Patience really is important, especially for promising players in the Dodgers organization.
The team, filled with MLB veterans and fresh off back-to-back World Series championships, has a farm system that’s among the best in sports. With so many accomplished players, available spots in the major leagues are pretty scarce, making opportunities hard to come by.
This situation is particularly true for two standout young players.
River Ryan, a right-handed pitcher ranked as the No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and James Tibbs III, a left-handed outfielder sitting at No. 10, have to bide their time.
Ryan, a name that many Dodgers fans recognize, began his journey as a two-way prospect with the Padres. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2022 and quickly turned into one of the top talents in their pipeline, making his MLB debut in 2024 with a stunning 1.33 ERA over four games.
However, his rookie year was cut short due to Tommy John surgery. After spending the entire previous year recovering, he’s still waiting for another shot in the big leagues.
The Dodgers have been cautious about his workload this season, especially early on, considering he might be limited in innings. They emphasized this more after he missed a month with a hamstring injury in April.
Team officials have indicated they want him to establish a solid foundation in Triple-A Oklahoma City before promoting him to the majors.
Since his return three weeks ago, the 27-year-old has shown remarkable dominance, allowing just one earned run in his last three starts. In his most recent outing, he completed innings of four, five, and six for the first time, striking out eight without any walks or hits in the later innings.
“It was great to see him pitch into the sixth inning,” said Gomez. “What came out of my hands is amazing.”
Whether this performance brings him closer to a call-up is still uncertain. The team is in a stretch of 19 games in 20 days, which might necessitate an extra starter soon, but they currently have a solid six-man rotation, including newcomer Eric Lauer. Because of that, bringing Ryan back seems challenging as he would lack a spot in the bullpen.
Gomez reiterated recently: “We’re going to continue to develop him and try to build a great foundation before we do anything there.”
So, Ryan will have to exercise some patience, even though he’s been showcasing a solid six-pitch mix, highlighted by a fastball clocked at 100 mph.
As for Tibbs, a former first-round pick by the San Francisco Giants who had two brief trials last year, he seems comfortable within the Dodgers organization now. Acquired from the Red Sox at the trade deadline, he shined at Double-A Tulsa with a .900 OPS, seven home runs, and 32 RBIs in just 36 games.
This year, at 23, he’s stepped up his game in Oklahoma City, batting .322 and leading the Pacific Coast League with 17 home runs, five of which came in just four games.
His hot streak coincided with Teoscar Hernandez’s hamstring injury, but the team chose to promote Ryan Ward instead, giving him an opportunity for extended play at the MLB level.
“Ward’s been doing this for a while, and he’s definitely making a case for his spot,” Gomez noted. “It’s great to have him back, and I hope he gets a real chance here.”
Interestingly, Tibbs hasn’t seen much time in the outfield since early May due to a minor forearm injury, taking on the role of designated hitter instead.
Yet, like Ryan, Tibbs’ opportunity will come, eventually.
“He’s performing excellently,” Gomez observed. “These numbers are impressive.”
While the Dodgers have some tough decisions to make, having two remarkable prospects in this situation is a good problem to have.
