Los Angeles Dodgers Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, and Busts

With dynasty season ramping up, I figured it was time to talk about some sleepers, breakouts, and busts for each team. You can find my rankings and reports to see how I value players for your dynasty leagues, but I also feel like it’s helpful to truly identify whether I believe a player can be a breakout or not. Here is where I call my shots on players I think require a call to action in dynasty, whether it be to buy or sell that player.

While you are here, be sure to check out the updated Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect list, updated with new international prospects:

MLB Sleeper: Tommy Edman, INF/OF, 29, 5’10”/193

A wrist injury that was supposed to be a short injury stint caused Edman to miss the majority of the season. After returning to action on August 19, he has stood out in a big way. The trade to Los Angeles also only helped his value, and Edman is under contract there through next season.

While Edman did slump a bit during the last week of the season, in his first 116 plate appearances back, he slashed a strong .284/.319/.505 with six home runs and five stolen bases. He also added four doubles and a triple. Even though the overall season line was relatively unimpressive with a .711 OPS, Edman chased at the lowest rate of his career and showed his strong contact.

The biggest changes in the batted profile are increased launch angle and sweet spot rate. Edman is not hitting the ball harder, but he is getting to better angles, which has allowed him to hit six home runs in a small sample upon return.

With what he has shown, I would not be surprised to see Edman hit 15+ home runs in 2025 for the first time in his career and steal 25 or more bases, something he has done every full season of his career.

Fast forward to the postseason and Edman has posted a solid .333 average while striking out in just seven percent of plate appearances. He is a great "buy low" for 2025.

MLB Breakout: Michael Conforto, OF, 32, 6’1”/215

Is there really anyone to actually pick here for this category? This is a team full of All Stars and as much as I want to pick Dalton Rushing, there is no way he sees enough plate appearances to qualify. The youngest player set to be in the lineup is Kim and the rest are 30 years old or older. The rotation is full of stars.

Honestly, I don’t believe that Conforto is “breaking out.” His run between 2017 and 2019 saw him have seasons with 27, 28, and 33 home runs. Conforto’s quality of contact metrics in 2023 were actually some of the best of his career as he had a 90.2 mph average exit velocity and 107 mph 90th percentile exit velocity.

Conforto will now be in the best lineup he has ever been a part of and stands to score plenty of runs and drive in a ton. So maybe Conforto does not fit the breakout category, but i’m betting on his best season since 2019.

MLB Bust: Hyeseong Kim, 2B, 26, 5’10”/176

The transition from the KBO to MLB is never easy for a variety of reasons. Even a strong player like Ha-Seong Kim struggled in his first season with the Padres, slashing .202/.270/.352. Not only is it learning new pitchers and a different kind of style, you also have to learn a new country, language barrier, and culture.

Hyesong is coming off his best season in the KBO, slashing .326/.383/.458 with 11 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He struck out in just 11 percent of plate appearances and posted a strong 86 percent contact rate. Kim hits four-seam extremely well, having an 92 percent contact rate against, but it is important to remember that the average fastball velocity in the KBO is 90 mph.

The track record against 94 mph plus is a bit of a concern as to how the contact skills will translate. The speed is legitimate, and Kim will be a threat to steal bases, but he is a low-impact bat for fantasy purposes.

The is still a question mark as well. The exit velocities are be low average and with a few exceptions, Kim does not get to much game power. This is not saying he will be a bust for the Dodgers, but there will likely be some struggles in year one in MLB.

Los Angeles Dodgers Sleeper Prospect: Ko Ching-Hsien, OF, 18, 6’3”/215, DSL

Ching-Hsien might be the most intriguing prospect in this system from a pure standpoint of upside and unknown. The Dodgers followed the route they went with Hyun-Seok Jang signing Ching-Hsien mid-season as a 17 year-old to a $750k deal. He is half Taiwaneese Indigenous and half South African.

Upon signing, the organization sent him straight to the Dominican Summer League. There he slashed .241/.450/.448 with a home run and three doubles in nine games. I probably would not put a ton of stock into Ching-Hsien’s performance there just given the culture change and the short time to even settle in.

Ching-Hsien has a quick bat from the left side and plenty of projectable power on his 6’3” frame. Already strong at 215 pounds, Ching-Hsien has shown the ability to hit some big-time home runs and has the look of a 20-25 home run bat.

His plate skills are reportedly impressive for his age, and Ching-Hsien has a good understanding of the strike zone. Given the walk rates he posted in the DSL, this should be no surprise.

He is presently an average runner and plays a strong outfield. He will likely move to a corner, but if the power develops, he can definitely play there.

While there are still many question marks, one thing is certain—there is a lot of intrigue surrounding Ching-Hsien. The talent is there, but we will wait to see how he performs state-side before pushing him too high up the rankings.

Los Angeles Dodgers Breakout Prospect: Mike Sirota, OF, 21, 6’3”/188, NCAA

Sirota was discussed as a potential top-ten overall sleeper entering the 2024 collegiate season. After a slow start to his season, Sirota did pick things up, but not nearly to the level he did in 2023. After hitting 18 home runs in his sophomore campaign, Sirota hit just seven this season in an equal amount of plate appearances. He did end up slashing a solid .298/.473/.513 with more walks than strikeouts.

The power numbers were actually pretty strong under the hood. Sirota has a 94.4 mph average exit velocity, which ranked near the top of all college players. While the max of 109.7 with metal is not studly, it is still solid, and Sirota had an above-average 104.6 mph 90th percentile.

Sirota hits all pitch types well and picks up spin exceptionally. He chased just 13 percent of pitches out of the zone, one of the best marks in college baseball. The contact numbers do leave a bit to be desired as he made contact on just 81 percent of pitches in-zone and 75.4 percent overall.

Having speed, power, and strong OBP skills is a strong combo, but Sirota needs to prove he can make consistent contact against professional pitching. He does stand a chance to fly up this system if so.