Dalton Rushing will be crushing home runs at the major league level soon. But where will he fit in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup?
Rushing, a catcher at Triple-A Oklahoma City, has been hitting the ball hard this season, just as he has done since he was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft. The 24-year-old left-handed swinger has 52 home runs in 252 career minor league games, with three of those long balls coming this year in the team’s first 19 games.
Rushing actually went through a bit of a homer-less drought this season. After going deep in the season opener, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Memphis, TN, native didn’t hit his second home run until April 22, 14 games later.
But it took just another two days for Rushing to blast his third, a 412-foot bomb that went over the bleachers and out of The Ballpark at America First Square, home of the Salt Lake Bees. It was part of a 4-for-5 night for Rushing, as Oklahoma City beat Salt Lake 10-7.
“Up over everything and onto the sidewalk!” the announcer proclaimed.
Dalton Rushing Has Hit at Every Stop in Dodgers Farm System
Since his dominating first season in Class A ball, Rushing has progressed steadily through the Dodgers farm system, earning his status as the team’s No. 2 prospect (No. 26 overall in MLB). His batting average has gotten better with each promotion, with a current slash line of .294 /398/.485 and a .883 OPS.
The Dodgers’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2024, Rushing seems to at least be toeing that line of “he has nothing left to prove in the minors.” But when Rushing arrives to the Los Angeles clubhouse, what position is he going to play?
At catcher, the Dodgers already have Will Smith, who is in the third season of a 10-year, $140 million contract extension. The Dodgers have experimented with Rushing at first base, but Freddie Freeman won’t be going anywhere for a while. Designated hitter certainly isn’t an option, with Shohei Ohtani filling that spot for the next decade-plus.
Dalton Rushing Has Nothing to Prove in Minors but Finds MLB Pathways Blocked
When Rushing was first promoted to Triple-A late last season, the team put him in left field for several games. Rushing said he had previously played a total of one inning in the outfield throughout his entire baseball life.
“The move has been really good,” Rushing said. “When I got here, they told me that the move to the outfield would not only better myself, but also the teams I will play for in the future. I have done my growth at the plate, so now my mindset is to go out there and help the team where I can right now.”
This season, the Dodgers have told Rushing that they want him to focus on the many different aspects of being a successful major league catcher, including pre-game preparation and game planning.
“Understanding how to turn lineups over, how to save pitches, how to navigate three relievers through four innings, things like that,” Rushing said. “Basically, how can I speed up my process to be as prepared as [possible] for my first year in the big leagues.”
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