room to add more strength to a frame that already produces plenty of thump, including a 90th percentile exit velocity of 102.6 mph. Evaluators believe Morales will eventually produce a power-over-hit profile, though he has the potential to earn at least average grades as a pure hitter. The Dodgers worked with Morales this past season to improve his hand path and keep his upper and lower halves connected. With little doubt about Morales’ offensive upside, the bigger question is where he’ll wind up on the diamond. Already tall and still growing, Morales is a bit stretched at shortstop. He’ll stay at the position as long as possible, but he’s already not the twitchiest player and his above-average arm strength would play just fine if he had to make the move to third base. Morales turns in average run times now but should slow down as he ages.”
Fangraphs scouting report was also very favorable:
“Morales has some of the most exciting raw power projection of any shortstop in the minor leagues. In his 2024 pro debut, he won DSL MVP and led the league in homers (14), as well as several other statistical categories. At an angular, broad-shouldered 6-foot-3 (and growing), Morales has the look of an early-career Fernando Tatis Jr. in his uniform. While many position player prospects his size tend to be outfielders, Morales bends well and has a better than 50/50 shot to remain at shortstop. Morales also has explosive power to all fields and was putting balls out to dead center at age 17. He has a shot to grow into plus-plus raw juice at peak, which is rare for a shortstop.”
However, what I like most about Fangraphs is the total picture, including the “watch out for” traits.
“Morales’ profile is threatened by a scary hit tool. His hands load late and he’s often long into the zone, which might become more and more of a problem against pro velocity. Even as he paved over the DSL, Morales’ contact rate (68%) was not good for a hitter at that level, and it’s important that it doesn’t worsen as he climbs. If it can hold in that 68% area while Morales remains at shortstop and develops huge power, he can still be an impact big leaguer despite elevated strikeouts. If it slips into the low 60s as he’s promoted, then Morales will be in a tough spot; there’s not a lot of precedent for sustained success when a guy is whiffing that much. Here Morales is FV’d like a volatile top 10-15 high school draftee. He has huge upside for a potential shortstop, but there are definitely hit tool red flags lurking.”
Two other top 30 prospects the Dodgers will have in Arizona are OF Ching-Hsien Ko (MLB Pipeline #13), and 3B Chase Harlan (MLB Pipeline #18).
Others that I am poised to watch over their next 60 games:
With trading LHRP Bryan Hudson to Milwaukee, in return the Dodgers received then 18-year-old LHP Justin Chambers. Chambers was a Brewers 2023 pick from the 20th round. On paper that doesn’t sound like much, but he actually signed an overslot deal (around 4th-rounder money) that bought him away from a commitment to Arizona State University.
The #Dodgers have acquired 18 y/o LHP Justin Chambers
He was the top high school LHP in Arizona last year and was committed to Arizona State before being drafted by the Brewers. Chambers signed overslept and is current recovering from Tommy John Surgery. pic.twitter.com/MsMBpyVV98
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) January 3, 2024
CF, Brendan Tunink, was an 8th round pick in the 2024 draft. He was committed to Notre Dame before the Dodgers drafted and signed him.
MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis called Tunink a “sleeper” after his selection.
“Area scouts were trying to figure out exactly where he might go,” Callis said. “They like the bat. He’s got a decent swing, he’s got the bat speed. … sneaky pop, center fielder. You like the bat speed, if he gets stronger there might be some power. So he’s a real interesting one. This could be a really nice pick for the Dodgers here in this round.”
Tunink was also an accomplished pitcher in High School. In Tunink’s prep career, he went 18-0 on the mound with a 1.20 ERA, striking out 204 batters in just over 134 innings pitched. He hit .476 for his career with a .604 on-base percentage and slugged .889, hitting 29 home runs with 33 doubles, 10 triples and 116 RBIs. He scored 155 runs and drew 91 walks, stealing 87 bases. He had speed in center field. Newman went 83-32 during his career, a .722 winning percentage.
