Dodgers: Ryan Pepiot Cracks MLB Top 100 Prospect List

Ryan Pepiot is officially a MLB top 100 prospect.

During the Andrew Friedman regime, the Dodgers have created a reputation of scouting, drafting, and developing young pitchers who go on to contribute at the major league level. 

At the moment, a pair of more recent Dodgers prospects, Julio Urías and Walker Buehler, anchor the top of the rotation. There's two current Dodgers pitching prospects that have some scouts buzzing - Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot. 

Miller has been listed on MLB top 100 prospect list prior to the start of the minor league season, but now, Pepiot has joined Miller on the list. Just barely; as of Friday, Pepiot is ranked No. 100.

The right-handed pitcher was the Dodgers third round pick in the 2019 draft. Pepiot has a plus-fastball, but his changeup is believed to be one of the best pitches of any MLB prospect.

Prospect experts are somewhat split on where Pepiot should rank. Before the start of the season, FanGraphs and The Athletic did not include him on their top 100 lists. The Athletic's Keith Law did include the former Butler Bulldog on his "just missed the list" article.

“Pepiot has an 80 [grade] changeup, one of the best pitches of its type in baseball right now, along with an above-average fastball…What he lacks is the command and control he’ll need to be a starter without an above-average breaking ball (for now, at least).”

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel however ranked Pepiot 59th.

“We come to Pepiot, who probably has the best changeup in the whole minor leagues, an at least 70-grade Bugs Bunny-type offering.”

In Triple-A this season, Pepiot has 22 strikeouts in 15.2 IP for the Oklahoma City Dodgers. 

Considering that the Dodgers are already down one starter in this young season, it wouldn't be a surprise to some if the young Dodgers prospect makes his MLB debut this year.