Eli Whitney | January 19, 2025

Over the past couple of years, the National League West has been at the forefront of the metaphorical arms race that has changed the landscape of Major League Baseball as we know it, with notable free agent signings such as Blake Snell, Willy Adames, and Corbin Burnes coming within the division this winter alone. As the division’s teams make waves with high-profile signings, we must also turn our attention to the homegrown talent that could shape the NL West’s future. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most exciting prospects emerging from the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, and Diamondbacks, who are poised to make their mark in the coming years. The Rockies prospects will be covered in depth soon!

Arizona Diamondbacks 

OF Druw Jones

Druw Jones is the son of former 5x All-Star and 10x Gold Glover, Andruw Jones, and it seems that the talent within the family didn’t skip a generation. Druw caught the eyes of MLB scouts everywhere prior to the 2022 MLB draft. His 6′ 4 frame, prowess in the batter’s box, as well as his plus plus speed led to the meteoric rise of his draft stock prior to the 2022 MLB Draft. The Diamondbacks selected him second overall. 

When watching Jones, it’s nearly impossible not to think of his father. He is an excellent defender, with hugely impressive range and arm strength while patrolling center field. Jones’ speed also makes him a real threat on the base paths, where he stole over 20 bags in Low-A this season. His magnificent size paired with his stunning athleticism makes him an easy candidate to pass just about any eye test there is, and his potential is boundless.  

That said, while Jones looks to have a bright career ahead of him, he’s got a lot to work on before he can think about the big leagues. The number that jumps off the page when looking at Jones’ numbers in his short professional career, is his K%. Jones struck out in just under 30% of his at-bats last year, which is a number that will need to improve somewhat substantially as he continues to grow as a player. He was also marked as a prospect with the ability to hit for power, but to this point in his minor league career, he’s only hit 8 home runs in over 500 ABs. However, despite the high K%, Jones has also managed to draw walks at a very high percentage, receiving a free pass in 18% of his at-bats last year. He ended the year with an OPS of .814 and a great BABIP of .402.  

After suffering injuries in 2023 that limited his first season to 29 games, it was encouraging to see Jones settle in during his first full professional campaign.  If he can learn to cut down on the strikeouts and optimize his frame to generate more power in his bat, then the sky is truly the limit.

Los Angeles Dodgers  

 LHP Jackson Ferris

Jackson Ferris is a relatively new name within the Dodgers organization, but not one without recognition. Ferris joined the Dodgers through a trade with the Cubs in January, in which the Chicago received bullpen help in the form of a former Rockie, Yency Almonte, as well former top prospect Michael Busch to be their everyday first baseman.  

The Cubs drafted Ferris in the second round of the 2022 draft out of the powerhouse that is IMG Academy in Florida. The 6 ‘4 left hander possesses a fastball that reaches 97 mph, as well as a curveball and slider that each have plenty of movement. His mechanics can be a bit erratic at times, leading to lack of control, but his tall frame and good athleticism allows him to still be largely effective despite some of the tactical inconsistencies.  

During his lone year in the minors prior to being traded to Los Angeles, he started 18 games at the Low-A level, throwing only 56 innings and posting an ERA of 3.36 with 77 strikeouts. In 2024, he took the step up to High-A ball and continued to find success. Over 98 innings, Ferris registered 10.89 K/9 and an FIP of 2.98, both elite numbers from a pitcher in only his age 20 season.  The Dodgers elevated him to Double-A near the end of the season, where he finished with an ERA of 2.54 in seven starts.  

After his impressive season, Ferris is now the fourth ranked prospect in the Dodgers organization according to MLB Pipeline. He likely won’t find his way to an MLB mound for a couple of years considering his youth and the Dodgers abundance of talent, but he could expedite this process by refining his mechanics and continuing to upgrade the effectiveness of his off-speed pitches. 

San Diego Padres  

C Ethan Salas

Ethan Salas is a name that many baseball fans have become familiar with already. This is in large part that San Diego signed him when he was only 16. Salas was widely considered the top international prospect in his class back in 2023, and he wasted no time in trying to prove it. Salas came straight to America at the age of 16 and became the youngest prospect to play a full professional baseball season since Julio Urias achieved the same feat during the 2016 season.  

