Thursday, March 19

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They patrolled the same outfield for nearly all of last season, and this spring, they got to soak in the experience of being in big league camp together.

Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope and Kendall George were part of an exciting group of High-A Great Lakes outfielders, all bringing different strengths to the table. De Paula has the most advanced hit tool. Hope is among the top power hitters in the system. George's 80-grade speed is a legitimate weapon.

Even top prospects can only be so visible during the regular season, especially when they're playing in the lower Minors and their parent club is the back-to-back World Series champion. Such was the case for De Paula and Hope, the Dodgers' top two prospects and Nos. 15 and 27, respectively, on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list, and George, the team's No. 14 prospect.

Only De Paula and Hope have played above High-A, ending last year with a cup of coffee at Double-A Tulsa. But they were able to give Dodgers fans a taste of what's to come during their time in big league camp, and they'll be among the top prospects featured in Saturday's Spring Breakout game against the White Sox.

"I’d like to think that they see the level, the standard that needs to be reached to play with Major League players," manager Dave Roberts said earlier in Spring Training. "They all three have the talent, but the game is faster here. I think that seeing those guys play with urgency is important. I do think they’ve grown, they’ve gotten more mature physically and mentally over a calendar year.”

The Dodgers' outfield is crowded, both in the present and the future. The big league club has a starting trio of Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker. Prospects James Tibbs III (No. 11) and Zach Ehrhard (No. 18) are developmentally ahead of De Paula, Hope and George.

For De Paula, the blockages in his path to the big leagues are not discouraging. Watching the Dodgers' championship runs has motivated him while also helping him identify how he needs to improve to become the great player he wants to be.

"Now understanding the statistics and how it really helps, especially in the World Series, watching these last two World Series and understanding every little play matters, every little detail matters," De Paula said. "The end goal is not just to be a great hitter. I already know I am. The goal is to be a complete player in every aspect of the game, not having any holes."

That is true for all three young outfielders. George, in particular, is trying to elevate his game by being intentional with his speed. He established himself as one of the top base-stealing threats in the Minor Leagues when he swiped 100 bags last year, and he's looking to take a step forward in the field this season.

"I think in the outfield, I've kind of relied on my speed rather than relying on technique. And I feel like now that I'm relying on technique more, the speed is showing up even more than it was previously," George said. "So I feel like the speed was a really good starting point, but learning how to use it in certain areas has definitely grown and made me a better player."

All three were able to learn from some of the best this spring, when they spent several weeks in big league camp. Spending time around any Major Leaguers can be formative for prospects, but getting the chance to see how back-to-back champions go about their work is a rare experience.

"From the staff, players, everyone -- it's talent in all aspects of the game," Hope said. "So kind of just seeing how everybody goes about their business and stuff like that. Soak it in, stay a student to the game."

Developing on a parallel path has created a special relationship between De Paula, Hope and George, and that should continue this season.

Through all the ups and downs that come with being a prospect, they know that they can turn to one another and find someone who understands what they're going through.

"Especially with somebody to go with you through the good moments, the bad," De Paula said. "Just someone by your side. … I feel like it's a blessing to always have somebody like that next to me."

"I think as a country, we deserve moments like this. Especially in the biggest stage of the sport. It's really important for us, not just players, but Venezuelans, to kind of sit on this moment for a little bit and reflect on how important it is for us to be in the top right now of the sport. Because Venezuela is a baseball country. Everything that happened [Tuesday] was the final touch of what we've been doing the last couple decades."

-- Miguel Rojas, on Venezuela winning the World Baseball Classic

The Dodgers' Opening Day pitching staff has taken shape after the team optioned right-handers Kyle Hurt and River Ryan to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Both impressed the Dodgers this spring, but they are coming off Tommy John surgery, which factored into the decision to have them start the year in the Minors.

Hurt was further removed from surgery than Ryan, so when the former was optioned before Wednesday's contest, the writing was on the wall for the latter.

Here's the projected Opening Day rotation and bullpen for the Dodgers:

Rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan/Justin Wrobleski

Bullpen: Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Jack Dreyer, Will Klein, Edgardo Henriquez, Ben Casparius and Sheehan/Wrobleski

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