Comparing the Dodgers top five prospects to their MLB counterparts

4. RHP Mitchell White

MLB Counterpart: Jimmy Nelson

Mithcell White’s stock has quickly been rising in the Dodgers’ farm system since he was drafted in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. At the end of 2016, MLB Pipeline had Mitchell as the 27th best prospect in the Dodgers farm system. Now, he is in the top five and looks to be guaranteed a spot in the middle of a big league rotation.

The most concerning thing around Mitchell is the Tommy John surgery he had performed after drafting high school. However, Mitchell returned to the starting rotation in college at Santa Clara. Since then, he has not looked back and has impressed in the minor leagues.

White made a combined 19 starts last season in the minor leagues with a 2.93 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 73.1 innings. The pitch that has made White so valuable is his upper eighties cutter that can give opposing hitters some serious trouble.

There really isn’t a starting pitcher in the big leagues that has a cutter like White, with Jimmy Nelson being the closest. Their fastball velocities are around the same — both in the 93-95 range — although Nelson’s cutter averaged just 84.8 miles per hour.

Although Nelson is much taller than White, the right-handed pitcher had a breakout season last year that made him the eighth-most valuable pitcher in baseball. White has the potential to strike a lot of hitters out like Nelson, thus, his ceiling becomes immensely high.