Despite his inexperience, Salas was dropped right into the Single-A level, straying from the more traditional path for younger players who often begin their careers in one of the complex leagues. Salas seemed to have little problem with the adjustment, finishing with a slash line of .267/.350/.487 with nine home runs over the course of his 48 games in Lake Elsinore before being promoted to the High-A level. He played nine games there before moving up to Double-A, where his season was cut short due to injury after just nine more games in San Antonio.  

There was palpable excitement within the Padres organization about the type of player that Salas could become, and MLB fans around the country became glowingly aware with the phenom that is Ethan Salas. However, a prospects journey to the majors is rarely a straight line and this unfortunately proved to be true for Salas in 2024. The highly touted teenager spent the entire 2024 season in Fort Wayne at the High-A-level and consistently struggled to find his footing in the batter’s box. Salas finished the year with a line of .206/.288/.311. Additionally, the power that he had given glimpses of in 2023 all but disappeared this year, as Salas only finished with 4 home runs from his 412 ABs.  

With that being said, growing pains are to be expected from any prospect (especially one who is 17 years old), the offensive numbers will improve as Salas gets more reps and adjusts to left-handed pitching. Despite some of his shortcomings from this past season, Salas gave Padres fans a lot to be excited about as well. He is an excellent defender, allowing only 7 pass balls in over 580 innings behind the dish. Additionally, Salas has proven that he has more than enough arm strength to make runners think twice before taking off. He caught runners stealing at a 29% clip last season, a number that would put him up there with some of the MLB’s best.  

Salas will need a few more years to develop before making his MLB debut in San Diego but has given fans and the organization alike plenty of reason to believe he may be the long awaited answer behind the plate for the Padres.  

San Francisco Giants  

1B/OF Bryce Eldridge

In recent years, the San Francisco Giants have begun to truly reap the benefits of their farm system and player development program. Last season, they were met with the emergence of two of their more prominent prospects in Tyler Fitzgerald and Heliot Ramos. They were also responsible for drafting and progressing their ace and former 2023 Cy Young Trophy runner-up, Logan Webb. While this hasn’t led to prominent postseason success in recent years, Giants fans can sleep easy knowing that more home-grown reinforcements are coming. Enter Bryce Eldridge.  

A first-round pick in 2023, Eldridge has already managed to shatter early expectations, on his way to becoming the organization’s #1 prospect, and MLB Pipeline’s #35 prospect in all of baseball. Originally committed to playing baseball at the University of Alabama, Eldridge was a high school star. However, it wasn’t just his bat that garnered attention, but also his ability on the mound. Standing at 6 ‘7, Eldridge had a fastball that touched 95 when he was 17 and still managed to be the number one ranked first baseman in his class. An ankle injury prior to his senior season stunted the development of his pitching, and eventually, he left the mound in his past when he was selected 16th overall in 2023.  

Since joining the Giants organization in the latter stages of the 2023 season, Eldridge has been nothing short of remarkable. He began the 2024 season in San Jose with the Giant’s Low-A affiliate, the San Jose Giants, though his time there was short-lived. Eldridge played only 51 games there before being promoted to High-A ball, where he began to grab national notice. Over the course of just short of 50 games there, Eldridge hit .335 with 12 home runs and an OPS of 1.060. He was then promoted to Double-A for a short stint of nine games and eventually finished out his year in Triple-A. Eldridge’s journey from Single-A to Triple-A over the course of his first full professional season shows just how excited the Giants are to have such a seemingly special prospect..  

Eldridge’s raw power and ability to spray the ball over the field from the left side of the plate already makes him one of the more pro-ready players in the Giants system. With that being said, he’ll likely spend the majority, if not the entirety of the 2025 season at the Triple-A level to continue to adjust to professional-level pitching while polishing his defensive abilities at a relatively new position for him in first base.  

As we look ahead to the future of the National League West, the impact of these rising stars cannot be overstated. Each of the prospects discussed represents a unique blend of talent, potential, and promise, and it’s clear that the division’s teams are stacking their rosters not only with established veterans but with a deep pipeline of exciting young players ready to make their mark in the years to come. The division is already home to some of the best teams in baseball, and these prospects could very well elevate their organizations to new heights in the near future. 

Colorado Rockies

We will be releasing more about the Rockies prospects in future weeks, but until then, get caught up with the Blake Street Banter’s Top 40 List can be found here!

(thumbnail photo by IG/shotsbysoto)