Brady Smith – 6’2’, 170-pound RHP, and was a 3rd round pick in 2023 draft. Smith is #22 on Eric Logenhagen’s Fangraphs Dodgers Top 51 prospect list. Here is what he wrote about Smith:
“Smith creates plus depth on his curveball and fair tailing action on his changeup, the latter of which has big projection because of his arm speed. He might add a second breaking ball in short order, probably a slider or cutter, and whatever it is, it could be good immediately because of his ability to spin the ball. Though undersized, Smith is a plus on-mound athlete with a gorgeous delivery and precocious secondary stuff. He entered 2025 as a “Pick to Click” in anticipation of the velo spike that he indeed showed prior to his forearm soreness popping up. Now Smith is pretty unlikely to “click” because it’s almost impossible for him to prove he can sustain that velocity across a decent chunk of innings. He’s still a high-upside prospect in this system and a high priority for teams to see again before the trade deadline.”
Marlon Nieves RHSP – Fangraphs #38
Luis Carias RHSP – Fangraphs #37
Jose Vazquez RHRP – Fangraphs #46
Eric Logenhagen’s Fangraphs Top 51 LAD Prospects and Scouting Reports
And do not forget UDFA Easton Shelton.
Other uncovered Nuggets will rise to the monitor status as the season progresses. Last year the LAD ACL team won the Arizona Complex League Championship, and most of the players have graduated to full season A Ball in Rancho Cucamonga.
MiLB GAME SUMMARIES
El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego) 3 – OKC Comets 2
The El Paso Chihuahuas scored all three of their runs over the final two innings as they defeated the Oklahoma City Comets, 3-2. The Comets took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a RBI single by Chris Okey. The Chihuahuas scored two runs in the eighth inning to go in front, 2-1, before Oklahoma City tied the score on Okey’s second RBI single of the game in the bottom of the inning. El Paso then regained the lead in the ninth inning on a RBI single by Forrest Wall. Hunter Feduccia drew a two-out walk in the ninth inning to put the potential tying run on base for Oklahoma City, but Chihuahuas pitcher Reiss Knehr secured his sixth save by inducing a groundout to end the game.
Chris Okey and Kody Hoese had multi-hit outings for the Comets. Okey went 2-for-3 and drove in both of OKC’s runs while Hoese went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. Hoese has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 8-for-22 with three doubles.
James Outman’s season-best on-base streak of 17 games came to an end as he was held 0-for-4. It was the longest on-base streak of the season by a Comets player and his longest since the 2022 season with Double-A Tulsa.
Tulsa Drillers 9 – Arkansas Travelers (Seattle) 2
Jackson Ferris shined on the mound and José Ramos and Yeiner Fernandez had big days at the plate to lead Tulsa to a 9-2 victory over the Arkansas Travelers.
The Drillers concluded the six-game series with the Travelers with a 5-1 record, and it marked their second straight series win at home. After opening the season with just one win in its first nine game, Tulsa has gone 11-7 since.
Sunday’s series finale began with both starting pitchers cruising through the first two innings before both ran into control issues in the third.
Ferris retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, with five of them going down on strikes. But with two outs in the third, and the bases empty, the lefthander hit a batter and walked another to set up a run-scoring double from Caleb Cali.
Travs starting pitcher Jimmy Kingsbury, who normally works out of the bullpen, opened the game by retiring the first seven batters he faced before a walk, a hit batter and another walk loaded the bases in the third with one out. With the Drillers still looking for their first hit, Nick Senzel drew another walk to force in a run before a sacrifice fly from Ramos gave them a 2-1 lead.
The score remained unchanged until Ramos struck again in the bottom of the fifth, delivering Tulsa’s first hit of the game. The centerfielder belted his Texas League leading ninth home run of the season, a towering, 409-foot, drive that cleared the fence just to the right of straightaway centerfield. The two-run homer gave Tulsa a 4-1 lead.
Thats NINE for Jose Ramos- leading the league in homeruns
ARK1️⃣| TUL 4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/9JEkmtey6t
— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) May 4, 2025
The Drillers second and third hits in the game came when Fernandez and John Rhodes opened the sixth with consecutive singles. A walk and a wild pitch brought Fernandez home.
A two-run homer from Fernandez, his first of the season, upped Tulsa’s lead to 7-1 in the seventh.
and that ball is GONE
Homerun hit by Yeiner Fernandez
ARK1️⃣|TUL7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/loJASXXOGt— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) May 4, 2025
Victor Labrada homered in the eighth for the Travelers second run.
