Dodgers' No. 10 prospect is building on elite speed

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- When the Dodgers drafted Kendall George with their first selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, they saw glimpses of a player who could be as dynamic as anyone in the class given the new baserunning rules that have resulted in an uptick in stolen bases.

In his first full season in the Minors this year, the Dodgers are seeing signs of that as the 19-year-old outfielder already has 14 stolen bases in just 30 games with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Coming out of high school, George’s speed came in as an elite 80-grade tool. He was easily the fastest player in the Draft. The next step for George now will be to continue improving as a complete hitter.

George batted .370 in 28 games last season between Rookie ball and Rancho Cucamonga, his first taste of professional baseball. This season, however, George is hitting just .265, punching out 26 times and only drawing 21 walks in 141 plate appearances.

It’s still early in his career, but for the organization's No. 10 prospect to take the next step in his development, he’ll need to find more consistency at the plate. If he can get on base, he can be as dynamic as anybody in the Minors.

George was admittedly surprised when the Dodgers took him so high in the Draft. He knew there were a lot of areas he needed to improve. He’ll have at least a handful of years to figure it out, but his speed is already starting to stand out, even this early in his career.

Now let’s take a look at what else is going down on the farm.

Triple-A Oklahoma City: Andre Lipcius has been tearing the cover off the baseball down in Triple-A this season, leading the team with 13 homers and ranking second in RBIs with 37. Lipcius, who was acquired from the Tigers this spring, is hitting .332 and has a 1.011 OPS through 47 games.

Double-A Tulsa: After showing off his raw power during Spring Training, it’s been a disappointing season for outfielder Jose Ramos. The Dodgers’ No. 28-ranked prospect leads Tulsa with seven homers, but has struck out 70 times in just 158 at-bats. Strikeouts have always been the issue with Ramos and it hasn’t gotten any better this season.

High-A Great Lakes: Jared Karros continues to impress this season, posting a 1.59 ERA and striking out 36 over 34 innings in seven starts with Great Lakes. The son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, who has made a name for himself since being selected in the 16th round of the ‘22 Draft, has been promoted to Tulsa.

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga: Josue De Paula, the Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect, has one of the best hit tools in the Minors, and it’ll only get better when he begins hitting for power. That power surge was in full effect two weeks ago, as De Paula hit four homers in three games, helping him boost his season OPS to .783. The 19-year-old has 11 homers in 603 Minor League at-bats.