We’re in the midst of the youth movement with the Dodgers’ roster. James Outman has been a breakout star for LA and picked up some hardware for his great first month of the season. Miguel Vargas has been a solid if unspectacular contributor but has improved with the bat and the glove as the season has gone along.
Fans have also seen contributions from guys like infielder Michael Busch — the club’s number 3 prospect — and pitchers Gavin Stone (4th ranked prospect) and Michael Grove. And now one more guy off that top 10 prospects list is making his statement to say that, just maybe, he belongs.
That is 22-year-old outfielder Andy Pages.
Pages is a name some fans might remember from a few years back. He was nearly part of a blockbuster deal between the Dodgers and Angels that would have sent Ross Stripling and Joc Pederson to Anaheim for infield prospect Luis Rengifo and outfielder Taylor Ward. Halos owner Arte Moreno pulled the plug on that deal and Pages has been climbing the ranks in the Dodger system ever since.
He had a nice year in 2021 as a 20-year-old, hitting .265 with 31 home runs at High-A Great Lakes. 2022 was something of a step back for Pages (.236, 26 HR) as he reached Double-A for the first time. But this year has been off the charts for the Cuban outfielder.
He’s hitting the ball harder than he ever has while also working the strike zone better than ever. The now 22-year-old reported to spring training 25 pounds lighter this year and seems to be better utilizing his 6’1″ frame.
Pages has still played just 32 games this year at AA but he shouldn’t expect to be there very much longer. At this pace, he might not be in the minor leagues very much longer. The Dodgers have a need for right-handed pop in the outfield that can hit left-handed pitching. While Pages actually has reverse splits so far this season vs lefties and righties, all 3 of his home runs have come off left-handers.
He absolutely crushed left-handed pitching in 2022, slashing .316/.412/.735 in 136 at-bats.
Related: Why Are the Dodgers Being So Stubborn with Trayce Thompson?
If the Dodgers do eventually pull the plug on the Trayce Thompson experiment, Pages is an internal option that’s not that far away from big league ready.