The Drillers closed the scoring in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a throwing error and a RBI double from Senzel.
The third-inning run was the only spot on Ferris’ line. He worked five innings and allowed just the one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six. The outing gave him his first win of the year.
Jackson Ferris — the @Dodgers' No. 1 pitching prospect — strikes out six batters in five frames for the Double-A @TulsaDrillers. pic.twitter.com/A0xK0sXAYU
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 4, 2025
Great Lakes Loons 7 – Quad Cities River Bandits (KC) 3
The Great Lakes Loons went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position to win their third series finale this year, a 7-3 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits.
Each team scored two in the first inning. Quad Cities walked three times, with a Loons error. Great Lakes scored two off three hits. Josue De Paula singled to left-center field. Logan Wagner next-up whipped one that had a 101 mph exit velocity that deflected off first base, De Paula scored from second base. Joe Vetrano, with two outs, roped a double to the right field wall, to tie the game.
Two errors by Quad Cities third baseman Austin Charles started the bottom of the second. Carlos Rojas and Kendall George then went back-to-back lacing RBI singles.
Loons’ starter Luke Fox matched a season-best going four innings. The only earned run against came in the fourth.
With a 4-3 lead entering the fifth inning, Great Lakes would not permit a run and scored a tally in each of the next three frames.
Wagner and Rojas each added their second RBI of the day. Wagner in the fifth whopped an RBI single at 104 miles per hour, and Rojas went opposite field for a ribbie single in the sixth.
The Loons bullpen combined for five scoreless innings. Joel Ibarra earned the win, bouncing back after two singles with a forced double play in the fifth.
Evan Shaw and Joseilyn Gonzalez both extended scoreless inning streaks. Shaw went two clean, with now 6.1 innings scoreless since April 17th. Gonzalez got the eighth, allowed no runs, and now has worked 8.2 scoreless innings dating back to April 13th.
Carson Hobbs earned the final three outs. The right-hander has permitted just one run in seven innings this year.
- Kendall George – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (1)
- Logan Wagner – 3-4, 1 run, 2 RBI
- Carlos Rojas – 2-4, 2 RBI
- Joe Vetrano – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, double (7)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 9 – Stockton Ports (A’s) 5
The Quakes got a big day from Mike Sirota at the plate and won for the fifth time in six games on the home stand, taking a 9-5 decision from Stockton on Sunday afternoon.
Sirota finished with four hits, a walk and three runs scored to cap a perfect day offensively, as the Quakes have now won 10 of their last 11 games overall.
The game was scoreless until the third, when Rancho got six off Ports’ starter Wei-En Lin. Elijah Hainline led off with a single, and Victor Rodriguez followed with a BB. Kellon Lindsey hit a three-run homer, his second of the year, making it 3-0. Mike Sirota was the fourth consecutive batter to reach with a single. Eduardo Quintero then tripled to score Sirota. Quintero scored on an error, with Jose Meza reaching 2nd. A ground out pushed Quintero to 3rd, and he scored on a Nicolas Perez Sac Fly.
The Dodgers Shortstop prospect Kellon Lindsey smacked an opposite field 3-Run Home Run pic.twitter.com/sQu29kjLpB
— ∞ The Infinite Dodger ∞ (@InfiniteDodger) May 4, 2025
Leading 6-0 in the fourth, Sirota mashed one over the wall in left, his fourth of the year, making it 7-0.
@RCQuakes CF Mike Sirota homers on a fly ball to left center field. Sirota is 3-3, 1 RBI, 1 HR, and 1.114 OPS. Rancho 7 Stockton 0 #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/kC2HfuHIal
— 🇺🇸 DooM_Sal (@msalas24) May 4, 2025
Jaron Elkins later added Rancho’s third homer of the day, a solo-shot to right, his third of the year, as the Quakes built an 8-1 advantage in the seventh.
@RCQuakes high powered offense has hit their third home run of the day. Jaron Elkins opposite filed solo home run. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/a51wQwmtcY
— 🇺🇸 DooM_Sal (@msalas24) May 4, 2025
The Quakes got a single, BB, and 2 WP to score their final run in the 8th.
Stockton made a run out of it in the eighth, scoring four times, but Myles Caba got out of the eighth and Cody Morse tossed a scoreless ninth to finish it off, sending Stockton to their sixth loss in their last seven games.
Jakob Wright fired two innings of work in his return from the Injured List, while Aidan Foeller (1-1) was credited with his first pro win, as he tossed three hitless innings of scoreless relief.
Rancho will take Monday off, then head to Visalia on Tuesday, to take on the second-place Rawhide. Sean Paul Linan will take on Denny Larrondo in Tuesday’s opener.
- Mike Sirota – 4-5, 1BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, HR (4)
- Elijah Hainline – 3-4, 1 run
- Kellon Lindsey – 1-5, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (2)
- Jaron Elkins – 1-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (3)
- Eduardo Quintero – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, triple (2)
The low velo of Sasaki is gaining some steam on the Dodgers blogs. Dodgers.daily, Dodgers blue are talking about it .
Robert jun. picking it up too for the WS. Leads MLB in SB and his average is climbing too.
I still say make a move for this guy. Shores up CF, gives you a fast guy on the bath path, 25-30 HR pace.
Outman plus a mid range prospect (in the 10-20 range of our top 30 prospects) and I would even throw in Ward who will not get a chance with the Dodgers.
Plus it would enable the Dodgers to promote Ramos to AAA and consequently HOpe and dePaula to AA soon.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
Other than those two pitches to Riley May pitched pretty well. Gave the Dodgers some length and kept them in the game.
his velo is down but still got good movement on his pitches.
Casparius today, Gonsolin on Tuesday, who will go on WED ? Miller or Knack?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great stuff, Jeff. I’d say there’s a fair amount of talent for the ACL squad. Morales could be the 3B of the future and some other high end talent guys.
Love the oppo power from the clips.
Good time to be a fan.
Great read Jeff!!
Remember all the sturm und drang about Noah Davis!
How some of the attention seekers made such a big deal about him being on the roster?
Well, the Dodgers development system is going to work on him.
No guarantee of success, In fact, he’ll more than likely not make a significant impact, but this is indicative of why you sign and allocate a spot for him:
Noah Davis’ latest outing for AAA OKC was a good turn. He went 2.1 IP, with 0H 1R 3Ks 1BB.
Still pitches with his sinker as the primary pitch (sat 93-94), but has such a variety: from cutters and sweepers to screwballs.
Ideally he provies length in the bullpen, which, is a value in and of itself.
Yankees put one of their top prospects on the fast track.
https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/45000031/yankees-promote-george-lombard-jr-19-double-a
Wish the Dodgers would do that with some of their blue chip prospects too.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ross Stripling retired today
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/ross-stripling-retires.html
For those who followed anything I wrote back in 2020 know that I was a huge Ross Stripling fan, and was upset he was traded. The return was lacking (IMO), RHP Kendall Williams and PTBNL (Ryan Noda). Williams is out of baseball, and Noda is playing in Salt Lake City for LAA’s AAA affiliate.
Strip will be fine. He has an extremely astute financial mind, and is well respected in the finance arena.
Good luck in retirement Chicken Strip.
Bear, 3 days ago I wrote “Conforto is the every day leftfielder. Conforto is 0 for 19 in the last week and 7 for 71 the last month. .145 vs RHP and .191 vs LHP, so there is no platoon option. He’s a regular that needs some time on the el-bencho, as I see it.
I know you can’t hit while sitting on the bench but a new role may suit him better for a while and give someone else a chance.”
You replied – “LA has 17 million reasons for leaving Conforto out there to figure it out. Not much chance that will change anytime soon, no matter how the fans might feel about it.”
Bear, yesterday you said “The way he is playing, I would like to see Outman get another shot. His defense in center would definitely be a nice addition.” and “As for Conforto, I am pretty sure he realizes this cannot go on all season, and it would benefit him by giving him some time away and the ability to work on his swing.”
What happened to the 17 million reason he shouldn’t go on the IL or see the bench?
Rumors have it that Canfarto suffers numerous strike outs during pre-game batting practice.
I hope Teo is OK.